Yarn Review: Patons SWS – Way better than Tofu! (by Jen Chambers)

Decided to try and felt using Patons SWS yarn.  It’s 70% Wool, 30% Soy, so I thought it would probably felt up nicely.   I had a couple of skeins of SWS which stands for Soy Wool Stripes in colorway Natural Earth and thought I’d try making an iPad cover.  I don’t have an iPad, but one day I hope to and I’ll have a beautiful cover to keep it safe from scratches.  I didn’t have a pattern, but figured I just try and see if I could work it out.

I cast on 45 stitches on size 8 needles.  I knit the piece in garter stitch and it used just about the entire 2 skeins of yarn.  The yarn itself is soft and knits up nicely.  The yarn has a slightly different  “twist” then normal worsted weight yarn.  It’s not twisted as tightly and when untwisted it doesn’t consist of 4 threads like most worsted weight.  Instead it untwists into about 50 very fine “hairs” that create a fuzz when separated.  The yarn is self striping and the color changes were subtle from row to row and the pattern repeat was easy to anticipate when it came time to join the 2^nd skein of yarn.

Finished size before felting was 22.5” x 9.5”.  I sewed up the side seams and began the felting process.

I watched closely as the piece felted to make sure I didn’t go too far.  The finished measurement I was shooting for was about 9.5” x 7.5”. I felted this in the washing machine and it took 2 wash cycles to get to the measurement I wanted.

I pulled out the piece and rinsed with cold water then used the book in the picture as my drying form.  I put the book into a zip-top bag, and slid it inside the iPad cover while it dried over the next few days.

After the piece was dry, the felting process had made the finished piece quite fuzzy all over.  So I took a disposable razor and cut away the fuzz and the finished piece was exactly what I wanted.

Overall, I was very pleased with this yarn.  It’s a beautiful yarn that looks great whether you decide to use it for felting or just a normal knitting project.

PLARN!!! (by Aubrey Mayes)

I recently purchased a wonderful book titled “AwareKnits” by pro knitter Vickie Howell and Adrienne Armstrong (knitter and wife of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong). Along with dozens of eco-friendly knitting and crochet patterns and tips, there was a fabulous section on Plarn- or plastic yarn.

Plarn can definitely take some getting used to while knitting but its actually fun to make and a clever way to recycle plastic shopping bags. Through trial and error I have some fantastic tips to get you Plarn-ing away.

Here are the supplies you will need:

• Flat surface
• Scissors or Exacto knife, depending on your preference.
• Oodles of plastic bags. More bags = more Plarn!
• Patience

Try to make your bag as flat as possible and remove the handles. You can keep the handles to use as embellishment or just recycle them. Take your cutting implement of choice and make a one inch cut in the top of the bag at the seam going down. That will be the start of your strip. Cut in a spiral until the whole bag is one big strip (the book compares it to peeling an orange). Remember- the longer the strip, the fewer knots you have to tie.

From there, its just wash, rinse, repeat. Keep your strips in a pile until all of your bags are cut. I know it seems like a lot, but once you find your rhythm you’ll be turning out bags a lot more quickly. Once all of your bags are cut, tie them together. Knot them GENTLY so you do not tear the plastic but TIGHTLY because you’ll be knitting or crocheting with it. Snip the ends off the knots. Once they’re all knotted just ball it up and bada bing- PLARN!

Once you’ve made your Plarn there are many different things you can do with it. The book has a pattern for a bag, but you could do some really stellar art- deco items for the home  or some mod or bohemian- esque jewelry. The possibilities are endless, and there are millions of bags out there.

Stitch on and remember to Knit Happy with your PLARN!!! 

Yarn Review: Southwest Trading Company Tofutsies Solid (by Michele Grim)

Southwest Trading Company’s Tofutsies is my favorite sock yarn.  It knits up well, it wears well, washes and dries perfectly, and comes in a great variety of colors.  Tofutsies has finally come in solid colors. 

With fun names like Extra TOErrestrial  (black)and DeTOEnator (red), I had to try it out.  I ended up buying TOEffeta, which is a purplish-pink color.  I ordered it online, and when the yarn came, I couldn’t believe the quality of the color. 

It was so rich and beautiful, I couldn’t wait to make a pair of socks with it.  Tofutsies can do solid colors as well as they make variegated yarns.  I decided to make socks with a 2×2 rib because Tofutsies has great stitch definition. 

The color of the yarn also looks great when knitted up.  This yarn is just as great at Tofutsies variegated, so I highly recommend picking up a ball!

Red Heart’s Eco-Ways Recycled Blend (by Jenifer Rank)

 

Red Heart’s Eco Ways Recycled Blend Yarn Review

 

• 70% acrylic, 30% recycled polyester
• 186 yards, 113 grams
• Machine wash warm – gentle cycle, tumble dry low

Because I make so many things for kids, and living in the Northwest…well, if you don’t use something with some form of recycled fibers people look at you like you have three heads. I saw this yarn on one of my trips to the craft shop for Fiber-fill.  The Eco-Ways blend was on sale and I thought, hey I’ll give it a shot.

Overall, not too bad!  While it does have a slightly “acrylic feel” to it while knitting, it doesn’t “squeak” or have a rough finish to it when the project is completed.   I used this for two different projects (for a child’s ball and on a preschooler’s backpack) and am currently using it on a third project.  The yarn is durable and holds up well under washing and drying.

I would recommend this for smaller projects or projects specifically for children – simply because you can toss it in the washing machine without worrying about what will happen to the piece.  While the pattern given on the wrapper lists an afghan, I think this yarn might have too rough of a feel upon the completion of that project. 

Definite bonuses: inexpensive (around $3), easy to care for, usually on sale!  Unfortunately, the colors I’ve seen in the stores are all pretty neutral.  The bright colors are only to be found on-line. 

I found a really good selection at the JoAnn Fabric and Crafts website: www.joann.com

Yarn Review: Bamboo Ewe (by Michele Grim)

Yarn Review: Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller “Bamboo Ewe”   

Things to know about Bamboo Yarns (by Yarn Cloud)

I would like to take a few minutes to discuss some of the features of bamboo yarns. If you are asking how can panda food become a yarn you may find some answers right here.  

Bamboo was introduced to the world of hand knitting yarns only a few years ago. It is an excellent choice when it comes to protection of our environment since 100% bamboo is biodegradable and made out of renewable resources. Bamboo can be harvested without destroying the plant and takes a fairly short time to renew. 

I know we all care about our planet but you are probably anxious to hear about the things this fiber can do for you as a crafter. Bamboo is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial, it can protect from UV rays and was proven to cool body temperature while worn as a garment. Yarn Cloud Bamboo has also earned the European certification of suitability for use in products intended for babies under the age of 3.

Fabric knitted from bamboo has a great drape, looks silky and can be very soft. It looks somewhat like silk or mercerized cotton but it’s quite different from both. One thing to consider when knitting with bamboo is that it can be fairly heavy so afghans made out of worsted weight 100% bamboo while gorgeous will be quite handful.  If you choose to knit a large project from bamboo use rather circular needles since you can rest your work in your lap which puts less strain on your hands and wrist. Small projects from light weight bamboo should not be much different than knitting with any  viscose based yarn.

Some knitters mentioned that bamboo may have the tendency to split while knitting. This is due to a fact it does not have great coherence in its regular spun varieties. The splitting factor is also affected by needles used. We have noticed that when knitted with blunter tip needles made out of bamboo or rosewood the splitting is significantly reduced.

Bamboo has a great absorbing features which may be positive and negative as well. Due to high absorption bamboo when washed has tendency to swell  and takes a long time to air dry. It’s generally recommended to hand wash and air dry projects from bamboo. We have tested our yarns for machine washing and machine drying and we found no problem with neither when done with proper care. Our yarns can be washed on delicate settings on low temperature and tumble dry on low heat. Make sure to check for color fastness first. While generally Yarn Cloud yarns are very color stable some colors may bleed especially when washed for the first time.

I would like to let you know a bit more about Yarn Cloud Bamboo Yarns.

Our yarn comes in 3 different weights (light, worsted and bulky) and 5 different  varieties.

Regular Bamboo is 5 ply and considered light weight. It is great choice for lace scarves, shawls, christening gowns and light garments where drape is desired. Suitable for knitting, crochet and weaving.

Bamboo Magic Waves is a 10 ply variety which is worsted weight and top choice for dishcloths, baby washcloths, baby blankets, toys and apparel. Suitable for knitting, crochet and weaving. This yarn can be used for some Plastic Canvas Projects as well.

Bamboo Soft Spell is our thinner chainette in worsted weight and when knitted it remains more flexible while still keeps it’s beautiful drape. Due to this fact it is better suitable for sweaters and apparel. Suitable for knitting and crochet.

Bamboo Charmed is our thickest bamboo yarn great for totes, handbags, bath mats, rugs and other projects. Suitable for knitting and crochet.

Bamboo Elegant is a 5 ply light weight blended with cotton boucle strand and its general use is similar to our regular Bamboo. Suitable for knitting, crochet and weaving.

The important thing when knitting or crocheting with Bamboo is to chose the right yarn and right project. As I’ve said before Bamboo has a great drape but this may be a problem when looking for close knitted tank top. Soft Spell may be better suitable for that kind of project. If you are not sure you can always ask us a question before you start to prevent any frustration later. We all know how much we hate to unravel!

Some gorgeous products made out of Yarn Cloud Bamboo can be found on Ravelry and we are working on creating customer showcase on our site very soon.

If you have any questions about Bamboo you can always e-mail me at romana.graham@yarncloud.com and I’ll do my best to get you your answer.

At last I would like to mention that in order to support the use of environmentally friendly fibers we have started Yarn Cloud Bamboo Club which offers its members everyday 25% off on the whole line of our Bamboo yarns and several other discounts in other categories. It also offers occasional coupons for even more savings. For more info please visit https://www.yarncloud.com/BambooClub.html.

Romana C Graham

Founder and President of Yarn Cloud

Yarn Addiction (by The Woolpack)

What’s so addictive about yarn? Everything – With so many choices and uses, it’s the perfect collectible.

Yarns today are being made from so many fibers-natural and synthetic.  Natural fibers include sheep, llama, goats, buffalo, alpaca, angora, musk ox, possum, cotton, silk, corn, soy, bamboo, and milk fibers.

Our yarn supply is a truly global economy:  Italy, Australia, South America, Turkey, China, USA.  Many US distributors work with small cooperatives in developing countries helping regions to become self-sustaining. 

Today’s synthetic fibers like  modal, viscose, tencel, courtelle,  nylon, and acrylic are spun using high tech spinning equipment to produce yarns far removed from the acrylic yarns of the 50’s and 60’s.  Many acrylics feel like natural fibers and are wonderful to knit with.

Hand spinners are turning out artful yarns in small quantities and hand dyers produce rich, deep or delicate colors using many natural fibers as their canvas.

You can knit, crochet, weave, felt, embellish and craft with yarns.  You can put them in a basket like a bouquet of flowers and just admire them. 

Yarns are spun finer than human hair and as thick as your finger.  Yarns can be a single strand or ply and many plies twisted together.  Sometime they are even constructed of plies of plies twisted clockwise and counterclockwise (for a Z twist or an S twist). Some are smooth while others are highly textured.

You can make a collection of yarn from a particular designer, fiber, color, gauge, or even collect yarns as a souvenir from your travels.  You can swap yarn like trading cards, buy on ebay and yard sales or make donations to worthy causes.

People buy yarn who have no earthly idea what they are going to do with it, some don’t even knit or crochet.  They are seduced by the color, the feel.  It might remind them of a place or a person.  The texture might be soothing and calming to the touch.  The colors may brighten your spirits.  You just know that if you don’t buy this yarn, it may not be there the next visit.  That if you don’t buy this yarn, you will think about it for days.  That life is full of regrets and this shouldn’t be one of them.

Types of Knitting Yarn (video)

Hello… I am Mr Yarn

Hello…

I am Mr YARN. Now, you’re probably wondering who I am, and why I am here in this BIG wide world of ours… Well, I am the most charismatic ball of yarn you will ever come across. Yes, that’s right- or so my owner/creator tells me.

My life began all the way back in the year 2000, the Millennium, where I started of as an iddy biddy little bouncy ball (multi-coloured with a hint of white smudging to be precise). One day, my owner decided to wrap me up in some fresh woollen YARN and since then, my life has been an inner-twined adventure of knitty goodness. Every year I accumulate more and more colourful layers of yarn, causing me to grow and grow.

I guess I’m not like other balls of yarn. Unlike their loose, fluffy ovular quality, I am a triumphant round shape, with a structure so strong and unyielding I could probably crush an ant (if I had the pleasure to roll out my owner’s front door). My coloured woollen layers will often change, depending on my mood. This summer, I felt so happy and sunnified that my owner gave me a bright yellow cosy coating, allowing me to bloom upon my bedroom shelf.

It was this year I decided to cast off my curiosity and try and find other balls of yarn like my kind through joining Twitter. I began my Twitter adventure at a circumference of 23cm, weighing a challenging 2.2kg (babies can sometimes weigh this much I’ll have you know) consisting of pure sheep wool – apart from my fragile little bouncy ball heart of course. With over 20 different effervescent colours to my past I can even BOUNCE – this has to be done carefully though as sometimes my yarn comes loose. Waw. So, more importantly, my owner didn’t make me for knitting. Oh no, he made me for ball related pleasure as well as a great shelf ornament. Sometimes I do worry he is just building me up for one great big jumper.

You see, although life sounds great for me, I feel there is so much more to see and learn. Like sheep… I have heard all sorts of wonderful and magnificent stories about those field galloping, wool donating animals. I want to explore, venture out into the open and roll away from my tungsten lit bedroom shelf. What wondrous obstacles lie ahead of me? How will I survive? Are there other kinds like me, roaming our earth, evolving from thread to thread, rolling down roads rebelling against their knittable purpose of life?

I will do this! I WILL succeed in my mission! And for every ant I squish, I will document my journey along the way. See more of me at www.twitter.com/mryarn where you can suggest great adventures for me to embark upon, have control over what colour I shall be next, help me get BIG and ROUND and be part of fulfilling my dreams to explore the world. P.s. If you follow me, I will follow you. Tee Hee.

Lots of yielding yarn love

 

Mr Yarn

Yarn: It does matter

I hadn’t been at it that long but I wanted to graduate from knitting simple projects to knitting something larger. I learned by knitting scarves.  Now that I’ve done a dozen of them, I find myself wanting to do a bigger project.  Nothing too complicated but something larger.  How about an afghan?  That might be nice. Not too hard but certainly bigger than a scarf. It’s also something I could make good use of during a cold evening.

 

Ok, I’ll knit an afghan. What do I need to do first?  First I’ll find a pattern for my project.  A friend from my knitting class gave me a pattern she had used.  She knitted an afghan as a birthday present for one of her family members.  My friend also told me she was pleased with how it turned out.

 

The pattern tells me everything I need to know. It tells me the needles I should use.  It tells me what type of yarn to use. The pattern also tells me the amount of yarn I’m going to need. It tells me my afghan project requires 42 ounces of yarn.  So, I need to buy 7 skeins or so of yarn.  Now being frugal, some might to say downright cheap, I shopped for yarn to fit the budget I set.  I found yarn at a wide variety of prices. Thinking cheap yarn would work as well as more expensive yarn, I chose for the lower priced stuff.

 

I finished the afghan. It looked great. The first time I used the afghan it seemed ok but I wasn’t totally satisfied with was how it felt.  It wasn’t as soft as I thought it should be.  I quickly realized that was due to the less expensive yarn I used. Knitting is very rewarding but it can be an expensive hobby. Remember, what you knit will only be as nice as the yarn you use. Don’t skimp on what’s important.  Yarn is a critical component of any knitting project.