Sometimes a gal needs a little glamour and a little giveaway in her life!  I recently received a skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze Glamour to review.  I've already reviewed Kidsilk Haze on this blog so many times, told you all how much I love it, it's my number one most favorite yarn, gossamer silk, ethereal mohair, elegant and luxurious, all that.  On Ravelry I've tagged 14 projects with KSH and it's sister yarns.  So when Rowan decided to add shiny translucent sequins to their KSH, I knew I would melt.  I did.  I love it.  So many knitters are so addicted to KSH that a few wags started calling it Cracksilk Haze.

With my skein, a dark charcoal, Smoke, I'm making the One Skein Cravat from a free pattern on the Rowan website.  It's something I'll be working on off and on, no hurry.  I always have a few things going on at once, and I'm happy if at least one of them is KSH! 

The free pattern includes three sizes, a cravat, a scarf and the wrap shown above.

 
By the way, when Glamour came out a few months ago, the very day it arrived at my lys, I met my girlfriend and we both bought a sweater's worth on the spot.  It was hard for us to choose just ONE sweaters worth, she's addicted to it too.  My sweater is three quarters done but I've put it aside for now and will pick it up again early fall.  That's how we do things around here. Anyway, someone asked me if the sequins pool.  No, they don't, not a bit of pooling, just lovely sparkles sprinkled about the fluffy KSH, just lovely.

The particulars:  Kidsilk Haze Glamour is slightly thicker and has a slightly different composition than KSH, still mohair and silk but with nylon added.  It knits up to a variety of gauges, from an airy fabric at 18 stitches per 4 inches or to a more dense fabric at 25 stitches per 4 inches with US2 needles.  For knitting bliss, needle size and composition are so important here.  Depending on my gauge and my pattern I may use slick Addi Turbos or a smooth wood like Knit Pick Harmonies that will help the yarn to "stick".  I prefer a sharp needle over blunt with KSH.  Play around with your needle to get a feel that works for you.  It's a yarn that at first may take a bit of patience.  I have always encouraged knitters to stick with it until they are comfortable with it's feel, it's so worth it.  This yarn really does make the most luxurious lightweight yet warm fabric that is like no other.  I wear this year-round, it's perfect for our chilly Northern California summer evenings.  It is not inexpensive, but you'll have your garment for many many years, it wears beautifully with minimal to zero pilling.  Even though Glamour is thicker than KSH, I have interchanged it with excellent results, the Glamour fabric being fuller with more depth of feel to it.  And of course there's those lovely shiny sequins!  Hand wash.

cravat

The Glamour Collection.

I have Parisian Nights in my knitting book collection, seriously the most gorgeous patterns,  each named after French wines and know that Glamour would be a good match for any pattern here.

Parisian Nights