Cute Yarn for a Short Term Relationship

by Kelly

What's not to love about yarn? Especially a bunch of yarn piled in a heap. The different colors and textures and personalities of the yarn complement and contrast each other, and all sorts of unlikely relationships start to seem like a good idea. Kind of like a really good party, only without all the drunken shouting and slamming of car doors in the alley afterward. And maybe without a Häagen-Dazs splurge when the relationship falls apart, although a botched crochet design can be a heartbreaking event.

But let's put this somewhat strained analogy aside for a second, and ask what can you do if you don't have a stash of yarn to act as inspiration? Well, you could let a yarn company put one together for you. Specifically, I'm thinking of Lion Brand's cute new collection, Bonbons Yarn, which I ran across, as is the way of the Internet, when I was looking for something else entirely.

via LionBrand

These sweet, tiny packages are available in cotton, acrylic, and metallic, depending on which color collection you choose. The yarn itself is sport and DK weight, and each skein is only 28 yards long, so these are the perfect short term relationship for those of us who love color and are looking for relief from a larger project that's giving us trouble.

Speaking of larger projects, I'm seaming the Mary Maxim Kimono at the moment, and that is proving to be lots of fun. More on that in the Monday post. Right now, a tiny smiling amigurumi figure might be on the agenda. Even though I don't have any Bonbons in my stash.

Weird Crochet

I'm pretty much a hat, scarf and afghan kinda girl. Oh sure, once in a while, I'll branch out into an article of clothing to crochet or maybe even something as wild as fingerless gloves, but as God as my witness, not once have I EVER thought, hmmm, let's crochet a chair! Wow, call me impressed as I found this listing on Etsy the other day. And for those who like to put their feet up, yes, there is a matching ottoman. Amazing.

Makes you wonder what other weird crocheted items lurk out in cyberspace.

Still looking for that perfect accessory to hang over the fireplace, how about a crocheted deer?

Looks like a 6-pointer! If you've had some trouble finding that elusive buck, maybe a native American dance would help. If only you had the right costume - well look no further...

And lastly, for your knight in shining armour, his own breastplate, great for duals to the death or just knocking around the house.

It's all a bit much for me, I think I'll stick with a scarf.

Some Why's of Knitting/Crocheting

Well, well, well, you learn something new every day.

Now I've been crocheting for about...wow...17 years. Yet, I never really looked into the why's of crocheting. Why make a gauge? Why am I supposed to use this yarn? Why can't I use another type of hook?

And the big one....WHY are there so many types of yarns and what do they mean?

Well....I'll tell you!

I did some searching and found a great article. It is mainly pointed towards knitters but it's interesting for crocheters too. It explains why the type, or weight, of yarn used matters, why your gauge matters and even how to adjust your pattern and/or needles to accommodate a different type of yarn. This is done via a chart showing the average difference between the yarns in regards to stitches.

Now, all of this still depends on if you tend to stitch loosely or tightly. I always stitch tighter so a lot of times I have to use a hook one size up to get the correct gauge.

Happy Knitting/Crocheting!!!

Yarns on Film

by Kelly

Some animations involving yarn and knitting...


                                                     Yarn invasion

I saw this first on Dark Roasted Blend, home of all things weird and wonderful.


                                                        Yarn city

This is an advertisement for MusicID, an app for cell phones that helps you identify random music. All you have to do is turn on the app and place your phone next to the radio to identify the song and artist.  If you're a music geek like my husband, you should definitely check this out.

And finally, the one that made me decide to write this post in the first place,

                                                  Phoebe's sweater

Which is an animation of the knitting of a sweater. What's really cool about this is the book series that this sweater is from.

Phoebe's Sweater is a children's picture book that includes knitting patterns for the sweater in the story. The story itself is really sweet, and the illustrations are beautiful.

Amazon.com

I love this idea!  Making the sweater would produce a real world connection between the child and the book, providing mommy doesn't lose patience with the sweater and hurl it across the room, knitting needles and all, while uttering a word that her little darling will immediately pick up on and use in preschool the next day.

 Yeah, I know. Another knitting book. What can I say, I'm on a roll.

Unique Yarn

by Kelly

Ads of the world

Sari Silk Yarn at Bonanza

Euro Sparkle from WEBS

And here's a link to a yarn shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan called Rapunzel's, which looks like a lot of fun to visit.

Featuring buttons made from handmade porcelain and coconut shell, and yarn from suppliers with evocative names like Ironstone Yarns and Ozark Handspun. Next time I'm in Frankenmuth :)

Yarn Shopping - Highest Prices

by Kelly

So I saw a skein of yarn on sale for $30.00, and my jaw dropped open. I mean, what could be so special about 100 grams of yarn that warranted such a price tag? Well, it was made of silk and wool. Okay, but that's not worth $30.00 in my book. So I made up a little game for myself - what was the most expensive yarn I could find on the Internet? Here are my results...

I started with cashmere yarn, since I knew that cashmere clothing was expensive stuff. And yes, cashmere yarn retails for about $70 for a skein weighing 90 grams. Or at least that's the price I found at fabulousyarn.


                   
Pretty, isn't it? Enough to make a sweater out of, at $7,000.00 a pop? Er, no.
By the way, here's a cool chart if you need to estimate how many yards of yarn you will need to knit a particular item. Courtesy of Lion Brand Yarn.

But anyway, on with the search. Here's something that's not quite as expensive per weight, until you think about what it's made of...

                 Prism Yarns 'Cool Stuff'

Prism Yarns - 'Cool Stuff'

Here's the official blurb:

"Cool Stuff is composed of 30-40 different hand dyed, gauge coordinated yarns. They are tied together end to end by hand, so that as you knit the texture and colors are always changing. Cool Stuff has moderate eyelash, metallic, and other highly textured yarns. Cool Stuff has no wool, mohair or other animal fibers in it. "

All this for a mere $92.00 for 170grams. Available at jimmybeanswool. 
Or buy the half hank for $52.00!

And why is this so expensive? Especially since this is stray bits of yarn off the mill floor that someone has casually tied together? They should give this away free to advertise the fabulous yarns you could acquire if you visit their shop.

Hmm...I bet I can do better...


How about this, which I saw in a Crochetville post from 2007...


                                  Vicuna





"As the ancestor of the modern-day alpaca ; close cousin to the guanaco, vicunas are known as the "bearers of the golden fleece" for good reason. Vicuna is the rarest ; finest hair fiber available in the world, ; these animals live only in the upper altitudes of the Andes Mountains. Since each animal produces only about 4 ounces of harvestable fiber each year, that also adds to its rarity. Vicuna fiber is lighter, softer ; warmer than any other hair fiber -- even the guard hairs are soft! -- and since the fiber is sensitive to chemical treatment, vicuna yarn is left in its natural color -- a spicy cinnamon shade."


And the price for such rarity? $299.85 for 28.5 grams (217 yards).
Buy yours now! Buy it here.

What I especially love about this is that it's 15 cents under $300.00. Seriously - if you're willing to spend that much on yarn, is 15 cents more really going to be the deal breaker? Oh, and look, it's only available to U.S. residents. Well, as the world's leading light of Capitalism, I guess we do have standards to maintain. We wouldn't want anyone else in the world to display such conspicuous consumerism.

To my mind, such a value should only be placed on very finely spun yarn, preferably from the wool of an extinct animal like a mammoth, and hand dyed by blind nuns inhabiting a convent in Abruzzo.
 

Vicuna

 So the next time you are yarn shopping, and feeling guilty about the price you're paying, reflect on the fact that at least you're not buying Vicuna. Imagine the Vicuna peacefully grazing in it's remote alpine home, with no fear of a human sneaking up behind it with a set of shears. And don't feel so bad about having a cart full of homespun yarn. After all, the Vicuna would thank you.