Check Out Callista

While my first Basalt Tank project waits in the wings for the arrival of more yarn, I’ve been playing with the new Callista yarn from Elann. This is the Boysenberry colorway. I like it so much I ordered more in the Moroccan Blue. It’s allegedly dk weight, tho’ it’s noticeably thinner than the Sonata, which is also billed as dk weight. Callista’s not as springy as wool-based yarns, so the resulting fabric is not as stretchy as fabrics made with springier yarns. However, the fabric has a lovely drape and hand. Callista’s just a little bit splitty, but nowhere near as splitty as Lara yarn from Elann.com. The variegation in color knits into a beautiful fabric reminiscent of hand-panted yarn. In short, I really like the stuff. The only drawback I’ve noticed is that one of the rayon strands frayed in a couple of places and broke in one place, necessitating some tinking back to remove the offending frayed yarn.

This is a half a hexagon “swatch” (not blocked, obviously). There’s a small frayed area, so I’m going to rip it back completely. In the meantime, I cast on a full hexagon with the intention of knitting another Basalt Tank. (Photos soon.) This is Basalt Madness I tell you. I'm not the only one to catch it either. Rumor has it T's granddaughter has requested a Basalt Tank.