Ideas??

So I've been knitting along on my Irish Hiking Scarf & loving it. It's SO easy to knit. Mindless but not brain dead - just my kind of knit these days! :) Anyhoo - this is my first time using the Noro Cash Iroha. I love the feel of it, and I love the sheen. I think the stitch definition is great too. This is a great yarn for cablework.

But what I am not loving are the knots - 4 out of 5 skeins have them so far. You know how much I love knots. And the other thing I dislike is the...hmmm...shall we say "variable quality of consistency"? Every skein has at least one section where the machine (couldn't be a human could it??) that spins this stuff either fell asleep or burped or something so you get a thin bit and then a really big thick barfy bit. Annoying.

I still really like working with this yarn which is a good thing considering that I have two more bags of Cash Iroha in my stash. But I was wondering, is there anyone out there who can give me any suggestions for a worsted or dk weight yarn that gives a similar effect? I'm looking for that sheen, the smooth soft texture (but sturdy!), nice stitch definition and is made of pretty much the same stuff - Cash Iroha is 40% Silk, 30% Lambswool, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon. Also - want something with a good silk content that won't break the bank!! And I can't use soy silk due to allergy issues. :(

Surely there must be something similar out there with a better production quality!!