What Weight is your Yarn?

Brrrrrrr, we are almost to spring and its still so cold out, even the birds aren't coming out to play.  

This is one of my vacant blue bird houses a week ago!  In a few days the leaves will be emerging, and the birds active, grasses growing, allergies and then what becomes of knitting!    The yarn has no captured audience as we are held captive in our warm houses.

Lots of new things happening at the knitting circle and because so many of us are doing different projects that call for a specific yarn it makes me ask myself over and over - what exactly is the yarn this pattern calls for!   I found myself asking this again today and ran across this fantastic chart.  You need to print it out and put it in your yarn bag for reference.   The ply is a bit confusing because its for UK, NZ and AU but I believe these must all be the same for us because our worsted is 10 ply, so use this chart to help you navigate your yarn and your pattern, needles and gauges.  If you dont' have a gauge, you can do wraps per inch by wrapping your yarn around your needle and measuring the wraps within an inch on a ruler. Probably not as great as a knitted gauge but it is another way for you to have some control of information.

Standard Yarn Weight System	Nm (length per mass, SI (International System of Units))	Yarn Type (US)	Ply (UK, NZ, AU)[3]	m/100g	Wraps Per Inch (WPI)[3]	needles / circulars recommended, mm
0 or Lace	6 - 8	Thread, Cobweb and Lace	1 - 3 ply	600-800	18+ wpi	1.5 - 2.5
1 or Superfine	4 - 6	Fingering, Sock	4 ply	400-480	14 wpi	2 - 3
2 or Fine	3 - 4	Sport	5 ply	300-400	12 wpi	3 - 4
3 or Light	2.4 - 3	DK	8 ply	240-300	11 wpi	4 - 4.5
4 or Medium	1.2 - 2.4	Worsted	10 ply	120-240	9 wpi	4.5 - 5.5
5 or Bulky	1 - 1.3	Bulky	12 ply	100-130	7 wpi	5.5 - 8
6 or Super Bulky	>1	Super Bulky		Less than 100	5-6 wpi	>8

Feburary Keeps up the Wow Factor

 Winter in Feb. has been keeping us away from our knitting get togethers but not from knitting.  I wanted to highlight a couple things that were there this Friday.

Berroco Ultra Alpaca done up in a seed stitch cowl,  This is so pretty, soft and the heathers just give it a totally rich look.   I wonder how much it would cost in a department store if you were to try and buy one!  Beautiful work.

 This is the Basic Bolero our group is working on.  I got mine finished and just love it.  My Bolero is XL and it used 4 skeins.  I knit loose so if you knit tight you might need 5 skeins.  This is soft and warm and I love being wrapped up in yarn.

 This is the back of my sweater.  So fun to have this fashionable look on a simple sweater pattern.  Be sure to get with Vicki for pattern info as found in the magazine Love of Knitting Winter 2013.

 Its always fascinating to me to see yarn  in a skein and wonder what in the world does it look like knitted up!  Well here is an example of some of the lovely single ply yarn the shop has knitted up into what I believe is headed toward being a cowl.  Now remember you can go on Ravelry.com and check out  yarn brands and see what others are knitting up.

A bulky yarn headed toward a cowl of a different type.  This pattern looks like an infinity scarf/cowl.   Pretty and soft, I hope to see it finished next Friday because this should be a fast knit.

Ground hog says we have a few more weeks of winter left, I am so anxious for that to be wrong!   See ya at knitting.

Let the Class Begin!

 It was a full house Tues evening with old faces and new faces and just plain ole regular faces!   We had so much fun anticipating these two new group or class projects.  As you can see this little blue seed sweater is now finished and is it ever sweet!   I had to try it on and just love the fit and softness.  

This pattern is available for you via your "Vicki" leader  who knit this so you could get really inspired to work on an  EASY sweater and graduate from scarves.  Think of this as 3 squares sewn together like you did your mitered afghan and dish cloths...No Problem!

We have about bought out the shop's yarn supply for this project but again NO Problem as the shop will order whatever color you want and there are probablay about 30 colors to choose from in the swatch book. 
I am going to work on mine in a pinkie fuscia heather type yarn.   The yarn is Berroco Vintage if you want to google it and the colors.

At the same time, we are starting the Basic Bolero (EASY)  I showed in the last entry on this blog.  Pattern you can get from Vicki if you don't have the magazine.  It again will take the same yarn and should knit up fast.    Looking forward to taking over the garment world with these new knits!  See ya Fri morning or Tues Evening...OddBalls Unite!

Two New Kals - Knit Along's for our Group

The last couple times the Odd Ball group met up, there was much speculation over a couple new patterns in Love Of Knitting Magazine that could become KAL's for the knitting class.  This very cool Bolero is SIMPLE and in the latest magazine at the shop.   I wish I had a image of the back because its really nicely done and stylish.

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Basic Bolero Designed by Barbara Condon & Kathleen England of Glenfiddich Wool

Classic shaping and inset sleeves form the foundation of this wonderful and cozy cardigan. Simple ribbing along the back of this sweater cleverly creates flattering shaping, and the ribbing continues along the sides to create a graceful collar for a stylish finish.
Skill level: Easy
Materials
• 5 (5, 6, 6) skeins Bartlett Yarn Worsted by Glenfiddich Wool, 100% wool, (210 yds/113g) in color Lovat or Light Sheeps Gray
• U.S. size 10 (6mm) 32" circular needles, or size required for gauge
• U.S. size 8 (5mm) and 9 (5.5mm) 32" circular needles
• Stitch markers
• Yarn needle


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Vicki has knit up with has already knit this adorable Seed Stitch Sweater and its adorable.  Yarn used was Beroco's Vintage which the shop has in lovely colors some solid and some heather.   Its also EASY and is looking quite lovely.  This is in the Holiday magazine Love Of Knitting but the shop is out of this and you will need to get the info from our leader.

Cranberry Seed Stitch Sweater Designed by Barbara Condon and Kathleen England of Glenfiddich Wool

Knit with cozy, worsted weight wool, this sweater pattern works up quickly and easily. The beautiful rich color, classic shaping, and clean lines  make this design an exceptionally versatile piece. Best of all, it will keep you warm and toasty throughout the cold days of winter.
Skill level: Easy
Materials
• 5 (5, 6, 7) skeins Bartlett Yarn Worsted by Glenfiddich Wool, 100% wool (210 yds/113g) in color Mountain Berry
• U.S. size 10 (6mm) needles, or size required for gauge
• U.S. size 8 (5mm) needles
• U.S. size 6 (4mm) 16" circular needle
• Stitch markers
• Stitch holder
• Yarn needle

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Also in the same Holiday issue a bunch of us knit up this Cowl!  I LOVE mine, everyone else LOVES theirs and I imagine more will be made for next year.   Most of us did it in winter cream white, but some did colors, and most of us did more than one as it knit up in two evenings on big needles!  Anyway, I knit mine up and wore it to a class, everyone went nuts for it, and the magazine issue sold out along with all the cream white yarn!  

Ice Crystal Cowl Designed by Barbara Condon and Kathleen England of Glenfiddich Wool

With lovely beaded embellishments, this oversized cowl will add a decorative touch to every outfit. Because of the oversized shape, this cowl can be worn in multiple ways, making this accessory as versatile as it is beautiful.
Skill level: Easy
Materials
• 1 skein Custom Spun Sport Weight by Glenfiddich Wool, 100% wool (345 yds/113g) in color Natural
• U.S. size 9 (5.5mm) 24" circular needle, or size required for gauge
• Size 6/0 glass beads (optional)
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle
Enlarge photo

Prevent Pilling

When shopping for items you wear frequently such as black cardigans or crewneck sweaters always look at the fiber content. While synthetic fabrics can look and feel like cotton or wool, knits with acrylic or polyester in them will pill more because it is an inherent quality of the fibers. Go for wool, cashmere, mohair, or cotton/wool blends. Although it will cost more, it will look better longer.

Abrasives accelerate pilling, so hand washing and line drying are the best options. Some fibers, such as mohair, must be dry-cleaned. Wash sweaters with polyester or acrylic in them inside out with liquid detergent. Don’t put heavier items, denim or jackets with zippers and pulls on it, in the same wash. You could use a lingerie bag for your knits in the washing machine to lessen the friction on the surface of the garments. Also, don’t hang your knits on hangers as this further weakens the fibers especially around the shoulder seams.

As for getting rid of the tiny balls of fiber already on your sweater, any technique is going to take some time. Sewing and craft stores sell fabric shavers, but I find sitting down with a razor blade and some time to kill effective and inexpensive. Pull the fabric taught and carefully lift from under the pill to break it away from the surface. Use a thimble on your finger to control where your blade goes.

Happy New Year and How Do you Wind Your Yarn!

Oh boy do I have a tip for you guys.   I don't know how Vicki finds these wonderful little tid bits but here you go!   A tip for winding your yarn into a ball where you can pull from the center and NOT get a rats or birds nest.   Oh its so clever and one of those things that it deserves the comment "why didn't I come up with that!"    So here is the link to your own center pull ball of yarn.  How To Wind Your Yarn

In case this link won't open for you, the idea is to take an old pill bottle with a pop cap and put put the tail of the yarn inside and put the cap back on, next you begin to wind your yarn around the pill bottle.  When finished you can just pop that pill bottle out from the center of your ball and your yarn will pull out with ease.






Also you will be happy to know that there will be probably TWO new group projects that will begin around Superball and Valentines days.   Both are wearables, both are EASY and both are quite different so you will most likely want to do both of them.   You will have to stay tuned for an update on these patterns, the date we will begin, the yarns and the fun.
Keep warm!

When you are bored! Start another project.....

 This is what happens to me when I am bored, I begin to surf and find myself in the land of ideas.

Some of the people who create these fun sockie creations make me realize what a small fish bowl I live in.  I have just now begun to knit a pair of socks with two cable needles.   Boy this is much easier than 4 dpn's.     

Isn't this a sweet idea to put a cotton crochet trim around the top of some nice wool socks.

 This was posted under Shark Week,  that really takes some imagination to come up with the idea let alone to actually see the idea become a sock.   I don't have the image of the other sock but the shark is going the other direction and the toes are sticking out of his mouth..Knit toes!

 This is a free pattern on Ravelry, its called Owl socks.  See the little beads in the owl's eyes.   I have not found the right yarn to make these yet or the beads for the eyes. I really want a solid color so the pattern shows up nice, but I am thinking this white is pretty fanciful!

 I love this little anklet, its so sweet with the button!   What a great way for left over yarns, you could do the cuff and the heel  and toe in different colors too and again, using a great button to make it special really is sweet.  Now if you look close they didn't just sew a button, which I am sure you could, but there it a little flap that lets you tighten the anklet - so would love to have this pattern.

 Hey, I have someone in mind who would love to have this pattern which of course in searching is no longer available.   I love the little sheep in the field and the fence  that runs along the bottom of the sock to keep them all corralled in.  Clever people.

 Another adorable anklet which would knit up so fast and use leftover yarn.   Nice summer knock around the house treats for the feet.

 OK, these are just WAY odd looking, but don't you really miss wearing your summer foot wear in the winter.  This pretty much addresses the issue of socks for sandles.

So delicate I had to include these in the little footie selections.  These look like cotton, and the soft delicate lace work I bet is pretty easy with maybe only 4 or 5 repeat rows on just the top. 

What's in your yarn bag! 

Have a great holiday and hope to see ya at the knitting table where as you all know - OddBalls, where everyone knows your skein.