My little shell is growing as fast as the tulips coming up out of the ground in the yard!
The gauge for the Vittadini Betinna yarn is 14 sts / 21 rows per 4″ using #9 needles and it is much faster knitting than say, DK!!
The handling of the yarn is something else though.
It is a papery neon chartruese ribbon wrapped in taupe colored string, not unlike another yarn called Bastia (from ggh, discontinued, Rebecca pattern, no info available) that I made a favorite pullover from:
I have to say, I had small expectations for this pullover, but even with repeated wearings and washings (it is cotton, wrapped with linen), it still looks good and is fresh…
The Betinna is a little more bumpy and a lot more high maintenance to knit with. The string wrap causes it to bunch up on itself, (not unlike another yarn called Homespun!) until you have a pile-up of the base fiber. I believe it is time to re-skein the stuff and put it *on the Rack* ie. my little ribbon reeler! Maybe this will make it behave — anybody have success working with these types of wrapped yarns?
Call me crazy, but I find working with these alternate fibers very fun and challenging! A look over my portfolio reveals the use of mainline, traditional type yarns. I seem to be really drawn to the plain finish yarns: Jo Sharp DK, Cascade 220, Rowan Calmer, Tahki Cotton Classic, Sirdar Breeze…
It is refreshing to go rumble around with some other types of STRING.
Here’s a flash-from-the-past of garments made with ribbon-y yarn…
From l. to r. 3XChic in Homespun, Pullover in Dolcino, Shell in Anny Blatt Bijou, Pullover made from a yarn called Venue
I have a whole lot of leftovers so we shall see what we shall see…
If you were gonna do 3x chic again, what yarn would you use? Curious!
Funny you should ask! I have seen many of these around the Nets done in a chunky wool…
They look fab —
Cascade 128 Chunky Solid / Tweed
Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky
Patons Shetland Chunky
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky
This is so pretty. I like wearing ribbon-y yarn garments as they really have a hand-knit, nubby look to them. I like the fresh green color too.
It’s coming out beautifully, b. Marie, but you’re a much more patient knitter than I when it comes to these ‘interesting’ fibers :o)
I like the nubbiness of ribbon yarns, but find they are usually quite high maintenance to work with. Hope yours chills a bit.