Results tagged “Rowan” from Fabric.com Blog

On July 4^th 1776, We the people declared independence from the British and in doing so declared war. 1783 brought this hard fought war to a victorious end thanks to the many citizens who fought and died to bring freedom to America. It is in thanks to those soldiers and to the thousands of troops today that continue to fight for freedom that this article is dedicated. But it is not through the efforts of troops alone that freedom is won and protected. It is also with the aid and support of the home front that our soldiers do their job and do it well. The making and sending of handmade goods extends back as far as war itself. Always it was families and friends conveying their love from afar. Times change but the endeavor remains the same and you can help. Knitted goods are needed and wanted by our troops overseas. Below are some items you can knit and send to our soldiers deployed to demonstrate our appreciation, respect and pride.

*Please note the colors allowed by the military are black, charcoal, brown, tan, gray or combinations of these colors.

Helmet Liner- This pattern is very popular among soldiers and knitters alike. It fits comfortably under a helmet and tucks into a coat or jacket to protect the face from extreme cold and wind. The ribbing used allows the liner to contour to the wearer's face ensuring a snug cozy fit. Be sure to use a cold weather fiber like wool or alpaca (not linen or cotton) but also something soft. Certain kinds of wool can be scratchy when worn next to the skin so take that into consideration. Also, wash ability will be something every solider will thank you for, especially if they are anything like my nose which yields to running when the weather gets cold. I recommend Rowan Pure Wool DK. After checking projects on Ravelry where this yarn was used in many hats and for wee babes where the items was worn close to the skin, I can assume that it is not itchy and it is also superwash. A double bonus. Choose colors Black, Shale, Barley, Hessian, or Earth. Silk is another great cold weather fiber but it is often associated with only summer. Silk is lighter weight than wool, silky to though and quick to dry. Nashua Creative Focus can be knit up in Black, Deep Shadow, and Raw Umber.

 Socks for Soldiers- In a land of few luxuries, a price cannot be put upon hand knit socks. Even here where a whim is just a car ride away, hand knit socks are a welcome reprieve. Sock for our soldiers was founded by a mom for her son deployed and in need of good socks. All you need is the simple pattern and some wool or wool/cotton blend. Let me recommend Rowan Wool Cotton Yarn which is a sensuous blend of merino and durable cotton. Perfect for our over worked troops in need of TLC (Choose Inki, which is black).

Afghans of Honor- Knitting for troops is not limited those in active duty. Those who are injured can be said to be even more in need of our support than those not. Afghans of Honor "reminds men and women who have stood in harm's way in defense of their country that they are appreciated and remembered". To some an afghan may be intimidating but surely the courage of a fallen solider can lend itself to the needles of a newbie afghan knitter. Each stitch can be one more stitch of comfort and one less of loneliness. With each stitch you are closer to being finished and shipping your afghan to a soldier in need. Even better, there are no restrictions on this project. Any color and pattern is accepted (but do keep your recipient in mind, kittens and puppies may not be popular). I encourage you to choose warm and inviting colors to keep spirits up. With no pattern restrictions you can be sure to choose a pattern for your level. I suggest Berroco Vintage Chunky for a quick knit in a yummy Wool/Acrylic blend or Nashua Vignette for colorwork without the work.

I am so excited to launch Fabric.com's first Knit-a-long. It is also my first. I have participated in several (though now that I think on it, not recently) but never, ever hosted. I offer this insight to beg mercy should anything go amiss. I have high hopes of success and butterflies in my stomach from excitement! So let's get started:

The winning pattern voted on by Fabric.com's customers on our Facebook page is...

The Wisp featured in the summer 2007 Knitty. I say good choice, my friends. This is one of my favorites; I have knit it just once before in a silk/mohair combo with some color variations that was just gorgeous. However, a few months ago I saw a friend who had knit her Wisp out of a cashmere blend and it was To-Die-For amazing. So that is the yarn I am going with this time. I have picked out some Rowan Cashsoft Aran (57% Extra Fine Merino, 33% Acrylic, 10% Cashmere) in Poppy (You can see it on the bottom right). This yarn is also, happily enough, on sale in the Yarn Blowout. However, if you are a traditionalist and prefer mohair, let me recommend Rowan Kid Classic, Nashua Kid Mohair, or Angora which gives a similar effect.

One of the numerous benefits of this pattern is that you really can use any weight yarn - making it a real stash buster. Simply choose a needle size appropriate to your yarn weight and follow the pattern. Just know that the big the yarn the bigger the finished object and vice versa.

Know the plan for the knit along is that I will post detailed project updates, including pictures on the blog once a week. I will also be posting more regularly on Facebook and Ravelry. Both venues will include any tips or tricks I think of along the way, answering any questions you have on the project as we go along and then photos of the finished project with a detailed debriefing in my Ravelry Notebook. I hope you will all join me in posting regularly on Facebook and Ravelry with photos and tidbits. I can't do this alone and I will need the inspiration. I have many projects coming up that might distract me from my goal--see above picture for sneak peak. Though you may be as excited to see these upcoming projects as I am neither you nor I can get them going until I finish my Wisp.

So if this were a race, I suppose I would be shooting the starting pistol but since this is just a blog I say we commence and let fly the needles!

On May 10^th I discussed Rowan Organic Kids Collection and knitted up a super cute pattern from that book. Today, I am reviewing the yarn used for that project, Rowan Organic Cotton DK Naturally Dyed in Oak Bark.

First there is one very important thing you should know about me. I love natural fibers. I am as a moth to a flame. I often relapse into daydreams where I am bounding through a field of wild flowers (I am, of course, wearing the cutest of sundresses) just my nature fiber skein, wooden needles and me! I recoil as if struck when I happen upon yarns similar to Red Heart. The fiber can make or break my day. That said you can see the general direction of this review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this yarn. It was very similar to other cotton yarns I have worked with in the past but I did notice some subtle differences that, in my humble opinion, justify the Rowan name. First, there was a delicate but distinct softness that went above the usual cotton softness. Like extra softness, if you can imagine. It did not leave my hands feeling as dry as cotton usually does. It glided just a little better making it much easier to use with my preferred wooden needles. Typically, I pair cotton with acrylic needles but I was glad not to have to do so this time. My acrylic circulars are not equipped for magic loop.

I did have the usual trouble of splitting that is common with cotton, so I was left with a few wayward loopies scattered throughout my finished project. A few min with a crochet hook fixed them.

I was further impressed with the colors available. I am used to a bright array of the spectrum but the Rowan Organic collection is a rainbow of toned-down, natural hues that are outside the norm of cream, white and brown so as not to bore but are also great for any color palette. You can be sure that any color selection will fit nicely into your wardrobe.

The added bonus is the organic. This is a must for a growing number of knitters and gives peace of mind to an activity chosen for peace of mind. They go hand in hand.  I will definitely be using this yarn again and again. It is a yarn that once you finish one project, you start scanning your magazines and books for another.

-Tara Miller

P.s. Don't forget to submit your questions for this Wednesday first "Ask the Expert" posting!

Once in a while you come across a knitting book that is full of projects you are not only excited to knit but can't wait to knit (I am talking a 6 yr old waking up on Christmas morning excitement)! This just about sums up my state of mind when I first finished reading Rowan the Organic Cotton Kids Collection. This book's one-two punch of cute kids coupled with equally cute projects guarantees it a place in every shopping cart. The pictures are bright and detailed. It is easy to see how clothes will fit, the actual size of projects and the wonderful color options available. All projects featured in this book are knit with Purelife Cotton 4 ply and DK yarns meaning that most knitters will already have something in their stash to start on a project right away and if not then the featured yarn and colors are easily found. Since it is organic cotton you know that all projects will be just right for baby and kids; clothes will be super soft and stuffed animals will cuddle right back.

I had the opportunity to knit one of the chickens (Gordon, Hugh and Jamie) from the book and it was easy and breezy. I used Rowan Organic Cotton DK in Oak Bark. The chicken knit up in about 2 hours but with the finishing and all the details, the whole project took about 3.5 hours for completion. I also had to come up with some modifications for me. I didn't have a crochet hook in the appropriate size so I knit a 3 stitch i-cord for each leg, about 3 in long and finished it off with 3 small strands of yarn as the feet. I also wove a piece of yarn to the top and tied it in a bow because I could not crochet a comb. I think both of these mods do not change the character of the pattern so are easy options for those who are exclusive knitters or, like me, lack the correct tools.

Another modification that I opted for out of easy was to pick up the middle 16 stitches at the bottom of the body where the base attached. This allowed me to knit the base right onto the body and made for less finishing later. I had to add an extra purl row before I could follow the pattern instructions for the base. I also only used 2 colors for the finishing details instead of the recommended 3 colors. I just used little bit that I had in my left-over bin for just such occasions. No telling what brand they are but I know they are cotton.