While browsing through yarn catalogs recently, I found myself drooling over descriptions of yarn fiber content. Now I know what sheep feel like when they are turned out to a pasture of green grass after spending the winter eating hay. Right away, I began dog-earring pages so I can return to the scene of my avarice sometime soon.

Next time I’m in a local yarn shop I’ll be looking for the yarns I found in the catalog. I’ll be doing the touch test and sniffing the yarn to make sure it has the right aura of wool, silk, cotton, cashmere or alpaca. If it doesn’t feel right or doesn’t smell right, I’m not interested, no matter how scrumptious the color or how fabulous the knitted sample looks. Is that weird? Probably, but being a hair off center has never bothered me much. I consider it an asset.

Here’s a list of the yarns I found intriguing:

. Debbie Bliss cotton cashmere – 85 percent cotton, 15 percent cashmere.

. Jo Sharp Silkroad Ultra – 85 percent wool, 10 percent silk, 5 percent cashmere. Also, Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette – 40 percent alpaca, 40 percent merino wool and 20 percent silk.

. Patons SWS, self-striping yarn – 70 percent wool, 30 percent soybean fiber.

. Berroco Ultra – 50 percent alpaca, 50 percent wool.

. Mission Falls – 100 percent wool that is machine washable.

. Classic Elite Bazic – 100 percent wool, also can be washed by machine.

. Twilley’s Freedom Wool -100 percent wool. The name alone is irresistible – I don’t care if it isn’t machine washable.

. Berroco Bonsai – 97 percent bamboo fiber and 3 percent nylon.

. Skacel Conrasto – 70 percent silk and 30 percent nylon.

If these yarns sound intriguing to you, too, ask your local yarn shop owner how to obtain them.

Of course, the problem with this list is staring me right square in the face – time and storage space. I already have so many skeins of yarn that it would take me until 2099 to knit it all. But I keep thinking that if I stuck to one-skein projects such as mittens, scarves, socks, baby sweaters and hats, I could sample one skein of each brand of yarn on my list. I know, I know, it would be like sticking my finger in a bowl of frosting instead of gobbling the entire cake. But I think I could do that without letting yarn greed overwhelm my better impulses – such as restraint and the horrible idea that less is better and a little goes a long way.

That, however, does not solve the problem of where to stash more yarn. This I do know: I am disciplined when it comes to yarn storage. Although I am tempted, I won’t stoop to stuffing it into the roaster in the cupboard or in that long, narrow space behind the couch. Nor will I empty the sock drawer to accommodate yarn creep. I may, however, empty one of those plastic storage bins filled with snippets of fabric I’ve hoarded for far too many years. That would give me just about room enough.

Snippets

. Betsy Doherty of Brooklin, a spokeswoman for WomenHeart, an organization that supports women dealing with heart disease, reports that since she began collecting hand-knit red scarves several months ago to give to women recovering from heart surgery or heart attacks, she has received more than 200 scarves. Those who wish to donate a handmade red scarf should send it to Besty Doherty, 12 Reach Road, Brooklin ME 04616. For more information, call Doherty at 359-8414.

. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans is sponsoring a Knit Your Bit program to provide hand-knit scarves to World War II veterans nationwide. Deadline for knitting and mailing a scarf to the museum is March 15. Scarves should be mailed to Knit Your Bit Campaign, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130. For more information, visit www.nationalww2museum.org or call (502) 527-6012, ext. 229.

Call Ardeana Hamlin at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@

bangordailynews.net.