Yarn-A-Lot March 31, 2010

There is nothing more poignant in the knitting of a sample than when you realize that you want to keep it for yourself (and know you just can’t…)

Even though you understand logically you are never going to be wearing the thing, it does not stop the wanting.

So you start plotting what you’re going to use to make one for yourself. Is there some yarn hiding, somewhere in the immediate vicinity, that can jump on your needles asap so there’s no gap in the momentum…

Enter a nice little cotton/acrylic blend from long ago by Madil called DENIM. It is in a heathery taupe, the color I seem to be enthralled completely by recently (can’t escape no matter how hard I try). I’m two pattern repeats in the Back of a newly cast on Cerisara for moi, and it’s going splendidly. This is the type of lace patterning that is easy to memorize and mesmerizing to knit, all at once.

You can find an identical (as far as I can tell) yarn called Kool Kotton (although this color is no longer available); the formulation and construction seems to be pretty much. (It’s a lingering curse/joke for designers that as soon as they use a particular yarn it goes missing…) DENIM & KOOL KOTTON are also a lot like a Sirdar offering awhile back called BREEZE (that I made the Basic Chic Pulli sample from and Nicole). If you have some of that lingering in your stash it would be so very nice. Any way, it is also quite inexpensive. In the size 38, which I’m making, the cost comes in at about $28.00. For the whole thing. Nice.

Another really nice cotton blend is Plymouth JEANNEE DK — again coming in around the 30.00 mark for supplies.

What about other yarns?

This list is full of both wool & cotton offerings that work well with this pattern.

For some newer yarns, this is a style that uses DK weight yarn bumped up to a worsted weight gauge to make a fabric with gorgeous, but not out-of-control, drape and stitch definition.

I used something called Eucool for the sample sweater, that is a very lightweight yarn made from wool and get this: eucalyptus! I fantasized about the days I used to live on the coast of Northern California where we had so many of these trees (I am very sentimental)!

Other beautiful yarns that work well: Silky Wool, Felted Tweed DK, Rowan Cashcotton, Lempur Linen, & Wool/Cotton, Classic Elite Soft Linen, Hempathy, etc. Oh, and Blue Sky SKINNY COTTON (oh please, the Mallard color just rocks)!

I’ll be updating the master list as I find ’em so please leave any suggestions below… :)