Avoiding the Frump Factor: a short editorial on shawls and stoles ...
Shawls and stoles have made a huge comeback as accesory items in the past several years, and it's a real pleasure to see so many good designs which don't make the wearer look like a geriatric flu patient.
However, a lot of knitters I know are reluctant to come up with their own shawl designs out of fear of creating a frumpy-looking object. None of us knitters want to look like Great-Great-Grandma at a Temperance meeting.
As most shawls and stoles are either a simple triangle, or a simple rectangle, this would not seem like an intimidating design prospect in comparison to, say, creating a Chanel-style suit from scratch.
But there is much more to the design of a shawl than the idiot-simple geometry of a triangle or rectangle. The key to a really smashing shawl or stole is to create a great fabric.
First and foremost, a frump-free shawl must have movement to the fabric. The smaller the finished item is, the more difficult it is to achieve any kind of drape or movement if you use wool or acrylic (or a blend).
The primary rule of thumb, when considering wool or acrylic with regard to drape, is: the larger the item, the more drape it will have, because the garment's very own weight will create the drape and motion that is desirable for a good visual effect.
When working with wool or acrylic in a relatively small shawl or stole, a fairly loose gauge is important if you don't want to look like you are wrapped in a blanket. Too loose, and you get the dreaded "home-made" look. Too dense, and you have a stadium blanket.
By "relatively small," I mean either a triangular shawl whose longest point in the back reaches the waistline of the wearer (or higher), or a stole narrower than about 18" and measuring less than the fingertip-to-fingertip "wingspan" of the wearer.
In a relatively small shawl or stole, you need to achieve a gauge somewhat looser than sweater gauge -- which is the typical gauge provided on ball bands in worsted or sport-weight wools and acrylics. Go up one or two needle sizes, and make a stocking stitch gauge swatch of at least 8 by 8 inches. Then get a piece of silk or satin -- an accessory scarf will do.
Raise your hand as though you want to answer a question in class, and drape the piece of silk or satin over your hand. See how it looks like a draped statue? The silk follows the curve of your hand without clinging to it or tenting out lke a hat. It just falls into place.
Now, place the center of the gauge swatch over your fingertip. It should hang close to your hand and not "tent out." If it tents out, go up a needle size.
The second rule of thumb with regard to wool or acrylic is: the smaller the shawl or stole, the thinner your yarn should be. For most waist-length shawls, sport-weight should be the thickest yarn you use.
Are you making a large, dramatic stole, or a ruanna? Worsted and even bulky weight yarn can be used to good effect because the garment's very own weight gives it drape and movement. A ruanna is a piece of outerwear, so as long as it has good drape and some motion, a heavier yarn works fine. The best fabrics for a ruanna should give a similar effect to a good, drapey, woven wool fabric.
Color choice is also important to avoid a dowdy look. True pastels say "dowdy" in a shawl even if you are a "Summer" and look great in a baby pink turtleneck or a powder-blue bathing suit.
Any combination of frothy lace, heavier yarn, and pastel colors should be avoided by those who seek not to look frumpy.
Bear in mind what you are knitting the shawl for. If its destiny is to be a garment to provide warmth, go for wool, acrylic or a blend, but go big, so the fabric will have motion. And so you will be warm as well.
If it is intended to be an accessory, go for cottons, silk, rayon, viscose, alpaca, etc. These yarns have more weight yard-for-yard than wool, and will provide a better drape in a smaller item. A wrist-to-wrist 16"-wide stole done in eyelash and chenille will usually have a wonderful drape from its own weight, even at the gauge suggested on the ball band.
If you want to make a larger item from a "heavy" yarn like cotton, silk, alpaca, etc. stay close to sweater gauge, or the garment will eventually have that highly undesirable and net-like "stretched-out" look from its own weight.
The direction of your stitching is important with heavier yarns as well. If you work back and forth on the width -- the narrow measurement -- of a rectangular stole in a heavier yarn, it will narrow and grow longer with its own weight, especially in garter stitch. Unless you are using a balanced textural pattern (like basket weave or moss stitch) it is usually better to knit a simple rectangular stole back and forth on the longer measurement.
Likewise, a garter-stitch triangular shawl in inelastic, heavier yarn, if started from the back center point, will "grow" from a triangle into an arrowhead shape over time. Yuck.
The more textural the yarn, the less need you have for any sort of textured stitch patern. The patern will get lost in the texture of the yarn and the resulting, thicker fabric will have a bulky appearance. Plain old garter stitch or stocking stitch (or reverse stocking stitch) generally looks best in novelty yarns. Make a swatch of each to decide which fabric most pleases your eye.
Also consider novelty edges, such as one of Nicki Epstein's terrific embellishments, or a narrow, added-on border of faux fur or eyelash yarn instead of yer basic ho-hum fringe. I have very strong feelings about fringe. The best fringe, in my opinion, should be done in a smooth yarn, with a lot of movement, and it should be sparse and relatively long. The denser and thicker fringe is, the more it looks like you're wearing a bathmat.
Next time, a long-promised post of the pattern for my Boomerang Shawl.
Regards,
Mambocat
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Sorting through stuff...
Last week I had a minor surgery and, as a result, had the rare opportunity to have a few days off work for the sole purpose of resting myself. Very refreshing to spend a few whole days with my feet propped up on the couch, knitting. Because I was stiff and sore from the surgery, I concentrated on a few simple projects I had previously pushed to the back burner.
The combination of required off-my-feet time and a mild pain reliever put me in the right mood to contemplate what I've been knitting in recent years, and I realized that I am no longer taking on increasingly complex projects each time I start something new. Although I am always willing to try a new technique, I no longer feel obliged to rasie the bar on my skill level and complexity of design each time I start something from scratch. I find that I have been concentrating much more on good simple structure, great color, good proportions in keeping with Fibonacci numbers, and creating a great-looking fabric. I've been cranking out yards of simple, well-balanced, highly repetitive patterns and find myself pleased with the results.
The older I get, the more I like garter stitch in great-looking yarns.
Also spent some time sorting through bins of yarn stash and coordinating yarns into project bags for the near future. Collected an array of various shades of medium-to-dark blue yarns in all sorts of textures from shetland to eyelash yarn, with a few skeins of purple and teal, and a dash of metallic yarn for added interest, to make an "Isis Stole" from "The Knitting Goddess."
There's a bag of Lion Brand "Thick 'n' Quick" In shades of grey, cream and brown that will become a couch throw for my husband's assistant.
There's also a pile of fine-weight yarns which is destined to be another Boomerang Shawl (my own design), with oddments of leftover novelty yarns to combine for a funky fringe.
Finally, also, I committed several skeins of vintage Lana Borgosesia "Spectrum" yarn in a colorway of copper, purple, hunter green, gold and other autumn colors with some wonderful chocolate chenille, golden mohair, copper mohair, and faux-fur in a range of shades from gold through chartreuse into a pile together, which will become a large, dramatic ruanna for myself. I haven't knitted myself a "big item" in a long time, and am looking forward to commencing this work.
This was a good time to plan Christmas knitting: an Einstein coat for Mom, wild Ya-Ya scarves for my gal pals, cell phone holders for co-workers. Still don't know what to make for Dad, but I'm considering some thick, felted slippers in an easy-to-put-on elf-boot style.
Time for bed, alas. Looking forwad to further stash organization this weekend.
Mambocatz
Last week I had a minor surgery and, as a result, had the rare opportunity to have a few days off work for the sole purpose of resting myself. Very refreshing to spend a few whole days with my feet propped up on the couch, knitting. Because I was stiff and sore from the surgery, I concentrated on a few simple projects I had previously pushed to the back burner.
The combination of required off-my-feet time and a mild pain reliever put me in the right mood to contemplate what I've been knitting in recent years, and I realized that I am no longer taking on increasingly complex projects each time I start something new. Although I am always willing to try a new technique, I no longer feel obliged to rasie the bar on my skill level and complexity of design each time I start something from scratch. I find that I have been concentrating much more on good simple structure, great color, good proportions in keeping with Fibonacci numbers, and creating a great-looking fabric. I've been cranking out yards of simple, well-balanced, highly repetitive patterns and find myself pleased with the results.
The older I get, the more I like garter stitch in great-looking yarns.
Also spent some time sorting through bins of yarn stash and coordinating yarns into project bags for the near future. Collected an array of various shades of medium-to-dark blue yarns in all sorts of textures from shetland to eyelash yarn, with a few skeins of purple and teal, and a dash of metallic yarn for added interest, to make an "Isis Stole" from "The Knitting Goddess."
There's a bag of Lion Brand "Thick 'n' Quick" In shades of grey, cream and brown that will become a couch throw for my husband's assistant.
There's also a pile of fine-weight yarns which is destined to be another Boomerang Shawl (my own design), with oddments of leftover novelty yarns to combine for a funky fringe.
Finally, also, I committed several skeins of vintage Lana Borgosesia "Spectrum" yarn in a colorway of copper, purple, hunter green, gold and other autumn colors with some wonderful chocolate chenille, golden mohair, copper mohair, and faux-fur in a range of shades from gold through chartreuse into a pile together, which will become a large, dramatic ruanna for myself. I haven't knitted myself a "big item" in a long time, and am looking forward to commencing this work.
This was a good time to plan Christmas knitting: an Einstein coat for Mom, wild Ya-Ya scarves for my gal pals, cell phone holders for co-workers. Still don't know what to make for Dad, but I'm considering some thick, felted slippers in an easy-to-put-on elf-boot style.
Time for bed, alas. Looking forwad to further stash organization this weekend.
Mambocatz
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Some wooly thoughts....
I've been thinking about wool lately, as summer loses its grip and the guy in charge of the weather thermostat has backed off from the "inferno" setting to "pleasantly warm" during the day. Northerners call this kind of weather "Indian Summer," the mild-weather season called "fall" in the South, the time of year where you actually might want to do something outdoors during the day, the time of year where you may want to have a light outer garment on your shoulders when the night temperatures dip into the mid-fifties.
Which brings me back to wool, which is where I was on my last post. I am always surprised at how many Southerners, and people who knit for Southerners, choose worsted weight 100% acrylic for an adult pullover sweater. The stuff doesn't breathe, and as a general rule the wearer will suffocate just as thoroughly in a worsted-weight acrylic sweater as they would in a bulky-weight Lopi item ... probably even more so.
I've always thought sport-weight wool is the perfect choice for a Southern winter garment. It's the right weight not to be unbearably warm on a not-so-cold day; it sheds chill drizzle, and it doesn't absorb body odor the way acrylic does.
If you live in the Deep South, or knit for someone who lives here, consider that any sort of sweater or other woolen garment should be easily shed (or put back on) as one goes in and out of doors. For most of the winter months in the Deep South, a wool cardigan or jacket is an ideal substitute for an actual coat -- lightweight, just warm enough, and easily shrugged off when one enters an overheated office building. Either sportweight or worsted is fine, as long as you can take it off without putting yourself in complete disarray.
In January and February, one might actually get to wear a lightweight pullover all day long as an intermediate layer of clothing. That is our sweater-and-rainjacket season. The sweater keeps you warm, the raincoat keeps you dry. Those of you who live in Seattle should be nodding enthusiastically here. Sound familiar?
But you're not going to have too many Southern winter days where you can wear a worsted-weight, or bulky-weight, 100% wool item -- unless, again, you construct a jacket or cardigan instead of a pullover. The Einstein Jacket that is now so popular among the online knitting community strikes me as the perfect Southern coat.
During the wet months, wool hats always work. And shawls or ruannas are useful in all but the coldest or windiest weather. Wool slippers are always welcome on the drafty floors of elderly Southern homes.
A lot of people stay away from wool sock yarn in the South. Doesn't make any sense to me. Cotton absorbs moisture and stays wet, making your feet miserable and smelly in warm weather. I work at an animal shelter and usually wear work boots to my job, and I wear lightweight wool socks almost year round, except in the very hottest weather, because they keep my feet dry, odor-free, and free of blisters. During the hottest weather I wear commercial Thorlo socks, a good multi-fiber blend which keeps feet dry without being overly warm.
I still vote for microfiber and for wool/acrylic blends for kids' garments (just enough wool so the garment will breathe and the child won't smother) and acrylic for kids' and babies' blankets and afghans, just because they get washed so much. Of course superwash wool is a great choice for the same reasons, but good quality superwash seems more difficult to find than good quality acrylic/wool blends. Microfiber is great because it wicks moisture away from the skin, keeping the wearer warm and dry.
So -- it's Indian Summer, and time to think about things to wear during the chill weather. Knitters have their tradeoffs wherever they live. Those knitters up there in the deep freeze have short periods of mild weather where a spectacular shawl or ruanna is just enough to hold the chill at bay -- not much time to show off the dramatic drape of a well constructed wrap. On the other hand, snow bunnies get a long season in which to wear all sorts of terrific sweater designs, and some of you even live in places where one can actually wear a summer sweater -- an absolutely laughable concept in the South.
Sure, I'll make a summer sweater -- just as soon as I'm done knitting my thermal bathing suit.
A number of years ago a knitting magazine -- I think it was Vogue -- did a photo shoot of summer sweaters. It was shot in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and judging by the lighting and foliage, the photo shoot was likely done in fabulously cool March. Models were shown draped across chaise longues on the balconies of ancient buildings. One model in particular was holding a big pink drink as she leaned forward to admire the view from her perch, and the caption read something like:
"Imagine relaxing on a French Quarter balcony as you celebrate the Fourth of July in this stunning tunic ..."
To which I added, "and imagine someone calling 911 as you go into heatstroke ... imagine the ambulance bouncing down the romantic streets of the French Quarter while you struggle for life..."
Obviously none of the designers -- and definitely not the caption writer -- ever spent a summer day in New Orleans.
Seems like many designers never spent a winter day in New Orleans, either. New Orleans is a wonderful city, but it is definitely not a year-round tropical paradise. You have to go to Hawaii for that. Southern summer is ghastly and what passes for winter is chill, wet and clammy. I can't tell you how many Minnesota tourists I've seen arriving for Mardi Gras in shorts and flip-flops, with not so much as a sweatshirt to their name, turning blue in the sleet while they dash about looking for some warm clothes.
The South experiences winter like a beach experiences the tide: a few chilly days, a few shivering wet days, a few mild days, a few sleety days, and so forth as the cold fronts pass across us.
Even though we don't get the long-term deep freeze like Chicagoans, a rainy January day in New Orleans provides an excellent excuse to drag out your woolies.
I have a few days off work, so time to sort through the yarn stash for the collection of Lane Borgosesia "Spectrum," chocolate chenille, black mohair and rust-colored angor I've been saving for a huge, multistrand ruanna. Also time to fiddle some more with the hat pattern I am working on for LaLana Wools.
Later,
Mambocatz
I've been thinking about wool lately, as summer loses its grip and the guy in charge of the weather thermostat has backed off from the "inferno" setting to "pleasantly warm" during the day. Northerners call this kind of weather "Indian Summer," the mild-weather season called "fall" in the South, the time of year where you actually might want to do something outdoors during the day, the time of year where you may want to have a light outer garment on your shoulders when the night temperatures dip into the mid-fifties.
Which brings me back to wool, which is where I was on my last post. I am always surprised at how many Southerners, and people who knit for Southerners, choose worsted weight 100% acrylic for an adult pullover sweater. The stuff doesn't breathe, and as a general rule the wearer will suffocate just as thoroughly in a worsted-weight acrylic sweater as they would in a bulky-weight Lopi item ... probably even more so.
I've always thought sport-weight wool is the perfect choice for a Southern winter garment. It's the right weight not to be unbearably warm on a not-so-cold day; it sheds chill drizzle, and it doesn't absorb body odor the way acrylic does.
If you live in the Deep South, or knit for someone who lives here, consider that any sort of sweater or other woolen garment should be easily shed (or put back on) as one goes in and out of doors. For most of the winter months in the Deep South, a wool cardigan or jacket is an ideal substitute for an actual coat -- lightweight, just warm enough, and easily shrugged off when one enters an overheated office building. Either sportweight or worsted is fine, as long as you can take it off without putting yourself in complete disarray.
In January and February, one might actually get to wear a lightweight pullover all day long as an intermediate layer of clothing. That is our sweater-and-rainjacket season. The sweater keeps you warm, the raincoat keeps you dry. Those of you who live in Seattle should be nodding enthusiastically here. Sound familiar?
But you're not going to have too many Southern winter days where you can wear a worsted-weight, or bulky-weight, 100% wool item -- unless, again, you construct a jacket or cardigan instead of a pullover. The Einstein Jacket that is now so popular among the online knitting community strikes me as the perfect Southern coat.
During the wet months, wool hats always work. And shawls or ruannas are useful in all but the coldest or windiest weather. Wool slippers are always welcome on the drafty floors of elderly Southern homes.
A lot of people stay away from wool sock yarn in the South. Doesn't make any sense to me. Cotton absorbs moisture and stays wet, making your feet miserable and smelly in warm weather. I work at an animal shelter and usually wear work boots to my job, and I wear lightweight wool socks almost year round, except in the very hottest weather, because they keep my feet dry, odor-free, and free of blisters. During the hottest weather I wear commercial Thorlo socks, a good multi-fiber blend which keeps feet dry without being overly warm.
I still vote for microfiber and for wool/acrylic blends for kids' garments (just enough wool so the garment will breathe and the child won't smother) and acrylic for kids' and babies' blankets and afghans, just because they get washed so much. Of course superwash wool is a great choice for the same reasons, but good quality superwash seems more difficult to find than good quality acrylic/wool blends. Microfiber is great because it wicks moisture away from the skin, keeping the wearer warm and dry.
So -- it's Indian Summer, and time to think about things to wear during the chill weather. Knitters have their tradeoffs wherever they live. Those knitters up there in the deep freeze have short periods of mild weather where a spectacular shawl or ruanna is just enough to hold the chill at bay -- not much time to show off the dramatic drape of a well constructed wrap. On the other hand, snow bunnies get a long season in which to wear all sorts of terrific sweater designs, and some of you even live in places where one can actually wear a summer sweater -- an absolutely laughable concept in the South.
Sure, I'll make a summer sweater -- just as soon as I'm done knitting my thermal bathing suit.
A number of years ago a knitting magazine -- I think it was Vogue -- did a photo shoot of summer sweaters. It was shot in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and judging by the lighting and foliage, the photo shoot was likely done in fabulously cool March. Models were shown draped across chaise longues on the balconies of ancient buildings. One model in particular was holding a big pink drink as she leaned forward to admire the view from her perch, and the caption read something like:
"Imagine relaxing on a French Quarter balcony as you celebrate the Fourth of July in this stunning tunic ..."
To which I added, "and imagine someone calling 911 as you go into heatstroke ... imagine the ambulance bouncing down the romantic streets of the French Quarter while you struggle for life..."
Obviously none of the designers -- and definitely not the caption writer -- ever spent a summer day in New Orleans.
Seems like many designers never spent a winter day in New Orleans, either. New Orleans is a wonderful city, but it is definitely not a year-round tropical paradise. You have to go to Hawaii for that. Southern summer is ghastly and what passes for winter is chill, wet and clammy. I can't tell you how many Minnesota tourists I've seen arriving for Mardi Gras in shorts and flip-flops, with not so much as a sweatshirt to their name, turning blue in the sleet while they dash about looking for some warm clothes.
The South experiences winter like a beach experiences the tide: a few chilly days, a few shivering wet days, a few mild days, a few sleety days, and so forth as the cold fronts pass across us.
Even though we don't get the long-term deep freeze like Chicagoans, a rainy January day in New Orleans provides an excellent excuse to drag out your woolies.
I have a few days off work, so time to sort through the yarn stash for the collection of Lane Borgosesia "Spectrum," chocolate chenille, black mohair and rust-colored angor I've been saving for a huge, multistrand ruanna. Also time to fiddle some more with the hat pattern I am working on for LaLana Wools.
Later,
Mambocatz
Sunday, September 07, 2003
A few random Sunday thoughts....
Made the trek from Baton Rouge to New Orleans today to visit my parents, and a busy Saturday yesterday, so not much knitting time this weekend. Currently working on a baby blanket for my parent's neighbor, Ruth, a young nurse, who recently gave birth to a fine baby boy, born at home with a midwife. Mom and baby are doing fine. I am quite fond of Ruth, as she has befriended my elderly parents, and gives them a lot of help in her spare time. I am 90 miles away and I highly value her kindness to my folks. She's a good neighbor, and deserves a lovely handmade gift.
This relates to my previous monologue on acrylic for kids. When I was done with that post, having acrylic-prejudice on the mind at the moment, I realized that I forgot to include cotton and microfiber yarns as great yarns, especially for kid's things. This particular bambino is getting a blanket made in Lion Brand's microfiber yarn. Very soft, warm, and infinitely washable.
I'm also quite fond of the inexpensive cottons available at Wal-Mart, etc., when making kid's things, especially blankets. Worsted cottons make a nice snuggly blanket to use during the mild-weather months, especially for those of us who don't live in the deep-freeze zone.
This brings me to thoughts about WOOL and climate. Far too many people think wool is unsuitable for Southern climes and often choose acrylic or cotton instead.
Fact: cotton does not keep one warm, especially on a chilly, rainy, windy, highly humid New Orleans winter day in a drafty 100-year-old house designed to let heat OUT. Cotton absorbs humidity, and wearing a cotton sweater on a dank, rainy day is not unlike wrapping yourself in a wet towel.
Fact: in a pullover sweater for an adult -- or in many other garments -- acrylic does not breathe. Wool does.
Fact: a Lopi pullover is MUCH too warm to get much use in the Deep South.
Fact: a sport-weight wool sweater will keep one warm in the above-mentioned drafty old house, and will cheerfully shed the chill rain and sleet that means "winter" in South Louisiana.
I have other fish to fry tonight (literally), but more thoughts on the South and wool shall follow in a subsequent post.
Best,
Mambocat
Made the trek from Baton Rouge to New Orleans today to visit my parents, and a busy Saturday yesterday, so not much knitting time this weekend. Currently working on a baby blanket for my parent's neighbor, Ruth, a young nurse, who recently gave birth to a fine baby boy, born at home with a midwife. Mom and baby are doing fine. I am quite fond of Ruth, as she has befriended my elderly parents, and gives them a lot of help in her spare time. I am 90 miles away and I highly value her kindness to my folks. She's a good neighbor, and deserves a lovely handmade gift.
This relates to my previous monologue on acrylic for kids. When I was done with that post, having acrylic-prejudice on the mind at the moment, I realized that I forgot to include cotton and microfiber yarns as great yarns, especially for kid's things. This particular bambino is getting a blanket made in Lion Brand's microfiber yarn. Very soft, warm, and infinitely washable.
I'm also quite fond of the inexpensive cottons available at Wal-Mart, etc., when making kid's things, especially blankets. Worsted cottons make a nice snuggly blanket to use during the mild-weather months, especially for those of us who don't live in the deep-freeze zone.
This brings me to thoughts about WOOL and climate. Far too many people think wool is unsuitable for Southern climes and often choose acrylic or cotton instead.
Fact: cotton does not keep one warm, especially on a chilly, rainy, windy, highly humid New Orleans winter day in a drafty 100-year-old house designed to let heat OUT. Cotton absorbs humidity, and wearing a cotton sweater on a dank, rainy day is not unlike wrapping yourself in a wet towel.
Fact: in a pullover sweater for an adult -- or in many other garments -- acrylic does not breathe. Wool does.
Fact: a Lopi pullover is MUCH too warm to get much use in the Deep South.
Fact: a sport-weight wool sweater will keep one warm in the above-mentioned drafty old house, and will cheerfully shed the chill rain and sleet that means "winter" in South Louisiana.
I have other fish to fry tonight (literally), but more thoughts on the South and wool shall follow in a subsequent post.
Best,
Mambocat
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
A few words about acrylic...
Seems like there is no faster way to get yourself ostracized by some knitters than to admit to using acrylic yarn.
It's kind of like being a smoker. Pull some acrylic out of your knitting bag at a guild meeting, and suddenly several people wrinkle their noses and you're told you have to go sit outside by the Dumpster and knit there.
Back in Hester Prynne's time, you had to commit some serious adultery to be branded with the scarlet letter "A." In the 21st century, all you have to do is admit to the occasional use of Red Heart.
Hey, I'm just like the next knitter -- I adore LaLana, Brown Sheep, Kiogu, Noro, Peace Fleece and all those other lovely, natural fibers. I yearn for the glam ribbon, eyelash and faux fur yarns I see in the upscale LYSs. And I love the wonderful feel of soft, fluffy, freshly carded wool sliding between my fingers on the way to becoming yarn through the magic of my spinning wheel.
But I am a civil servant, living on a civil servant's salary -- and a civil servant who works at an animal shelter at that. So let's just say I don't have to worry much about tax sheltering, hm? I considered it a great coup last spring to get free fleece off the Jacob's sheep at the local zoo.
It helps to know the Rare Livestock Breeds keeper.
Anyway, I find myself making frequent forays to Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby to make a reasonably-priced yarn purchase. Wal-Mart has loads of Red Heart and a reasonable selection of Lion Brand Products. Hobby Lobby carries both, and also a number of items from the Paton's line, which contains some surprisingly good-quality acrylics.
Yes, I used "good quality" and "acrylic" in the same breath. There are lots of good-quality acrylics out there, and often is it not only acceptable to use acrylic, it's actually preferable.
Admit it. If you enjoy cooking, and you're feeling flush, you might splurge, and invite a couple of good friends over to savor your poached salmon, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, creme brulee for dessert, and a couple of bottles of a nice Pinot Grigio to wash it all down with.
But if you get coerced into cooking for your kid's Scout Troop, it's a safe bet you'll be serving up hot dogs, rocky road ice cream, and Cokes.
You shouldn't be afraid to apply the same sensible priniciples to the fibers you choose for your knitting or crochet projects. By all means, indulge in using your own handspun, or a top-quality commercial wool, when knitting for yourself, or for someone else who will treat a natural-fiber, handmade item with the respect it deserves.
But what does one do when one's 22-year-old niece finds herself pregnant, and one is required to produce a baby gift, and one is fully armed with an intimate knowledge of one's relative's laundry habits?
One buys acrylic. Either that, or risk a handspun lace receiving blanket being turned into a potholder by the merciless pounding of the coin-operated washers and dryers in the basement of said niece's apartment building.
Maybe you, the reader, knows a young parent or two who is willing and able to wash a natural-fiber garment with dignity. I actually know a few such people myself. But even if they will lovingly wash their heirloom-quality gifts ...
I always imagine their earnest and well-meaning teenage babysitter urgently trying to remove freshly yarked carrot mush off that heirloom lace blanket.
For most people, items that will be used by infants and children need to be idiot proof, que non?
My first choice for baby items is sport-weight Lion Brand Wool-Ease. If the child is allergic to wool, I'll use Lion Brand's baby weight acrylic yarns. Or a nice cotton yarn. The only thing I don't like about Wool-Ease is its slight tendency to pill after a moderate amount of washings. But is has a nice, soft hand-feel for the knitter, and it doesn't have much friction with the plastic and bamboo needles I prefer to knit with.
I'm not a big fan of aluminum needles.
Very close second choice for acrylic is Canadiana, with a wide array of beautiful colors. They just don't seem to have as many sport-weight colors as Lion Brand.
Both Encore and Unger Utopia are great acrylics, also, but the nearest good local yarn store is 90 miles away and I'm just not going to make a road trip -- or order online and pay shipping -- to get Encore or Utopia, when I can drive half a mile to Hobby Lobby to buy Lion Brand. Have to admit I was quite disappointed when the local Merribee's craft store closed a few years back, cutting off my supply of Unger Utopia acrylic. Out of all the acrylics I have used I believe it it the least likely to pill.
As for Red Heart -- granted, I'm not very fond of the way Red Heart feels to works with. It has a slightly sticky feel that I don't like. On the other hand, the slight stickiness of Red Heart seems helpful in creating a little bit of friction when used with aluminum needles, so it glides along at a good speed. Not too fast. Not too slow. I suspect this has a lot to do with the fact that the parent company also manufactures and markets slick aluminum needles. Once an item made from Red Heart is washed, the feel of the yarn softens considerably.
Red Heart sticks like duct tape to bamboo or plastic needles. Don't even bother. I could see where a novice knitter trying to learn our craft using Red Heart and plastic needles would get frustrated.
If you can get past the slightly gummy hand-feel of the unwashed yarn, Red Heart is a great choice for babies' and children's afghans and for aything that will be used by pets. You can't kill the stuff. It will hold up to years of brutal washing, remain reasonably soft, and usually doesn't pill much.
There is stilll in existence, still being used within the same family, a baby afghan I knitted in the laste 1970's for a college friend's first baby. Being on the paltry budget of a 1970s student, I chose Red Heart because I could scrape together enough change to purchase yarn at TG&Y and still have enough money left over for tuna fish and macaroni and cheese. That blanket was mercilessly washed in a wicked old coin-operated Bendix at our apartment building through two more babies and the various dogs and cats who enjoyed it as well. 20-odd years later, I've learned it is being dragged around by the first granchild, and not much the worse for wear and tear.
So don't feel like less of a knitter if you choose to use acrylic. Often it's the wisest choice you can make.
And remember, how often have you heard a non-knitter shriek, "EEEEeeew, you made this with Red Heart!"
Best,
Mambocat
Seems like there is no faster way to get yourself ostracized by some knitters than to admit to using acrylic yarn.
It's kind of like being a smoker. Pull some acrylic out of your knitting bag at a guild meeting, and suddenly several people wrinkle their noses and you're told you have to go sit outside by the Dumpster and knit there.
Back in Hester Prynne's time, you had to commit some serious adultery to be branded with the scarlet letter "A." In the 21st century, all you have to do is admit to the occasional use of Red Heart.
Hey, I'm just like the next knitter -- I adore LaLana, Brown Sheep, Kiogu, Noro, Peace Fleece and all those other lovely, natural fibers. I yearn for the glam ribbon, eyelash and faux fur yarns I see in the upscale LYSs. And I love the wonderful feel of soft, fluffy, freshly carded wool sliding between my fingers on the way to becoming yarn through the magic of my spinning wheel.
But I am a civil servant, living on a civil servant's salary -- and a civil servant who works at an animal shelter at that. So let's just say I don't have to worry much about tax sheltering, hm? I considered it a great coup last spring to get free fleece off the Jacob's sheep at the local zoo.
It helps to know the Rare Livestock Breeds keeper.
Anyway, I find myself making frequent forays to Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby to make a reasonably-priced yarn purchase. Wal-Mart has loads of Red Heart and a reasonable selection of Lion Brand Products. Hobby Lobby carries both, and also a number of items from the Paton's line, which contains some surprisingly good-quality acrylics.
Yes, I used "good quality" and "acrylic" in the same breath. There are lots of good-quality acrylics out there, and often is it not only acceptable to use acrylic, it's actually preferable.
Admit it. If you enjoy cooking, and you're feeling flush, you might splurge, and invite a couple of good friends over to savor your poached salmon, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, creme brulee for dessert, and a couple of bottles of a nice Pinot Grigio to wash it all down with.
But if you get coerced into cooking for your kid's Scout Troop, it's a safe bet you'll be serving up hot dogs, rocky road ice cream, and Cokes.
You shouldn't be afraid to apply the same sensible priniciples to the fibers you choose for your knitting or crochet projects. By all means, indulge in using your own handspun, or a top-quality commercial wool, when knitting for yourself, or for someone else who will treat a natural-fiber, handmade item with the respect it deserves.
But what does one do when one's 22-year-old niece finds herself pregnant, and one is required to produce a baby gift, and one is fully armed with an intimate knowledge of one's relative's laundry habits?
One buys acrylic. Either that, or risk a handspun lace receiving blanket being turned into a potholder by the merciless pounding of the coin-operated washers and dryers in the basement of said niece's apartment building.
Maybe you, the reader, knows a young parent or two who is willing and able to wash a natural-fiber garment with dignity. I actually know a few such people myself. But even if they will lovingly wash their heirloom-quality gifts ...
I always imagine their earnest and well-meaning teenage babysitter urgently trying to remove freshly yarked carrot mush off that heirloom lace blanket.
For most people, items that will be used by infants and children need to be idiot proof, que non?
My first choice for baby items is sport-weight Lion Brand Wool-Ease. If the child is allergic to wool, I'll use Lion Brand's baby weight acrylic yarns. Or a nice cotton yarn. The only thing I don't like about Wool-Ease is its slight tendency to pill after a moderate amount of washings. But is has a nice, soft hand-feel for the knitter, and it doesn't have much friction with the plastic and bamboo needles I prefer to knit with.
I'm not a big fan of aluminum needles.
Very close second choice for acrylic is Canadiana, with a wide array of beautiful colors. They just don't seem to have as many sport-weight colors as Lion Brand.
Both Encore and Unger Utopia are great acrylics, also, but the nearest good local yarn store is 90 miles away and I'm just not going to make a road trip -- or order online and pay shipping -- to get Encore or Utopia, when I can drive half a mile to Hobby Lobby to buy Lion Brand. Have to admit I was quite disappointed when the local Merribee's craft store closed a few years back, cutting off my supply of Unger Utopia acrylic. Out of all the acrylics I have used I believe it it the least likely to pill.
As for Red Heart -- granted, I'm not very fond of the way Red Heart feels to works with. It has a slightly sticky feel that I don't like. On the other hand, the slight stickiness of Red Heart seems helpful in creating a little bit of friction when used with aluminum needles, so it glides along at a good speed. Not too fast. Not too slow. I suspect this has a lot to do with the fact that the parent company also manufactures and markets slick aluminum needles. Once an item made from Red Heart is washed, the feel of the yarn softens considerably.
Red Heart sticks like duct tape to bamboo or plastic needles. Don't even bother. I could see where a novice knitter trying to learn our craft using Red Heart and plastic needles would get frustrated.
If you can get past the slightly gummy hand-feel of the unwashed yarn, Red Heart is a great choice for babies' and children's afghans and for aything that will be used by pets. You can't kill the stuff. It will hold up to years of brutal washing, remain reasonably soft, and usually doesn't pill much.
There is stilll in existence, still being used within the same family, a baby afghan I knitted in the laste 1970's for a college friend's first baby. Being on the paltry budget of a 1970s student, I chose Red Heart because I could scrape together enough change to purchase yarn at TG&Y and still have enough money left over for tuna fish and macaroni and cheese. That blanket was mercilessly washed in a wicked old coin-operated Bendix at our apartment building through two more babies and the various dogs and cats who enjoyed it as well. 20-odd years later, I've learned it is being dragged around by the first granchild, and not much the worse for wear and tear.
So don't feel like less of a knitter if you choose to use acrylic. Often it's the wisest choice you can make.
And remember, how often have you heard a non-knitter shriek, "EEEEeeew, you made this with Red Heart!"
Best,
Mambocat
Sunday, August 31, 2003
What Does "Mambocat" mean?"
I must admit that I am cheered to already have an e-mail from my new blog, this one asking the meaning of "Mambocat."
Although I now live in Baton Rouge, LA, I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA, USA, where "mambo" music, associated with Mardi Gras, is well known. I chose the name based on the wiggly, hip-swinging, sashay of a fat cat's natural walk, which seems to go so nicely to the mambo beat.
"Cats are women in little fur coats. Dogs are men in little fur coats." -- Author unknown
"Time spent with cats is never wasted." -- Oscar Wilde
And for all you knitters who think it's "cute" when your cats (or dogs) play with yarn, please remember that ingested yarn or thread can cause grievous, life-threatening damage to your pet's intestinal system. However "cute" Fluffy may look playing with yarn, it can kill her. Please keep your yarn and thread away from your pets, and if you ever see thread or yarn hanging out of your pet's anus, DO NOT TOUCH IT and DO NOT PULL IT! Call your veterinarian immediately.
Best,
Mambocat
mambocatz@yahoo.com
I must admit that I am cheered to already have an e-mail from my new blog, this one asking the meaning of "Mambocat."
Although I now live in Baton Rouge, LA, I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA, USA, where "mambo" music, associated with Mardi Gras, is well known. I chose the name based on the wiggly, hip-swinging, sashay of a fat cat's natural walk, which seems to go so nicely to the mambo beat.
"Cats are women in little fur coats. Dogs are men in little fur coats." -- Author unknown
"Time spent with cats is never wasted." -- Oscar Wilde
And for all you knitters who think it's "cute" when your cats (or dogs) play with yarn, please remember that ingested yarn or thread can cause grievous, life-threatening damage to your pet's intestinal system. However "cute" Fluffy may look playing with yarn, it can kill her. Please keep your yarn and thread away from your pets, and if you ever see thread or yarn hanging out of your pet's anus, DO NOT TOUCH IT and DO NOT PULL IT! Call your veterinarian immediately.
Best,
Mambocat
mambocatz@yahoo.com
Some rainy-day thoughts about gauge...
There are some aspects of gauge which never seem to be discussed on KnitU or the KnitList.
Specifically, the fact that the suggested gauge on the yarn's ball band may not be suitable for the project you, the knitter, wish to create on your own.
For example, the gauge suggested on the ball band for most worsted weight yarns generally will produce a fabric that drapes in a manner suitable for a sweater. However, if you are designing your own shawl, you may want a slightly looser gauge. And if you are designing an afghan, you will want a slightly denser fabric. A knitted afghan done at sweater gauge may be a bit too loose and stretchy to be used as a blanket. If you are designing a pair of thick hiking socks using worsted weight yarn, you will want an even denser gauge, or the socks will wear too quickly, and may not be elastic enough to stay up on your leg.
So, the real secret to a good fabric when you are designing your own garment is to swatch, regardless of what the ball band says, changing needle sizes, until you arrive at a fabric that feels appropriate for what you want to do with the yarn. THEN count the number of stitches per inch -- the number of stitches per inch that produced the desired fabric YOU want to work with. And finally, multiply THIS number by the number of inches in width (or circumference) needed for your garment.
The best swatch to give you a sense of what the fabric will be like should be at least 40 stitches wide, and at least 3 or 4 inches long, IN PATTERN. Don't like it? Change needle sizes until it produces the feel and drape you want to achieve for the item you want to make.
This is a very simple concept, yet I see so many knitters disappointed with the item they produced because they swatched until they got the gauge suggested on the ball band, and then designed their garment using THAT gauge, only to end up with a stiff shawl or a droopy afghan.
It's good advice to use the suggested gauge on the ball band only if you are going to make an item the yarn was designed for. If you are going to make anything but socks with sock yarn, swatch until you get the fabric you like, measure ITS gauge, and do your math from there.
This concept seems to be even more lost in crochet. Crochet, by its nature, is thicker and less elastic than knitting because you are actually tying a KNOT with each stitch. Granted, you are making a series of connected knots, but they are knots nonetheless. I often feel the suggested crochet gauge on most yarn ball bands will produce a fabric that is too stiff. Again, change hook sizes until the fabric feels right to YOU. And make a swatch at least 6 or so inches wide, and work for at least 3-4 inches before you consider whether or not you like the resulting fabric. Change hooks sizes if you don't. Anything smaller won't give you a feel for the resulting fabric.
I see a lot of gauge and swatch discussion on the knitting sites on the Internet, but seldom do I see the topic discussed on crochet sites. I have no idea why, but perhaps this explains all the Mile-A-Minute afghans out there that are so thick and inflexible, they could be used for fall mats in karate class.
Many knitters and crocheters seem to view the swatch as a waste of time. The real waste of time is putting many hours into a garment or other item that you will not be satisfied with. Swatching before beginning your project is like putting a coat of primer on the wall before you begin to paint. It is not a waste of time, rather, it is something you must do if you want to achieve an excellent result.
Bonus: you can unravel the yarn after you swatch, use it in another project, or keep it for an emergency in case you run short of the amount of yarn for your project.
Later,
Mambocat
There are some aspects of gauge which never seem to be discussed on KnitU or the KnitList.
Specifically, the fact that the suggested gauge on the yarn's ball band may not be suitable for the project you, the knitter, wish to create on your own.
For example, the gauge suggested on the ball band for most worsted weight yarns generally will produce a fabric that drapes in a manner suitable for a sweater. However, if you are designing your own shawl, you may want a slightly looser gauge. And if you are designing an afghan, you will want a slightly denser fabric. A knitted afghan done at sweater gauge may be a bit too loose and stretchy to be used as a blanket. If you are designing a pair of thick hiking socks using worsted weight yarn, you will want an even denser gauge, or the socks will wear too quickly, and may not be elastic enough to stay up on your leg.
So, the real secret to a good fabric when you are designing your own garment is to swatch, regardless of what the ball band says, changing needle sizes, until you arrive at a fabric that feels appropriate for what you want to do with the yarn. THEN count the number of stitches per inch -- the number of stitches per inch that produced the desired fabric YOU want to work with. And finally, multiply THIS number by the number of inches in width (or circumference) needed for your garment.
The best swatch to give you a sense of what the fabric will be like should be at least 40 stitches wide, and at least 3 or 4 inches long, IN PATTERN. Don't like it? Change needle sizes until it produces the feel and drape you want to achieve for the item you want to make.
This is a very simple concept, yet I see so many knitters disappointed with the item they produced because they swatched until they got the gauge suggested on the ball band, and then designed their garment using THAT gauge, only to end up with a stiff shawl or a droopy afghan.
It's good advice to use the suggested gauge on the ball band only if you are going to make an item the yarn was designed for. If you are going to make anything but socks with sock yarn, swatch until you get the fabric you like, measure ITS gauge, and do your math from there.
This concept seems to be even more lost in crochet. Crochet, by its nature, is thicker and less elastic than knitting because you are actually tying a KNOT with each stitch. Granted, you are making a series of connected knots, but they are knots nonetheless. I often feel the suggested crochet gauge on most yarn ball bands will produce a fabric that is too stiff. Again, change hook sizes until the fabric feels right to YOU. And make a swatch at least 6 or so inches wide, and work for at least 3-4 inches before you consider whether or not you like the resulting fabric. Change hooks sizes if you don't. Anything smaller won't give you a feel for the resulting fabric.
I see a lot of gauge and swatch discussion on the knitting sites on the Internet, but seldom do I see the topic discussed on crochet sites. I have no idea why, but perhaps this explains all the Mile-A-Minute afghans out there that are so thick and inflexible, they could be used for fall mats in karate class.
Many knitters and crocheters seem to view the swatch as a waste of time. The real waste of time is putting many hours into a garment or other item that you will not be satisfied with. Swatching before beginning your project is like putting a coat of primer on the wall before you begin to paint. It is not a waste of time, rather, it is something you must do if you want to achieve an excellent result.
Bonus: you can unravel the yarn after you swatch, use it in another project, or keep it for an emergency in case you run short of the amount of yarn for your project.
Later,
Mambocat
Saturday, August 30, 2003
This is my first post to my brand-new blog, so I suppose this entry should serve as an introduction.
If you like to knit, and you have confidence in your brain and your hands, and you're not allergic to a bit of math, you may find my posts useful.
If you are a process knitter, you may enjoy my ramblings. I won't be writing much about how many items I have to crank out before Christmas Eve. I am much more interested in the process of knitting, the passage of yarn between the fingers, and the sanity-invoking aspects of this ancient craft.
Knitting helps keep me sane in an insane world, and it's a helluva lot cheaper than Prozac. Which is why this blog is called Mambocat's Knitting Asylum. I am Mambocat. Welcome to the Asylum.
If you are interested in the technical aspects of the craft, and in the behavior of fiber and yarn, and if you have an interest in handspinning, there will be something for you as well. I crochet a bit too, and if you are a crocheter who doesn't spell "cute" with a "k," you might find an occasional interesting item here.
And if, by chance, you work in the field of animal care or have a family member affected by stroke, you will find words of interest here. I work at a public animal shelter serving close to half a million citizens. Animal sheltering is a stressful, honorable, maddening, joyous, heartbreaking, but ultimately rewarding, vocation. Please, people, spay or neuter your pets and keep them confined for their own protection. No excuses.
Last year, my husband had two strokes at age 48, turning his life upside down, re-arranging mine, and leaving me astonished at the lack of real support out there for the long-term at-home needs of stroke survivors and their family members. Dealing with the long-term stress and frustration of stroke is tough. Having something soothing and useful to do with one's hands helps a great deal to take the edge off.
You may write to me at mambocatz@yahoo.com if you would like to correspond further on any of these topics.
Current project: doing the math for a welted beret in Phat Silk Fine from Lalana Wools. This oversized beret is designed to keep dreadlocks or other prodigious amounts of hair in check. The challenge in the shaping is to maintain the jaunty, bouncy look of a beret, without it collapsing into a shapeless sack. Phat silk is not as elastic as wool and not as inelastic as cotton, so the welt pattern will look crisp. The trick to the shaping is in both the thickness of the welts and the spacing of increases and decreases.
Till my next post,
Mambocat
If you like to knit, and you have confidence in your brain and your hands, and you're not allergic to a bit of math, you may find my posts useful.
If you are a process knitter, you may enjoy my ramblings. I won't be writing much about how many items I have to crank out before Christmas Eve. I am much more interested in the process of knitting, the passage of yarn between the fingers, and the sanity-invoking aspects of this ancient craft.
Knitting helps keep me sane in an insane world, and it's a helluva lot cheaper than Prozac. Which is why this blog is called Mambocat's Knitting Asylum. I am Mambocat. Welcome to the Asylum.
If you are interested in the technical aspects of the craft, and in the behavior of fiber and yarn, and if you have an interest in handspinning, there will be something for you as well. I crochet a bit too, and if you are a crocheter who doesn't spell "cute" with a "k," you might find an occasional interesting item here.
And if, by chance, you work in the field of animal care or have a family member affected by stroke, you will find words of interest here. I work at a public animal shelter serving close to half a million citizens. Animal sheltering is a stressful, honorable, maddening, joyous, heartbreaking, but ultimately rewarding, vocation. Please, people, spay or neuter your pets and keep them confined for their own protection. No excuses.
Last year, my husband had two strokes at age 48, turning his life upside down, re-arranging mine, and leaving me astonished at the lack of real support out there for the long-term at-home needs of stroke survivors and their family members. Dealing with the long-term stress and frustration of stroke is tough. Having something soothing and useful to do with one's hands helps a great deal to take the edge off.
You may write to me at mambocatz@yahoo.com if you would like to correspond further on any of these topics.
Current project: doing the math for a welted beret in Phat Silk Fine from Lalana Wools. This oversized beret is designed to keep dreadlocks or other prodigious amounts of hair in check. The challenge in the shaping is to maintain the jaunty, bouncy look of a beret, without it collapsing into a shapeless sack. Phat silk is not as elastic as wool and not as inelastic as cotton, so the welt pattern will look crisp. The trick to the shaping is in both the thickness of the welts and the spacing of increases and decreases.
Till my next post,
Mambocat
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