Sunday, October 28, 2007

Tahki Torino, Berroco Pure Merino, Karabella Aurora 8


I finally got to test drive the Tahki Torino. I tried the regular Torino and not the Torino Bulky.
IN the pic are a strand of Berroco Pure Merino (light grey) , Berroco Pure Merino Heathers (dark grey), Tahki Torino (red), and Karabella Aurora 8 (pink).
The Torino looks like it should knit up to a different gauge than the other three, but all three have 4.5 as the suggest stotckinette stitch gauge. However both Berroco yarns suggest using a US9 (5.5mm) while the Karabella suggests using a US 7- 8 (4.5 - 5 mm) and the Tahki suggest using a US8 (5mm). I got the suggest gauge of 4.5 sts on a US 4 (3.5 mm) needle for all four yarns. Kathy at the Colonial Yarn Shop says that a yarn that suggests getting a gauge of 4.5 stitches on an US 8 will knit up differently than a yarn that suggests the same gauge but on a US 9 or US 7. I think fiber, ply and twist are far more important to yarn substitutions than what is printed on the ball band.
All four are irrestringibile (meaning they will not felt). All four did not change gauge after washing and blocking. All four are wonderful to work with, producing nice crisp cables and stitch definition. All four average about $7.50 - $8.50 per ball. All four come in 50 gram balls.
Here are the differences:
Karabella gives you 98 yards per ball. Tahki gives you 94 yards per ball. Berroco gives you 92 yards per ball.
Pure Merino Heather was the least soft of the three. Slightly dry feeling, but still very soft. Karabella was the slickest of the three (would not want to use it for anything that was to be steeked). PLain Pure Merino and Tahki were about the same in feeling.
Tahki Torino was the most loosely twisted, and sometimes the plys came apart. It was the easiest to accidently snag a loose strand. Tahki Torino also had the most loose fibers, not enough to produce a true halo, but just a little bit more fuzz than the Karabella Aurora 8 and Berroco Pure Merino and Pure Merino Heather.
Tahki Torino had the most drape of the three yarns. I could see how if I had to choose between the three yarns for a heavily cabled sweater I would choose the Torino. It would be the least dense and heavy. Maybe the loft of the yarn explains how it looks thicker than the other three, and knits up drapier. The Karabella Aurora 8
Berroco Pure Merino Heather and PUre Merino were the most tightly twisted, and the most dense feeling. The two Berroco's knitted up to a dense solid feeling yarn. For something that needs structure I would choose one of the Berrocos.
In any case if I had a pattern for either Karabella Aurora 8, Tahki Torino, Berroco Pure Merino, or Berroco Pure Merino Heather I would not hesitate to interchange or substitute any of these yarns for each other. They are all lovely cabled merinos.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

swatching for Suzannah's sweater


Suzannah picked out the Wonderful wool by Steadfast Fibers for her picture day 2008 sweater. Label suggests 4 sts per inch. I swatched on a 4.5 mm and got 3.75 sts per inch. Then I swatched on a 3.75 mm and got 4.5 stitches per inch.


Why did I jump from 4.5mm needles to 3.75mm needles and skip the size 4.00mm needles? Becuase the swatch on the 4.5mm needles biassed like crazy. It leaned like all the stitches were italicized. I read in Clara Parkes' wonderful book The KNitters Guide to Yarn a suggestion to knit single ply yarns at a tighter gauge to try to conteract the bias. That is why I skipped the size 4.00mm needles.


However, even at the tighter gauge once the swatch was washed a blocked it had a definite bias. Not as bad as the looser swatch, but there is definitely some leaning going on. Darn it!
What do I do now. Suzannah has said she doesn't want any lumpie bumpies on her sweater. Yet she has choosen this single ply that will bias in stockinette. Do I substitute another yarn or do I add some purl and knit patterns, or do I just knit a sweater that leans?
If you notice in the middle of the swatch above I slipped in some seed stitch. First to test Suzannah to see if she likes the seed stitch and to test myself to see how long I could stand knitting seed stitch. I detest seed stitch. Even though seed stitch cancelled the bias, I can't bring myself to designing an entire sweater out of seed stitch.
Gotta sleep on it.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Comparing Cabled Merinos

I've been swatching my lonely single ball of Berroco Pure Merino Heather all day yesterday. KNitting with it was absolutely addictive. I couldn't put the needles or the yarn down. Berroco has some real winners of yarn with their Comfort (a machine washable acrylic that is ab fab), Ultra Alpaca (a wool alpaca blend that takes away the problems that comes with 100% alpaca), and Pure Merino. If I were stuck on a desert island and could only have access to two commercial yarn companies it would be Noro and Berroco.

So far I've tried three cabled spun merinos: Baruffa's Merino Sei, Berroco's PUre Merino Heather, and Karabella's Aurora 8. THe three have multiple plies spun in a twist that is almost perpendicular to the yarn - which I've learned from reading Clara Parkes new book The KNitters BOok of Yarn is called cabled yarns.

All three are very soft and non-felting. The Aurora 8 is very slick, almost like it was coated with Teflon. THe yarn does not want to stay in a neat and tidy ball. I remember seeing the display at the Wooly Lamb and seeing a jumbled mess of Aurora 8 in the bin. Now that I have a few balls at home I've discovered that in the night Aurora 8 likes to turn itself into a jumbled tangled mess. Knitting the Aurora 8 was also a slippery experience. One the addi turbos I kept dropping stitches left and right. I did much better on Addi Naturas with the Aurora 8. The finished fabric was light and the stitches were very even. THere was no change in gauge after washing.

The Merino Sei had a definite change in gauge after washing. It was less slick than the Aurora 8. O.k. so the Merino sei has a different suggested gauge than the Pure Merino and the Aurora 8. But I like comparing the three since they have the same kind of wool and the same kind of construction. Of the three the Merino Sei was the most spongy and had the most elasticity. I'll bet that Merino Sei's bigger brother Merino Otto has the same properties.

Pure Merino Heather was the least slick of the three. It had just a tad bit of grab on the needles. I won't say it was scratchy feeling, just a little drier feeling. Berroco has three versions of its Pure Merino yarn. ONe is the Pure Merino, then there is Pure Merino Heather, and lastly there is Pure Merino Nuance. I don't know if the difference between the three is only in color or not. I'm wondering if the Pure Merino is a little less dry feeling than the Pure Merino Heather. Will have to find out.

Since I've gotten to the point that I'm sick of felting and have more than enough felted bags/totes lying around the house, I'd be happy to trade all the left over skeins of Cascade 220 I have stored for more of the Berroco Pure Merino and the Baruffa Merino sei.

I'm totally jealous of Jane Slicer-Smith and Nora Gaughan, not only for their amazing vision and talent as knitwear designers, but also because I imagine that with their jobs that they must have unlimited access to the Berroco and the Baruffa yarns. I wish I could have a full bag of every color of those two yarns (plus more time to knit it all).

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Stitches East 2007

Stitches East 2007 was a blast. I went to the convention in Baltimore for three days and two nights with my friends Tracie and Rae Ann. ALso had the oppurtunity to meet up for dinner with Barbara Rutt one night and with Melanie Brown the other night. It was knit talk all night. We talked for hours just about knitting. Being at Stitches made you feel like you could knit anything and had all the time in the world to knit. It was tempting to buy too much yarn.


I took one class : Seven Principles for Perfect Sweater by Sally Melville. Loved the class. Even though many of the principles were techniques I already knew, there were also some techniques that I didn't know. The class was worth every penny. Most of the things Sally went over in class are covered in her Knitting Experience books. But it really made a difference to hear it and see it, rather than just to read about it. I wish the next book in her series would get published soon. But I've heard rumors that it may never get published.


For the class swatched I used Paton's Classic Merino. Using size 3.5 mm I got 19.5 stitches for a 4 inch square. Here is a picture of my class swatch complete with the excercise on picking up stitches and button holes. I like Paton's Classic Merino. It is a good basic yarn. Readily available at Joann Fabrics. Not real exciting, but not too bad either. Definitely the best thing going at the chain stores.
Then while at Stitches I fell in love with a Jane Slicer-Smith mitred (mitered?) pattern and had to have it. I bought the pattern and the yarn at the Great Yarns Booth. It was my biggest purchase out side of the cochenille software I also purchased. THe yarn for the mitred pattern is Baruffa's Merino Sei. It is the same type of wool as Paton's Classic Merino, but what a difference. They are as different as apples and oranges.
Here is my first swatch of Merino Sei. Becuase it is many more plys than the Paton's it is easier to accidently snag just one ply. But it is also loftier and springier. The gauge also changed drastically after washing and blocking. Before blocking I got 5 stitches per inch on a 3.75 mm, 5.5 stitches on a 3.5 mm and 6 stitches on a 3.25 mm. After washing the yarn bloomed and I then got 4.5 stitches on a 3.75mm , 5 on a 3.5mm and 5.5 on a 3.25 mm. Over all a very lovely yarn. I'd like to have a full bag of this in every color. Can't really afford that. So for now I'll be content with the 18 balls I purchased at Stitches. THe Merino Seit is also a superwash merino - so it isn't feltable.
So if I had to pick between the Merino Sei and the Classic Merino for a project which would I pick? Well definitely the Classic Merino if I'm going to felt it. Outside of that consideration, as long as my budget allows I'd pick Merino Sei any day.

Monday, October 8, 2007

I took out four yarns from my stash for Suzannah's sweater. Like Goldilocks selecting which porridge to devour, Suzannah proclaimed that one was too orangey, one was too greeny, one was too scratchy, and one was too yellow.


Here is a picture of the rejects. I've removed the labels to protect the innocent.


I've been so good for the past month: only knitting from my stash and buying very little new yarn.


I had to break the only knit from my stash for Suzannah. She picked out this yarn by Steadfast Fibers in Lemon Ice. My 4 year old has proclaimed this yarn to be the perfect yarn for her sweater, both in color and softness.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Every year I knit a sweater for my kids' school picture day. I started this with my son when he was three. He is now 8.



Last year was the first year that I let him pick out the yarn for his picture day sweater. I made his sweater out of Noro Shinano with a stripe of Schaefer Miss Priss in the middle. It was a great sweater.



This year he requested a vest and picked out some Noro Silk Garden. I have to have his vest done by November 1. Not a problem. I'm doing it in the round using the color he picked out for two rows and a contrasting Noro Silk Garden for two rows. I'm about 4 inches from where I need to separate the front and backs. Easy peasy.



Now 4 year old Suzannah has been expressing her wishes for her picture day sweater. Maybe it is because she is my youngest child and I treat her more like a baby that it didn't occur to me to ask her opinion. Last year she requested a yellow sweater and I made her a purple sweater. This year she requested a yellow sweater again. She even drew a picture of what she wants her sweater to look like and told me that she wants a yellow sweater, with buttons on the front, that comes down to just before her fingers, a round neck, no lumpy parts and no cats!

Now I'm trying to figure out what she means by no lumpy parts. Does she mean that she doesn't like yarn that is thick and thin like Colinette Point 5? Or does she mean that she doesn't like textured stitch patterns? Or is it cables she dislikes? Or maybe entrelac? Hmm.

I know why she specified "no cats". I showed her a picture of the child's Kitty Cat Pullover by Vermont Fiber Designs. http://www.vermontfiberdesigns.com/patterns/children/506.php
I think it is a really great design. I love the graphic simplicity of it. I was thinking it would look great with a grey background and then for the cat using a handpainted primary colors yarn (specifically Schaefer Yarns Miss Priss in the Sprinkles colorway) . Then there was another sweater in the 2001 Vogue Knitting Special Kids issue with a cat on it. Again a really cute design; the cat was done in an angora yarn to give the illusion of fur. Suzannah didn't like either sweater. Sure surprised me.

I asked my friend RaeAnn if I should knit Suzannah her yellow sweater, or the sweater I want to knit. RaeAnn has college age children. She said that her kids will remember incidents that she thought was trivial at the time and they will bring it up as something that really shaped their attitudes and personality. She warned that years from now Suzannah might point to the fact that I didn't knit her the yellow sweater that she wanted at age 4 will some how be a pivotal point in our mother daughter relationship.

So now next week I'll be at Stitches East and my mission there will be to find the perfect yellow yarn for Suzannah's picture day sweater. Luckily her picture day isn't until March. So I have time still to ferret out exactly what she is expecting from this sweater. Already she has told me that two of the skeins of Cascade 220 in my stash were the wrong shade of yellow.

All this is coming from a little girl who's first word as a baby was "shoes" and when given the choice between new shoes or a new toy will pick new shoes. Is this what fashion designers are like as children?