to stock, or not to stock...

That is the question!

Well, the question is this - would you rather pay more money for really spectacular yarn or less money for still-great-but-not-quite-as-great yarn? I encountered this question the other day when I realized I was considering carrying two types of merino/silk DK weight yarn. (Which totally throws off my naming schema, but whatever.) And I thought, "Do I really need to have to two types of merino/silk DK weight yarn?" They are very different. But...do I really need to have both?

So this is where you come in! I'm going to describe both yarns and if you could kindly pop over to the poll in the sidebar over there and let me know what you think, that would be fantastic!

Here they are! Please pretend like they are the same color. The one on the left, the greener one, is a 70% merino/30% silk blend. It is exactly the same as my ever-popular silky merino sock yarn, just thicker. The one on the right, the bluer one, is a really luscious 50% merino/50% silk yarn. I have never carried this yarn before but I test-dyed a batch and it is so nice. Like, I want to knit a giant blanket out of it and stay cuddled in it all day. (Or maybe that's just because it is freakishly cold today...) As you can see, they have completely different looks to them. They are definitely different enough that I don't mind carrying both.

Why don't I just do that?

Well...cost. The 50% merino/50% silk is quite expensive. As in, a finished skein would cost you, my loyal customer, approximately a full $20 more than a skein of the other yarn. Yep. You read that right. It's wonderful, wonderful stuff. But should I bother?

 Cheaper, though still lovely, yarn. This stuff is great. I'm currently knitting a sweater out of it.

 Expensive, frighteningly nice yarn. Gorgeous stuff. Were I not the dyer, I could never afford to knit a sweater out of this.

Aren't they lovely? So tell me what you think! If you don't see an option you like in the poll, leave a comment here!