Ease, It’s About Fit

February 12, 2013 in Araucania, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, miscellaneous, Tips

Ease is the difference between your body measurement and the sweater measurement.

While gauge is important to ensuring your finished project resembles the version in the pattern picture, ease is important to ensuring the finished project fits the way you want.

Positive ease is when the finished dimensions of the sweater are larger than your body. Negative ease is when the finished dimensions are smaller than your body.

Unfortunately, for me at least, ease is a much more nebulous concept than gauge. I attribute this to my poor spatial reasoning skills! haha!

Measuring is Important

The first step to getting comfortable with ease is to be honest with ourselves about our measurements. They change over time for a variety of reasons, so you should remeasure yourself on a regular basis. You’ll know what that is.

The Craft Yarn Council has a handy document indicating how to measure various key points of the body. For people who prefer offline resources, “Sweater Design in Plain English” by Maggie Righetti, “Knitwear Design Workshop” by Shirley Paden, and “The Ultimate Knitting Book” by Vogue Knitting all have charts and worksheets for recording your measurements. You should be able to pick those books up at your local yarn store.

You’ll notice that the Craft Yarn Council page also has a “fit chart” outlining how many inches are involved in a close (1″ to 2″), standard (2″ to 4″), or loose (4″ to 6″) fit.

Righetti points out that knit garments don’t need as much ease as fabric garments because knit fabric is more forgiving and with stretch and cling to accommodate the body.

Of course saying a standard fitting sweater has 2″ to 4″ of ease doesn’t mean much in isolation. It’s helpful to apply it to numbers.

Say you have a 36 inch chest. If you make a 34″ sweater it will have -2″ of ease and be very close fitting. If you make a 38″ sweater it will have +2″ of ease and be considered standard fitting. If you make a 46″ sweater it will have +10″ of ease and be over-sized.

And it’s not enough to know that +2″ of ease is a “standard” fit. You have to know what those 2″ of ease will mean on your body.

“Measure a Favorite Sweater”

In addition to being honest about our own bodies, we should have a good think about the fashions we like and the way we prefer our clothes to fit.

If you’ve been knitting or crocheting for a while you’ve probably heard the advice to determine the size of a project by “measuring a favorite sweater.” The idea is you’ll match the dimensions of your project to that favorite sweater and end up with a happy result.

I, however, have modified this advice to “measure a favorite sweater that fits the way you want your project to fit,” which is a little more specific.

A few years ago I wanted to knit a slightly over-sized sweater for lounging around on weekends. I measured a favorite sweater and carefully did my math. My new finished sweater was very close fitting. It’s a nice sweater and I wear it all the time, but it’s not what I had in mind. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that I like my knit sweaters to be close fitting.

If your wardrobe is full of tailored garments and you knit yourself and 80s style over-sized sweater you might not be happy with the results. At the same time, if you like to be able to breathe in your clothing knitting a corset style top out of pure silk might not be the best way to go.

If you keep knitting sweaters with which you are unhappy when you’re finished, maybe you should examine the style as well as your technique.

Guess Work

An issue with ease is that the patterns don’t always specify how much ease the designer intended. To a degree it’s a space issue because there is only so much information you can squeeze into a magazine or pattern.

In most cases you can guess at the way a sweater should fit based on the pictures and combine that knowledge with the measurements provided in the pattern.

By comparing the “to fit bust” measurements to the “finished garment” measurements you’ll be able to calculate how much ease is included in each size.

For instance, you can look at this Ushya Sweater pattern and tell it’s meant to be over-sized. Then when you look at the pattern for a 32-34″ chest the finished sweater will be 39 1/2″. That from +7″ to +5″ of ease.

The Nibberdale pattern from Mirasol book #22 is along the same lines. The finished sweater for a 32″ to 34″ chest is 47 1/2″. Now if someone with a 47″ chest made that smallest size the sweater might fit, but it will be a very different look!

On the other side of the scale is the Plotted & Pieced Blouse from the Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled book.You can see in the picture it’s a close fitting top and the pattern says it’s meant to be worn with 0″ of ease. You want it to be tight to open up the lace pattern.

The pattern for Ruca Multy top from Araucania says “This is a fitted top, select your usual size.” When you compare the bust size to the schematic you’ll see there is only about +1″ of ease for the various sizes.

Trying to figure out fit is an area where a resource like Ravelry comes in handy. You can see how a sweater will look on many different body types. Unfortunately, most people don’t include their personal measurements in their project notes, so you are still left guess to a degree.

There was a while when Interweave Knits was showing patterns from the magazine on different body types and they were including measurements. It took me a few minutes to find them, but if you look for the “galleries” on the Knitting Daily website you’ll find them. Here is the gallery for the Spring 2010 issue. You’ll need to log in to see it. It doesn’t look like they’ve kept it up, and of course it only helps with IK patterns, but it will help you start conceptualizing ease.

I thought I’ve seen similar galleries on the WEBS blog in the past, but I’m not sure how to find them now.

Another way to see how different sweaters will fit on different people is to check out the samples at your local yarn store. Ask first, of course, but the staff usually won’t mind if you try the sample sweaters on. Keep your eyes out for trunk shows, as well, since there is usually a launch party so lots of people will be trying the items on.

Even Accessories Have Ease

Oh, yes, I have scared you and you thought you’d avoid all this ease nonsense by not knitting sweaters. Well, enjoy all those scarves and shawls you’ll be making because ease is everywhere!

Hats have ease. Traditional watch cap style hats usually have no ease or maybe a little negative ease to give them a snug fit. Slouch hats have lots of positive ease to be, uh, slouchy.

Socks generally have negative ease, although there is debate about how much. I like -1″ of ease on my socks. Other people prefer less.

Gloves and mittens can be either close fitting or slightly over-sized, depending on your goal. For instance, I like to make my fingerless mitts with no or negative ease so they don’t get in my way when I’m typing. But I made the Top-Down Mittens for my friend with 1/2″ of positive ease so her fingers would have wiggle room.

As you can see, ease comes into play with most anything you’re going to knit or crochet. It’s an important concept to get your mind around, but once you do you’ll be much happier with your finished project.

Tags: tips
3 Comments »

Gauge

January 28, 2013 in miscellaneous, Tips, Uncategorized

This morning on our Facebook wall I posted a tip about gauge.

If you are getting more stitches than required you should go UP a needle size. If you are getting fewer stitches than required you should go DOWN a needle size.

While that’s technically correct, it confused a lot of people and enough people cried foul that I started second guessing myself. I decided to delete the post and try again with different wording.

Pattern gauge is 20 sts=4″
1) Your gauge is 22 sts=4″. Your sts are too small and you have too many sts per inch. You have to go UP a needle size to make bigger sts and get fewer sts per inch.
2) Your gauge is 18 sts=4″. Your sts are too big and you have too few sts per inch. You have to go DOWN a needle size to make smaller sts and get more sts per inch.

People understood that, but the mention of gauge opened a flood gate of questions (and suggestions). So I thought a blog post was in order to answer some of them.

Gauge IS Your Friend

If only people would realize how important gauge is! It can mean a whole difference in size from what you really want to fit!–Sharon S

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch based on the size of your knit or crochet stitch.

Gauge can be the difference between a finished project fitting you or needing to be passed on to a larger or smaller relative or friend.

At some point every knitter and crocheter has had the excitement of finishing a project turn quickly to heartbreak when it doesn’t fit.

Gauge is an important aspect to a happy finished project, and yet it eludes some experienced stitchers and baffles new ones.

There are many things to know and remember about gauge, but there are two important ones with which I think you should start.

1) The needle size in the pattern is just a suggestion and you are free to change it. If the pattern calls for US8 needles and you have to use a US7 (or US6!) to get gauge that is OK.

2) If you want your finished project to have a fighting chance of matching the finished project in the pattern you should really try to get gauge.

Measuring Gauge

(This picture is of my Simple Tank from the Spring 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss magazine. Learn more about it in this blog post.)

Gauge is usually given in a pattern over a 4″ by 4″ square, but you should make your swatch larger than that.

Thank you! Also, cast on at least FIVE inches’ worth of stitches, so the edges and curl do not affect the middle stitches you should be measuring.–Amy K

The swatch needs to be wider than 4″ and at least 5″ in length. Sometimes the pattern will say after blocking as well. Move stitches to a waste yarn to measure or block then measure.–Diana H

It is important to measure over a larger section because you are less likely to cheat on your counting. If you measure 1″ worth of stitches you might ignore a partial stitch, but if you measure over 2″ or the full 4″ those partial stitches will be accounted for. As Diana suggests, your swatch should either be large enough that you aren’t measuring next to the needles, which can distort the fabric, or you should move the stitches to a piece of waste yarn.

I took a sweater design class with Shirley Paden and she suggested making an 8″ by 8″ swatch. She said we handle a small piece of fabric differently than we do a large piece and it can influence our gauge. Of course, we all choked at her suggestion because most people don’t like knitting a 4″ swatch! But when you’re designing a sweater from scratch an accurate gauge is very important.

I find I even have to be careful of my swatch. When I’m working with a new pattern or a new yarn my gauge be get off as I become more familiar with the project and my stitches become more relaxed.–Marsha S

Aside from how we hold the fabric, a larger swatch will allow you to become familiar with the stitch pattern and start relaxing as you work, which can change your gauge. Some people even suggest remeasuring your gauge after you’ve knit your project for awhile to ensure you are still accurate!

I measured. Now what?

As I said, the needle size in the pattern is just a suggestion and you can change needles. All knitters and crocheters are different. You might get gauge on a US8 needle while I get gauge on a US7 needle. As long as our gauges match the suggested gauge in the pattern we should both end up with a sweater that fits.

I read a rule of thumb somewhere that most people get a half a stitch for each needle size. So if you are getting 4 stitches per inch and you want 5 sts per inch you’ll have to go down 2 needle sizes. Test it for yourself, it could speed up your swatching in the future.

If you are using a number of different needle sizes attempting to get the pattern gauge you should not just switch seamlessly from one to the next. The different gauges in the fabric will pull on each other and make your measurements inaccurate.

Instead you should either start with a fresh piece of yarn or work a drop stitch row at the needle change. On the first row wrap the yarn twice, on the next row knit across and drop the second wrap. The slack from the dropped wrap will prevent pulling.

What happens if you can get the width in the swatch but not the length. That happens a lot and it doesn’t make any sense.–Paola

Getting width but not length does happen a lot and it goes back to every knitter being different. Generally, it’s more important to get the proper stitch gauge because you can more easily fudge the row gauge. If your stitch gauge is off you’ll have to start rewriting the pattern. If you row gauge is off it’s just a matter of working more or fewer rows to get the proper length.

The variables of gauge are why it’s a good idea to buy an extra ball of yarn so you don’t have to worry as much about running out of yarn.

How does this work if you want to do a pattern where the yarn is a worsted/aran (20 sts over 4″ using USA 6), but the gauge the pattern gets is 24sts over 4″ using a USA 4. Could I get away with using a dk weight yarn, or should I stick with the aran? Thanks in advance–Henrietta

Substituting a DK yarn for an Aran yarn is not advisable or should be approached with extreme caution.

There are many factors that can cause the pattern gauge to be different from the ball band gauge.

1) A textured stitch can created a denser gauge than the ball band, for instance, cables draw in while other stitch patterns can spread out. This is why it’s important to work the swatch in the stitch pattern being used in the garment.

2) The designer might have intentionally been using the yarn at a tighter or looser gauge than the ball band gauge. Socks are knit at a dense gauge for durability. Mittens might be worked at a tight gauge to keep out the wind. A scarf or cowl might be worked at a loose gauge to give the fabric drape.

3) Just because you can get gauge doesn’t mean the yarn “works.” When I was learning to knit I tried to substitute a silk yarn for a mohair yarn in a pullover pattern. Isn’t of getting the loose, airy garment in the magazine I ended up with a skintight monstrosity.

If you find that you just can’t get gauge take the approach of many of our fans who said, “The finished project will fit someone!” or check out “The Knitting Architect” on our main website. It walks you through the basics of knitting math and might give you the guidance you need to fudge the pattern to your gauge.

Swatch Uses

Ah, the classic dilemma of what to do with the swatch once you’ve measured your gauge.

The answer is: whatever you want.

Swatches make good pockets. Check ahead if your pattern calls for one. Also, it’s good to save your gauge with the journal of your pattern. That way you can use it in the future if you get a hole.–Lora

Many people suggest saving it in a note book with a record of the needle size and the ball band. This can be a handy reference if you are planning to use the yarn frequently. Although many things can influence your gauge it will speed the process up if you have notes to consult. As Lora suggests, you can also use the swatch for darning in the future.

Other people rip it out and use it in their project. I admit I fall into this camp, although I usually save the swatch until the end. I couldn’t tell you why. I just do. Keep in mind the yarn you used in the swatch will be a little crimped, especially if you washed it, and could behave a little differently than the fresh yarn.

If you don’t want to save it or use it in the project you can do stuff with it depending on the size.

You can make it into a cup cozy or maybe fingerless mitts. You can sew a bunch of swatches together and make a patchwork blanket. You can toss it on the table and call it a coaster. Get creative!

Gauge? We don’t need no stinking gauge.

There are some people who through caution to the wind and ignore gauge.

If you do a lot of gift or charity knitting and crocheting this works because you’ll find someone the garment will fit.

Gauge isn’t a critical for items like scarves and blankets because fit doesn’t matter. Just be prepared for your finished project to be bigger or smaller than expected and perhaps to use more or less yarn.

Here is an example of what can happen when you ignore gauge even on something that doesn’t need to fit like a shawl.

Over the summer I knit the Color Affection shawl. I thought to myself, “It’s just a garter stitch shawl. How important can a gauge swatch be?” And plunged to knitting with the recommended needle size.

It was a fun pattern and I loved how the colors of my Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn were looking together.

I’d read comments on Ravelry about how big the finished shawl is. Therefore I was very surprised when I finished my cast off and it was too large for a scarf and too small for a shawl.

It was a very strange in between size. I knew that blocking wouldn’t make it much bigger. I finally measured my gauge and discovered I had 24 sts to 4″ rather than the recommended 18 sts to 4″.

That’s a big difference!

To make it the proper size I would have to go up three needle sizes to a US 9.

I quickly adapted to the size. I don’t really try to wear it like a shawl over my shoulders. Instead I wear it looped around my neck like a big snuggly cowl.

As they say, the finished project will fit someone!

Tags: gauge, tips
4 Comments »

Winners-100,000 Fans Giveaway

January 25, 2013 in miscellaneous

I just finished selecting the 23 winners from our 100,000 Fans Giveaway.

Phew! That’s a lot of winners. Most of you provided your emails–thank you! That makes it much easier to contact the winners. I’ll be sending out emails with directions to claim your prize. The email will probably look like it’s from “Ann KnittingFever”.

To tease you, I’ll remind you there was a grand prize of 8 books and 8 balls of yarn, a second prize of the 8 books, and a third prize of one of the books.

Without further ado here are the winners lists!

Third Place–A book, 12 winners

Fracksmom–your email bounced back. Please use the “message” button on Facebook to contact me or leave a new comment with your correct email.

Janeen O H

Dawn H

Kathy F

Cathy J

Nanad

Jennifer E

Dawn

Mickey

Susan C III

Margaret C

Second Place–1 copy of each of the 8 books, 10 winners

Diane

Irish8Mom

Joan P D–Joan! You didn’t provide and email. Please use the “message” button on Facebook to contact me.

Barb

Susan H

Cheryl W W

Nellie W

Evelyn S-O

Elizabeth K

Cynthia C

First Prize–

1 copy of each of the 8 books and 1 ball of yarn to pair with each book, 1 winner

Molly

Thank you to everyone for playing. We really enjoyed reading all your nice comments!

Don’t worry if you didn’t win this time. It’s only January. I’m sure there will be more giveaways in the future!

Thank you for being a fan and sharing your love of yarn with us.

7 Comments »

100,000 Fans Giveaway! (Jan 22-Jan 24, 2013)

January 22, 2013 in miscellaneous

Over the weekend we clocked 100,000 fans on our Facebook page! And we’re still going strong.

In the immortal, and misquoted, words of Sally Field, “You like us! You really like us!”

Of course, we’ve known all along that you like us.

We see your projects made from our yarns and patterns on Ravelry, your blogs, Flickr, and other online outlets.

The local yarn store owners we supply tell us how much your love the yarns and patterns we distribute and tell us about the great projects you make.

Still, there is something exciting about know that over 100,000 knitters and crocheters want to connect with us on Facebook. We have fun sharing our news with you and your responses often make us smile and laugh, or bring a tear to our eye.

To show our appreciation for inviting us into your news feed, the boss says we can have a giveaway! (Open to US residents, void where prohibited.)

We’ve put together a bundle of books highlighting the designers we work with.

Debbie Bliss Angel Prints features patterns using the yarn of the same name.

Elsebeth Lavold Book #25-The Past Into the Present Collection features women’s garments using her Silky Wool, Silky Wool XL, and Tweedy Wool, among others.

The Ella Rae Lace Merino Chunky book features patterns for men and women using the yarn of the same name.

The Euro Baby Baby Speckled book features designs by Ella Rae using Babe yarn.

The Juniper Moon Farm Herriot book features sweaters and accessories in stripes and colorwork using the yarn of the same name.

Louisa Harding’s Mister Magpie book features her signature feminine patterns using Simonetta, Nerissa, and Grace Hand Dyed yarns, among others.

Mirasol Book #30 features designs by Claudia Wersing highlighting the yarns Miski, Sulka, and Ushya.

The Noro Passion book features knit AND crochet designs by Jane Ellison. Yarns used include Haniwa, Kirara, and Mossa.

To Enter

Leave a comment on this blog post between January 22, 2013 and January 24, 2013 telling us what you like about our Facebook and blogging efforts, what you want to see more of, or just a happy message about how awesome yarn is.

When the system asks you to sign in, please be sure to use your real email address that you actually check. This is the main way I’ll be contacting the winners!

The giveaway is open to US residents and is void where prohibited.

Prizes!

Grand Prize: One winner (1) will receive one (1) copy of each of the 8 books highlighted above and one (1) ball of yarn to go with each book. (To put it another way, that’s 8 books and 8 balls of yarn)

Second Prize: Ten winners (10) will each receive one (1) copy of each of the 8 books highlighted. (8 books)

Third Prize: Twelve (12) winners will each receive one (1) copy of one of the books highlighted. (1 book)

That’s 23 lucky people in all! Good luck, and remember to tell your friends!

494 Comments »

Operation Sandy Relief Update

November 19, 2012 in miscellaneous

While power is returning to areas hit by Hurricane Sandy, the road to recovery will be long. Over the weekend it was announced that hundreds of homes in Staten Island, Queens, and Brooklyn will be demolished.

Boxes ready to go.

Although we can’t help everyone, we can do our part, and your generous donations are helping us do more. Boxes of warm clothing have been arriving from around the country!

On Friday, November 16, 2012, employees of Knitting Fever felt a little like Santa’s elves delivering more than two dozen overflowing cartons of much needed care packages to several Long Island locations that were hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Good thing the van has storage space!

We are sorting the items we receive by size and type then packaging them into manageable boxes so the staff at the care organizations can quickly distribute the items to people in need.

After packing the Knitting Fever van with warm hats, gloves and socks as well as the generous donations sent by our vast network of independent yarn shops, Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Denecke and Online Marketing Manager, Karen Klein, were well on their way.

The van is ready to go.

Their first stop at the Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center, www.geraldryanoutreach.org/site/ in Wyandanch, was met with great appreciation by Miss Noelle, the program director.

Jeff making a delivery

The second stop at the Harry Chapin Food Bank at Long Island Cares, www.licares.org, in Hauppauge proved to be a very popular place. Multiple cars, trucks and vans were lined up waiting to offer donations of every sort. As fast as the donations were unloaded, they were just as quickly distributed.

Long Island Cares received items.

Our last stop for the day was at St. Joseph’s Outreach Center in Babylon where we were anxiously met by the program’s director, Cathy Raneri.

Back at our offices, many groups such as the Guardians of Rescue, www.guardiansofrescue.org/, in Smithtown, continue to make pickups from the warehouse. Knitting Fever hopes to continue this practice for as long as we continue to collect donations from our vast network of independent yarn shops. We are working directly with established, neighborhood care organizations that have existing networks in their communities.

We have also sent care packages out to local yarn stores in New Jersey to distribute to their communities.

Hurricane Sandy affected a wide area on the East Coast. We encourage you to donate in the manner and to the organization that makes you most comfortable.

Your support is adding a bright spot to these tough times.

Tags: charity, Hurricane Sandy Relief
2 Comments »

Hurricane Relief–Phase 1

November 8, 2012 in miscellaneous

The response to our clothing drive has been great!

Assessing amounts before boxing up.

Your enthusiasm and support is cheering the staff up (some of whom still don’t have power at home!).

We’re collecting warm clothing of all sizes, either store bought or hand knit/crocheted, to distribute the people affected by Hurricane Sandy. We’ve asked the independently owned local yarn stores we work with (find a list here) to act as collection points so you don’t have to worry about shipping costs.

Several yarn stores that weren’t in the path of Hurricane Sandy have already informed us they are ready to send us donations. And we’ve heard from private individuals sending us donations directly as well.

Considering we only just announced this project two days ago that’s pretty awesome! You can read more about it in this blog post.

We thought it would be a good idea to let you know how we’re managing the effort so you know you’re donations are reaching the people who need them.

Each care package was filled with hats, gloves, and sock

For this first round of distribution we’ve created care packages containing:

* 1 dozen women’s gloves

* 1 dozen men’s gloves

* 1 dozen men’s hats

* 1 dozen women’s hats

* 2 dozen pairs of socks

We are distributing the items we collect in a few ways.

First, we’ve arranged to send care packages to a dozen independently owned local yarn stores in New York and New Jersey that were in the path of the storm. They will be distributing the items to people in need in their neighborhoods.

Second, we’re working with care organizations here on Long Island that have established networks in their communities. Sadly, we just have to look around us to see where help is needed.

Loading the pallets of garbage bags.

We delivered 20 boxes of 60 gallon garbage bags (which is 2,000 bags!) to the local St. Killian’s pantry to aid in the clean up effort in the Amityville area. Now that the clothing care packages are packed up we’ll be sending some of those over as well.

We looking into delivering garbage bags and clothing care packages to the Amityville Fire Department. They are hosting dinners Friday and Saturday night, which seem like good opportunities to distribute items.

St Martin of Tours Outreach program here in Amityville has also received items to distribute.

Tomorrow some employees will head out to Rockaway Beach & Staten Island, two areas that were particularly hard hit, to also distribute garbage bags & care package boxes.

Packed up and ready to go!

Once we receive your donations we’ll do it all again!

Other Ways to Help

Cash donations to your preferred charity are always a good idea. That gives the people on the ground the flexibility to respond to changing needs. (Remember, DON’T send us cash or checks! We are NOT set up to handle them. We’re just collecting warm clothing and blankets. Thanks!)

We’re hearing from many yarn stores that are planning to donate a portion of their sales this month to hurricane relief efforts. Go visit your favorite store or check their website to see if they are running a fundraising effort.

Several independent designers are donating a portion of their pattern sales this month. Check their blogs, website, or Ravelry. We posted links to a few on our Facebook page, as well.

The road to recovery is going to be long. Thanks for your support!

Tags: charity, Hurricane Sandy Relief
3 Comments »

Operation Sandy Relief

November 6, 2012 in miscellaneous

As you know, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Atlantic City, N.J., last week and created devastation up and down the East Coast.

Over 80 people died as a result of the storm and millions have been without power for over a week.

Our headquarters and many of our employees and their families are based in Amityville, NY, which is on Long Island. Our office was without power, phones, and internet. Staff members didn’t fare much better with some homes under water. Our owner spent a great deal of time securing generators for staff members, even while dealing with damage to his own property.

We have now established some stability and are ready to start helping those around us. We are hearing from local yarn stores that are doing fund drives and opening their doors to cold knitters & crocheters who need a place to hang out and recharge.

While the immediate needs of recovering from the disaster (access to food and clean water) are best addressed by a cash donation to your preferred charity, we know knitters and crocheters express their concern through their crafts.

Clothing Drive

Knitting Fever has purchased 1,200 pairs of socks, 1,248 hats and 1,046 gloves which we are preparing to distribute to families in the affected areas through our vast network of independent local yarn shops.

http://knittingfever.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/sandy-socks.jpg

We’re also distributing two pallets of large industrial garbage bags, which might not be the first thing that springs to mind as being needed, but there is a massive clean up underway and a shortage of bags.

“How can I help?” you ask.

Your donations of knit or crochet clothing, afghans, hats, scarves, etc., can help us do it again and again over the next few weeks.

Please note donations are not limited to handmade items. Any items of clothing, blankets, etc., are very much needed!

We are coordinating with our network of independently owned Local Yarn Stores across the country to have them act as collection points. Once they have received your knit or crochet donation they’ll call us and we’ll arrange to have UPS pick it up at our cost. (Many stores–especially those in the affected areas– are donating a portion of their sales this month to hurricane relief, so it might be a good time to buy that yarn you’ve been eyeing, too.)

Use the “find a store” feature on our website to locate stores across the country that stock our yarn. You can search based on zip code. Keep an eye on your favorite store’s website or social media. They are starting to post about their participation.

It will surely be a great comfort for the victims of Sandy’s fury to know the rest of America is doing its part to bring some relief to those in need.

Please bring your knit or crochet relief items ASAP to your local yarn shop. The sooner we receive them the sooner they can start helping people in need.

We like to say that hand knit and crocheted items are like a long distance hug.

Well, the East Coast could sure use a hug right now!

Tags: charity, Hurricane Sandy Relief
24 Comments »

Circulo Accessory Ideas

August 30, 2012 in Circulo, Inspiration, miscellaneous

In the spring we introduced you to new textile “yarns” that are either fabric or lace ribbon from a Brazilian company called Circulo.

Tecido Trico is the fabric version that comes in a variety of flower and animal prints. Renda Trico is the lace version that is available in 14 colors. You can see a video of Karen demonstrating how to knit with them in this blog post.

We have a pattern for this scarf on our website.

When they first arrived in the US the main thing people were using them for was scarves. We have a free pattern for this double ruffled scarf available on our website.

It didn’t take long for people to start getting creative and using them for trim and accessories on their knitting and crocheting as you saw in my previous blog post.

Dress up a store bought top

You can find the directions for this project to add a collar to a store bought top on our website.

Beyond Knitting and Crocheting

But why limit yourself to knitting and crocheting with these fun textiles?

We know many of our fans are clever and crafty beyond the hooks and needles so you might find these ideas inspiring.

Our friends in Europe shared these pictures with us. We don’t actually have patterns or instructions for these projects, but if you look carefully at the pictures I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out.

A sweet bow for all ages

This bow is a fun addition to your wardrobe. With the wide variety of prints Tecido Trico comes in you’ll be able to make one to match most any outfit.

Here is a full view of the bow headband.

As you can see, it’s a matter of wrapping a standard plastic headband with Tecido Trico, then sewing a matching ribbon. I bet a quick internet search will produce patterns for tying ribbon bows.

It's like a flower, but won't wilt.

This version pairs the lace Renda Trico with unique, coordinating buttons and charms to create a rosette style accessory. It reminds me of a flower, but this one won’t wilt or drip water all over you.

Here's another view of the rosetta

Aren’t those notions beautiful? Many knitters and crocheters I know have a collection of unique single buttons. This presents a great opportunity to put them to go use.

Run the tie through the holes in the edge.

If you don’t like hard plastic headbands, this tie on version will be more appealing. This one takes advantage of the holes spaces along the edge of the ribbon to secure the tie. It’s also another good use of that button collection you have.

This headband ties on.

This version shows off the Tecido Trico much more than when it’s wrapped around the headband.

Get Inspired

A nice part about these projects is you don’t need knitting or crocheting skills to be able to enjoy them.

They could be a fun project with your children on a rainy day. Or for a sleepover activity when they need a break from running around outside.

Since they are small and (potentially) quick to make, these projects would also make great gifts or stocking stuffers.

I hope these projects give you some more ideas of what you can do with these interesting new “yarns.” We love to see what you create using them! Share a picture with us on our Facebook wall.

Tags: accessories
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Become Our “Featured Fan of the Week”

August 28, 2012 in miscellaneous

Go on and admit it.

You get a thrill when someone compliments a project you have knit or crocheted.

Don’t worry. We all do.

We all love to knit and crochet because they are relaxing activities that have the added bonus of resulting in a usable item.

Was that movie you just watched on TV really bad? You didn’t waste those two hours because you made progress on your project!

While we knit and crochet for our own entertainment and benefit, it’s nice having our efforts recognized and applauded.

As proud as you feel to be wearing a sweater you made yourself, you feel extra happy when someone tells you have beautiful it is.

We thought it would be fun to give you a chance to strut your stuff on our Facebook page.

Be Featured on our Banner!

This picture is from Nonna’s Yarn Cafe of Daniella modeling a cardigan crocheted in Noro Silk Garden yarn. (It’s an original pattern they are writing up.)

When Facebook switched to the “Timeline” layout they introduced a massive cover image that is supposed to be a statement about your page.

All along we’ve had a collage of images of all the yarn brands we represent. But it’s time to mix things up.

This picture is from The Yarn Basket of their “A-Line Pleat Top” from the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss Magazine. They used Debbie Bliss Eco Baby Yarn.

Upload a Picture!

What a chance to be featured?

Just upload a picture of your finished project (hopefully with someone wearing it!) to our Facebook page that you made using one of our yarns. When you share the picture be sure to tell us what yarn and pattern you used because people will want to know so they can replicate your brilliance.

We represent 22 yarn brands, which translates into…um, a slew of yarns and patterns for you to use and enjoy.

This picture is from String Yarns featuring the “Little Mable” sweater and “Plum Pudding” hat from Sublime book #612. They used Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK yarn.

By sharing your picture with us you are giving us permission to post it in our banner on our Facebook page. Won’t it be fun to point it out to your friends?

Tags: Featured Fan
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Being Social & Giveaway Winners

July 21, 2012 in miscellaneous

First up the winners of our Louisa Harding Simonetta yarn giveaway from earlier in the week are:

Kimberly T. S.; Paula B. A.; Diane S.; Kat; Deborah S.; Judy S.; Dolores K.; Whtsthpnt; Susan; and Sabrina D.

Not sure if that’s your name in the list? I also replied to your comment on the blog post announcing the giveaway. Most of you I was able to email directly.

Dolores K–your email address bounced back so please get in touch with me either by leaving another comment or via Facebook if you have an account.

Kimberly, Paula, Diane, and Deborah signed in with their Facebook accounts so I can’t email you. Please use the “message” button on our Facebook wall to send me your mailing address and claim your prize.

Since most of us can’t stop at our local yarn store every day, social media is a great way to keep informed about new yarns and patterns coming out. It’s also a great way to find inspiration for our next project from seeing and hearing about what other people are busy stitching.

We love seeing what you’re making with our yarns, so feel free to share pictures with us on our Facebook wall.

Speaking of Facebook, email, and blogs, we want to be sure we’re meeting you on the platforms you use.

We have a little poll up there in the top right corner for you to vote on your favorite place to meet us.

If you’re looking for us online you’ll be happy to know that in addition to Facebook we’re also on Twitter, Pinterest, Ravelry, and even Google+.

But Ann is still trying to figure out Google+ so there isn’t much action there yet. Feel free to share tips!

How do you use social media and the internet to enhance your knitting and crocheting?

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