Part 1 - Best of light sweater/cardigan yarns

This topic is so close to my heart - I love a lovely yarn - working with it and the resulting garment! I have discovered over many many years of knitting that I mainly wear lighter cardigans. And I have also discovered that in order for a cardigan to be a successful-almost-year-round cardy then it needs to be knitted in a lighter weight yarn. Light weight cardys have more seasons - even in the summer they are on regular rotation whereas my thicker cardigans and jumpers really only get a good work out in the winter.  

Now you may or may not know this about me but I have knitted a few things in my time. And I have tried many many yarns.  So I thought I would share some of my favourites - yarn that lasts and wears and is nice to knit with. And just so we are on the same page I should define what a lighter weight cardy is - yarns and patterns that have a gauge of between 21-25 stitches per 10cm. 

Please note that obviously yarn choice is a matter of personal taste and you might completely disagree. Please do! I would love to hear about it in the comments. i would also love to hear some of your favourites. Things that I haven't mentioned. 

Before we start we should talk a little about terminology. In Australia we often refer to sport weight yarn as a 5ply and dk as an 8ply yarn. These terms are a little deceiving as the size of the yarn doesn't actually relate to the number of ply. So an 8 ply can be a yarn that is a single ply yarn but is the right size (in other words has about 100m+ in every 50g ball).

So DK yarns are ones that knit up between 21-22 stitches per 10cm and generally have from 100m+ in every 50g ball. There are many many exceptions to this including most of the yarns mentioned below. 

A Sport weight yarn or 5ply is one that knits up anywhere between 23-26 stitches per 10cm and generally has from 125m+ in every 50g ball. 

This pattern Seamless Blue uses the same yarn at different gauges to achieve different sizes (and a different fabric).

Both of these types of yarn can be used for patterns with a gauge of between 21-26 stitches per 10cm.  What I mean by this is that you could use a sport weight yarn with a recommended gauge of 24 stitches per 10cm in a pattern that wants you to achieve a gauge of 22 stitches per 10cm. You just ignore the needle size suggested on the pattern (as you always should as your own tension with a given yarn and needles will not be the same as someone else's!) and keep changing the needle size until you achieve the required tension. Sometimes stretching a yarn outside it's recommended gauge leads to a terrible loose holey fabric or conversely one that is too stiff, but sometimes it creates something magic. The only way to find out is to experiment with the yarn to determine if you can achieve the gauge you want and still like the fabric. (There is also Ravelry if you are fighting need to swatch but this takes you into dangerous territory). 

I have learnt over time that I really like light weight DK yarns. They are dk yarns because they achieve 22 stitches per 10cm but often have a really long yardage/meterage. The reason I like them is because they create a light fabric rather than a super dense one. Again a matter of personal preference. 

Ask me questions about any of this is I have confused you. It is late and I only have a moment to get this post done so may lack some clarity - apologies.

So without further ado and in no particular order here is my go-to list for sport weight or dk weight yarns.

Old Maiden Aunt Alpaca Silk Sportweight

Oh my oh my how I love love this yarn. So far the only thing I have made out of it (completely circumstantial) was my Vitamin D minus the flaps you can see below and on Ravelry. Terrible pictures but this yarn and this cardigan is insanely wonderful.

It is lovely to knit with with a good twist and nice stitch definition. Warm and light. And the colours are incredibly beautiful and I believe hand painted. They are so incredibly rich. I love a semi-solid yarn and Lilith (owner) does it perfectly. The colour in many of her yarns is mainly solid with just a little semi to give it some depth and lift. It is a drapey yarn without much elasticity but it doesn't really stretch like cotton would so it retains it's shape. 

I took some pictures of it this morning and it I swear I did nothing to make it look better - just chucked it on a hanger. It looks this good after two years of solid wear. I treat it mean. There is not a pill on it. Check out those underarms.

My lovely friend Karen in the US did a knit along with me recently using this yarn in the gorgeous Dreich colourway and you can see her version of James here. Even with her iphone photos you can see the semi solid nature of Old Maiden Aunt's colourways. Other colourways of particular note are the gorgeous Brass Taps and Oak, Last Night's Red Dress and Lon-dubh....and I could go on and on but you need to go look yourself.

In contrast I have recently used another Alpaca Silk yarn blend that has a similar makeup and it was super splitty and is now pilling after a few weeks of wear. 

You can buy it direct from the source here and they have very reasonable shipping - and is lovely. Find it on Ravelry here.

Vital Stats for Old Maiden Aunt Alpaca Silk Sportweight are Alpaca 80% Silk 20% - 100g - 255m - 22 stitches per 10cm. 

Rowan Felted Tweed DK

I have an ongoing love affair with Rowan Felted Tweed. I realise it isn't the coolest yarn. It isn't even 100% natural fibres - there is 25% viscose - which breaks all my normal rules. BUT there is nothing like this yarn on the market. 

There is a lot to love! It is a beautiful light DK weight yarn that knits up between 21-24 stitches per 10cm. Unlike most yarns that achieve this stitch gauge it has super long yardage - 175m. And that isn't a typo!! Which makes it super economical. This stuff goes on and on. So for the cardigan in the picture below I only used 6.5 balls. Crazy cheap for a beautiful sweater. 

Let me tell you about the yarn's magic. It is a blended yarn and is not spun in the same way that more common yarns are spun. And it means that the resulting knitted fabric looks more like a piece of fabric rather than knitting kinda. The yarn looks flat rather than round. It is so pretty. Plus has the added bonus of making unevenness in tension look less uneven. Felted Tweed comes in a range of the most stunning tweedy colours that all go together beautifully. Which is great for colourwork but also for making scrap sweaters for kids. All three of the sweaters below were made out of scraps and single balls I had.

Felted Tweed doesn't feel the softest on the ball but blooms beautifully with it's first wash. My kids call them their cosy sweaters. And it due to the lightness of it it is a lovely yarn for kid cardigans. I find mine get hot in anything much thicker than this but it still knits up quickly.

It does have a couple of small downsides (which I don't care about at all because it is so fabulous and I know them so work around them). Over time it stretches and needs to be washed and resized. It does pop back into shape but it lacks the elasticity that normal wool has.  And it breaks. You can't yank on it like a more traditionally plied yarn. Which can make sewing up a bugger of a thing to do.

I have and will continue to use this yarn over and over again.

Vital Stats for Rowan Felted Tweed are 50% wool,25% alpaca and 25% viscose  - 50g - 175m - 22 stitches per 10cm.

It has a cousin in Felted Tweed Aran which is a magnificent yarn which has 16 stitches per 10cm and is super cosy. However, it has only OK yardage in comparison and the colour palate isn't that special. I'm hoping it gets better with time as I fancy a cosy winter sweater out of it one of these days. I was going to use it for Cinnamon Girl but I couldn't find a colour that worked for me and my current wardrobe.

So I've run out of time tonight and will have to split the post up into a few bits. Let me know if you have any burning questions. 

Felicia x

PS. All the pattern information can be found on my Ravelry page. I have just run out of time to label them all.

Moving on from perfectionism

Hello lovely people. I am hoping you had a wonderful holiday season – whatever it looked like for you. Maybe in involved a cup of tea and a few minutes of uninterrupted crafting? I hope it did.

 2013 was a pretty big one for me. Many many things have happened including the wonderful first ever Craft Sessions retreat. And given that this time of year is often about reflection, I thought that I would share something of a realisation I’ve had over the last year which may very possibly have changed my life.  

I’ve never been too into resolutions but I am into practicing a new habit. I truly believe that we can change ourselves over time, bit by bit by making a conscious effort to change a behaviour we know isn’t doing us that much good. And so I am going to put the problem out there my friends in the hope that 2014 can shift it.

I am a perfectionist.

I would like to be able to not write that statement. Or to faff around the truth by saying that I am not that bad. Or that I do dodgy craft when the situation calls for it, and can appreciate things that aren't perfect - and that would be true! I do cut corners. I don't always hem kids knit pajamas. I do quick-and-dirty fixes when the situation arises.

But when push comes to shove I am complete perfectionist. And that my friends is a problem in so many ways. The worst of which is the procrastination and not-doing that comes from wanting the outcome to be perfect. I should state here that I don't create things that are perfect. I make a lot of mistakes. But that in my head I am always aiming for perfect. And I am judging myself if it isn't. 

“When perfection is the dream, recurring disappointment is the inevitable consequence.”

— The Good Life by Hugh Mackay

So the goal of the post is to explain why and how this is the year when I start to let go of perfectionism. And why 2014 will now be known as the year of completionism!

Now this is a great point in time to stop reading if you are one of those people that aren’t affected by perfectionism as an issue – I’m mildly concerned that by putting a description of my somewhat not-helpful behaviour out there, you may think (if you keep reading obviously) that I (and other perfectionists) are engaged in some wacky thinking. I keep trying to think of this post as a community service.

Anyhoo, early last year, in the process of figuring out how to get the guts up to put The Craft Sessions out there into the world, I went to a few talks and met with a few smart people. I was lucky enough during that time to see Catherine Deveny speak. The talk was entitled “Criticism, narcissism and getting over yourself. The biggest mistake you can make is not making a mistake”. It was a little bit life changing. And life changing in ways I couldn’t even see at the time because it had a much wider effect on my life than I originally imagined. Yes, it did help to get The Craft Sessions up and running, by helping me to ignore the fear and take the risk. BUT more importantly it has really changed the process of creating and making which is such an important part of my life.

So what did Catherine Deveny say that had such an impact?

“Procrastinators have developed a strong association between their performance and their value as a person. So it’s just like, “I don’t want to look silly or make a mistake because I just will be revealing to myself that I’m not as good as I thought I was.” So if you are worried about what other people say, that’s narcissism, that’s your problem. And if you’re procrastinating, that is also narcissism. Get rid of those expectations of yourself. Get it done, move on to what’s next. And remember, if you write down anything from this, write down “perfect is the enemy of good.”

— Catherine Deveny - Big Hearted Business Conference

Ouch!

 So when I first heard Catherine Deveney speak I was thinking “wow that’s a little bit confronting”. But after nearly a year of watching this stuff in myself, observing the wacky so to speak, I am ready to make some changes and to share some of the things I have learned….like that she was right!

 One of the biggest things that stops me from making/doing the things I want to do (read procrastinate) is my fear it won’t be perfect or live up to my idea/ideal. My fear is that the idea in my head won’t translate. That I will make it and it won’t live up to my expectations, and even other people’s expectations of me. That I will be disappointed.

Let me start by taking you on a little tour of what this behavior looks like in my crafting reality*.

 A typical example is of the latest dress from Tessuti – the lovely Eva. I saw it, loved it and purchased it the first day it was released. I printed it and cut it out (of some Nani Iro I had been hoarding) within the next few days and then it has just sat there. In the basket ready to be made. I know it is a super quick project. I know I could have it done within a few hours and yet I have avoided it, procrastinating, and prioritized all sorts of other things for other people, because I am scared that I won’t like the version I have made as much as I like the one I’ve imagined. And so I don’t make it as a way of avoiding being disappointed! And the disappointed feeling is about being disappointed in myself.

This is soo nuts!

My niece's dress and the mistake that caused the sadness.

And sadly it is only one example of how perfectionism affects my making. I have included a couple of pictures from a dress I made for xmas for my gorgeous niece. I love her and so I want what I make for her to be “perfect” – and I made a mistake. Right at the end when I had finished all the sewing. I took my unpicker to open up the buttonholes and sliced right through the end of one. I did some quick dodgy fixing which you can hardly see. But was still super sad because I wanted to give her something “perfect”.

It’s like my head /heart completely misses the point of making and giving. That the recipient won’t care that it isn’t perfect. That they will feel loved because of the making. That they won’t even notice the small issue. I still felt disappointed. And to me the gift was a little bit ruined. The wacky behaviour then went a little bit further - I also then had to tell my SIL about the mistake so she knew that I knew that it wasn’t perfect. Arrrgghhhh!!!

I couldn’t be proud of what I had made for her. Instead I was almost ashamed that it wasn’t perfect. And I had to let her know.

More nuts-ness!!

Handmade gifting in action - my girl feeling the love in her new birthday socks!

I often find that when this fear is particularly strong in me, that I spend more time thinking and dreaming about projects rather than doing them. I spend more time dreaming about my perfect wardrobe and building my visual diary than making it a reality because the dreaming part of it is free from disappointment. It is all about the potential. In my head things are perfect. Each frock I make myself fits perfectly.

But this is a really empty process because the buzz of potential never translates into actual making and actual outcomes. It is all bubbles and no champagne. And by wasting my time on this "potential" feeling I don’t get the longer term, ultimately more satisfying joy of having made things. And I also miss out on the joy of practicing my craft – which is a different sort of joy again. And practicing means my skills are improving over time, which means I am more likely to achieve the outcomes I am looking for.

Instead I am left with procrastinators regret. The feeling of knowing that if I had spent my time a little differently I would have a different outcome.

The thing that Catherine Deveny simply asked was "have you ever failed?" and then quickly followed up with "and did it kill you?" Just the sort of perspective I needed to hear. What is there to be afraid of? Disappointment can't kill me. Who knew??

Through watching myself this last year I have found that I don’t start, don’t make and don’t complete the projects that are really important to me. Instead I prioritise smaller, simpler and less important projects as they mean I can feel like I have achieved while avoiding dissappointment. Out of fear! In doing this I am wasting my time, my ideas, my opportunity to live my life the way that is a true reflection of what is important to me.

So - 2014 is the year of completionism!

I will be watching myself for this kind of (wacky) procrastination and fear-based behaviour. And when I see it, I’ll be practicing my little heart out to complete things. Completion will be the name of the game to see if I can get a bit closer to living a life free from the expectation of perfection and it's subsequent disappointment.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Felicia x 

*I have found that this stuff affects all of my life (putting on The Craft Sessions for example involved a massive step outside my comfort zone) but as this is a crafting blog I am focusing on that.

Best of knitting designers #1 - Amy Christoffers

So last night something rather inconvenient happened. If one was a dramatic person they might actually say that what happened was downright traumatic. It is Christmas week my friends as I am sure you are fully aware. And Christmas means Christmas craft. Craft that has a deadline with the sole purpose of making others happy. Meaningful craft. Non selfish craft which makes it super feel good. 

Anyhoo yesterday Amy Christoffers released her Cinnamon Girl pattern. And it might be the perfect cabled cardigan. And I feel the passion. And I might have accidentally knitted a swatch this morning at morning tea time. And I now know that my Christmas is destined to be plagued by twitching. Twitching to get back to the joy! The joy of following your passion.

Let's talk briefly about Cinnamon Girl - I don't have a picture yet sorry, so you will just have to click on through - cabled cardigan in a slightly semi solid yarn in a gorgeous gorgeous cinnamon colour. With classic Amy gorgeous shape. One that I love and wear all the time - which as you would all know, if you read this blog an essential part of making a cardy that you love. And ever since my "almost" perfect Stranger cardy I have been looking for a cabled cardy with a better fit. This is it my friends. 

I have included a few photos of my past experiences with Amy's patterns. My all time favourite cardy is the Pomme de Pin below.

Pomme de Pin by Amy - Knitting by me.

Photo's taken in my dirty mirror mid-renovation...

Bailey by Amy. Knitting by me.

I don't have yarn. And I can't make a trip to the store due to the aforementioned Christmas malarkey so I have made some up. I have put a DK and a 4ply together and got perfect gauge first time. I'm "think" I like the resulting colour so I'm calling it fate. Fate means you have to go with it right??

My swatch - any thoughts on the colour? Is it too marled?

Anyway the whole point of the post - other than to share the excitement - was to showcase the lovely Amy. Her designs are gorgeous with the best shoulder shaping I have found in a designer. And shoulder shaping is important as it is a key part of getting the fit right because bad shoulders ruin the whole thing. If you are doubting me then have a look at your favourite cardigans. Good well-fitting shoulders?

My version of Bailey can be seen on Ravelry here. Love the Icord sleeve finish and the pockets.

She does gorgeous details, beautiful cables, stunning cowls and fabulous wearable shapes. My absolute favourites are Pomme de Pin, Bailey, White Pine (check out Jule's version here - she is one of our lovely teachers!) and now Cinnamon Girl. Her most popular patterns are Larch and Acer. If only there was more time to knit in life....

Go check her out. Which is your favourite?

Felicia x

How to make a quick-but-gorgeous teacher gift

This post is a super simple how-to that results in the best teacher gift - thoughtful, simple, handmade. It is potentially so simple I am not sure it is worth a basic how-to but for those of you looking for ideas maybe this will tickle your fancy. It can be done in an evening or two after school and your 5+ child will be capable of making it almost completely solo. 

But before we begin I wanted to share the amazing thing that happened to us today while making the aforementioned gift.

A rite of passage occurred in my lounge this evening. This year I have two small people in school; one in Grade 1 and one in Prep. And today for the first time ever I had two small people that could thread their own needles. I know!! How good is that - it may have changed the emotional energy required to sew together forever. The just-turned-3-er still needed help every second minute but no matter. I have TWO independent stitchers - bring it on....

So this year I found a way for the smalls to design, create and own their gift for their teacher completely and thought we should share.

Child designed felt tree ornament

Materials List

• a pile of felt - preferably wool felt.
• a small amount of stuffing
• a fabric marker - my favourite is the blue Clover water erasable one.
• a needle
• some embroidery thread - preferably Perle 12 or Perle 8.
   

Step 1. Cut out two matching shapes of felt. We went with a heart shape...

Step 2. Using a fabric marker get your small to draw something on their felt. We chose the first letters of their teacher's name.

Step 3. Embroider over the drawing on the felt. A running stitch is probably better for the smaller ones. My 5yo and 7yo are both now capable of a beautiful backstitch.

Step 4. Sew the shapes together using either a whip stitch or the sewing machine leaving an inch size gap. 

Sewing the shapes together on the slightly larger version of this project - details towards the bottom of the post.

Step 5. Stuff the shape.

Step 6. Sew up the gap.

Step 7. Make a long loop of embroidery thread (or maybe a ribbon if you are feeling a little fancy) and attach it to the ornament.

Done! 

The front

The back.

So a simple project where they can own the whole design and the making. It didn't quite go to plan for me.....almost, but not quite.

My 5yo girl chose some felt in her teachers favourite colours ("It's easy mum because she likes sooo many colours") and some thread and got to work. Watching her little hands pull the thread through the felt so capably and confidently just made my heart sing. I actually got a little teary at one point - sshhh! She did her teachers initial on one side and then on the back she wanted me to draw some butterflies and hearts. And then off she went - concentrating hard, one stitch at a time.

It was this movement that caused the tears. The confidence with which she now stitches....geez...

Look at the little hand.

My boy child is one who has big ideas and I did have a moment today when I had to physically take a breath to ensure that I relinquished control over the project, and my materials, to let him go with his idea. He wanted to do something BIG.
"An ornament isn't big enough mum. I want to make him a cloth".
"With a massive piece of my wool felt that I have purchased for something else" I thought silently biting my tongue.
I then asked out loud "What will he do with the cloth mate?".
"I dunno mum...he can just use it as a cloth..."
Hmmm.... "What about we make it into a cushion?"
I was then seen as a champion facilitator of big ideas. Win win. And I can always buy more felt.

The teacher "cloth"

Anyway the point of the exercise was to get a present for their teachers (check) where they had put effort into thinking about what someone else would like (check) that they made with their own hands (check) and to their own design (check). I love love the joy and pride they get out of doing something like this. I remember the feeling from when I was a small person and my mum was the facilitator.

For those of you who think your kids might like to try some stitching but aren't sure where to start - mine started doing embroidery or making softies with felt when they were around three. Felt is an awesome starter project because unlike embroidery on fabric, as long as you use good wool felt, then it has enough stiffness that they can embroider without a hoop. This gives them more freedom to be able to manipulate the fabric which in turn makes it easier to embroider and sew. 

Starting out they just used a simple whip stitch and went round and round whatever interesting shape they cut out and then we stuck some stuffing in it and finished the hole. Project complete and happy small people. If possible I would always use wool felt as it feels nicer as the needle is going through, as well as being stiffer, so easier to sew. They are very happy with scraps. I would also use a Perle 8 cotton as it is thick and easier for them to thread than something with lots of plies like embroidery thread. 

I'd love to hear what you made? Any other ideas for simple teacher gifts?

Enjoy!

Felicia x

Dates for The Craft Sessions 2014

So lovely people I have some news for you today - as we have hinted at - The Craft Sessions weekend retreat will be running in 2014. And for all you eager folk (who have been emailing me and messaging me! ) today I have some dates for you to pop in your calendars. We wanted to give you as much notice as possible so you can figure out if you are able to come, and make the arrangements you need to make. So many of you travelled long distances to be with us last time we hope this makes it easier.

The Craft Sessions 2014 retreat will be running from Friday 5th September until Sunday 7th of September in the Yarra Valley. 

We are busy working on the workshops at the moment and they are looking even more exciting than this year. The workshop descriptions, teacher list and class schedule will be released in early March of 2014. This means you will have a few weeks to consider what your class preferences will be, before registration opens.

Registration will open in early April 2014. Spaces at the event will again be limited, so please consider registering early to give yourself a better chance of getting your first class preferences. This year we were able to give everyone pretty much exactly what they asked for, but there will be more people next year so early is better. 

We will be tweaking the schedule a little to give you more of what you want (thanks everyone who came for your eval forms!) - more free time to enjoy crafting in the company of new friends, while enjoying the beautiful surrounds. We will let you know what that will look like in March, along with a few other small changes we have planned to make the weekend even lovelier than this year.

So just to summarise...

• Workshop descriptions, teachers and class schedule information available early March
• Registration opens early April
• The Craft Sessions 2014 weekend retreat September 5-7th

We would love to hear your thoughts? Anyone interested in coming? Any classes in particular you are looking forward too?

I'm excited already and it is 9 months away....it will be soo fun!

Felicia x

NB. We will give you exact dates closer to the time so please join our mailing list to be sure that you are notified if you are interested. Also I haven't updated our website yet with the new dates. They will be up soon....