yarns that last

[to_love_a_rose]

So, everyone loves yarn that's pretty and fun to knit with, but...

Last year I knit a hat using a very pretty thick and thin blue yarn. It was a single ply wool, and the finished project was lovely. (Pictures here on Ravelry.) However, before the winter was out, it had begun to pill pretty badly. I looked at it yesterday and while it's still wearable, it's pretty fuzzy. It also bled really badly when I washed it (cold water, hand wash, gentle detergent). I know that pilling and fuzz is a risk of using wool, and I'm willing to make the trade off to knit with natural fibers, but is there anyway to pick out natural fibers that wear well?

I've heard that multi-strand yarns wear better than single-ply? Anyone have any experience with that? Also, any suggestions for natural fiber yarns (specific brands or just general types of yarn) that seem to wear well?

(BTW, thanks to everyone for your help in planning my impromptu knitting class. I picked up a pair of size 8 bamboo needles and some Wool Ease in light pink for my friend. She'll either end up with a garter stitch scarf or a ribbed scarf for her first project depending on how quickly she picks it up. And, yes, I will be casting on for her. *g*)

Knitting lamps?

[rivetkitten]

So, my desk lamp of quite a few years just died on me. It seems to me that since I do a lot of my knitting at my desk, this would be a good time to invest in a lamp that will actually help me see my stitches better. Any suggestions on what would be the best type of lamp to get?

Thanks!