Journal

This week's pattern spotlight is the beautiful Elah by Isabell Kraemer.  This lovely cardigan is knit top down in one piece; even the front bands are knitted at the same time, so there is no extra finishing and you can try it on as you knit.  We absolutely love lace knit in chunkier yarns, so this pattern really speaks to us, and it's a cardigan: who doesn't love a cardigan?! 

Even though the pattern uses a worsted yarn, our Cushy DK is on the heavier side and would make a perfect substitute.  Here are the colours we have added this week.

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5)(6, 7, 8, 9)
finished bust circumference:
43 (47.5, 49.5, 53.75, 55.5)(60, 61.75, 66.25, 70.75)“
107.5 (119, 123, 134.5, 139)(150, 154.5, 165.5, 176.5) cm
Recommended ease: 10 - 12” (25.5 - 30.5 cm)
Sample is worn with approximately 11” (28 cm) of positive ease at bust

YARDAGE
5 (5, 5, 6, 6) (6, 7, 7, 7) skeins of Cushy DK

Our in stock Cushy DK can be found here; we also custom dye Cushy DK which can be ordered here.  The pattern Elah by Isabell Kraemer can be found via Ravelry.

Happy Knitting!

 

This week, we are spotlighting Joji Locatelli's newest design, Lace & Fade Boxy.  This beautiful sweater features bands of lace that are knit using mohair silk lace and bands of garter stitch, using a sport-weight yarn in a five-colour fade.  The boxy silhouette is a trade mark of Joji's and, speaking from experience, it's so comfortable to wear.  We loved this pattern so much that on release day we developed three kits.  These kits have been so popular we decided to dye up all the colours and offer them as an update.  Here they are!

We are selling the yarns individually, so you will need to put together your own kits.  To do this, you first need to select your size.

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). To fit bust circumference 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66)“ 75/80 (85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145/150, 155/160, 165/170) cm. Shown in size 3 on a 36” bust.

This sweater has a lot of positive ease built in. This means that the finished product will be much bigger than your bust measurement. However, not all the sizes have the same amount of ease built in, as larger sizes don’t need the sweater to be so oversized.
Choose a size according to your bust measurement in the list of sizes above: if your bust circumference is 40” 100 cm, choose size 4.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Body circumference: 59 (62½, 66, 66, 73, 73, 73, 76½, 76½, 76½)“ 148 (157, 165, 165, 183, 183, 183, 191, 191, 191) cm.
Sleeve circumference at elbow: 8¾ (9¼, 9½, 10¾, 11½, 12, 13¼, 13½, 14¼, 15¼)” 22 (23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 33, 34, 36, 38) cm.

TIME TO PUT TOGETHER YOUR KIT!  YARNS CAN BE FOUND HERE.

PEACHY FADE

Sizes 1-4: You will need 5 skeins of Sportlicious in the colourways Golden Peach, Papaya, Ginger, Caramel and Toffee PLUS 1 skein Mohair Silk Lace in the Golden Peach colourway.

Sizes 5-7: You will need all the yarns above plus an extra skein of Golden Peach Sportlicious.

Sizes 8-10: You will need all the yarns listed for sizes 5-7 PLUS an extra skein of Mohair Silk Lace

ROSE FADE

Sizes 1-4: You will need 5 skeins of Sportlicious in the colourways Stone, Rocky Road, Rouge, Apple Blossom and Saloon PLUS 1 skein Mohair Silk Lace in the Stone colourway.

Sizes 5-7: You will need all the yarns above plus an extra skein of Stone Sportlicious.

Sizes 8-10:You will need all the yarns listed for sizes 5-7 PLUS an extra skein of Mohair Silk Lace

NATURAL FADE

Sizes 1-4: You will need 5 skeins of Sportlicious in the colourways Tequila, Sesame, Antique Brass, Eclipse and Char PLUS 1 skein Mohair Silk Lace in the Tequila colourway.

Sizes 5-7: You will need all the yarns above plus an extra skein of Tequila Sportlicious.

Sizes 8-10: You will need all the yarns listed for sizes 5-7 PLUS an extra skein of Mohair Silk Lace.

ONE COLOUR VERSION

You can also knit this pattern using just one colour for the sport and one for the mohair silk lace.  For this you will need 3 (4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7) skeins of Sportlicious PLUS 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2) skeins of Mohair Silk Lace.

If you need any help with sizing or colours, feel free to contact us!  Also be aware that we custom dye Sportlicious and Mohair Silk Lace, so if a colourway has sold out or you would like to put your own colours together, you can do so here!

The Lace & Fade Boxy pattern by Joji Locatelli can be purchased via Ravelry. 

Happy Knitting!

 

 

This week's pattern spotlight features a design that has been in our queues for a very long time: The Throwback by Andrea Mowry.

This gorgeous colourwok cardigan is perfect for our Winter Worsted yarn, so we decided to put together a few colour combinations using this week's colourways.  The pattern requires a main colour and three contrasting colours.  Our suggestions below are pictured with the main colour at the top; however, you could choose any colour in each combo to be the main colour and arrange the contrast colours as you like. 

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4)(5, 6, 7)
Sample shown is Size 2, worn on a 34” bust with 5” positive ease.

FINISHED BUST CIRCUMFERENCE
35 (39, 43, 47)(51, 55, 59)”
89 (99, 109, 119.5)(129.5, 140, 150) cm
This sweater is intended to be worn with approximately 5”/13 cm positive ease. There are notes in the pattern to help with picking the size best suited for you!

YARDAGE
Color A (Main Color) - 6 (6, 7, 8)(8, 9, 10) skeins Winter Worsted
Contrast Colors B, C & D - 1 skein each.

We also dye this yarn to order, so if you would like to put your own colours together we can dye them up for you!

The Throwback pattern is available on Ravelry.

If you prefer sweaters, Andrea has also put out a sweater version of this design called The Throwover.

Happy Knitting!

 

 

 

We didn't plan to shine the spotlight on the same pattern twice, BUT, we've had so many colour-idea requests for the Easy V sweater that we decided to do a second write up for this pattern.  Plus, I thought I could offer a few tips since I have just finished mine!

The Easy V is Caitlin Hunter's most recent pattern.  It's a top-down, circular-yoke sweater that features a colourwork chevron pattern across the yoke and sleeves.  It's oversized and comfy to wear, plus it's super easy (and quick!) to knit. 

I knit mine using our Cushy DK in the colourways Sushi, Cinder, Ginger and Persimmon.  I didn't add the colourwork to the sleeves, which was just a personal preference, but apart from that I knit the sweater exactly as written.  If you are interested in seeing all my project notes, take a look at my Ravelry project page.

This week, we have added more Cushy DK to the shop.  I know there are quite a few of you who are interested in making this sweater, so we have put together more colour combos using this week's colours.  If you are interested in seeing our last post about this sweater, check it out here.  Here are our colours:

 
MC Sushi, CC1 Ginger, CC2 Cinder, CC3 Persimmon

 

MC Mustard, CC1 Stone, CC2 Caramel, CC3 Iroko

MC Stone, CC1 Caramel, CC2 Apple Blossom, CC3 Rocky Road

 

MC Soft Blush, CC1 Char, CC2 Atlantis, CC3 Stone

MC Iroko, CC1 Stone, CC2 Mustard CC3 Steam Punk

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

Recommended ease: 6-8" [15.5-20.5 cm] of positive ease at the bust.
Finished bust circumference: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) {60, 64, 68, 72}" [91.5 (101.5, 112, 122, 132, 142) {152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183} cm]

Yardage:

The Yardages below have been calculated for our Cushy DK.

MC: 4 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5) {5, 6, 6, 6} skeins
CC1: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins
CC2: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins
CC3: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1 ) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins

All of these yarns are now in stock and ready to ship.  If we do sell out, we now offer dyed to order!  You can see all the dyed-to-order colours here. 

The Easy V by Caitlin Hunter can be purchased via Ravelry. 

Hope you enjoy and happy knitting!  xxx

 

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

 

 

Our pattern spotlight for the month of June is the gorgeous Easy V by Caitlin Hunter.  If you've never attempted colourwork before but are keen to try it, then this pattern will be perfect for you.  Of course, more experienced colourwork knitters will find this a very relaxing project. Easy V is knit top down, beginning with a subtle v-neck that transitions into the colourwork yoke.  From there, it's just easy stockinette.  If you are more experienced you could easily shorten the sleeves into a 3/4 length, or even make it into a tee.

Our Cushy DK would be perfect for this sweater.  We have put together a few colour combo ideas.  See below for sizing and yardage requirements.

MC Char, CC1 Tequila, CC2 Cocoa Bean, CC3 Orchid

 

MC Tequila, CC1 Sushi, CC2 Char, CC3 Gum Leaf

 

MC Sushi, CC1 Ginger, CC2 Cinder, CC3 Persimmon

 

MC Java, CC1 Soft Blush, CC2 Orchid, CC3 Hyssop

 

MC Soft Blush, CC1 Black Pearl, CC2 Sea Glass, CC3 Char

 

MC Antique Brass, CC1 Soft Blush, CC2 Toffee, CC3 Java

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

Recommended ease: 6-8" [15.5-20.5 cm] of positive ease at the bust.
Finished bust circumference: 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) {60, 64, 68, 72}" [91.5 (101.5, 112, 122, 132, 142) {152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183} cm]

Yardage:

The Yardages below have been calculated for our Cushy DK.

MC: 4 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5) {5, 6, 6, 6} skeins
CC1: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins
CC2: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) {2, 2, 2, 2} skeins
CC3: 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1 ) {1, 1, 2, 2} skeins

All of these yarns are now in stock and ready to ship.  If we do sell out, we now offer dyed to order!  You can see all the dyed to order colours here. 

The Easy V by Caitlin Hunter can be purchased via Ravelry. 

Hope you enjoy our very first pattern spotlight and happy knitting!  xxx

 

This week's featured design is the very popular As If Tee by Shay Johnson.  It is so much fun to knit and looks fabulous on everybody.  It has a modern aesthetic that is very wearable and, as knitting patterns go, it is quite unique. The design calls for around 3-4 skeins of worsted (I only used 2 skeins for the small size) and one skein of Mohair Silk Lace.  Be warned, it is addictive and you'll want to make more than one!  For mine, I used Apple Blossom for the worsted, and Blush for the Mohair Silk Lace.

This week we will be topping up the shop with lots of our Winter worsted and Mohair Silk Lace.  Each yarn will be listed separately, but here are a few colour combinations to get you started:

 

From the top:

• Fiord and Oyster
• Apple Blossom and Blush
• Henna Blush and Mulled Wine
• Pixelated and Oyster
• Silver Eucalyptus and Oyster
• French Lavender and Mulled Wine
• Cocoa and Mulled Wine
• Mulled Wine and Fiord
• Linseed and Fiord
• Mineral and Henna Blush

There will be many more colourways available in the shop this Friday 16th August.  In the meantime, head on over to Ravelry to grab your copy of the As If Tee by Shay Johnson via Ravelry.

Hope to see you Friday!

Kristen xx

 

 

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.