Seduce Swatching

Seduce is a great name for this yarn because that’s what it did.  It seduced me.  I bought two skeins of it at Baskets of Yarn a year ago.  They sat in the bag.  I couldn’t figure out what to do with just two skeins.  Then Remi caved and started carrying it in lots of beautiful colors.  I got three more skeins and I’m still dickering with what it wants to be.

Stockinette on a size 7 needle and bird’s eye lace.  Don’t like the lace.  I’ll catch and pull it on something.  Like the simplicity of the open stockinette.  But what about all that curl.

Seed stitch solves the curl, but I don’t know.

Mix it with another yarn.  This is some Classic Elite Bamboo which might make the purple pop more.  But mixing it might also take away from the luxuriousness of the Seduce.

I know I want it near my face.  At my age anything that brings light to the face is a blessing.  Time to sketch.

Two ideas so far.  This one with two yarns with or without sleeves.  Or

This one which is all Seduce except for something on the bottom front lapels.  I don’t know what yet.  The back 0f this could be in the same dark yarn.

Still thinking.  And knitting simple socks.

Weavette arrived!

No, I’m not looking for another hobby.  Think of it as a remembrance of my childhood combined with a need to use up scrap yarn and a need for embellishment.  Or just think of it as I wanted it.

With the help of the instruction booklet, I whipped up a sample. Lesson learned: don’t use boucle yarn.

Lesson learned: sport weight cotton yarns with be very sheer. This has all kinds of possibilities. Edges, sew on patches, scarf pieces.

I bought mine from Lois Scarborough at http://www.bountifulspinweave.com. It’s fun and portable and mindless.

FYI–If you like Plymouth Sockotta sock yarn, and I do, Discontinued Brand Name Yarn has it on sale for $5.49 per 100 gr ball. I bought Steve and I 5 balls.

Ordering Yarn online

Sometimes I add sock yarn to an online order just to meet the magic Free Shipping quota. I mean who really has too much sock yarn?

The solid-ish Maizy may be a place to explore a stitch pattern, but the Regia is definitely a man’s simple sock. I may use a slip st pattern on it to make the color pattern blend more.

Gifts for others? Probably.

Another one joins the cult!

I am so addicted to knitting socks!  I love it!  I finished the 3 pair I had started and they look great.  I did the star toe on first, will not do that again, I much prefer the wedge toe.  I am also attempting to do a toe up sock.
My only problem now is that I cannot stop buying sock yarn!  I guess there could be worse addictions.
Seriously, thank you for making socks a very enjoyable lesson and one that will go on and on!

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Fern sent me this email.  She was in my latest sock class.  (Next one starts in mid April.)  Those of you who have never tried socks should be forewarned.  Knitting is an obsession, but sock knitting is an addiction for all but a precious few who simply were meant to knit other things.  Even the most expensive sock yarn is not ruinous and you only need 100 grams, one tenth of a sweater amount.  Some of my favorites:Cherry Tree Hill Supersock–an old standby.  These are Moody Blues and Peacock and are destined for male feel.  The Moody Blues is much more subdued.  Superwash merino and great spin and stitch definition.  Wears like iron.

Louet’s Gem merino yarn.  This too is loved for its spin and its stitch definition.  Some of my favorite socks were knit from it.  I have some of the 50 gram solids earmarked for some fair isle socks.

What about indie dyers?  Two favorites.

Lotus Yarns.  Melanie is so busy dyeing for wholesalers and sock clubs that it is hard to get her stuff right now.  She should have some on Etsy soon.  The Chakra with cashmere is so fine.  Steve’s feet are aching for the pair I knit him, but won’t let him wear until after I release the pattern which can’t be done until I take some photos.

The Divine Miss Babs who dyes across the mountains in Tennessee created my favorite colorway Cleopatra.  I knit my Like Jazz socks from this.  She used a wonderful base yarn similar to Louet and CTH.  Her work wows me.  She’s also, like Melanie, so darn nice.

Do you knit socks?  Have a favorite yarn?  Let me know.  I’ll always buy sock yarn just to try it.

New stuff–yarn and pattern

Remi has a new yarn at Charlotte Yarn that just sucked me right in.  It is Queensland Haze.

The corn fiber was what got me.  Erica loves her corn fiber socks and begs for more, so obviously she needs a shell made from this new corn and cotton yarn.  The color screams Erica.  A really lush, soft rose with hints of blue in it will make her baby blues pop.

We all know the problems with 100% cotton yarns.  No memory is the big one.  The corn fiber in this yarn gives it terrific stitch definition, but, alas, no memory.  I tried the tiny needle trick and loved the result in this swatch.  It has been washed and the results were great.  The hand is really nice.  It’s soft but has a tiny crispness like linen.  The color didn’t fade at all in the washing as some cottons do.

I found a stitch pattern in Creative Knitting that I liked and started a shell.  I will see her soon and thought I could fit her if I had the back knit.  This looks okay, but doesn’t solve the no elasticity problem.  I knit it with a size 3 needle (ball band recommends a 6) and love the feel, but when I woke up this morning, my elbows were hurting.  Uh oh.  Already did that surgery.  Must find a way to use a larger needle.  You probably won’t have this problem.  I just knit so *&^*& k loosely.

Later—Well, now I’m trying this.

Back to the drawing board for me.  I’ll let you know what I discover.  In the meantime, go by Charlotte Yarn and hold this stuff for a bit.  You’ll probably succumb, too.

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So after all this, I took the yarn and my enthusiasm to Georgia to show to DD1 and her response was to talk about the way her current scarf sheds on her coat and could I just use this yarn and make her a new scarf.

I am going to look great in the shell I am going to make for me out of this great yarn.  You know, mostly you should just knit for yourself.

Swatch Report #2–elann cottons

This is Lustrado (100% gassed cotton; 28 sts on a US3; 50 g = 185 yds)  Gassed cotton is another way of saying it is mercerized which gives it a slight sheen and makes the fiber stronger.  This is a 3 ply yarn spun fairly tightly.  I just threw it on a size 5 and knit some lace.  That was the first thought I had when I saw it.  Summer lace.  The swatch has a nice hand and would feel great as a summer shawl, but the color dulled just a bit with the washing.  This is the Peacock Green (yea, the color is wrong in the photo) and is very saturated; a lighter color might not dull.  I won’t investigate that because I don’t need this weight yarn.  It would make a nice, soft baby sweater.

This is Sonata (100% cotton; 50 g = 115 yds; 22 sts on a US6).  I bought this as a possible for a gansey sweater for my grandson.  The butterscotch color is too bright for him.  This cotton has four two-plies plied together.  The effect makes it reflect light like a cabled yarn, yet it is much softer than cables.  It has great stitch definition as you can see in the swatch,.  I knit it at 19.5 sts over 4 inches on a US5. I like the hand and might make a tank top out of it.  I think it is too heavy for a gansey and would just stretch out of shape.  I think it would last well and not pill due to the way it is spun.

Now to my two favorites . . . .

This is Calista—and it has been REMOVED from the elann listing.  I show it to you because they often remove a yarn and then get another shipment.  So, just in case— (50% viscose, 25% cotton, 25% linen; 22-23 sts on a US 3-5; 50 g = 130 yards)  I love the way this yarn feels after it has been washed—soft with a hint of crisp.  It is a 6 ply and was lovely to knit.  I would buy lots of it—-IF I could.  Watch for it.

Finally, the best–This is Coto Canapone (52% cotton, 48 % hemp; 20 sts on US 5; 50 g = 109 yards)  I love hemp and it is so hard to get here.  It feels stiff like linen does until you wash it.  Then it softens, but stays very strong and long wearing.  This is not as weighty as 100% cotton and I don’t think it will stretch as much.  This too has a crisp feel with its softness, like a soft texture would be.  The fiber takes and holds the dye very well.  The swatch shows stockinette, brioche and rib sts.  I definitely want a knocking around sweater out of this or even a skirt.  Now to pick a color.

Swatch Report–elann cottons

I knit swatches with the single balls of yarn I ordered from elann.  I wanted to determine MY gauge, how they looked and felt after washing, and if I wanted to buy more of any of them.  Here’s what I learned.

This is Pegasus (52.4% mercerized cotton and 47.5% viscose; 50 g = 93 yds; 19 sts on US7) I knitted it on a 5 because I was too lazy to go get a 7 and because I knit large, that worked okay.  After washing it was soft and very wearable for a garment.  The yarn is 4 plies of the cotton and 4 thinner plies of the rayon.  I would certainly use it for a worsted weight sweater.

This is Luna (55 viscose, 45 non mercerized cotton; 50g = 106 yds; 21 sts on US5).  It, like the Pegasus, is 4 plies of each fiber.  This yarn is  a DK wt yarn.  I was surprised at how much lighter it feels in my hands after I knit the swatch.  I prefer this to the Pegasus.  It not only is lighter, it is softer.  I’m very interested in a sweater or vest from this yarn.

Both yarns have a little sheen that catches the light nicely, but because the fibers are plied together rather than carding them into one yarn, they have a shimmery effect that is only really suitable for women’s pieces.  The right man could rock this, but girls and boys will look silly.

This is Nilo (60% cotton, 30% viscose, 10%linen; 21 sts on a US6; 50 g = 109 yds).  This has 6 plies of the same fiber mix.  It takes the dye well.  The color is, of course, not at all what is pictured.  It is softly plied and might split if you knit very tightly, but I had no trouble with it.  You can tell the rayon is there, but it doesn’t have a distinct gleam as the first two do.  It has a good hand and is quite soft; I would buy it.

This is Camila (50% cotton and 50% linen; 50 g = 123 yards; 23 sts on a US3)  I knitted this on a 4 and got 23.5 sts over 4 inches and found the swatch a little stiff for my taste. It is a 6 ply yarn and the cotton is not mercerized so it has a matte finish.  It is also starting to fuzz up a bit with just the handling I have done with the swatch.  I wanted to like this yarn but I don’t think I would buy it.  The fuzz bothers me.  Also, frankly, I can’t wear a matte finish yarn in a slightly greyed tone, so this is a no go for me.

I’ll share the other four swatches tomorrow.  In the meantime, you might want to visit elann.com and check out the colorways of the above.

SPEAKING OF ELANN.COM

Elann.com used to be a clearinghouse for designer yarns that didn’t sell out.  I’ve bought many yarns from them over the years.  The quality and the service have always been first rate.  They have now developed their own yarns which form the greater part of their inventory and they retail them at a reduced rate due to the large volume of sales they have.

Changing the gauge on my Chocolate Wrapper project made me a bit nervous about having enough yarn, so I ordered three more balls.  I was lucky they still had some in my dye lot.  Well, you can’t just order that little when there are so many interesting spring fiber combinations, so I also ordered one ball each of a bunch of other yarns.

What can I do with one ball?  I can swatch.  I can knit wash clothes for my non-existent but planned gift box.  I love knitted wash clothes and when you add a nice bar of soap, you have a small, special gift for someone.

I want to knit Zachary (age 7) a gansey sweater which could incorporate some symbols personal to him.  He prefers cotton sweaters and they need to be machine washable and rugged.  I picked out a butterscotch color as a possibility.

I love linen, so I ordered some of the yarns with a linen cotton mix.  They would make nice tanks or short sleeve jackets.

I’m interested in knitting some pillow covers.  They have no shape so I can do a few more complex stitch patterns without having to think too much.  I love colorwork pillows but I don’t like wool, so these cotton blends might become a fair isle.  They would be comfortable and washable.  Meghan is redecorating so I may cover some pillows for her.

I only spent $30 but I’ve already received that much entertainment value just planning things I could do.  IF I like the yarn.  But if it doesn’t work out for what I am planning, I’ll just knit dishcloths for Steve.  He’s always appreciative.

I’ll let you know if I find another gem.

THE CHOCOLATE WAR

Sometimes you just have to start over—

I have a pink sweater—a cardigan that is sort of a shawl/cardi.  The front hangs down in a v shape and it covers my thighs (always a good thing.)  I paid $17 on sale at Target.  It is made of the finest acrylic and I love it.  So when perusing some old Knitters magazines, I leaped upon a pattern called Chocolate Wrapper.  (The word “chocolate” didn’t hurt either.)

This is a vest pattern.  Well, you know how long it takes to knit those pesky sleeve things.  Besides, sleeves are rarely necessary in Charlotte. (I am now rationalizing because I don’t need any more vests.)

In the stash are 11 balls of elann’s Bamboo Fusion in Garnet; it’s probably enough.  Swatch?—What swatch?  I don’t need no stinking swatch!  (Have you figured out where this is headed?)  Cast on 119 sts and knit for two days.  Learn some neat stitch tricks to follow the pattern I almost like while suspecting from the get-go that the gauge is wrong.

What is this insane hope that it will work out that takes possession of an experienced, usually smart knitter and keeps her plodding along for two days before the Big Rip-out?  Even Steve knows that doubt is always a sign for the knitter to stop now.  That’s why I never tell him when the doubt creeps in.  No, I continue to knit, filled with hope and belief, right up until the Roadrunner drops the anvil on my head.

Ripping out isn’t so bad.  I can now prevent the cotton overstretching by using a much smaller needle.  Cotton has no memory and once it is stretched out, it just stays there.  I can also use some different st patterns.  Too many holes in a design are just opportunities for me to catch it on something and rip an ugly.

The upside is that I met this new yarn and it is CHEAP!  Here are the specs:  50% bamboo, 31.2% cotton, 18.8% acrylic; 19 sts/4 inches on US7; 50 gr = 96 yards.  It is an 8 ply (I counted them.) and therefore it will split some if you are not careful.  It costs $2.98——yes, $2.98 a ball plus shipping.  It knits up so SOFT!  Like holding a cloud in your hand.  I’m talking soft.

The bamboo catches the light and gives it a little gleam, not quite a shine.  The bamboo and acrylic mix keep the cotton from being so heavy it will stretch to the floor while wearing it.  I haven’t laundered it –no swatch, remember?—but I anticipate it will do well.  The ball band says “machine wash cold; dry flat.”

Why would I take the time to carefully knit a yarn that is multi-plied and therefore splittable?  It’s the softness factor.

I could get softness from a softball spun yarn such as Blue Sky DyedCotton which has one big, soft ply and a thin thread wrapped around it, but those softly spun yarns pill like crazy.  Especially under the arms of a garment.  I’d rather get my softness from a multi-ply that won’t pill.  And you know me, if I lose a ply or two in a stitch, I’ll just touch it up with some sewing thread at the end——or not.

Now, the website is elann.com.  Please leave some of the blue for me.

Athens Yarn

Cristi sent me a note about some fab grey yarn she had seen in an etsy shop.  She had met the dyer earlier and liked her a lot.  Thought I would definitely want this yarn.  Thought right.

I checked the etsy shop and saw the Lotus Yarn dyer was from Athens–where I was headed in a few hours, so I emailed a plea to come and touch.  Melanie quickly said call and you can drop by–I did and this is what I got.

Sock yarns in tone on tone solids.  Maybe fair isle?

The details and the website.

Steve picked this sport wt. yarn with a bit of cashmere.

This yarn is so rich in color and soft to touch that it may become shawls.  So many possibilities.  Check out Melanie’s etsy store and also we look forward to hosting her for a Charlotte Knitting Guild Meeting in the spring.