Just wondering if anyone have had problem with knots on unused yarn.
I've been using Karisma yarn a few times and it's happened at least twice that I find knots on the yarn that I'm about to knit.
A little while ago the the thread broke off due to this so I had to tie it together in the middle of my current work.
When I 'open up' a new yarn I usually take off the label that's around the yarn ball, then begin from 'outside' of the yarn ball, not 'inside'.

Tags: yarn review - wool

Has anyone tried this yarn?
My main concerns are: it has to be easy to use (, and not itchy :)

Tags: beginners, yarn review - wool

Below the cut, a Fair Isle Sweater, and my usual over-plentiful notes.

( 2 1/2 years in the makingCollapse )

Tags: finished object, yarn review - wool

Okay, so I just finished Fake Isle. (Same username on Ravelry if anyone cares).

And I've recently become aware of Kauni Effektgarn (*omg die*)

So I browse the projects on Ravelry all the time. And I just saw this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16868866@N03/2222947679

*revives all of you*

I want to make something like that so bad . . . and a friend is having a baby. Any day now.

But I don't want to use 100% wool (especially one I've never touched) because it'll shrink & be ruined and that's so not my thing. Edited to add: The parents will not hand wash and dry anything, so it must be a machine washable and dryable yarn. This means it cannot be 100% wool, unless it is superwash, and i do not want to use a wool unless I know what it feels like before I order it. They live 600 miles from me so I cannot care for it for them.

So does anyone know of a cotton, acrylic, or blend in a *rainbow colour* similar to the Kauni? I know about Red Heart Mexicana, but I think the repeats are too short. I could use that but I don't think it'd blend right (and then I'd have to find it).

Also. Has anyone knit/felttouched Kauni?

And last thing: does anyone know of a sun, moon or stars pattern for socks? Or that could be adapted to a sock?

Tags: pattern request, yarn review - wool, yarn substitutions
Current Mood: creative

I made this hat for me, but my nephew decided it was really for him. Well, he's cute and it fits him better, so he gets it. It's the Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat done in Sailor (purewool) from yarny_bits held double on US size 10.5. Took about 4.5 hours, all told. Pretty quick knit.

( Cuteness ensuesCollapse )

Tags: finished object, online free patterns, pattern - hat, technique - cables, yarn review - wool
Current Music: Claw Your Way to the Top (Unabridged) - Dave Barry

I made this cute set for a friend's toddler. I used Peace Fleece in Volgasippi Blue (more teal than expected) and Father's Grey (darker than expected). I seem to have a slight allergy to either Peace Fleece's processing methods or mohair. If I forgot to wash my hands after working with the yarn before rubbing my eyes, they got really itchy. I also sneezed a lot while I was using it. Does anyone know if Peace Fleece do anything different when they prep their wool? I've used lots of different minimally processed/organic/whatever yarns and I don't seem to be sensitive to anything else..

( Photos and some details here, along with a questionCollapse )

Tags: finished object, technique - finishing, yarn review - wool

I have a couple of projects that really point up how extremely strong the effect of stitch count can be on projects done with handpainted yarn.

( There are pictures, so have a cut.Collapse )

Tags: finished object, socks, technique - socks, tips, yarn review - wool

A recent post got me thinking on a tangent. I generally try to live as lightly as I can, and this includes knitting. Most of my needles are bamboo (except for my circs, where I caved and bought the set from Knitty) and I try to be conscious about most of my yarn purchases. I spend a little extra cash, most times, and go for organic cotton, locally raised/spun/dyed wool and other animal fibers, and will often substitute bamboo or soy silk for real silk. I will also cannibalize sweaters from Goodwill, either for yarn or felting. I am not vegetarian, or vegan, or any other "an", so there's no soapbox here. I just like to make environmentally conscious decisions as often as possible.

That being said, I'm wondering what other favorite groups/fairs/online stores people have found for humane/organic/etc yarns? My personal favorite is to stuff as many canvas bags as I can into my backpack, round up unsuspecting(or yarn-friendly) friends, and boot it up to the Common Ground Fair every September in Maine. It's worth the drive from anywhere on earth. It's run by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners - www.mofga.org) and it's a great opportunity to not only shop well, but to speak to the farmers/craftspeople at length. Another great spot up here, which I'm definitely going to check out this year is the New Hampshire Wool and Sheep Fest in May (www.yankeeshepherd.com).

So, what else have you found??

Tags: yarn, yarn review - cotton, yarn review - wool
Current Music: Yahoo radio
Current Location: work
Current Mood: curious

Just finished a dog of a project commissioned by a friend and I thought I'd post my opinion of the yarn.

It's Valley Yarns "Amherst" which is one of Webs' house yarns, much like how elann has their own line of yarns. It's 100% merino, 109yds/50g center pull balls and recommends 4.5st/inch on US#8s.

First off, on my monitor the color cards on the site are very dark compared to the yarn in person. Luckily, my friend is happy with the colors as they appear. At least, he hasn't seen it in person yet, but he's happy with the pics I've got below.

( pics and more blatherCollapse )

Tags: finished object, yarn review - wool

I am sad that when i went to Joann's for just a spur yarn/needle browse, i left with their sensations 100% wool.  i also think that they had a sign saying that it was feltable...
this is NOT a feltable yarn even though nowhere does it say superwash!
do you think i should head back, make sure the sign is there and demand a refund?
i spent a good 20-something total on it...
also, get this yarn if you want a superwash, it isnt alot, and is soft and has some cute colors
(i was thinking legwarmers with it)

this is the page on their site, but the description does not state its non-feltable properties either!
http://www.joanns.com/catalog.jhtml;$sessionid$DXUWTKIAADCTIP4SY5LRJAR50LD3OEPO?CATID=92240&PRODID=123105

Thank you to all of you in advance!

p.s.
i am working on tempting with the debbie bliss cashmerino...
i can see why this is a great yarn!
and so far, it is moving quickly!

**Edit**
Thank you again to all of you and your suggestions, ideas and comments
I am going to check the signage, but since I have used it, I dont plan on a return but would like the same yarn in the same color (the peach is well, just peachy)
As I said, it does not say superwash, but this would work really well, just as a side note

thanks again!!!

Tags: shopping, sound off, technique - felting, yarn review - wool
Current Music: the new belle and sebastion
Current Mood: frustrated

Early this week I finished a felted purse and a few felted potholders I made as test swatches:

( Click to see the results of my labors. Lots of pictures behind the cuts.Collapse )
( Celtic knot needle feltingCollapse )

The good news: I swore I was going to knit two items before I bought more yarn. This is my second item! More yarn! Yippee!
The bad news: The yarn I want (color-grown cotton to crochet a lacy cardigan) is apparently mostly sold in Canada. Additionally, after I ordered it, I learned it was backordered. I have started knitting a Christmas-tree skirt to tide me over until it comes. It is supposed to ship soon -- hopefully it won't get held up too long in customs. I shall console myself by noting that in NC, it should be warm enough for a lacy cardigan for some time to come.

Tags: designing, model post, technique - felting, yarn review - wool
Current Mood: accomplished

I've been working on a scrap yarn granny square blanket for a while now out of many different 100% animal fiber yarns, yarn that was left over from other projects or which I'd bought 1 skein of on sale or because I couldn't leave it behind. You know the way that works. Anyway, I had occasion / necessity to wash it last night -- actual washing, too, not just a gentle soak in some lukewarm water. (Fracking cats and their fracking urine.) I washed it in the washing machine, with cold water, on the delicate cycle, 2 minutes of agitation, with regular old Tide detergent, and then ran it in the dryer on Fluff Air / No Heat for an hour. The different yarns reacted VERY differently to this treatment; some of them are basically unchanged, some of them felted very aggressively. The blankie itself is crocheted, but I figured there was enough felting interest here that the behavior of the yarns was of general use.

Bear in mind, this was, like, the Anti-Felt Wash. The only thing I could have done differently is put enough vinegar in the wash water to make the whole thing acidic. No heat, no temperature changes, not a lot of agitation.

Anyway, the results.

In the Basically Unchanged Category: Schaefer Helene (50/50 merino/silk), Noro Kureyon, some random single-ply heavy worsted yarn I picked up in a remnant bin. All three of those, you can't even tell they've been through the wash; they look exactly the same. Also some Dale Falk double-stranded with laceweight mohair, but that's superwash so I don't think it counts.

In the Enh, Yeah, That Went Through the Washer All Right category: Cascade 220 (dark eggplant heather), Jaimeson Tweed (sage green), Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool Quarters (all colors). These have fuzzed up, fluffed out, lost some stitch definition, but still maintain the integrity of the yarn.

In the Holy Crap Thank God I Didn't Use Hot Water category: Cascade Pastaza, Mountain Colors Mountain Goat, and (the GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF ALL TIME) Mountain Colors 4/8's wool. In all three of these, the squares compacted, the fibers started to lock together, individual stitch definition is gone, it was a struggle to get the hook through the edges to add the next row. The 4/8's wool in particular is practically just a solid piece of felt, and the only reason it's not half its previous size is because the weight of the other squares in the dryer kept it pulled out. The fabric is unbelievably soft and snuggly, and this was a project to use up leftovers, so I'm not terrifically sad about it, but I honestly would not have thought that 2 minutes of cold agitation and then no-heat tumble drying would have affected the wool so much.

Interestingly, all the Unchanged yarns are single-ply, and the 4/8's wool is 4-ply. Pastaza is single-ply 50%wool, 50% llama (I think) and Mountain Goat is 2-ply 55/45 wool/mohair. If I were designing a project to be felted, I would definitely choose multi-ply wool over singles, after this experiment. Density of the work didn't seem to affect the feltability that much; the Pastaza was the densest square, and the Weaver's Wool Quarters squares were the least dense, but the Random Single Ply yarn that was so unchanged was nearly as heavy as the Pastaza, and the Mountain Goat wasn't that much heavier than the Quarters.

Who knows if anyone will find this information as fascinating as I do? But I figured that since we get a lot of questions along the lines of "what yarns are good for felting," the results of this experiment were probably worth committing to pixels.

Tags: technique - felting, yarn review - wool

I recently finished the Fair Isle Hat from Vogue Knitting Accessorize, as featured in the KnitPicks cataologs of late.

This puppy knits up FAST. I fully expected it to take me a week, but I knocked it out in five hours, give or take. I used the recommended colors of KnitPicks Merino Style for the "Spring" hat (they have four suggested color combos for each season), but I subbed black for the purple, and I chose to do the single crochet border in one color and omit the earflaps. I've used KnitPicks before, but this is the first time I've used Merino Style, and I will definitely use it again! It's very soft and feels durable. (I keep petting my head :) ).

While I was working on it, I was worried that it was going to be way too small, but it's just a nice, snug fit. The single crochet border really helps with the curling. The pattern is interesting enough not to be boring, but at the same time, is not frustrating and I was able to watch TV/converse with the parents while working on it. I definitely recommend the pattern if you want to take a stab at fair isle.

I'm not a big fan of the other patterns in Accesorize, but I love the hat. I put it on an hour ago and it has yet to leave my head :).

( Pictures, and details on the projectCollapse )

I know it's been said 8 billion times in this community, but I adore KnitPicks. I just ordered yarn and three patterns from them: the mitered cardigan, the slip stitch jacket, and the twisted socks and I will be waiting at the mailbox with bated breath for it to arrive!!!

Tags: finished object, pattern - hat, technique - fair isle, yarn review - wool, yarn shop reviews
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: NBC Nightly News

i know a few of you have ordered this yarn and i wanted to ask you: how soft is it? i want to make a lace project out of a nice, soft fingering weight yarn and i'm having trouble finding one i like. most of the solid-color sock yarns i've found are superwash wool and they're kinda scratchy and weird. i figured since palette isn't superwash it might feel ok. so how does this one measure up? any info would be appreciated. ^_^

edit: in a similar vein, how is their sock essentials yarn? soft? scratchy? i just assumed it was scratchy because it was superwash, but maybe not... any thoughts?

Tags: yarn review - wool
Current Mood: cheerful

Sorry, I'm still testing things here. To see what happens with tags on posts that are deleted.

I will continue to add tags to this post, and do other strange things.

Tags: pattern - shawl, pattern - socks, technique - aran, technique - felting, technique - intarsia, technique - modular, technique - other, yarn review - acrylic, yarn review - cotton, yarn review - luxury fiber, yarn review - wool