argh you guys are far too tempting!
Some of those cones say machine knit vs hand knit. What is the difference between them in terms of yarn, and can you hand knit with yarn meant for machines?
Dans
Yes you can - wool for machine knitting generally comes on cones and is oiled to help it go through the machine easier, but there's no reason why you can't hand knit with it. It'll feel a bit different to 'hand knit' yarns but once you wash it, the strands bloom and soften considerably.
I knitted a gansey for my DH last year. The seamless construction is brilliant. The pattern was easy to adapt as well, so as DH is a tree surgeon I put in rope cables, knit/purl ladder pattern and tree of life. Then - disaster - I washed it at too high a temperature and it felted really badly!! I haven't attempted another one yet