Working with 5 YarnsBack to Search |
Posted: Sunday, January 20, 2008 |
As we drift slowly into winter (Feb is just the beginning here in the Sierras) and look back at this past fall, we can't help but feel a little giddy about some of the things we were able to accomplish. For instance, the success of the Breast Cancer Support Kits still astounds us - the kits are still selling - and we are still writing donation checks. Thanks again to all of you! Because of that success (and the overwhelming charitable response from ALL OF YOU), we recently decided to put together another kit for February and American Heart Month (Heart Disease is the #1 Killer of American Women). This time, we were even able to get some yarn companies involved - and each of them graciously agreed to donate $ for each hank of yarn that was sold (thank you to Ashland Sky, Cascade Yarns, Crystal Palace Yarns, Manos del Uruguay, Mountain Colors, and Nashua Yarns). Their commitment (combined with ours) brings the total donation amount to $8 per kit sold! We've also stepped up our involvement and production by getting high-quality glossy patterns printed. And there are even a few heart-healthy tips on the back of the pattern. We think you'll be pleased. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, if you decide that you are in the market for a red scarf or shawl (you can make either with the kit), I wanted to share one of the tips that i learned while knitting mine. This shawl (or scarf, if you want to make it more narrow) is knit using 5 different strands of yarn. In the breast cancer kit, we stranded all 5 strands together and knit them using a huge needle (US 19). You can do the same with the red shawl yarns - and can even follow exactly the same pattern as the breast cancer kit (one of my favorite patterns ever) - or you can drop down a few needle sizes (US 13) and use our Biased Scarf / Shawl Pattern. If you choose the Biased Scarf option, you'll be knitting with 1 strand of yarn at a time - and each row will be knit with a different yarn. Needless to say, when i first started knitting the test shawl, i ran into some 'tangling' issues... i had 5 strands of yarn that all look similar (well, they are all red!) and i was changing yarns every single row. I was creating a mess. And the mess got even worse when i would set my shawl down - or move it - and then try to pick it back up! Thank goodness that after a few days of trial and error, i finally got a system going. Here's what i did:
Posted by Jimmy (Laura) of Jimmy Beans Wool |
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