• About
  • Patterns
  • Portfolio

Vivere Nel Colore

~ Design, Fun & Living a Colorful Life!

Vivere Nel Colore

Tag Archives: cascade yarns

We’re Back!

05 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by Guistinello Design in Design Previews, Finished Objects (FO)

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

back-to-school, cascade yarns, children, cotton, crochet, design, handmade

Back from vacation, back to school, back to the blog, and ready to jump into fall with both feet!

happyprek4

Lil One headed off for her first day of school yesterday, and happily she wanted to wear one of her handmade things as part of her outfit.  It makes me so happy that she likes what I make her, and in this case I am particularly proud of the design – Purple Pinafore.  I created it on the fly from a stitch I found online, and a sketch no bigger than a post-it note I penned one afternoon last spring.  I used the shiny and durable Cascade Ultra Pima yarn, and a small D hook to get a tight but lacy fabric.  Despite the detail in the main pattern areas, I think my favorite thing about it is the belted waist.

Pinaforeclose

I hope to someday write this one up, but for now I’m just pleased that it worked out so well.  Here’s another “look” she created earlier this year:

frontpp

I just can’t get over how fast she’s growing up.  I’m so proud of her, and just the littlest bit tearful that time flies by so fast.

beyond

I’ll be back next time with more back to school fashion and patterns!

It’s good to be back. 🙂

Advertisements

Yarn Along: Knee-Highs and Tuscan Hues

21 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in Finished Objects (FO), Patterns for Sale, Tips and Tricks, Yarn Along

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bamboo, cascade yarns, children, design, hand-knitwear design, handmade, knee-highs, knitting, knitting patterns, sweater, toddler, toddlers, Yarn Along

From small things:

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?

In addition to all of the previously mentioned reading, my friend “WifeMomKnitter” generously lent me a copy of Knitting Knee-Highs to add to my sock knitting knowledge, and so far I love it.  I think the information at the beginning on how to modify and size the knee-highs is super helpful, and for me, it will allow me to adapt patterns for Lil One as she is the planned recipient of most of my knee-high knitting.  I like knee-highs too, but being tall I’ve always had a tough time finding any that actually fit.  I am really excited about making myself some too, because I’ll be able to have something that fits for the first time!  I tell ya – if I wasn’t so unconventionally sized, I don’t think I would be such an avid creator of clothing.  Thanks, genetics! 

Anyway, “on the needles” are two things.  The dark green snake of lace is going to become a Rock Island shawl by Jared Flood, which I’ve nicknamed “Green Rocks“, that is if I can get through the 71 repeats of edging lace before Christmas!  I love the finished look, so as long as I keep the photo close by for inspiration, I’m sure I’ll get there.  This complexity meant casting on another more basic “knitting with a toddler” project, however.  I decided to break out one of my own designs, and do a little fall sweater for Lil One – enter the Tuscan Toddler:

I am totally in love with the Lana Bambu Yarn from Cascade Yarns  The sunset colors are amazing and it reminds me of Tuscany, the bamboo adds just enough sheen to make it seem very posh, and the single fluffy strand knits up feather weight yet warm.  I will be adding this one to my wish lists for my own sweater very soon.  I edged it with some leftover Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Clementine.  This pattern is a 3/4 sleeved version of the Silk Tipped Toddler Tee that I designed last year.  It is technically still a “WIP” because I have to create/find a waist tie to run through the eyelets.  As usual, I completely over estimated how big Lil One has gotten.  She has grown since last year, but it seems she’s only taller!  She is still only 18.5 inches around.  (On my pattern page from last year I noted that she had an 18.5 inch chest!)So, the sweater will be great over things, but was kinda falling off when I first tried it on her this morning, especially around the neckline.  Here’s a pic showing how loose it was.

The same sort of thing happened with my Periwinkle Rayonnant sweater.  The acrylic blend yarns I’ve used seem to stretch out more than expected and create these loose tops.  Either that or my Lil One and I have narrow shoulders 😉 !  In any case, I tried out a fix for this on our sweaters today to see if I could snug the necklines to stay in place a bit better.  It worked!  I ran a transparent thread of jewelry elastic along the top edge of the neck, catching the purls behind the cast on, and tied the ends in a knot after snugging the edge to where it needed to be.  It worked like a charm. Here is a pic of the adjusted neck (which is also in the first pics in the post).

I tried it on my sweater too, and it was a little trickier with a rolled edge, but it worked.  The best part is, when she grows, I can just pick out the strand and snip it and remove it quite easily.

So, enjoy the coming fall, have fun in the cooler weather, and play with the leaves!

FO: Mommy & Me

17 Saturday Sep 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in Finished Objects (FO)

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cascade yarns, Cat Bordhi, handmade, heel-flap sock, knitting, short row heel, Sock knitting, socks, toddler, toddlers, top-down sock

My sock knitting adventure has only begun – but what a great start!  I wanted to share my progress, and a little “Mommy & Me” photo shoot Hubby did for me the other day.  I hardly ever get pictures of me and my daughter together, so when our matching socks were done, I decided it was time to change that trend.  Here we are showing off our hot pink socks before the weather cooled down this week.

And here’s a closer look:

Her Pink Princess Socks are the pattern “Emma” by Jackie Lauseng, knit in the “toddler” size with Cascade Heritage Sock Yarn, in Candy Pink.  The only modification I made was to kitchener the toes about 2 rows early because she has a baby shaped foot – wide toes, but not long.  They are snug, but she has a 7-8 toddler shoe size which I think is a bit big for her age.  If I made them again, I’d just go up to a U.S. 1 needle and follow the same numbers to make it slightly larger.  I think overall it is a great little pattern, and was a good choice for a first sock for me because I didn’t get bogged down by a fancy lace or anything while learning the basic heel-flap top-down sock.

For Mommy’s Pink Socks, I used the same yarn, and I made the lace patterned “Veil of Leaves” from the Cat Bordhi Book I was primarily learning sock knitting from.  My first full-sized sock knit, and a short row heel, and my first time wearing a hand knit sock.  Oh my gosh!  I will never be happy with commercially made socks again.  I totally understand why people love to make socks – it’s fun and you get to have luxuriously wrapped cozy feet!  I made no modifications what so ever, and they fit fine.  My only issue is that they don’t stay up very well, so I may insert a little elastic in the cuff next time. 

So, that’s how the new adventure is going.  Now I just need make a whole lot more because I can tell I’ll have these worn out by Christmas if I wear them as much as I want to!  Next up – toe-up socks, perhaps the “Milkmaid’s Stockings” from Cat Bordhi. 

I know many knitters feel the same way, and I just have to join the chorus – I Love Sock Knitting!!  I also think it was great to share with my Lil One, and so nice to be in the picture with her for a change.   Just look at our goofy, happy faces!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Yarn Along: Finishing Frenzy and New Skills

10 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in Finished Objects (FO), Yarn Along

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

cascade yarns, Cat Bordhi, children, handmade, kids, knitting, Sock knitting, toddler, toddlers

From Small Things:

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?

I’ve been busy this week, in so many ways.  I’ve finished three projects, and started three more.  I think that has to be some sort of record for me.  Here’s a taste of what I’m up to:

I got back to my skills building promise to myself and began re-reading Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One, this week.  I love this book.  The illustrations and designs are all wonderful.  I have no frame of comparison, but if this is sock knitting – I’m in love.  I made my first official socks a ways back, my Buttercup Socks, the Little Sky “learning sock”, a top down sock, from this book.  I also mastered “Judy’s magic cast on” this week.  What a revelation.  I can totally see using it for more than just socks.  It really goes quickly once you get the hang of it, and is truly, totally, invisible!!  I’m super excited now to break out the hot pink sock yarn and make some “Mommy and Me” socks for Lil One and I.  I’m going to attempt the “Emma” sock for Lil One, and then go back to the book for “Veil of Leaves” for myself.

So, whilst I concentrate on learning sock knitting, and cannot share my current projects yet (super secret gift knitting), let me share one of my FO for the past week.  The little Berry Breiwick Beret turned out beautifully, but not so little.  She seems to like it, but if I pop it straight on her head, she can’t see.  For now, she’ll have to wear it slouchy “baby bohemian” style.  She seemed to like to play with it, and despite the heat, I did get her to try it on for a few cute pics.

 Looking fashionably pensive.

“It’s too big, Mamma!”

“Oh, please!  No more photos!”

She’s just so, stinkin’, cute – even if I do say so myself!  Have a great week everyone!

Purple Princess Slippers on Vacation

06 Monday Jun 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in Finished Objects (FO), Just for Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cascade yarns, children, crochet, design, hand-knitwear design, handmade, kids, toddler, toddlers

Another busy week has passed. This week included traveling to MA to visit “Gramma” and “PawPaw” for a couple of days.  We all had fun just hanging out.  Lil One discovered a new playground, and in the exceptionally cool weather for June, she actually got to wear her comfy new Baby Beach Stripes again with her new favorite “USA” baseball hat. 

How totally patriotic!

She also discovered her Mamma’s Rockin’ Horse this trip – and hollered “Yee Haw!” whilst rocking away with startling ease, balance and energy.  They really do grow so, so, so fast! 

My Grand Dad gave me this wooden beauty when I was a girl, and it still bears the commemorative brass plaque with his simple dedication:

Given to Crystal, with love, from her Grandfather, December 1980

There is something so special about things that are made and given with the idea of lasting many generations.  I hope when I am “Gramma” some day I’ll be able to see yet another little one rock away on my smooth and sturdy little, wooden, rocking horse.

Despite visions of relaxing and knitting for hours on vacation, it seems lately that I knit less when I travel.  I think I still haven’t quite mastered the toddler travel thing very well – I exhaust myself so much during the day that by “knittin’ time” I only last about a half hour before I crawl into bed.  

I did finish one thing this past week – a pair of Purple Slippers.  I have looked, and looked, and looked some more for slippers for my little princess, but alas none have been found.  I had been resistant to making them because I knew full well that they will be worn to shreds if her last pair is any example.  I guess I try to make things that are a little more like the rocking horse – heirloom quality meant to last.  But, as my SnB pals have pointed out, sometimes the wear and tear is just as much of a compliment as the oohs and awes of initial appreciation – they loved it, and they actually love to wear it!  So with that in mind, I decided to just go ahead and cave and stitch those slippers! 

 

I totally made it up as I went.  This time out I just enjoyed the creative process – I did not take notes, so, no, it will never be a pattern in all likelihood.  I used up the leftover Cascade “Sierra” from her Hello Kitty Rock N Rollneck, an “F” hook, and once again dipped into the seemingly endless button stash for the closure.  She cooed, and declared “Mommy made swippers!  Wear them?”   — Why of course 😉 !

 

(She’s wearing them in the rocking horse pics too, BTW.)  She had them dirty enough in a few days that I had to wash them.  They will be loved and well-worn, and I think I love that!

P.S. I’ll be writing and testing the Baby Beach Stripes sweater this month, so stay tuned!

Variations on Variegation

21 Saturday May 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in Tips and Tricks, Yarns on Yarn

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

alternating skeins, Blue Heron Rayon Mettalic, cascade yarns, crafts, design, hand-dyed, hand-knitwear design, handmade, kaffe fassett, knitting, knitting patterns, knitting tips, Madelinetosh, pooling yarn, Rowan Colourscapes, Tosh Sock, variegated yarn, yarn

I use a lot of hand-dyed and variegated yarn in my designs and in my knitting in general – and I love, love, love the look.  You can have hand-dyed that is not variegated, and you can have variegated that is not hand dyed, but I find often, even if it’s only tonal, the two run hand in hand.  The yarns are beautiful and fun, but do sometimes require a little extra attention when planning a project.  In any case, while working on the Baby Hepburn Crop Coat pattern, I got the classic hand-dyed / variegated yarn question – “should I alternate skeins to get a better blended result for this kind of yarn?”  So, here is my personal view from experience with several types of yarn, and in part my response to my tester’s question, on the whole alternating skeins issue:

The general advice when working with hand-dyed yarn is to alternate two skeins throughout the entire project.  In circular knitting this generally means alternating every row, “one row first skein, next row the other”, and in anything worked flat it generally means “two rows one, two rows the other”.    With variegated yarn, there are different types, some of which you may decide to alternate as well.

Now, having said that, I rarely alternate skeins.  It can be tricky to judge, but if the overall tone matches (think dye lots – the grey is the same color grey in both skeins, the aqua is the same color aqua etc.) then sometimes the distribution of those colors doesn’t read as “two different yarns”, just as a little more blue toward the bottom, a little less at the top.  This happens when the skein is dyed in a way where perhaps a base is laid in first on all the yarn, but then “embellished” with other colors that my vary in placement and intensity along the skein.  You would not see any even intervals of color, just a general sense that one section is lighter or darker.  You can see this effect with the first Silk Tipped Toddler Tee I made using Purl Soup Worsted (an Etsy boutique yarn). 

The overlay colors were heavier at the start of the skein, and I did not alternate, so it just blends down the sweater.  The only thing I did do, is ensure that I chose a similar point in the second skein when I started a new one about half way down the body. 

This type of effect becomes more extreme with a long repeat variegated yarn.  Generally, once again, I would not alternate because that would detract from the beautiful gradual movement from one color to the next.  (Think Noro.)  This is the case with the Rowan Kaffe Fassett Colourscapes Chunky yarn used by my tester for this Baby Hepburn Crop Coat. 

The only “special attention” required in this case is again making sure when you change skeins or join yarn (as for the sleeves) that you try to match up the color you were working in before the new yarn so that the colors continue to flow gracefully and symmetrically in the garment.  Of course, that said, you can achieve a very interesting striped appearance by alternating skein or alternating in a solid, both of which I’ve seen and liked in a lot of projects using Noro yarns. 

There is another way in which alternation can soften the look, which is to break up repetitive color spacing in the knitting.  The overall colors may match perfectly, but depending on how regular the spacing of the colors is in a skein, it can cause “pooling” or a kind of moiré effect as well.  That’s more what happened in the sleeves of the most recent version I made of the Baby Hepburn Crop Coat using the Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky Handpaints. 

You can see the repeat created no real pattern in the body, but the sleeves have a diagonal pattern on them.  I find this acceptable, so I once again did not bother to alternate skeins.  If it had really pooled (all one color in an area like a puddle of color was dropped on the sleeve) I could have alternated skeins on the sleeves to blur it a little more. 

Sometimes, you even get lucky and in a very short and more irregular repeat hand dyed skein, nothing will really repeat neatly and overall the garment comes out really blended with no alternation.  This happened with my “mystery” Pam Murray Knitwear bulky yarn that I used for the first prototype of the Baby Hepburn Crop Coat.

The only time I feel alternation is a must is if you hold the skeins up and they look like one is really overall different from the other.  It can be a tonal, or a more variegated yarn, but if you think one is just brighter, or warmer, or more yellow etc., definitely alternate skeins.  I did alternate for the Scarlet Sparkler Scarf, for example, because holding the two skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Sock side by side I could see that one was a touch lighter than the other and if I did not alternate it would look like a dye-lot mis-match when I went from one to the other.  I did a two-row alternation and it blended them to make it all seem like it was one color. 

One last example is the hand-dyed yarn that does match as it is part of a “batch” made by the dyer.  This was the case with the lovely Blue Heron Rayon Metallic I used for my Sunday Rain Cardigan.  I bought three skeins from the same 4-skein batch which the dyer effectively dyed “in the same pot”.  The skeins were nice and even, and were effectively a matched dye-lot even though lot numbers were not assigned.  In this case I was able to use the yarn just as I would any commercially made dye-lot matched yarn – no alternating, no matching up joins, just knitting through the skeins one after the other as needed. 

If you are making a larger project like this with hand-dyed goods, I think it is best to see if you can get several skeins from the dyer that were dyed together so that you can avoid the tedium of alternating throughout such a long project.  This may mean waiting for a fresh order to come in (almost two months in this case), but it’s well worth it!

So that’s what I’ve learned over the last couple of years of working with these fun yarns.  BTW – all of the above advice is derived only from my personal sweater knitting experience – I know there’s still more to learn!

Baby Hepburn Crop Coat

17 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in New Pattern Release, Patterns for Sale

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

cascade yarns, children, design, hand-knitwear design, handmade, kids, knitting, knitting patterns, Naturally Caron Spa, ravelry, toddler, toddlers, vintage knits

So, just to get it right out there:

I am happy to say, I finally got it on ravelry!  It seemed like a monumental effort, I must say.  You see, two things have been going on in the background.  Firstly, I’ve been sick for two weeks solid.  Finding the energy to do anything useful has been a real challenge.  Secondly, this happened:

Lil One has officially entered the “Terrible Twos”.  So while I’ve been ill, she’s been, well… maniacal.  She’s doing all of the challenging, temper tantrum throwing, testing, and experimenting that goes along with turning two.  She’s incredibly cute one minute, then turns into a little monster the next.  HELP!  I know it is part of the whole growing up process, but I have to say, it takes all of my energy to stay calm and keep her in line some days.

That said, I still hold myself to high standards when it comes to publishing patterns, so little by little, in between sniffles and toddler meltdowns, I fine tuned the Baby Hepburn Crop Coat over the last two weeks.  I am proud to say, it’s my best pattern yet.  It’s a basic top down design, with a twist:  Big thick cuff and collar ribs knit longer and doubled over to give it a stylish, lush finish.  And as a bonus: it can also be knit up as a coordinate to “My First Princess Dress” as it uses the same yarn for the trim as specified for the dress, so you could make them up as a beautiful set! 

I always look for ways to improve in whatever I do, and writing patterns is no different.  Something that came to my attention lately is that many patterns lack some helpful information regarding the intended fit and shape of the garment.  So, for this pattern I decided to add a little “extra” to the schematic to help guide the knitter to a better understanding of the intended fit, style and ease, so they can choose the size and modifications they’d like to make more easily.  Here is an image, taken from the pattern, of the new full-page schematic with fit details along the bottom:

This is the kind of extra information that I always find useful when I buy a pattern, and I hope this provides even more value for those who purchase my patterns.  I look forward to seeing the creative variations and the beautiful little ones wearing their cozy little coats!   Happy Knitting!

A special thanks to my tester, Val, aka “Happyscraps”.  Check out her adorable Baby Hepburn on ravelry!

For a complete list of my patterns on ravelry, visit the Colourknits Ravelry Store.

Baby Hepburn Crop: V2

19 Tuesday Apr 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in Design Previews, Finished Objects (FO)

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Baby Alpaca Chunky, bamboo, Caron, cascade yarns, children, design, handmade, kids, knitting, knitting patterns, ravelry, Spa Yarn, spring, toddler, toddlers, vintage knits

Lil one and the whole family had a nice laid back day this past Sunday.  After church we took a stroll and got cupcakes at our favorite local bakery.  Yum!  When we got home the sugar kicked in and we had fun outside in the lovely spring sunshine including a game of “Who Dat?” in the mail slot (Answer: Big Bro, hiding on the other side 🙂 )

We went exploring in the early spring garden too.  She thought the Andromeda smelled “yucky” and giggled at it, …

… and the Hyacinth was “pwetty” and brought on more giggles.  (Gotta love that sugar!)

And of course, Lil One was sporting her new “Sunday best” coat – the Baby Hepburn Crop, V2.  This coat is the second one I made to develop the pattern which will hopefully be out in early to mid May.  The first was her pink version which was a match to her Birthday Dress.  I loved the first one, but as usual I tweaked it here and there to make it fit “just so” and upgraded to a stunning Cascade Yarns “Baby Alpaca Chunky Paints“.  I did use the Caron “Spa” again, and it was just as lovely as can be, in the mesmerizing “Berry Frappe” color (or should I call it Purple Hyacinth?).  I loved the colors so much I found myself wondering what I could make for myself in these dreamy twilight colors.

This version has a straighter body section and I made the fit through the front just a little more generous so it sits more evenly over the chest.  I had another case of buttonhole dyslexia – I know… they should be on the right side.  Don’t worry, the pattern will get it right.  (I did the same thing on the christening gown, darn it.)  Everything else is pretty much the same, and Lil One and I are very happy with it – she loved it so much she refused to take it off all day!

The part I was particularly proud of was the collar.  It took me five attempts on the first version to figure out how to make it do what I wanted it to do.  I was almost thinking it just couldn’t be done, but those inspirational ladies I’ve mentioned whispered in my ear “never give up”, and I kept ripping and starting again.  Now I’ve worked out all the little ways to shape and finish it so it sits just right, and the buttonhole and ends look much more tidy.  It was all fairly simple to do, it just took a lot of experimenting to “think” it out.  Fortunately for you, my knitting friends, in the pattern I’ve put detailed instructions for the pick-up on through the final buttonhole alignment with photo tutorials to help the knitter see exactly what’s happening.  I’ll have all of the juicy details when I officially publish the pattern.  For now, I’ll leave  you with one more pic of the Lil One showing off that cute little collar around her even cuter little baby face.

Whatever Happen To… That Purple Cardi?

31 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in 2011 Blog Week, Finished Objects (FO), Sewing it up

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

2KCBWDAY4, blog week, cascade yarns, design, handmade, knitting, pattern making, sewing

Where are they now? –  Whatever happened to your __________?  Write about the fate of a past knitting project.

When I considered my past knitting projects I came upon an idea: Rather than guess at an ill-fated scarf’s final repose, or the well-loved, but now thread bare gloves, I would take a turn in a slightly different direction – a knitting makeover!

The subject of the makeover is my “Esme Cardigan” which I knit back in 2006 or so.  The knitting stats, as best as I can remember,  are as follows:

Pattern:  Queensland Collection,  “Esme Cardigan“, designed by Jane Ellison

Yarns:  Cascade Yarns “220”, and Stacy Charles “Ritratto” – don’t know the colors anymore

Needles etc. – no clue, but I think it was a 7.

Here is the “before” photo:

It is way too big (especially considering I put in a good half inch seam everywhere in my initial attempt to reduce the size overall.)  Again, like My First Sweater, gauge was off, and somehow I didn’t figure it out until it was too late.  This is something I am much better at now, and this is yet another example of why.

Overall it is slouchy, can’t be worn without buttoning, and gets in the way whenever I do anything other than lounge or walk.  What you can’t see in a photo is the way it pulls back and off my shoulders.  The sleeves are especially ridiculous, and the front edges roll like crazy.  It is a non-functional sloppy cardigan.

Despite all of this I have worn it a lot over the years because the color seems to work well for my wardrobe, and it is very cozy and warm.  So, it was worth my taking the time to do a little “makeover” because I loved it, even with its faults.

Tah dah! The “after” photo:

Here’s what I did:

Changed my concept – I decided to give up on the idea of it being a cardigan.  The size and bell sleeves really only made sense if I mentally re-categorized it as outerwear – a nice wool coat.

Made a lining – By lining the whole thing in a yummy green corduroy, it stabilized the overall fit and gave me an extra layer to make it warmer as a coat.  The lining was tacked in at key points which kept the knitting from slipping and slouching, especially around the shoulders.  You can see it best here in the back view, and more importantly I can feel it when I wear it.

Added a zipper  – I reinforced the front edges  and added a zipper to stabilize the front and make it more practical as a coat.  I wanted to stay warm even if the wind was blowing.

Shortened the sleeves – Because I had added the lining, I was able to “hem” the sleeves up and attach them to the lining on the sleeves.  Yeah!  I can use my hands!

Here I must sing the praises of my new favorite guide-book – The Best Little Dress, by Simon Henry.  The lining was traced off the sweater, and through this book’s guidance, I was able to tweak and adjust the pattern I generated to make it truly fit.  The tracing was great to start, but smooshy knitting and inexperience with drafting patterns made for a whacky, ill-fitting sleeve.  I used the book to understand how a sleeve was constructed from scratch, and then I was able to correct the arm hole (which was really just a measuring issue).  The sleeve block was the hardest, but the explanation in the book was wonderfully easy to follow.  I was able to perfect the sleeve fit and got to a perfectly fitting set in sleeve with just enough ease.  I was very proud of my first effort in pattern drafting, and I would recommend any one of Henry’s books if you have an interest in sewing and learning the art of drafting your own patterns.

So, my old cozy cardi now has a new life as a great wool coat, now all I need is a great pair of gloves and a new hat to go with it!  Knit-Sew-Weave… and down the creative road we go!

2KCBWDAY4



A Tale of Two Yarns

28 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by Guistinello Design in 2011 Blog Week, Yarns on Yarn

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2KCBWDAY1, blog week, cascade yarns, children, cotton, handmade, knitting, sierra, toddler, toddlers, Vogue Pattern, yarn

  A Tale of Two Yarns – “Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.”

I love yarn.  I think yarn is like people – “there’s someone for everyone”, it’s just a matter of finding them.  I think one of the hardest things to do, however, is make the match, yarn to pattern.  Like every knitter, I’ve tried some things that came together like a match made in heaven, and a few truly stunning failures via yarn choices.

First, the latest yarn star in my studio –

Cascade Yarns “Sierra”, 80% cotton, 20% wool, 191 yds/100 g

Like many things in life, it was a moment of frustration that pushed me to explore something I hadn’t ever considered.  I was searching for a yarn to pair with some cotton chenille in my stash that was variegated and very “fall” in feeling.  I went to a sale at my LYS, and was on the hunt for a dark teal tweed.  In my head it was the perfect yarn, but I tried every tweed in the store, and none of them “sung” to me like I had hoped.  I grumpily decided perhaps I could consider another type of yarn.  Color is the center of my universe, so I decided rather than focus on a particular type of yarn, perhaps just cruising for any color that “popped” with the chenille would lead to the right choice.  I saw this plum color in the corner of the store, flat finish, very un-wooly, and yet somehow very warm looking.  It was perfect with the chenille, color wise, and then I read the tag – mostly cotton.  Could a cotton-wool blend be the best choice for a fall sweater?  Actually, YES!  Bought it, knit it, loved it.

The yarn went on to become the first “Baby Rock ‘n’ Rollneck”, which Lil’ One is still rockin’ out in 4 months later.  The Sierra turned out to be one of the best yarns for children I have come across.  It has just enough wool in it to be cozy, but the cotton it so nice on my Lil’ One’s skin that she’ll wear it without anything underneath.  I’ve washed it numerous times, and as you can see, it still looks great and there’s no pilling!  I can’t say that about any other cotton yarns I’ve used, or even alpaca and wool for that matter.  It was easy to knit – crisp, clean and quick with just enough loft to make lovely even stitches every time.  I happily used it again, and so did Peaceful Knitter (one of my testers), who also seemed pretty pleased with it. Our east and west coast girls seem pretty happy with their “swedrrs”, don’t you think?

I have another batch in coral that I plan on using for another baby sweater design soon, and I was really excited when I found that a pattern I loved in the Vogue Knitting,  Spring/Summer 2011, called “#03 Drape Neck Top“, also called for Sierra.  Yeah!  I’ve been very jealous of my Lil’ One’s wardrobe so this may be an excuse to do a little selfish summer knitting for me.

Now, the yarn in “time-out”  –

StahlSche Wolle, “Serenade Colori”, 78% Mohair, 22% Polyamid, 110 m/25 g

This yarn is an example of why there are “bad” uses for yarns.  Two characteristics that are really hard to deal with in my view , are fuzzy yarns, and variegated yarns.  This yarn was both, and basically it lead to a result that argued with the knitting effort rather than show it off.  This is my oriel lace scarf:

This started out to test the oriel lace pattern for the Shirley Paden Oriel Lace Blouse I’m currently knitting. I made it about 4 years ago to keep busy at Big Bro’s baseball games.  I was there, it was soothing, so I just kept going –  long after I’d established it wasn’t really a good choice for the blouse pattern.  Well, next time I’ll stop and move on.  In the picture above it is almost pass-able, but wrapped around my neck it is just a blue and purple fuzzy blob which entirely obscures all that lace work I did:

I love to knit fancy stitches, but when they are buried in the yarn choice, it really ruins it for me.  As a wearer of lip gloss, I have to say the flying fiber can be quite annoying as well.  Over the years I have learned that some of these yarns that look so fun in the ball become useless as a knit.  I have a ton left (about 15 skeins in two colors), so I hold out hope that I’ll find this yarn’s heavenly match some day.  For now, it’s neatly bagged away in the corner… waiting.

2KCBWDAY1

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 81 other followers

Follow Me on Pinterest

Categories

  • 2011 Blog Week
  • Behind the scenes
  • Classes
  • Design Previews
  • Finished Objects (FO)
  • Flicks & Sticks
  • Free Patterns
  • Just for Fun
  • New Pattern Release
  • Patterns for Sale
  • Sewing it up
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Uncategorized
  • Yarn Along
  • Yarns on Yarn

Archives

Respect The Art

All content in my blog is part of my creative and artistic efforts. Please ask before borrowing content, usually I am happy to share. In general, content, including photos, patterns and written material: Copyright 2012, Crystal Guistinello, all rights reserved. Furthermore, patterns are for personal use only and you may not edit, publish, copy or commercially exploit the patterns in any way.

SnB Pals

  • Nutmeg Knitter
  • Peaceful Knitter
  • Wife “Mom” Knitter
  • Archiknist
  • Jennsquared
  • Anphoe
  • Costume Chick
Advertisements

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy