Did I mention that I LOVE this time of Year? The soft lake effect commands the air and it is fresh and you can feel it on your bare skin.
The fact is that in the Northern Midwest, *bare skin* is almost an oxymoron, and while that might seem incredible to many it is a THRILL to me!
I’ve finally started going sleeveless and am entirely excited about making sleeveless…
My Bettina shell is almost done; here you see it from a rear view; the front is a Work-In-Progress.
Also thrilling, for a few weeks in the summer, I can fiddle with the fanciful and try all sorts of ideas that are not strangled by the calendar. Sometimes these things end up in the public way; sometimes just on my back. This could be one of them, either too fiddly or too exotic, but not too unusual for my bare arms…
I’m already making another one of these (in the mansion of my mind, but of course) out of some Rowan Organic Cotton. And I see another in wool with sleeves and some slight changes. This is making me research all sorts of DK weight yarns, which had become my very favorite lately…
Double Knitting (DK) yarn as I understand it is: 22 sts / 30 rows per 4″/10cm or 5.5 sts / 7.5 rows per 1″. I generally get this gauge using #5 (3.75mm) needles. It makes a wonderful fabric whose general bulk is more flattering to most than yarns even slightly larger but doesn’t break the bank in extra work.
I bought some lovely Yarn Nerd 1700 MHz Merino a month or so ago. It is gorgeous and smooshy and I can’t wait to knit something out of it.
Lovely armholes! And I love the color combo, too.
As for favorite DK weight yarn, I’m going to go with Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. Yes, it pills like nobody’s business, but the colors are so great! I also love Malabrigo, which I know is technically worsted, but DK is sorta tricky, no? I used Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed DK and it was definitely a worsted weight, but Malabrigo knits up easily at a DK gauge.
My new favorite, favorite yarn is Berroco Pure Merino, which they now have in DK weight – yeah!!
I have to pick one, eh?
I guess I’d go with Colinette Cadenza, for the sproing of it. Lovely stuff.
Cascade Sierra, which knit up like a DK weight for me. Made a superb CeCe!
I’ll put in a vote for Rowan Calmer, although I think it’s also in that middle ground.
Speaking of CeCe, I’m wearing mine for the first time today – love it!
Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. bellamoden superwash merino sport, which can be knit at so many gauges, I’m in love with it. (I’m also gauche, but I’m ok with this.) I really like uruguay dk, wool/silk/alpaca blend, with a lot of bounce to it. And of course there’s calmer.
I also love knitting fingering or thin sport at dk gauge, just for the je ne sais quoi of it…. tempest is a good example of how this approach can just *work*.
I LOVE Cascade Sierra – multitude of colors; wears lace, cables, multidirections well and washes up beautifully. Just a hint of wool makes the garment easy to transition from Summer to Fall, even Winter w/a jacket.
A second for Rowan Calmer–knits up easily and wears well. It’s a very comfortable summer weight yarn. For colder weather, I have to go with Blue Sky Alpacas Sport weight (called sport but works well as DK).
Elann.com Sonata.
Love it! So many colors so little time!
C and I are headed to the Windy City this weekend to attend the Gay Pride Parade with her brother and his partner. This trip we’ll be in and out but I hope one of our trips there, that – after the many years of reading your blog and emailing – we can meet face to face.
Definitely Rowan Calmer would be my favourite.
debbie bliss cashmerino dk
I just made a lovely little wedding shrug using Plymouth Jeannee, it says Worsted Weight on the label but guage for me definitely worked out to DK. It’s cotton/acrylic but really soft and nice!
Debbie Bliss Rialto is my new favorite DK…
thanks, Bonne Marie!
I have to chime in for BS Cotton Fleece also — a good Midwest yarn! My second favorite is Debbie Bliss’s Cashmerino DK.
Hands down, my favorite DK yarn (well, for THIS month, at least!) is Classic Elite’s Classic One-Fifty. Not only is it a great merino yarn but it’s reasonably priced for a big ‘ol 150 yards!
Love the new tank, BTW! Living in the Northeast, wearing sleeveless is always a freedom I look forward to!!
I have just started a baby sweater in RYC Cashcotton DK – love it! So very light and soft, with a powdery appearance. Even makes garter stitch look soft and sophisticated.
I love Cashcotton DK. Great stuff to knit!
Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK. Very soft, I just want to pet it….
Have to vote for these: Elann Sonata & Cascade Sierra currently working on a ss lacy cardy from sonata and finished 2 mo. ago my Aleita shell – which I LOVE..and will be making more of these!
A recent find and a reason to swoon: Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK.
Let me tell you know wonderful this is: I’m knitting wool in the midst of a Texas summer. Wow!
Vicki
I’m a huge fan of Filatura di Crosa’s Zara, which my yarn store no longer carries (I’d be sad, but I scooped a bunch when it was half-price!). They’ve replaced it with Lang Merino, which is just as good. Both are ever-so-soft and sproingy.
I really like Cashsoft DK and Cashcotton DK. Svale by Dale of Norway has a lovely drape and sheen too (probably from the silk)
Debbie Bliss Cathay, specifically color 07! Teal with just the right sheen!
Lana Grossa New Cotton Seta is my current favorite. It’s technically not DK, but it is when I knit with it! My gauge isn’t any where near the Worsted weight. It’s 21+ stitches to the inch instead of the 17 stated on the label.
I love it because it’s so squishy and soft! No clear why it’s called cotton though since I don’t see any cotton in it!
I’m growing increasingly fond of an oldie, but a goodie: Rowan wool cotton. Soft, easy to work with, washable – kind of the best of both wool and cotton. Plus there are some more sophisticated colors.
I love Knitpicks Cotlin. It’s so nice to knit. Very easy on the hands compared to some cottons.
RYC Cashsoft DK and Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece!
I can no longer find my absolute favorite–Debbie Bliss merino dk. I’m open to any merino.
HMM, I really like the BS Coton Fleece..But I’m also working with SWTC Bamboo right now, and am liking that too!
Silky Wool! I’m suprised nobody has mentioned it so far. (Note to self–must try Cascade Siera!)
My current favorite is Malabrigo Silky Merino.
I’m knitting with Rowan felted tweed, which is dk weight, right now — and I really like it. DK is my favorite weight for knitting — for the reasons you mentioned — not as slow to finish as fingering, but less bulky to wear.
I’m all over Silky Wool these days. The colors are so saturated and beautiful, and the fabric has a lovely drape while still having some body. It is very wearable for most weather. It made a beautiful Miss Dashwood! (Well ok, technically its not quite done yet.) Rowan Felted Tweed is lovely too, and I always come back to Cotton Fleece.
I’ll have to choose Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit. It’s got a real natural feel to it (I don’t mind the twigs!) and the colors are great.
I really liked swatching with Ella Rae Silkience. (It lists 21 sts/4 inches, but that’s very easily turned into 22 sts/4 inches!) It’s pretty cheap, too!
I love the Cashsoft DK, and have a fair amount of it in my stash (unfortunately the inaccessible packed part of my stash) though I have to admit that I’m intrigued by the Malabrigo Silky Merino (it sounds divine).
Queensland Collection Kathmandu dk
Add me to the list of Sublime lovers — my new favorite is the Soya Cotton blend. It’s delicious and buttery. Though the Cashmere Merino Silk is excellent as well.
My favorite is Rowan Pure Wook DK — I just love the colors and how soft it is.
My kingdom for the late, lamented Rowanspun DK…
though I’m awfully fond of Jo Sharp Classic DK as well. :)
There are so many great suggestions so far. Rowan Calmer would certainly be top of the list in non-wools for me…but it is winter her in Australia and I’d say Zara, maybe….great colour range as well as lovely yarn to knit with.