Part 2 - Best of light sweater/cardigan yarns

So I think we started off strong with Part 1 of this post - lightweight sweater/cardy yarns that are in the sport/dk category. Go have a look - both of them are complete winners of yarns. They don't pill, wear well, are affordable and make a beautiful fabric. 

Today we are going to talk about another winner - Shilasdair Luxury DK. This is a yarn that is relatively new to me. I came across it by complete accident and boy am I glad that I did. My bloke happens to be British; a random fact that means that every year or two I have to take a trip to the UK - which means I get to visit the gorgeous Loop in London. Now this fact is a super thing for me as well as you, because it means I can introduce you to this yarn.

Anyhoo, on my trip last Christmas I was lucky enough to have a day to myself in London - about two hours of which were spent in Loop. I was about to leave when some lovely woman opened the most gorgeous box of yarn and emptied it onto the floor. The shop staff started chattering about the perfect blue and the perfect green and so my little eyes wandered over to see what the commotion was. It was love at first sight. Not just lust you understand but true love. 

One of the things that makes this yarn super special is that it is dyed with natural dyes in the most stunning range of colours. I purchased two that day - Tansy which is dyed with tansy flowers and Hawthorn which is dyed with a combination of lac and cochineal. I will say that it is not possible to photograph the true colours of these yarns and even after editing the photos to try to make the colour a bit truer I can't get it perfect. They are more luminous than the photos suggest. The red is more red and less rust and waaay more beautiful. And the yellow is somewhere in between the bright colour below and the yellow of the top photo. It is lovely.

And lets talk about the structure. Again we are talking about another blend. But different to the other two again. This one is 10% cashmere, 10% baby camel  fibre, 40% angora and 40% fine merino lambswool. I haven't come across something similar in terms of the way it feels or the blend. It has a twist but at 300m per 100g it is super light for something that knits up as a DK. (If I am confusing you then please go back to Part 1 as I explain this a little better or ask me a question in the comments).

Show the texture and the beautiful semi solid-ness of the yarn.

The yarn feels a little thin for a DK as you are knitting it, but after washing it blooms beautifully. It the close up of the yellow above you can see the texture of the yarn, some twist, some longer fibres (camel??) and you can also see the beautiful variation of the semi solid.

As I have said before I am a fan of the semi solid. And according to the stats so is the rest of the world (have a look at these great posts from Bristol Ivy on knitting stats from around the world). It gives your garment more depth, it looks less flat and more interesting. What I don't like is when there is too much variation in a semi solid leading to a more spotty look. These yarns have the perfect balance - perfect!!

I planned on having my cardigan finished by the time I was to post it but it wasn't to be. I knitted the yoke, both sleeves and had started the body before I figured out that it was too big. So I ripped it (with the help of the lovely Martine who talked me through the pain) and have started again. I am almost where I was but I thought I would show you some photos anyway. That way you can see how another of the beautiful semi-solids knits up. Lovely isn't it!

Dodgy bathroom photo of it before I ripped it out.....

Yarn Stats - 300m in 100g and is a blend of 10% cashmere, 10% baby camel  fibre, 40% angora and 40% fine merino lambswool.

You can buy it from Loop here and Die WollBox here.

Next up will be something a little more local. 

Felicia x

The gap between taste and ability

Last week, while I was writing the post about perfectionism I came across this quote on pinterest by the super Ira Glass of This American Life. And wow! So very encouraging and so very very true. 

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.””

— abridged version of a transcript of a video of Ira Glass from This American Life

You can find the original video of Ira here  (note: the quote above seems to paraphrase it a little. I can't figure out whether he rewrote it or someone else did?). And some clever person has done it poster style here.

An example of my knitting and my photos from nearly six years ago - Anna and I looked through my Ravelry page last night and could clearly see a massive change in ability and style occurring gradually over those five years. I didn't know how to compose a photo (still learning this one) and they were all pretty dark as I was still learning about light and didn't know anything about editing.....nothing. 

Like many people who enjoy making, there is often a long period of time when I am learning a new skill or even a new craft. And boy can that be a slightly demoralising process - not quite achieving the thing you were trying to. Especially when, the version in my head is perfect, so perfect.

Again, it really reminded me again of the quote from my lovely friend Anna's friend Gina (who I talk about in this blog post about being stuck) who says that "sometimes the piece you are working on is the piece you need to make, so that you can make the piece you really want to make". Or in other words, "sometimes you need to make bad art to make good art".

As the lovely Amy said to me this week on Instagram - sometimes we need to hear this stuff over and over again.

So - 2014 is the year where completionism is the name of the game! And that it is only after creating a body of work and making many mistakes along the way, that we can create the things we imagine. 

This quote made the process just a little bit easier. As always I would love to hear your thoughts!!

Felicia x

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