Results tagged “Wool” from Fabric.com Blog
I 'm so glad to be back from maternity leave after having my second child, a girl named Emily. I was going stir-crazy and longed to get my hands on some craft supplies again. Many hours were spent holding a sleeping baby, who would awake as soon as she suspected I would place her in a crib, so those hours were spent on Pinterest pinning ideas to make later. In those hours I rediscovered the Pom-Pom. Their fluffy, round goodness made my heart jump every time I saw them in another project. With Christmas rapidly approaching, I really wanted to incorporate pom poms into my holiday decorations. I decided on a pom pom garland because in my excitement I had already create a handful of pom poms in several colors and I had run out of wreath forms.
I got to work shifting through my studio looking for half finished skeins in colors to complete the rainbow garland I envisioned. In the end I had my color scheme but it was created with both wool and cotton. After I had made all the pom poms I would need I fell in love with the blending of the 2 fibers (wool and cotton) and loved the different texture it gave my garland. I used only worsted weight yarns and my medium Clover Pom pom maker. This made pom poms approximately 2 ½ inches wide. I wound them with extra yarn until I almost could not close my maker to create extra fluffy pom poms. I also trimmed some pom pom more than others because I loved the haphazard and impish look of a freshly made pom pom but I wanted a clean look to my garland so I did not leave all my pom poms with the "Beatles' haircut".
In the end I made 16 pom poms to make a 6 ft garland. DO NOT CLIP the tie used to secure your pop pom; you will use it later. Using a bulky weight yarn (this will prevent the pom poms from sliding up and down and unifies the garland. Knot on end about 4 inches from the cut end (you can opt for a loop instead) measure 72 inches and mark to make another big knot later then clip the yarn 4 inches after. Thread the unknotted end onto a tapestry needle and begin threading your pom poms. Insert the needle perpendicular to the pom pom tie (the one we discussed earlier- see picture below). Slide your pom pom on and repeat for all remaining pom poms. It is easier to line up your pom poms before threading to determine the order. Once you are done, slide all your pom poms down to give yourself room to tie the end knot. And you are done! For an extra fluffy garland you can double the pom poms or use our extra large pom pom maker. You can opt for nontraditional colors like turquoise, coral, orange and bright green. If you prefer a color themed tree, try making an extra long garland to create an ombre effect on your tree. Start with the darkest shade of pom pom for your color scheme on the bottom and work your way up to the lightest shade pom pom at the top.
My pom poms were made using Lion Brand Cotton Ease and Lion Brand Wool Ease. The Garland was strung with Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky in Tinsel.
A quick tip: Wind the Pom pom maker with both ends of the skein. You will make your pom pom twice as quick!
Don't forget to follow Fabric.com on Pinterest and you can follow me on Pinterest too!
When I was a beginning knitter (not quite green but not sure enough to be confident) I attempted Bobbles but quickly put them off. I could not wrap my head around the knit, turn, knit turn. It took many patterns and much experience before I was ready again to try a, what appears to be so simple, bobble.
The trick is to trust the instructions and know that while they seem weird, you will get to where you want to be by following them exactly. You are basically knitting a bump in your fabric and you must build it up to make your bump. The building up comes from: first knitting into the same stitch. You will YO then K1. Do not take the stitch off your left needle, instead wrap the yarn around your right needle again (for the 2nd YO) and stick it back into the stitch on the left needle for the 2nd K1, repeat this a third time then slip the stitch off your left needle. You will now have 6 sts on your right where once you had 1, turn your work and slip the first st on the left needle purl wise and purl the remaining 5 created sts. Turn your work again and slip the first st on your left needle knit wise and knit the remaining 5 created sts. Turn again and purl 2 tog 3 times (the first purl 2 tog is tricky but keep working at till you get it right). Turn your work once more and slip the first st knit wise and knit 2 tog then pass the slipped st over the k2tog and you will have 1 st where once there were 6, knit the rest of the row, adding bobble where appropriate.
It really is easy but it is very different to turn your work in the middle of a row if you have never tried it before. Try making your first bobble with wool, if you are unsure. It is the easiest, most forgiving of fibers, with easy to see stitches. It is also not a slick yarn so you will not have to battle slippery sts while turning your work this way and that.
Bobbles are a fun texture to add to any knitted piece. They felt well and can be incorporated into any design. Bobbles can add drama to a simple cable, add distinction to a flora lace pattern or an interesting texture to a baby blanket for stimulation. Bobbles serve as berries, eyes, pebbles, or flower center in an encompassing theme. Bobbles also make great polka dots. If you feel, as I once did, that bobbles aren't 'your thing', I encourage you to try them if only to gain experience and see if your mind doesn't drift away and explore the possibilities.
This bobble pattern can be found in Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p 145.
Pictures: (top) Right side of Bobbles, (bottom) Wrong side of Bobbles. Both are attractive in my opinion
70% wool, 30% alpaca, 100% fun. My review for Nashua Snowbird must extend back to our first meeting. I was planning my July blog calendar and had just falling head of heels for the Coco Knits Ballet Slipper that this yarn ultimately went on the create when I first beheld this yarn.
Wait, I must interrupt myself. I have been listening to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen so should my language seem overly formal and slightly romantic, you will know the cause.
Back to our story. After choosing my pattern, I needed a yarn. I imagined something wooly but not full wool. I wanted it to offer good stitch definition but also offer some fluffy since I like a good fluffy slipper. I also wanted to select a yarn that was different from the yarn used in the pattern to offer you a different take on the pattern and encourage my readers to experiment. I found all of this and more in Nashua Snowbird.
I have been a fan of Nashua yarn since discovering Ivy (it is a wool/alpaca mix with some metallic threads woven in for glamour). Snowbird is another notch on their belt. It is well wound (no split stitches at all) and the color combination was really what landed me. The 2 colors strands of the yarn were bold but similar enough to be exciting without too much daring. The colors knit up in a way that I had not imagined but was even better than expected.
The yarn is fluffy but gives the definition that I was looking for. The fluffiness is very evident when wearing my slippers. They are slippery but also very comfortable. The wool gives nice elasticity that the pattern needs since it incorporates so many techniques that inhibits stretch. The many K2togs and pleats make for a tight fit that cotton or even silk would not compliment.
A search on Ravelry shows that this yarn has been featured in many projects including hats, sweaters, toys and scarves. I would recommend it for any and all of the above projects. It would really shine with large cables and textured stitches. Snowbird might complete too much with fancy lacework unless the lace were worked on very large needles and very exaggerated.
To end: I loved this yarn and my slippers and have secured it a spot on my Christmas gift list.
On July 4th 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.
Feed Subscription
If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to a feed of all future entries tagged “Wool”.
