Using a kitchen scale can save you from “do I have enough yarn” syndrome. I have two scales, both digital, one about 10 years sold, and another that I bought this year. The older one is about to be retired because it has become fairly unreliable and so I find myself doing all my weighing…
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Shawl Geometry, Books 1, 2, & 3, Revised
If you own the original Shawl Geometry series (or any of them) published by Holly Chayes in 2013, you will find this to be quite an expansion. The entire original series was 95 pages. The new version is 92, 159, and 162 pages for a total of 413 pages! There is a bit of repetition…
My First Sewing Project (in 20 years)
I’ve done some other sewing in the past 12 months, but this is my first sewing project for me, so really it is the one that counts! I pulled out my sewing machine in my determination to create a pair of jeans that would fit Mitch. That was a project that I did on Sundays…
Garter Stitch Flat, or Stockinette ITR
Garter stitch is the first stitch we learn–just knit, knit, knit. As a result we often can hardly wait to do something else. You may be like me in that you came back to garter stitch after a few years, and kind of got excited by it, but were a little embarrassed because it is…
Yarn and Stitch Pattern, and You
We had to get to yarn and stitch pattern eventually! This pairing is what we want to solve most, but is actually a fairly difficult topic to address. I’ve been looking at the make up of yarn to better identify why some yarns work and some don’t. I’ve introduced fiber content, fiber processing, ply, twist,…
Yarn and Color: Alchemy or Science?
I love yarn and color so this is a topic I’m excited to try to tackle. I’ve given you information on fiber content, ply, twist, treatment of yarn and fiber, so now color. The alchemy of yarn and color is what gets us excited about hand dyed yarn and every other yarn. A funny story…
Twists Per Inch or TPI In Your Yarns
I was thinking about the next steps in writing about matching yarn to projects and TPI or twists per inch popped up in my head. Just when I think I’ve covered something, another thing occurs to me. TPI was a new-to-me concept when I started researching hand knitting yarn structure. I knew it existed, but…
Yarn Play Date (No Shopping!)
This post is about a yarn play date, and why you should have one. I’ve been playing with a lot of different yarn and ideas since we entered 2018. I’ve got my ongoing Anzula yarn reviews which have me looking at a different yarn each month. We did two in January to cover the release…
Let’s talk Ply–single, 2-, 3-, and beyond
As you know, I’m not a spinner, but I can talk ply. I used to teach it when I taught textiles at FIDM. It is the same principles for textile yarn as for yarn, just different scales. Once you know some basics, you can take a fresh look at your yarns, and yarn choices. Ply…
Autumn/Winter 2018 Fashion Colors
The reports are in for Autumn/Winter 2018 Colors for fashion from New York and London Show. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but it doesn’t matter what you think of them, they are what will be showing up in the months ahead. It is a matter of how the palettes are use that will end…
Yarn Fiber Processing: The Basics
You may not ever think about yarn fiber processing, or it may be something you pay attention to, but it is quite important to what your yarn will and won’t do. I am by no means an expert, and like all things, yarn fiber processing has pros and cons for every step, and you should…
Yarn Fibers: Basic Helpful Information
Yarn fibers are spun together to make yarn. There are some very odd exceptions, but mostly, yarn is made from fiber. It doesn’t matter what the fiber is, it has to be spun to make yarn. Before I get to talking about ply, let’s talk about yarn fibers. There are two categories of fibers: Natural…
