jammin'...and yarn searchin'

so... there I was Saturday night hanging around in the kitchen at the birthday party of this really lovely man I know...drinking, chatting, getting a bit drunk (it's this thing I do at parties)...next thing Mr G introduces me to a pleasant man wearing a nice blue scarf (don't think it was handmade, unfortunately - that would have been really good)...we chatted....it emerged he was ONLY ONE OF MY ALL TIME MUSICAL HEROES...blimey, knock me over with a champagne cork.


I've loved the high llamas since I was knee high to a llama myself (and I suffer a bit from musical amnesia so only those close to me know what a miracle it is for me to even recognise a piece of music nevermind remember who is responsible for it)...believe me when I tell you this man is a genius. Anyway, we chatted somemore and then my friend whose birthday it was called us all into the living room where he had gotten his guitar out and had started a singsong. Being the natural shrinking violet that I am I didn't immediately start shaking a jingly shaker in time (NOT) to the music. Nor did I appear to be enjoying it all so much that a random (very sweet) stranger went and found me a tambourine so I could make an even bigger noise. Nor did I then decide it would be a great idea to press gang another poor soul into joining me in an official capacity as backing percussionist up next to the birthday boy who actually has musical ability. Nor were we then joined by the man himself. NOR DID I END UP JAMMING WITH SEAN O'HAGAN.

well, er...I did actually. Last Saturday night.

Enough of all that, back to the crafting. I am looking for recommendations for a good, bright, hippyish variegated chunky yarn (he wants them bright and cheery) to knit these socks for my friend Nich who so nicely requested some in exchange for the "1 Hand Knitted Item Of Your Choice" voucher I rather lamely presented him with for his birthday.

Your recommendations, please...(all the ones on ravelry seem to be done in yarns more easily available in the US)