I have wally world that doesn't carry much at all.. and then LYS that doesn't have a big variety.. so I read comments on the different yarns by searching them here or google..... it can be hard to tell the exact colors on computer screens too... so I usually order knit picks color cards then you can see the color and feel it.. Like Ingrid said merino and alpaca will be soft... so I know they will be a delight to work with..
