Wool Free and Lovin' Knit

SWATCHING: ArtFibers Hokkaido Yarn

Hokkaido is a blend of 57% bamboo, 30 % tussah silk, 5% mulberry silk,  and 8% nylon created by Artfibers in San Francisco.  

I have knit a lovely 8" x 8" swatch and my gauge is  approx. 20 stitches/24 rows over 4" in stockinette on #7 needles.     I love the texture in this yarn -- it is just so pretty.   

The first time I swatched this yarn I thought that  my knitted gauge was enough information on which to draw up a pattern and cast on.  Sadly, it was not.  

Because unfortunately this lovely yarn had to be washed at some point,  and that's when things changed. If you missed that sad tale, I wrote about it here. 

What Yarn is on Your list?

Following up on last week's book review, I have started a Knitter's Life "Yarn" List -- a list of Yarns I want to knit with before I die.  

Notice I said knit with, not purchase because I actually have some of these yarns in my stash already (*) but I just haven't gotten around to knitting them.  And some of these yarns I have yet to purchase but want to buy and knit with them soon. 

Sea Island Cotton (the cashmere of cotton) 

Habu Stainless Steel Silk *

Tussah Silk *

La Droguerie Lin (a 100% plied linen yarn)* 

Claudia Handpainted Linen

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy *

Milk Cotton

This list is far from complete (there are probably a ton of great yarns I have yet to be introduced to and some I've forgotten just this minute) but I think it's  a good start and will keep me going for awhile. 

Anything you think I should add?  And what yarns are top on your list to try or buy?

 

Swatching: Kollage "Riveting"

The yarn I have chosen for my first wool-free sweater success story is Kollage Riveting.  The fiber content is 100% recycled blue jeans (95% cotton- 5% other).   Love the eco-friendly aspect of this yarn.

I'm excited about this brand of denim yarn because it comes in a variety of colors (I chose Forest Denim color 7909) and the color does not bleed on my hands as I knit. 

The tag tells me that the gauge on this yarn is 26 stitches/32 rows to 4" on 3.5mm needles (US #4), and the pattern I've chosen tells me to achieve this gauge in seed stitch rib pattern

(pre-washed swatch)

I've never been a terribly precise person.  I tend to eyeball the location of a nail when hanging a picture.  Mostly this works out and sometimes you get 2 holes in the wall and I can live with that. 

 But when it comes to knitting sweaters I have learned (to my peril) that taking the pains to do a little measuring beforehand is not an option, but a necessity. Which is why I started swatching.  Gauge may not matter much in a scarf or afghan, but if your gauge is off on a sweater you are going to be in for big trouble. 

Phildar's Phil Douce-- a fun French yarn

On the top floor of the Au Printemps department store in Paris I found a Haberdashery department and there I found Phildar yarns.  I've heard of this French yarn company  before,  but had never actually seen the yarn in person. 

Plenty of choices for the wool-free knitter.  Cotton, Cotton/linen blend, acrylics and acrylic blends....

I was drawn in by their featured hat and scarf set and before I knew it, some of their Phil Douce had made its way into my shopping basket. 

On the way home it turned into this:

 

A lop-eared rabbit scarf for my youngest nephew. 

Phil Douce is a bulky polyester yarn which knits up with a fluffy smooth finish (you can't see a stitch) and it feels so soft and cozy.  

At 4 Euro's a ball, I deeply regret I did not buy more of this yarn.  It's just fun stuff!!  

And now it really is time to say good-bye to Paris!

Au Revoir !

 

 

What's "it" when you knit?

We've had some sizzling summer temps here in Boston, so I made a quick switch on the weekend from knitting cables in Aran-weight to knitting lace in a fingering cotton.

Good switch in terms of yarn, but it has been slowly dawning on me that I enjoy knitting lace only slightly less than I enjoy knitting cables.  I enjoyed it even less this time because I forgot where I was in the pattern and had to frog most of the Sweet Jazz shawl and start again. 

Of course if I had to choose between cables and lace, I'd go with cables.  I really dislike knitting lace that much.  I find it takes too much concentration as well as being just a bear to tink or frog. Blocking is also more work for lace.   I am really and truly amazed at the number of lace shawls that some knitters turn out in the course of a year.  I bow to your brilliance! Feel free to send me one if you are churning out too many for your personal use (wool-free of course). 

I'm still  drawn to all those lovely lace shawlette patterns and I  seem equally drawn to buy silky yarns of a single skein which will, inevitably, become more lacy things unless somebody can suggest an alternative. 

But through all these varied projects I am slowly getting to know myself as a knitter.  And yes,  I'm slowly starting to realize that while I may love the look of a cabled finished project (afghan, sweater, scarf,  you name it), I don't really enjoy knitting cables.  I can do it, it's not torture,  and once I get going I usually relax and have as much fun as I can with it, but I have to push myself to pick up a cabled WIP rather than choosing something without cables.  I think that's telling. 

I'm also not a big fan of charts. Oh, I don't mind having them for reference, but I like written instructions alongside. I like to keep my options open.  Interestingly enough, most cable and lace patterns use charts -- how's that for an 'ah ha" moment? 

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm both impulsive and persistent when it comes to knitting so I've no doubt that there will continue to be times when I will be so drawn to a Finished Object that the desire to have knit it will outweigh the pain of actually knitting it.  However, going forward I'd like to get to the place where I'm choosing patterns with which I can really enjoy the process of knitting and not spend the whole time chomping at the bit to get to the end product. 

And this is where I'm a little stuck.   While it's very easy to name types of knitting that are not my favorite, I'm not so clear about what style of knitting I enjoy most.  

I'm going to try to really make note of patterns I've loved knitting and see if I can find some commonalities among them.  Stockinette is definitely my most meditative style of knitting.  It works like a very soothing tonic on my soul.  But it needs to be interesting too, maybe some shaping or color changes, in order to keep me going back for more. 

So, what about you?  What's "it" when you knit? 

 

Interview with Elisabeth of "Wolle's Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton"

I'm having such fun knitting with Wolle's Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton that I thought it would be neat to do an interview with the creator of this wonderful yarn and then share that with all of you. Elisabeth graciously obliged. 

Q:  Elisabeth, when/how did Wolle's Yarn Creation Color Changing cotton begin?

A: I started in August of 2009. I was playing around with yarns and colors and liked the result. My knitting friends liked it, too, so I gave it a try.

Q:  Why did you choose "cotton" as your fiber instead of a wool or other animal fibers?

A:  I always liked cotton and have used it a lot in the past. I liked the softness and the feel against the skin, especially of my yarn, so I stuck with it.

Q:  I think the color changing aspect of Wolle's Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton yarn is so wonderful, what made you choose that over a solid colored yarn?

A: Ever since the self-striping sock yarns came out, I have been hooked at knitting with yarns where color changes "just happen." It makes for fun knitting - you are always looking and going for the next color change.... So, I wanted to make a yarn that is unique and fun to work with.

Q:  Fingering weight seems to be the most popular but I see you have a DK and Sportweight yarn as well. Are there any other yarn weights planned for the future ?

A: Yes, fingering weight is the most popular and the most versatile. For  some people it takes a bit of getting used to (the thinness), but once they try it, they usually like it. My yarn is really well suited for shawls and scarves and a fingering weight works really well for that. I wear my shawls year round....I also have sport weight yarn. I like to use that for summer tops and, of course, for scarves and shawls.  Since my main focus is the color aspect of the yarn, I am going to stick with these two yarn weights for the time being.

 

Q:  Where do you get your ideas/inspiration for the color combinations?

A: Basically from anywhere. Sometimes I look at a flower in the garden
and get an idea (that's how I came up with SUMMER LILY and SHERBET).
Sometimes people ask me for custom colors and thus inspire me to combine colors I didn't consider before. Sometimes I randomly pick colors and see if the combinations lead somewhere...

Q: What is your favorite knitting pattern to show off your color changing cotton?

A: That's a difficult question. I have many, many favorite patterns. Two really nice (and free) ones are Citron and Upstairs. I like patterns that have some lace aspect but are not too complicated so that the stitches compete with the colors.

Q: Although I'd seen your yarn on-line, I found your yarn "live" in "Shall We Knit", a store in Ontario, Canada last fall and was so excited to see it in person.  I know you sell your yarn on-line, but where else will folks find it?

A;  Selected yarn stores in the US and Canada carry my yarns. Mainly, I sell online and at fiber festivals. For this year I am planning to attend 10-12 festivals in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. One day I hope to head up to Canada too.

Q: When I got my first skein of Wolle's Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton I wasn't sure whether I needed to rewind it or whether to start from the inside or the outside and you kindly told me what to do -- would you please share with everyone the best way to  start knitting from this skein of yarn.

A: The skeins are wound as tangle-free center pull balls. Of course, you can always start a skein from the outside. The decision to start from the inside or the outside is a matter of personal preference as well as color choice. For example, if you have a skein that is blue inside and green outside and you are starting to knit a top-down shawl. If you like the blue portion to be next to the neck, you would start with the blue from the inside....

Q: Do you have any plans for expanding your yarn company?

A: I am currently experimenting with some "sparkle" yarn. It is a color changing yarn with a touch of sparkle... The first attempts and swatches look pretty, so I hope I can offer this new line soon. Stay
tuned.  :)

Q:  Is there anything special that knitters should know when considering a purchase of your yarn?

A:  People always ask how to block cotton. Cotton can be blocked just like any other fiber. However, cotton doesn't bounce back as wool does, so a garment will hold the shape in which it is blocked - which works really well for lacy shawls. 

Thanks, so much, Elisabeth, for participating in this interview.  I'm looking forward to becoming a "regular" customer!

Knit Picks Comfy Worsted

I've finished the first 20 rounds of the Candy Wrapper Cowl.  

I'm knitting it up in Knit Picks Comfy Worsted Yarn ( 75% Pima Cotton, 25% Acrylic).  

It's my first time to try Knit Picks yarn but I've heard so many good things about it I decided it was time to try it out.  This Comfy yarn is soft, lightweight, and can be tossed in the washer and dryer (always a plus).  The 25% acrylic microfiber adds some elasticity which should help the cowl to hold it's shape. And it has nice stitch definition. 

The color is Peony (#5606) which I loved when I saw it on-line.  Peony is described as "a warm pink color with an orange undertone. "   I was impressed with how closely the picture of the yarn matched the color of it once I saw it in real life.  I know that isn't always the case with on-line shopping so it was a pleasant surprise. 

Have you tried this yarn?  What's your take on it? 

 

Alchemy Silk Purse

Alchemy Silk Purse is a Dk weight 100% purse silk hand dyed yarn with a very nice sheen which Alchemy describes as an "inimitable glow".  The gauge is 5.5 stitches to the inch on a #6 needle. 

The yarn is made by Alchemy Yarns , owned by a husband/wife team in Sonoma, CA and you can read a great review on the company and their dying process here. 

Silk Purse is one of two wool-free yarns from this company, the other is Silken Straw (which I used for my Moonlight Sonata Wrap).  

I liked the Silk purse both to knit with (not too splitty, very smooth on the hands, holds its shape well even after frogging) as well as its appearance in the final product.

The dye color  is not even but I tend to like that in a yarn. However, that also means that no 2 skeins will be exactly alike. If you were knitting with more than one skein, it is recommended you alternate them for a more even distribution of color. There are some really beautiful colors.

In their own pattern book, Destination Alchemy  there are patterns for a shrug and a cardigan and I think the yarn looks absolutely beautiful in a larger, drapier garment.  

The only downside I can see to this yarn is the price -- it costs approx. $28.00/skein which puts it in the range of a "luxury" yarn for me.  Oh, and it is definitely a hand-wash in cool water only yarn!

 

Anyone interested in HandPainted Sock Candy Yarn -- For a Limited Time Only?

I was SO excited to read Amy Singer's post on the Knitty Blog a few weeks back about the release of some new wool-free sock yarn.  Blue Moon's non-wool version of Socks that Rock, Sock Candy has been released again and this time  for a limited time in a hand-painted version. 

Since it is being offered for a "limited" time I had to order myself some immediately. 

The yarn arrived last week and it is really gorgeous stuff.  I chose the Lapis colorway for myself (blues and greens). The yarn is 96% cotton, 4% Elite (a type of elastic that wears well) and it has a finish that looks a little bit like velvet and the plush feeling of something like polar fleece only finer.  It's really gorgeous stuff.

I bought a SECOND skein of this  yarn in the Singer Colorway, named after Amy Singer herself.

I'm offering this skein as my final anniversary give-away.  It's 400 yards (4 oz) of Handpainted wool free sock yarn , Singer colorway, which is enough for 1 pair of socks or ????

To win this beautiful skein of yarn please leave a comment on this post sharing the name/link to the pattern you would use for this yarn.  It could be socks or any other pattern that you think would be a good match for this beauty.

I'll be using the Random Generator again next Tuesday, September 7th  to choose a winner. Comments will close on Monday night(September 6th).   Good luck everyone!

Isn't it pretty?

The yarn that had to come home with me last week?  

Is Great Adirondack's Bamboo Fingering "Bouquet" ---There's 990 yards to play with, I just have no idea what I'll make with it but it was too pretty to pass by.  What would you knit with it?