Okay... I have looked through the previous yarn questions and I am still a bit lost. Sorry if this seems like a repeat question. 

A friend of mine just got married, and moved up North. I am gonna knit her a Doctor Who scarf as a wedding gift (because we are cool like that. I am going to be using this pattern: http://www.doctorwhoscarf.com/season12.php ) 

Now. The recommended yarns on the website are either extremely hard to find, or really expensive. It's a huge scarf, so I know it'll be a lot of yarn. But... I am a poor college student, so I am trying to avoid spending more that $80 on yarn. 

Plus, she asked for something warm and cozy, but not itchy. I live in hot Florida, so I tend to stay away from any type of wool, or something warm like it... or scarves for that matter, since it is waaay too hot for that nonsense. 

I have looked into the Lion's Brand Wool-Ease yarn, and it would meet my budget, but does anyone know if it would feel nice? I am doing this all online (I don't have a car, so getting to a store to feel the yarn is a bit difficult) 

Excepting that, does anyone know where I might be able to get a good 15 or so skeins (uh.. about 3000 yds of various colours..) of nice scarf yarn (worsted or sport, I can work with both) that won't break my bank? Or is this impossible?


EDIT: WOW THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP!  I think I found the yarn I can use that will fit my budget. Thanks. 

Tags: beginners, yarn

So, I was stupid and left my knitting bag on the floor for too many days in a row. My cat is getting old and mistook it for a plush litterbox... half-finished project and all. I can't very well throw the scarf into a washing machine with the needle still in there, so I desperately need suggestions!
Do I attempt the scarf and yarn in what, woolite in the sink? Airdry? Blow-dry? Tumble-dry the yarn skiens?
Or am I going to have to bite the bullet, plug my nose, and finish the scarf before throwing it in the wash?

How uncomfortable.

Tags: technique - washing, yarn
Current Mood: anxious

So, to make a long story short, my father-in-law's partner has a colostomy, and over this Thanksgiving the bag got stuck in his zipper because to avoid any discomfort to anyone else, he tucked it into his pants. Now, he usually tucks it in if they got out in public areas, so that got me thinking... as a Christmas gift I was thinking of knitting him a sort of belt that can be fastened with buttons with a pouch so that he doesn't have to tuck the bag in and risk getting it caught in his zipper and tearing again and it can just hang as it usually does, but covered. I just don't know how to go about designing something like this. I'm pretty sure I could easily make the belt, but how would I add the pouch? Does anybody have any ideas? I searched the medical section of ravelry, but was unsuccessful. Also, what type of yarn would you suggest?

Any help or suggestions would be wonderful!

Tags: designing, yarn
Current Mood: chipper

Hi All,

I haven't posted on here in months but I have a couple of questions that I hope you will be able to answer!

I have a huge stash of yarn, all in the original skein form and I have been thinking about getting a yarn ball winder.  They seem to make things much easier (knitting from the ball of yarn from the middle, storage, etc).  

1. What brand/model do you recommend that gets the job done but doesn't break the bank?
I've seen the Yarn Ball Winder Hand Operated YBW-A on Amazon.com and the reviews are fairly decent.  

2.  Is a Swift necessary to use the winder? 
I've seen them paired with the different yarn ball winders on Amazon but I don't know if it's absolutely necessary to get one.

Thanks everyone!

Tags: equipment, yarn, yarn management
Current Mood: curious

I've actually had this dude finished for awhile, but have been lazy with posting pictures of it.

( Me-yow! )

Tags: beginners, copyright, designing, finished object, pattern - scarf, yarn

I'm currently suffering a sudden infestation of bed bugs. My stash is entirely in my room. Bed bugs are killed at temperatures 120degF and higher, please please please tell me how I can sterilize my yarn. Googling only brings up websites for people who harvest and spin their own yarn, not stuff already prettified and just waiting to be crafted.

Tags: what to do with this yarn?, yarn, yarn management
Current Mood: morose

 Hi All,

Question for you:  Does anyone know a good type/quality yarn that will not pill or fray and keep gloves/mittens sturdy?

I've never made a pair and want to try.  I've just noticed that the ones I usually buy tend to fray at the fingertips and pill...and then they're just a mess (granted, they're usually a pretty cheap pair...)

I've seen a few glove/mitten patterns on Ravelry, but if you know of any good beginner patterns I wouldn't turn down the suggestion ;)


Thanks!! :)

Tags: beginners, looking for yarn, pattern - mittens/gloves, technique - gloves/mittens, yarn

I am from the United States, and I recently purchased a couple of knitting patterns from the United Kingdom (specifically, a couple of toys by Alan Dart). For the materials, one of them asks for "silk effect D.K. yarn" (which is not the same as "standard D.K. yarn") and another asks for "towelling effect D.K. yarn."

Can any of you lovely knitters from across the pond tell me if "silk effect" or "toweling effect" is a specific type/fiber of yarn, or if it's what I'm understanding it to be, which is "DK weight of any fiber that has a glossy sheen to it" for silk and "DK weight of any fiber that has a fuzzy finish to it," sort of like terry cloth, for toweling?

Along those lines, can anybody recommend a yarn (can actually be *gasp* acrylic, though I'd prefer it not to be - cotton would be ideal) that would work for "toweling?" I'm familiar with Knit Picks Crayon and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan, but I don't think that either is the texture I want - too loopy. The pattern I'm looking at is Pearl the Knitter, so you can see from the photo what I'm looking for. I know that Dart himself commonly uses yarns from Sirdar, but they're often rather difficult to procure in the States.

Thank you very much!

Tags: yarn, yarn - ethics
Current Mood: curious

It's not mine, so I merely share the link.

The Knitter's Periodic Table of Fibers.

You know you love it.

Tags: yarn

Check it out:
http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-recycle-sweaters-for-yarn

I put a lot of effort into it, but it is as detailed as I wanted...

Tags: tips, yarn

I've looked on google and ravelry forums and have been unable to find anything to help me figure this out.

What do you guys find to be the best way to store your unworked yarn, ball (center pull or not) or the skein it came in?

I'm fairly limited in storage room in this little apartment my husband and I have so I'd like to do something to make it all fit a little better while also taking good care of the yarn.

Tags: yarn
Current Mood: curious

Hello knitters! I have a question for you. I was browsing knitting blogs and came across pictures of these GORGEOUS scarves...

( Come see! )

Tags: yarn

Hello there! First time poster here.

I've just made a couple circ purchases over the past couple days and have only used the Clover brand via Michael's previously. I'm awaiting my Knit Picks "try it" set. Is anyone for/against them? I would like any input since I might be rethinking this order after today's purchase.

I am guilty/excited after stopping by the local yarn shop. I picked up a Denise Interchangeable 24" size 13 and HiyaHiya steel 20" size 11. I haven't been delving into much besides acrylic yarns so I figured the HiyaHiyas would be best for that.

I also just bought my first 2 skeins of wool/mohair blend. How does this differ from acrylic and which needles would be best for this?

Thanks so much for reading.

Tags: needles, yarn

 So, we got a cold snap really early in the season. Which has re-woken my knitting bug and I've been pretty MIA from the knitting world.

-Is the newest Stitch n Bitch worth it? I have the other two books. 

-Has anyone used Bamboo Ewe from stitch nation by Red Heart? I got some today because it was the only gray in the size I wanted that wasn't acrylic. Although I'll be using it with a wool/polyamide mix if I can get the needles I need for it.

-I love making hats. And I love knitting on circular needles. But I hardly ever want to take a trip to the next town over to get size 16 needles in the size I want from my LYS. And the time I do, they didn't even have the size I need. :( It's so depressing.  It;e either everyone is also buying size 8s 16" long or I'm the only one. :(

-After finishing my wool armwarmers, I think I may give a whack at knitting some real gloves. From here: http://woolyheaded-patterns.blogspot.com/ What does make one right/left mean? I really don't understand how it's making the thumb gusset.

-Is making socks worth it? I see so many people love knitting socks.

Tags: pattern - mittens/gloves, yarn

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post a bit back inquiring about Bernat's Mosaic yarn. I couldn't find it anywhere in my town, so I ended up ordering some from Herrschner's. Just thought I'd report back with my findings.

I bought some each of two colors- Ambrosia and Mosaic. I expected the colors to be a bit brighter than they appeared on screen (and had hoped that Ambrosia would be slightly brighter than it appears, but much to my surprise, it looksexactly as it looks on my screen- however, seeing it in person, I wouldn't want it any brighter.

I'm knitting a bag with the ambrosia (just free-handing this one), and crocheting a jacket (Drops Circle Jacket, which someone posted about over on crochetcrochet and I decided that I just have to have) with the mosaic.

The yarn isn't terribly soft, but for the uses I've chosen, I'm okay with that. It feels to me like a lot of the coarser wool yarns that I've felt- though without the itchy-scratchiness. I did get a chance to look at Noro yarns after posting the last time, and there were some really great colors, but they were more than twice the price for less than half the yarn, so for now, it's a bit out of my price range.

I did find some Poems yarn at a yard sale for fifty cents a skein, so I got a couple of those. That one's a much softer wool (though still somewhat scratchy) also with long color repeats. I thought I might try making a bag out of that for my first try at felting.

Speaking of felting...any pointers about how to go about the process when all you have is a coin-operated washing machine and no access to one that you can easily stop and start a cycle without wasting precious, precious quarters?

In other news, I've also taken up lace knitting some weeks back. (Sugar n Cream yarn divided up into two 2-ply strands makes some awesome lace.)

( my first attempt at fish scale lace- not bad, I think! )

Tags: lace, technique - felting, yarn, yarn review - acrylic

What is the best way to handle this? A family member asked me to make her a blanket to match the bedding in her new babies room. She wants to drape it over the rocking chair and it has to match perfectly. She picked out the pattern and I told her exactly what yarn to buy (actually gave her three different choices as I didn't really know what her budget was like) and told her how much to buy. I figured that since I wasn't going to charge her anything for the blanket, she should at least buy the materials for it. Well, the problem is she didn't buy any of the yarns that I put on the list. She came back with this really awful, cheap, scratch acrylic. She also bought about three times as much as I will need. She kept telling me how much she loved this yarn. (the color does match the baby's room really well). I hate to tell her that the yarn she bought is crap. She didn't leave the receipt in the bag and because she uses reusable shopping bags, I am not sure where she bought the yarn to secretly exchange it. As she is not a knitter, she doesn't know the difference in the types of yarns. What is the best way to handle this? Should I just grit my teeth and knit the blanket in awful yarn and hate every minute of it or should I explain to her about the yarn and tell her how much better the blanket will look and how much better for baby a natural fiber would be? Thanks.

Tags: yarn
Current Location: United States, Ohio, Painesville
Current Mood: annoyed

Has anyone here worked with Bernat Mosaic yarn? Does it end up looking even half as cool as the pictures on the Bernat website?

I've never actually seen it before, but I'm planning to go to a store tomorrow where I'm likely to find it and would like to know what people think of it. (I know, I know...it's an acryllic yarn. How does it compare to other acryllics? That's the one thing that has me going "Ewwwwww. But it looks so cool! Eeeeeewwwwwww! Don't care, I still want some. Eewwwwwww!" So conflicted!)

Thanks!

Tags: yarn

I have three hanks of Mirasol Peru yarn in indigo, each 55 yards.  I want to make Cozy Cabled Mittens (ravelry link) with this yarn but I don't know if if it's the right weight!  How do you figure out the weight of a yarn when it's not written on the tag?  The tag says 16 stitches to 20 rows, 10cm, and has US 10, 6mm needles listed.

Tags: yarn

So, I got an email today that had a link to a new type of Sugar 'N Cream cotton yarn.  It's scented with essential oils of various types, like vanilla, lavender, roses, etc.  While I imagine it might not be good for those who have sensitivities to fragrances, it really does seem like a neat concept!

http://www.sugarncream.com/newsletters/august2010web.html

Tags: yarn
Current Mood: surprised

I am getting a bit desperate on storing my yarn. Right now, it's in an under-the-bed storage bag thing, but I'm getting antsy about dust and such. Has anyone tried those space saver bags that you use a vacuum cleaner to remove all the air? Would there be a problem with vacuuming yarn into an airless bag for long-term (or even short term) storage? Does vacuum affect mohair differently from angora from alpaca from straight sheep?

Tags: tips, yarn

I'm starting to knit a teddy bear for my nephew/niece-to-be. I picked up a couple skeins of this soft alpaca yarn and began knitting with it last night.

Now, maybe my nose was playing tricks on me.... but while knitting with it.... it smells like... well... like "Number Two".

I pulled the small amount I had knit to my face and tried to breathe it in, but nothing. The balled yarn smells fine. But I distinctly caught an "odor" while actively knitting with it. More than once.

Strange as it may seem, I'm hoping it's the yarn. The alternatives are either I'm going crazy, starting with my nose. Or perhaps I have small uninvited guests leaving presents under my couch. *shudder*

So, assuming it's the yarn... any recommendations? It's not an overwhelming smell, otherwise I'd just move on to different yarn. But I like this color and the texture, so I'm hoping I can save it. Do you think a good long soak in some Soak will do the trick? Should I be doing something to the yarn BEFORE I knit with it? (I have a swift, so I could easily loop it back up.) Other suggestions?

To note: I made a similar bear for my nephew before he was born, and it sits on a shelf in his room. It's more a keepsake than a toy. So I'm not all that concerned about the possibility of a newborn snuggling with it.

Tags: yarn

I bought this yarn yesterday. I found it in a bargain bin with no tags, and I was super stressed and forgot to ask what it was. Does anyone recognise it? The hanks weight a bit over 50 grams (2 oz) and they feel kind of like Malabrigo or Manos, very soft and yummy.

Can't go back and ask, sadly, as this particular shop is three hours away.

( yarn yarn yarn )

Any help is appreciated!

EDIT: Thanks for the suggestions! I think it might be Malabrigo, after your input.

Tags: yarn

I need some help jogging my memory. There's this online yarn store that sells yarns in cones, possibly targeted toward weavers and machine knitters. I believe people are fans of it for laceweight yarns. They tend toward luxury fibers. I think it might be located in the UK, but I could be wrong.

I thought it might have been Heritage Yarns but I keep getting told that Firefox can't find the server. When I look at the cached site on Google, I see that they went out of business. :/ And that it meets none of my memory.

If I dreamed this, then can anyone help me find large amounts of 100-percent silk laceweight at a price that doesn't make me want to cry? I'm planning on recreating a 16th-century stranded waistcoat similar to this at some point in the future, and I've reached the point in my research where I'm pricing yarn. I need something that will knit up at about 17 sts/in. Yeah. That's 68 sts/4 inches, if anyone rolls like that.

I've looked at embroidery silk, and since it comes in very short skeins, the number of joins in silk is making me nervous about using it. It's also pretty expensive when you need about 40 skeins to knit anything.

Any help would be gladly appreciated.

Tags: yarn

I browsed through the tags but didn't see anything that seemed like it held the information I am seeking!

My dad has a female co-worker who was diagnosed with breast cancer and is starting chemo. She's cut her hair really short to make it less of a hassle when it starts falling out but she and my dad were talking today and he just called me and asked if I could knit up some sort of hat/cap for her to wear now that her head will be bare. We're in the midwest where it's windy and cold right now - definitely not the type of weather you want to be hair-less in!

Do any of you have experience knitting this sort of thing? Do you have any patterns you would recommend that would be nice for this? Nothing really silly - just something nice looking that she could wear to work (in a high school) and that wouldn't bother her head.

Also, the most important question: What is the best type of yarn to use for something like this??

Thank you so much for any info you can give me! :D

Tags: pattern request, yarn

If you live in the Chicago area, I thought I would let you know that Chix With Stix in Forest Park is having a big sale this Saturday and Sunday. From their email:

Chix will have selected yarns at 30%, 40% and 50% off!!! -  including Noro Kureyon, Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed plus many more!

Tags: shopping, tips, yarn
Current Mood: cold