My Favorite Yarn

I actually received this yarn last month, when I was cameraless, and I keep forgetting to take pictures of it. Today I remembered, so here it is:



It's beautiful yarn, sort of a variegated camel color, and with an angora-like halo. A close look at the label reveals its source:



That's right, you're looking at 100% Ruthie yarn. I have about 12 ounces in all, and it was spun for me by VIP Fibers.



As you can see, Ruthie is fascinated with this yarn. It doesn't smell doggy at all; in fact, they clean the fiber with something that gives it a fresh floral scent that's pleasant but not overwhelming. Clearly, however, discerning noses can still distinguish the yarn's origin (and wonder why that yarn smells like them!).

I wish I had a photo of how the yarn was packaged when it arrived. It was really beautiful. It even included a personalized plastic tag with Ruthie's name on it (like a dog tag). And the labels, as you can see, are very cute. You supply your own picture when you send in the fiber, and, as you're waiting for the fiber to be spun, they post the picture on their website, along with an update on the project's progress.

I met the owner of VIP Fibers and her husband at Stitches West, and they are both very pleasant people.

I'm not sure what I'm going to make from this yarn. I have enough for a scarf, but I'm thinking a teddy bear would be nice. Or something. I also have in my stash about 6 ounces or so of Billie (@RB) yarn that was spun for me several years ago by someone who had newfies, and who needed some light-colored fiber to make a striped sweater. I sent her a great big box of fur, and she sent back some of the spun results. I could combine the Billie yarn with the Ruthie yarn, if I wanted. They're not quite the same color or texture (Billie had more white fur than Ruthie, and her reds were less dark), but I could do stripes or something. Any suggestions??