Journal

We are super excited for the upcoming Westknits KAL!  The Hiberknitalong is all about casting on something cosy and relaxing after the craziness of the holiday season.  This year we have put together six fade kits especially for the KAL using our Uptown Sock base.  Here are the kit colours.

Harmony: Tequila, Golden Peach, Papaya, Orchid, Cherry
Stillness: Sea Green, Cactus, Patina, Conifer, Olive
Refresh: Botticelli, Hydrangea, Blue Jeans, Black Opal, Midnight Blue
Calm: Silver, Whisper, Steampunk, Cinder, Iroko
Tranquility: Soft Blush, On Trend, Sweet Sumac, Rip Tide, Blackberry
Unwind: Tequila, Tawny, Persimmon, Rust, Toffee

Each kit contains the yarn only, you can join the KAL and sign up for the pattern (Glittering Snowscape Shawl) over on Ravelry.  This years cast on date is the 26th December. 

Kits go on sale this Friday 17th November at 8am AEST and will be available until Monday night 20th November.  Our kits are dyed to order, we will be shipping kits in the week beginning 4th December.

As always, all of our kits come with a 10% discount!  So don't forget to use the code SHAWL10 during checkout.

Hope to see you Friday for the launch of these kits! 

xxoo

 

 

Bouclé yarns are making a bit of a comeback, but what can you knit with them?  I get asked this question regularly.  There's not a lot of patterns out there (yet!) and it isn't a yarn most knitters are familiar with.  So, I thought now would be a great time to write a blog post to give you all some simple tips on what patterns to look for when using bouclé.

Firstly, bouclé yarn is highly textured.  The yarn itself features lots of tiny loops that knit up into a fabric that looks a little like terry toweling.  Because of this, you don't want to choose patterns that feature fancy stitches, cables or lace - these details will be hidden under all those loops.  The best patterns for bouclé feature simple stockinette or garter stitch with, or without, a rib.

Colourwork, on the other hand, looks great.  Stripes, slipped stitches, stranded colourwork, even brioche looks great knit in bouclé yarn.  I'm planning to cast on a Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter with our bouclé yarn Curly.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Basically, the simpler the stitch the better when choosing patterns for bouclé yarn.  The most important thing to look for is a pattern that features simple stockinette or garter stitch with or without colourwork.

Here's a few pattern ideas:

Superlative Sweater by Samantha Guerin

Ship Shape by Heidi Kirrmaier

 

Ginny by Andrea Mowrey

 

Arco Iris by Joji Locatelli

 

DRK Everyday Cowl by Andrea Mowrey

 

Field Day Cardigan by Hailey Smedley

 

Balloon Cardigan by PetiteKnit (this is the pattern I knit, pictured in the beginning of the article)

Hope this helps! 

This week, we are introducing Bubs: our new yarn base spun from 100% baby llama.  Baby llama refers to the first shearing, which is done when the animal is in its adolescence.  The first shearing produces the finest quality fibre that is highly sought after in the textile market.  To be honest, I didn't know much about Llama fibre, so I did some research and found out how amazing it is.

1. One of the warmest fibres on the planet

Llama fibre is hollow, so it provides greater surface area for insulation and thermal properties, making it even warmer than wool.  Because the fibre is hollow, its weighs less, making it super lightweight yet incredibly toasty.  Also, the hollow core wicks away moisture, keeping it away from the skin.

2. Does not contain oil

Unlike most animal fibres, llama contains no natural oils or lanolin.  Most fibre allergies are caused by a reaction to the oil in the fibre.  As llama is oil free, it is considered to be hypo-allergenic - great news for people with wool or other fibre allergies!

3. Llama fiber lacks 'crimp'

If you were to compare a strand of llama fibre to wool under a microscope, you will see that it looks very flat and smooth and does not have the crimp associated with wool.  Just like silk, llama is smooth to the touch, strong, and has a beautiful drape.

4. Naturally microbial

Studies have shown that llama fibre is naturally resistant to bacteria.  This means that items made from llama fibre do not need to be washed as often because the fibre is able to naturally rid itself of bacteria, which in turn keeps it smelling clean and fresh.

5. Flame resistant

Just like wool, llama is flame resistant.  It does not support a flame or melt, making it a very safe fibre to wear or to have in the home.

This week our pattern spotlight is the Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter.  I have been knitting one for myself using our Cushy DK/8ply and, since it's our yarn of the week, I thought it would be perfect for our spotlight pattern.

The Soldotna Crop was designed to use four colours; however, I have seen three colour versions and was inspired to try them myself.  I'm using Olive, Parchment and Orchid and I am super happy with how it's knitting up!  This does mean that the small colourwork 'spots' in the body will be omitted, but I'm totally fine with that.

If you are interested in creating your own three-colour Soldotna Crop, here are my tips. 

I suggest choosing a palette that consists of a dark, a medium (or a bright) and a light colour.  This will give you the best contrast and will really make the colourwork pop.  Next, you need to work out your colour placement.  The pattern is written for four colours (C1, C2, C3, C4), and this is my suggestion for how to order your colours for a three-colour version.

Light-Coloured Soldotna Crop (body will be light)

• C1 - will be your darkest colour
• C2 - will be your lightest colour
• C3 - will be your medium or bright colour
• C4 - you will use colour 2

Dark-Coloured Soldotna Crop (body will be dark)

• C1 - will be your lightest colour
• C2 - will be your darkest colour
• C3 - will be your medium or bright colour
• C4 - you will use colour 2

I am knitting a light version, so my C1 is Olive, C2 and C4 is Parchment, and C3 is Orchid.

If you are after some new stash to cast on a three-colour Soldotna, I have put together a few colour palettes using this week's colourways.  They have been photographed in order with the first 2 skeins on the left being light, then dark and the medium/bright at the end.  You can create your own light or dark Soldotna using any of these combinations (I have listed the yardage you will need below).

 

 

• Silver (light), Char (Dark) and Just Peachy (mid/bright).
• Botticelli (light), Midnight Blue (dark) and Just Peachy (mid/bright).
• Parchment (light), Olive (dark), Orchid (mid/bright).
• Tequila (light), Marigold (dark), Thistle (mid/bright).
• Silver (light), Char (dark), Orchid (mid/bright).
• Silver (light), Char (dark), Marigold (mid/bright).
• Tequila (light), Sushi (dark), Persimmon (mid/bright).

For a three-colour version your yardage will of course change; here is what you will need.

Sizes 1(2,3,4,5,6){7,8,9,10}

Finished circumference at bust:
32.75 (36.5, 40, 44.5, 48, 52.5) {56, 59.75, 64, 67.75} ”
83 (92.5, 101.5, 113, 122, 133.5) {142, 152, 162.5, 172} cm
This sweater is designed to fit with 1-4.5” 2.5-11.5 cm of positive ease at the bust.

C1: 1 (1, 2, 2, 2, 2) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins Cushy/DK weight yarn.
C2: 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2) {2, 3, 3, 3} skeins Cushy/DK weight yarn.
C3: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 1, 1} skeins Cushy/DK weight yarn.

If you have any questions, just use our contact page and I'll get back to you.

 

Have a great weekend xx

 

 

 

Sweater-knitting season is in full swing here in Australia, so we thought it was a great time to talk about different methods used to alternate skeins during a project.  For this post, we are talking about alternating skeins of hand-dyed yarn that are from the same colourway.  When it comes to hand-dyed yarns, it is highly recommended that, for larger projects like tops and sweaters, you alternate skeins (see our post 'Should I Alternate Skeins? Yes, And Here's Why...').  When you alternate skeins, you are blending two skeins together which evens out any variation in colour between the yarns, breaks up colour pooling and evenly distributes the colour across the fabric.

You don't need to alternate skeins right from the start: it's totally fine to work a few rows of your pattern using one skein.  If you are knitting a top-down sweater that has short row shaping across the neck or shoulders, make sure you work all the short rows first before attaching the second skein.  It's impossible to alternate skeins while working short rows.  I usually knit the neck/neck band or, if it’s a bottom-up sweater, the hem, then the short rows and then I start alternating skeins.  If you are knitting flat, simply start the next row using your second yarn.  If you are knitting in the round, follow the steps shown in the video below.

Attaching The Second Skein In The Round

 

Now you are ready to to alternate skeins!  Below are a few of our favourite methods. 

Basic method for alternating skeins when knitting flat and in the round

This is a great 'all purpose' method that can be used for lace, cabled, textured, stockinette, garter and slipped-stitch patterns.  The only downside is some potential tension issues that can occur if you pull the yarn up too tightly from the back of the work.  Don’t worry, this will improve with practice!  The video below walks you through alternating yarns while knitting flat and in the round, and has has a few tips on how to prevent tension issues from happening. 

 

Alternating skeins in the round using the 'yarn forward' technique.

This method works best when the last stitch of skein one, and the first stitch of skein two are knit stitches (this will make more sense after you watch the video).  Now is a good time to mention that you can begin to alternate yarns anywhere in the row.  So for this method, if you are working a cable, lace or textured stitch pattern, make sure you begin alternating yarns where there are two knit stitches that are always together.  If you are working stockinette stitch, it won’t matter at all.  The benefit of using this method is that it's seamless (no visible seam on the wrong side) and it prevents tension issues that can occur when you swap yarns using the method above. 

 

Jogless or Helical Knitting

This our favourite method when working stockinette in the round.  It's seamless, easy to do and blends yarn beautifully.  The big downside is that its almost impossible to do when working any stitch pattern other than stockinette.  You can, if you are more experienced, tweak this method by slipping a few less/more stitches to make it work for your stitch pattern (we’ve done this for ribbed hems).

 

We hope you've found this guide useful, and we would love to hear what your thoughts on alternating skeins are.  Do you alternate skeins, if so what is your preferred method?  Let us know in the comments below.

Happy knitting xxx

 

 

The popularity of mohair has recently risen to great heights due to an explosion of new patterns that use mohair silk lace, either held together with another yarn or on its own.  There are currently close to 31,000 designs on Ravelry that use a mohair-blended yarn, some of the top patterns include Ranunculus by Midori Hirose and the No Frills Sweater by Petite Knits.  So what do you know about mohair?  To be honest I didn't know a lot, but I did a little research and it turns out to be quite an interesting fibre.  So let's take a closer look.

Firstly, mohair fibre comes from Angora goats.  This can often be confusing as there are also Angora rabbits from which angora fibre is produced.  Angora goats and rabbits share the same name due to their place of origin: 'Angora', that is, Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.

Mohair fibres contain microscopic scales that are thinner, smoother and larger than those found on wool.  These scales give mohair its beautiful shine, prevents the fibre from felting and provides resistance from dirt and water (as both easily slip off the smooth surface).  Mohair is also flame resistant and warmer than wool. However, it is much less durable than wool and will lose its lustre and turn brittle and yellow if washed in hot water over 60 °C (140 ° F), which is important to know if dyeing it or preparing fleeces for spinning.

Mohair fibre is classed from fine to coarse, the finest being 'superfine kid' and the coarsest is 'adult'.  Adult mohair fibre is very coarse and mainly used for upholstery and carpets. Yarns spun for hand knitters and crocheters use either superfine or kid, and are usually blended with another fibre like merino or silk. This is due to the fact that mohair fibre has lots of stretch, but unlike wool does not return to its unscratched state; in other words, it has no memory. Superfine mohair comes from the very first shearing, when the goat (or kid) is six-months old.  It feels so soft, just like cashmere.  Kid mohair comes from the second and subsequent shearings, and is less soft than superfine.  So if you are looking for an ultra-soft mohair (soft as cashmere), read the label and make sure it is classified as 'superfine'. 

Kitting with mohair is a delight, especially when holding it double with another yarn.  The colour effects that occur when knitting mohair together with a different coloured yarn can be magical.  I'm currently knitting the Love Note Sweater by Tin Can Knits (see above), and I am loving both the feel of the fabric and the way the two colours are knitting together (I'm holding it with our Top Draw Sock base).  I did however have to rip back a few stitches and my love for mohair might have waned a little.  Mohair is notoriously troublesome when ripping back.  The long fibres catch and wrap together, making it very difficult to undo!  The only advice I can give is take it very slowly.  I have also heard that putting your project in the freezer can help make ripping back easier.  Apart from this, mohair yarns are a joy to knit with and the resulting item is warm, soft  and cosy to wear.  If you haven't tried knitting with a mohair yarn I highly recommend you do.

Are you a fan of Mohair?  What do you love or hate about it?  What patterns do you suggest to knit with yarns blended from this fibre?  I would love to hear your thoughts, please post in the comments below.

xx

Knitting with hand-dyed yarn is such a pleasurable, visual experience. Hand-dyed colours are complex and the fabric they create displays a wonderful depth of colour that can't be matched by commercial yarn. However, when choosing to knit larger projects using hand-dyed yarns without alternating skeins, you may be a little less than impressed with your finished object. And by 'larger' projects I'm referring to sweaters and cardigans or projects that require more than one skein of the same colour.  Truth is, knitting these types of projects using hand-dyed yarns takes much more work than its commercial counterpart, but the end results are stunning and well worth the extra effort.  Today we will be looking at the technique of alternating skeins when working on larger projects and why, when it comes to hand-dyed yarn, it is so important. I'll also be adding links to some video tutorials at the end on how to alternate skeins when working in the round and when working flat.

Colour Blocking

Colour variation within a dye lot is a very normal occurrence in hand-dyed yarn. There are various reasons why colour variations occur: fluctuations in temperature, water level, dye and mordant amounts to name but a few.  Sometimes these colour variations are obvious. For example, one or two skeins might be a lot lighter or darker than the others. However, there are times when these variations won't be visible until after you have started knitting with a new skein. Unintentional colour blocking is the term used to describe this kind of knitting dilemma, where one skein is either lighter or darker than the rest, which results in a colour-blocking effect.  I learnt the hard way (see the pic below), and ever since I alternate skeins ALL the time.

 

 

You can see that the bottom section of the cardigan is lighter and more purple than the rest of the garment.  If I had alternated skeins, the variation in colour wouldn't be noticeable. Alternating skeins solves the problem of unintentional colour blocking by ensuring an even distribution of colour and a much nicer finished piece (and happier knitter!). 

 

Mismatched Dye Lots

Because hand-dyed yarns are dyed in very small batches, you might find yourself in the predicament of having to buy mismatched skeins, whether it's because you've run out of yarn and need to order more, or the only skeins left to buy at your LYS are from different dye lots. Most dyers don't bother with dye lots because, as mentioned, our batch sizes are so small.  This means it's impossible to tell whether yarns come from the same batch, so alternating skeins becomes very important to ensure your yarns blend together nicely and will hide any dye-lot issues. 

 

 

Variegated Yarns and Pooling

Colour pooling can be a problem when working with variegated yarns. Importantly, however, not all variegated yarns pool. It all depends on whether the colour repeats are long, short or random (but that's another blog post!).  Pooling occurs when a colour that is repeated regularly in a colourway, knits up in the same area row after row, causing the colour to pool.  Sometimes pooling is desirable (see picture below): it looks particularly nice on socks, but when you are not expecting it, not so nice on a sweater.

 

 

By simply alternating skeins, you are shifting the order of colours around so that the same colours won't fall on top of themselves row after row. This will ensure an even balance of colour throughout your project and will prevent pooling.

Check out our recent blog post with video tutorials on how to alternate skeins.

Of course, there are lots of people who don't mind pooling or colour blocking and that is totally fine.  But those who are new to hand-dyed yarns need to be aware of their quirks and learn the best way to manage them.  Yes, it is a bit more work but, honestly, after years of alternating skeins it has just become second nature.

Happy Knitting!

xxoo

 

With the change of season now upon us, I thought it would be a great time to write a series of blog posts focusing on how to take care of your knitwear.  In this series, we will be looking at all aspects of caring for your knits.  Proper care of knitwear ensures that they will look fantastic and last a lifetime.  This week, we are focusing on hand washing knitted garments.  I wrote this a few years ago, but for the purpose of this series I thought it was well worth posting again.

To be honest, I don't wash my woolen garments often: maybe once or twice during winter, and then a final wash before storing them away over the summer months.  That's the beauty of wool; it doesn't need regular washing.  But woolen garments do stretch with regular wear and, every so often, need a restorative bath to shrink back the fibres and a nice block to get them back in shape.  Woolen garments also need a bath before being stored away, otherwise they will attract creepy crawlies - I can feel you all shudder!  In my house, hand-knit socks get thrown in the regular wash, but garments and shawls are given a little more attention and are hand washed.

 

 

I find that regular detergents are too harsh for washing woolen items; they often leave the fibre dry and scratchy.  Wool wash is great, but I prefer using shampoo.  Since fibre is very similar to human hair, shampoo works really well as it not only removes oils and dirt from the fibre, but conditions it as well.  Whether you use wool wash or shampoo, make sure you only use a small amount.  I like to fill a basin with enough warm water to cover the garment, and to that I add a teaspoon of shampoo before popping in the garment. Then I gently squeeze the solution through the garment, letting it soak for a few minutes.

 

 

Once the garment has finished soaking, I tip out the water and replace with clean, warm water, to which I add about a teaspoon of hair conditioner.  This acts like a fabric softener and will make your garment really shiny and soft! 

 

 

Now, to my favourite part.  As well as adding conditioner to the rinse water, I also like to add a few drops of essential oil.  Not only will it give your garment an amazing fresh smell, but it will also deter those horrible creepy crawlies!  This step is particularly important when washing your winter woolies prior to storing them over summer.  Eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, mint and lemon essential oils work best in deterring moths, silverfish and other wee beasites.  I like to use eucalyptus oil, which is my favourite.  Pop your garment in and gently squeeze the rinse water solution through.

 

 

When you're done, remove the garment and squeeze out the water and place it on towel.

 

 

Roll the garment up in the towel, squeezing out the excess water.  This is a great method for gently removing water from your garment.  You can also use the gentle spin cycle on your machine washer, although I don't recommend spin drying as this may cause your garment to shrink.

 

 

Finally lay your garment out just like you would if blocking it, and let it dry naturally.  In winter I like to dry my knitted items in full sun.  However, in summer I prefer to dry my knitwear in the shade which prevents the sun from fading the colour.  Laying knitwear flat to dry keeps them in perfect shape: if you were to hang them up, or even drape them over a chair to dry, you will find that the fibres will stretch and pull the garment out of shape. 

Do you have any tips or tricks for washing hand-knits?  I would love to read them.

 

Knot!  The word, when it comes to knitting, is akin to a swear word.  Some people don't mind coming across a knot or two in their yarn, while others classify it as a disaster.  It's a bit of a touchy subject, but I thought it was an important issue to address. So here we go.

 

Knots are unavoidable

Yarn is essentially a piece of string that, during the milling process, sometimes breaks.  The mill isn't going to throw away good yarn because of a single breakage.  So, what they do is tie the yarn together with a knot and the process carries on.  Now, unless a yarn company or dyer inspects every millimetre of each skein looking for knots (and let's face it, who has time for that!) nobody is going to know a knot is there until someone discovers it while knitting.  It is a pain, especially when you're mid row, BUT HERE'S THE GOOD PART: knots can be fixed!

 

How to deal with knots in your yarn

Firstly, check that it's actually a knot.  Sometimes yarn gets a little tangled and may look like a knot, but if you can't see the join just give the two ends a little pull and hopefully the yarn will untangle.  If you've discovered a real knot at the beginning of your row, then it's really easy.  All you need to do here is cut the knot out and re-join the yarn as you would if you were joining a new ball.  However, if you discover a knot mid row, this is what you need to do:

1. Spit-Splice:  This technique only works with animal fibres that have not been superwash treated.  Essentially what you are doing is felting the two ends of the yarn together to form an even join.  Here's a very helpful video on how to Spit-Splice.
2. Magic Knot: It truly is a magical knot that won't come undone!  Check out this video which demonstrates how to tie a magic knot.
3. Russian Join: This is a bit more fiddly but the results are a seamless join.  See this video to find out how to do a Russian join.
4. Just knit it!: Some people just knit the knot into their project.  There are a few reasons I wouldn't advise this method.  Firstly, you can't be sure that the knot will stay secure.  It's likely that your knot will unravel, leading to holes that are WAY worse than knots!  Also, knots usually work their way to the front of the project, so they become visible. Take the time to deal with the knot using one of the above methods; you'll be thankful you did.

 

But shouldn't skeins with knots be discounted?

I was reading a forum post on Ravelry a little while ago in the Yarn & Fibre group about knots in yarns.  Quite a few people mentioned that dyers and yarn companies should reduce the price of skeins with knots.  While reading this I was thinking of how many hours it would take us here at Skein to inspect every skein of yarn for knots.  Honestly, it would take days.  Add this time to the total cost of manufacturing and you would end up with very expensive yarn!  So should skeins with knots be discounted?  No, we believe that one to three knots in a skein is acceptable.  In reality knots, as mentioned above, can be very easily and quickly fixed, whereas checking individual skeins for knots would add to the cost of the yarn not detract from it.

 

 

When knots become unacceptable

I've read that it's an industry standard to consider three knots in a 50g skein acceptable.  That to me sounds like a lot.  Here at skein we consider three knots in 100g acceptable but no more than that!  Usually our yarns (as well as most indie yarns) are knot free.  Sometimes one or two knots are found, but rarely three.  Yet if more than three knots are found in your yarn, I think that it's fair to contact whomever you bought the yarn from and tell them about it.  This issue can then be further dealt with by the company with both yourself and the supplier.  In saying that, every yarn company and dyer has its own way of dealing with knots, so check with them as to what their policy is.

 

Embrace the knot!

I personally accept knots as a part of the knitting process.  I don't believe it's realistic to expect yarn to be knot free.  It's string, and string breaks.  I like the challenge of being able to deal with knots.  I feel rather accomplished when I join the yarn together and it looks seamless.  It's a skill knitters need to know, because knots are a reality of knitting.  So, my parting advice would be: embrace the knot, see it as a challenge, and use your awesome knitting skills to deal with it successfully.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!   Let us know what you think about knots in the comments below.

 

 

Variegated colourways are super fun to knit, especially when knitting patterns consisting mainly of stockinette or garter, because they keep you engaged with colour and add another dimension to your otherwise plain project.  It's a lot of fun to watch colours pop up in your fabric as you knit with variegated yarn; plus it takes your mind off the monotony that can arise from all those knit stitches!  It's a shame that a lot of knitters shy away from variegated colourways, because they think these colours are too bright or they worry about them pooling.  All of these issues can be easily avoided when you know how to 'read' and use variegated colourway; and, that is exactly what we are going to look at today.  Hopefully, after reading this post we'll have you itching to get some variegated yarn onto your needles!

 

Pooling And variegated Colourways

Pooling occurs when you knit with a yarn that has been dyed with long colour repeats, like those seen in dip-dyed yarns.

 

 

Here we can see that the yarn has large chunks of colour (one at either end of the skein); this will cause colour to pool when knitted.  Colours like this look great when knitted into socks because they cause micro striping.  Here's an example of the yarn above, colourway is called Rain, knitted into socks (check out the micro striping!):

 

 

Fun right?!  But, if you were to use this yarn in a large project, like a shawl or garment, you would end up with big pools of colour.  This happens because there is no random colour placement; the colours will stack up row after row and cause a big blob of colour to form on the fabric.  Sometimes this is the effect we are after,  but when you're not expecting it, it can be a bit disappointing!  Here's an example of colour pooling:

 

 

How To Avoid Pooling

• Check the skein for long repeats of colour.
• Check how your colourway will knit up by swatching it! 
• Alternate between two skeins of yarn, as this will break up any pooling

You can also cake up your yarn using a ball winder and check the yarn cake for signs of pooling.  If colours pool in the yarn cake, you can bet that they will pool in your project as well.  Here's what a yarn cake with pooling looks like:

 

 

See all those blobs of colour?  They are colours pooling together and the effect will be reproduced when you knit them. 

 

Variegated Colours That WON'T Pool

If you are after a hand-dyed variegated yarn that doesn't pool, this is what you need to look for.  Firstly, you want a colourway that has been dyed with random splashes of colour:

 

 

You can see the skein has a lot of colour that has been randomly splashed on.  The yarn cake has no blobs of colour; again, it's just one big wonderful mess of colour.  Now let's look at how this yarn has swatched up:

 

 

No pooling! Yipee.

 

Knitting With Variegated Colour

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, variegated yarn really brightens up plain projects.  By selecting a plain pattern, such as a stockinette cardigan or a garter-stitch shawl, you can let the variegated colours shine.  But what if you love knitting variegated yarns, but don't like wearing a ton of colour?  Obviously you can choose a subtle variegated, but why not try something a bit bolder and use these following techniques to tone down variegated colours?

 

1. Adding a Semi-Solid Colour

• By adding a semi-solid stripe to your variegated yarn, you can really tone down the mix of colour that is in the variegated colourway. 
• Select a neutral or match the semi-solid colour to a colour that is already present in the variegated colourway. 
• To make the stripes pop, choose a light semi-solid to contrast against a dark variegated or a dark semi-solid to contrast against a light variegated colourway.
  

Timely Cardigan by Libby Jonson

 

• Brioche stitch using a variegated combined with a semi-solid looks amazing and is a great way to use bold and bright variegated colouways.

 

Stripified by Stephen West

 

• Colourwork that involves a semi-solid paired with a variegated colourway look amazing as well!
  

 

Marvelous Mitts by karendipity

 

2. Using Different Stitch Patterns

• Small lace and eyelet patterns that are repeated over and over help to tone down bright, variegated yarn.

Pebble Beach Shawl by Helen Stewart

 

• Slipped stitch patterns actually alters the progression of colours, which in turn mixes them around and creates a more subtle mix of colour.
  

 

Majuga by Joji Locatelli

 

• Textured stitch patterns work in a similar way to slipped stitches, in that they alter the colour progression of variegated yarns.  Seed stitch, bobbles, textured patterns or cables over reverse stockinette stitch, even garter stitch really helps to tone down variegated colours.
  

 

Nelumbo by Asja Janeczek

 

 

Colour Is Key by AbbyeKnits

 

• Dropped stitches work in a similar way to eyelets and look fabulous when knit with variegated yarns.

 One & Done by Casapinka

 

Ready to cast on with some variegated yarn?  Check out our Pinterest page for more pattern ideas that we think would look fabulous with variegated colourways.

 

Yarn substitution is really easy once you're familiar with the process.  Firstly, what is yarn substitution?  Basically, it's substituting yarn that has been used in a pattern for another yarn.  For example, you might be planning to knit a pattern that calls for a specific yarn, but the yarn listed has been discontinued; or, you might want to use some of your own yarn that you've been eyeing off in your stash.  I remember when I first started knitting that I found this to be rather daunting, but over time I learned a few helpful tips that made yarn substitution a breeze.  I'm going to share these tips with you, and I'll be using the Portage cardigan pattern (by Melissa Schaschwary) that I recently knit to demonstrate how.

 

Locate the yarn information in the pattern

Every knitting pattern includes a description of the yarn that was used to knit the original design. Sometimes you might want to check which yarn was used before you commit to buying the pattern.  All the information you need can be found for free on the Ravelry pattern page.  When looking on Ravelry, you will  find this information to the right of the pattern page (see below).

 

This is pretty much the only information you will need to substitute yarn successfully.  The only time you need to know more is if a novelty yarn or a highly textured yarn has been used as they will effect the overall appearance and gauge of your final piece.  In these cases, it is best to match yarn texture (e.g. fun fur and boucle) as well as considering the following points.

Yardage

Comparing the metres or yards (i.e. the yardage) of the yarn used in the pattern to the yarn you wish to use, is one of the most important steps in substituting yarn.  In our example, the yarn listed on the Ravelry pattern page (see above) has a yardage of 227 metres in 100g.  I substituted this yarn for our Voyage DK, the label of which reads:

 

Our yarn is 210 metres in 100 grams, which is 17 metres less than the yarn that is called for in the pattern.  I normally allow around 20 metres difference (plus or minus) between yarns, so this one is a good match.  Basically, you need match or get close to the yardage of the yarn used in the pattern, for this will mean that your yarn thickness or weight will be similar and hence so will your gauge.  More on that later!

So, what happens if the two types of yarns have different weights per skein or ball?  For example,  the skein that you have is 115g but the yarn in the pattern weighs 100g?  What you need to do here is is to convert your 115g into 100g.  It sounds complicated, but it is really easy.  Here's how you do it.

Say the yarn we want to use is 280 metres / 306 yards in 115g BUT the yarn used in the pattern is 227 metres / 248 yards in 100g. Use the formula:

metres (or yards) per skein / grams per skein x grams needed

280 metres / 115g x 100g = 243 metres in 100g

We are wanting something close to the yardage of the yarn listed in the pattern: 227 metres in 100g.  Using the formula the yarn that we want to substitute works out to be 243 metres in 100g, which is 16 metres more than the yarn listed in the pattern.  Given that we can use yarn that is plus or minus 20 metres, our yarn looks to be a good fit!

Please don't rely on matching yarns using the allocated weight classification, and by that I mean matching a 'DK' to a 'DK' weight yarn.  A yarn company can add its own classification to a yarn label, which means that a yarn that has been classified as a 'DK' might actually be more similar to a Sport.  The only foolproof way to successfully substitute a yarn is by comparing yardages.  Also, be careful that you don't mix up metres and yards!  Make sure you are comparing metres to metres or yards to yards - don't mix them up!  And, of course, play close attention to the weight of each yarn. Like I have said yarn can come in 50g, 100g, 115g, 150g etc. skeins or balls, so make sure you are comparing the same weight of yarn per yardage. If needed, use the formula above to convert the yardage so that each skein is equal in weight.

Fibre Content

In our example, the yarn used for the design is a mix of 70% merino, 20% alpaca, and 10% silk.  I used a 100% merino and it worked well.  My general rule of thumb is to match the yarn blend as closely as I can.  I could have also used a merino and alpaca blend or a merino and silk blend, as long as the merino content was around 70%.  When I started knitting this really used to throw me.  I thought that I had to precisely match the yarn blends to the exact percent!  Please don't let these percentages scare you; close enough is usually good enough. 

Matching fibre types as closely as possible is important because different types of fibre do affect drape and structure of the finished piece.  Yarns that contain silk do drape differently than, say, cotton.  Cotton and linen yarns have quite a bit of structure when knitted up so substituting these yarns with merino or alpaca will dramatically effect the finished shape.  Basically, look for yarns that have similar fibre types.

What about superwash and non-superwash yarns, do they differ and should this be a consideration when substituting yarns?  You can substitute a non-superwash yarn for a superwash yarn (and vice versa); however, keep in mind that superwash yarns do tend to stretch more after washing than non-superwash yarns.  So this is more an issue that relates to gauge (see below).  Also, think about who you are knitting for: is this project for you or are you giving this to a non-knitter who may not know how to care for hand-knitted items?  Generally substituting a non-superwash yarn for a superwash yarn (and vice versa) is totally fine.

 

Checking the amount of yarn needed

When substituting yarn, how do you know how many skeins you'll need?  OK, I get asked all the time: 'how many skeins of yarn will I need for such and such pattern'?  Firstly, you need to check the pattern to see how much the total yardage was for the design in your size.

 

 

Using our example, I knit size 35.  The total yardage for this size is listed as 1850 yards or 1700 metres.  The yardage listed on the Voyage DK yarn label (see above) is 230 yards / 210 metres. Here is the formula you would use:

Total pattern yardage / total yardage per skein = number of skeins needed

So calculating in metres you divide 1700 metres / 210 metres = 8.095 skeins.  I would round this up to 9 skeins just to make sure I had enough yarn.  You can also calculate this in yards which would be 1850 / 230 = 8.043 skeins.  So, again around 9 skeins just to be sure.  Just remember that for the formula to work you need to work in either metres or yards.  Otherwise you may be playing yarn chicken - yikes!

 

Gauge Swatch

Gauge swatches are critical for knitting a garment that fits, but that is a whole other blog post!  In regard to yarn substitution, your gauge swatch is a great indicator of how your yarn knits up.  Does the fabric look good when knitted at the recommended gauge?  Does the fabric have the right feel for you?  Is the yarn showing off the stitch pattern nicely?  These questions are all answered with the gauge swatch, so don't skip this step!  You might knit the gauge swatch and find that the yarn isn't working out how you imagined, which means looking around for another one to use.  It's much better finding this out on a small gauge swatch than after days of knitting on a larger project.

 

Still unsure?  Then check out these sites

Sometimes we just need a little more reassurance before we dive in to substituting yarn.  Here are a list of online resources that can help make your decision easier:

• Yarn Sub - this is an online yarn database that will actually search for yarn substitutions for you.  Just type in the yarn that you want to substitute and it will give you a list of similar yarns.  The only drawback is not every yarn brand (especially indie dyed companies) are listed, but the major ones are.
• Ravelry pattern pages - these are a wealth of information.  You can actually click on the  'Yarn Ideas' tab at the top of the page to see what yarns other knitters have used.  Most of the yarns used by Ravelers have been substituted.  You can also click on the link under each yarn to see what the project looks like in that yarn.  It's such a great resource, so don't forget to use it!.
• If you are unsure if a yarn will work for a specific pattern, just ask.  Post a question on Ravelry, email the yarn company or indie dyer, or ask at your LYS.