Yarn Opinions

There are a lot of the yarn opinions that exist out there on the web.  There are arguments over to use acrylic yarns or not to use acrylic yarns.  There seem to be those who only knit with wool.  Some crafters only buy at craft stores while others must go to a yarn shop.  I tend to be more moderate.  I love wool, but I grew up in Texas and I understand when wool is just too warm.  There are acrylic yarns that feel like you are knitting with plastic, and then there are acrylic yarns that are soft and cuddly.  I have bought $40/ skein yarn and I've bought 99 cent yarn.

My principle opinion is that a yarn should be fit to the project and the receiver.  I like to use superwash wool or cotton acrylic (I like Lion Brand Cottonease) yarn for baby projects because these can be good yarns to knit with, they are soft to the skin, and they are washable.  Baby projects made with non-washable yarn don't get used.

I love alpaca for its softness, and I have used it for a sweater and a scarf.  I have about 200 yards of 100% alpaca left, and I'm thinking of making a cowl with it.  It feels soft and buttery against my neck, and it will definitely keep out the cold.  It is very stretchy, and the sweater I have is a wool-alpaca blend, otherwise I would be concerned that it would pull out of shape.  The wool definitely helps the fabric hold its shape.

I am knitting charity baby blankets using donated yarn from a local assisted living center, and the newer acrylics are much softer than the older acrylics.  Some of those older acrylics hurt my hands after a knitting for awhile although I do like to use the yarn versus throwing it away.  I was raised in a frugal family and I live in a frugal community -- which is a greener way of living so it is so much better to put the yarn to good use.  The softer acrylics can be a great option for those with allergies, and some of them have fuzzy halos that I use to replace rabbit fur (I'm allergic to rabbit fur).

What do you like to knit with?

White Lattice Dishcloth

I've bought so much cotton on sale that I've been trying out various dishcloth patterns.  Here is one of them from a stitch dictionary.  

Tip:  To make the last corner look more even and finished, when you have 2 stitches left to bind off, knit them together and then bind off.  This helps all of your corners to match.

Yarn Indulgence

This yummy yarn and pattern was my yarn indulgence over the holidays.  My mom bought me the beautiful scarf pin.  The yarn, pattern & pin were all bought at Yarn Birds in Raleigh, NC.

The yarn is Punta Yarns Meritwist Hand Paint in Colorway HP 60.  It is bulky weight and I used a US 11 / 8 mm size needles.  I love this color because it looks so good with brown.  Chocolate brown is a core color in my wardrobe.

The pattern has a seed stitch border with the large cable  down the middle.  I especially like the way the edges look finished by slipping stitches.  In fact, I've started finishing most of my scarves and even dishcloths by knitting the first stitch through the back loop and when you have one stitch left, pull the yarn to the front and slip it as if to purl.

Yarn Purchases

Yarn can get really expensive, but there are ways to bargain hunt for yarn. Usually yarn will go on sale at some point between January and March. This is when stores are trying to clear out their cold weather yarns for warmer weather yarns. I've found a few websites that have quality yarns for good prices. I have not bought from all of these, but I have found them to have good reputations from friends.

Knit Picks - Sells only their own brand of yarn. It is good quality for a fair price. I love their podcast.
Elann - Great Discounts if you know what you want.
Webs - Has a local store in addition to the on-line one; Great discounts when buying in quantity.
Discount Yarn Sale - Great Discounts, but must buy a whole bag.

I like these on-line sources, but I think it is important to support local yarn shops. Local yarn shops may be more expensive, but they do allow us to touch and feel yarn. They are great resources to learn about yarn as well as to take classes to learn new yarnin skills.

Tips & Tricks - Needles

In the spirit of one of my favorite blogs:  Tip Junkie

I thought I'd share my tips on needles. I think that circular needles are easier on your wrists when you are making a big project, allow you to knit in a compact area, and you can push your work to the middle cord when you aren't knitting so if a little one picks the needles up you are less likely to lose your work.  For beginners, I recommend circular needles with bamboo or wooden tips.  The picture above is an example.  The bamboo tips are "sticky" so you are less likely to lose stitches when you are beginning.  

I prefer metal tips because it helps me to knit faster.  My favorites are Addi Turbos although I did buy a Boye  Needlemaster from Ebay.  This allows me to create whatever needles I need although I do have remember to tighten the needle tips every now and then.  While the needlemaster has its own organizer, for my other circular needles, I bought a binder that is made to store tackle from Bass Pro Shops.  Check this out.  This is basic and inexpensive although you could find something more stylish if you looked.