This week’s yarn is Tahki Yarn’s Sky. Sky is % 100 biofil cotton. Biofil is organic cotton yarn that is grown with no generic alteration, no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers or defoliants and is dyed using an eco-friendly low-impact process. Sky is part of the Terra collection by Tahki Yarns all of which are eco-friendly yarns. Many people are using eco friendly yarns as a way of promoting a “green” lifestyle. If you are interested in being more eco-friendly in your life, this is a great yarn for you.
Sky is a worsted weight cotton with 92 yards per ball and would be perfect for a summer sweater, shell or child’s garment. It is incredibly soft and comes in seven beautiful colors, all of which we have in stock at the store.
We have a lovely sample of how this yarn behaves when knit up at the store, a lacy vest made from Sky in color #3 Cherry blossom which shows off the yarn’s great stitch definition and crisp look. It looks great over the black strappy dress at the store but would also look good with jeans over a white t-shirt or tank top. It’s a very versatile piece. The vest is from the Terra Collection by Tahki Yarns Spring/Summer 2008 Collection.
Come check it out for yourself!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Question of the Week 5-22-08
Question of the Week for May 22nd 2008
Let’s continue with our discussion of last week’s question:
“There are so many fibers like wool, cotton, and even bamboo as well as blends of fibers available in yarn, how do I choose the right one for my project?”
Last week we discussed bamboo fiber. This week we will discuss cotton yarn. Cotton fibers have been used in garments for many years and cotton yarns have a wide variety of manufacturers as well as uses.
Cotton yarn is great to use for summer and winter projects, especially if the wearer tends to run warm. A worsted or bulky weight cotton sweater will make a garment that will keep you warm in the spring and fall as well as cool summer nights, and a light worsted, DK, or sport weight yarn can make a garment that is perfect for keeping cool in the summer months. Another plus of cotton is it’s easy to care for; usually you can wash and dry it making it ideal for child and baby garments. Cotton is very absorbent and is perfect for making washcloths, bathmats and baby bibs. Cottons are also great for those who have wool sensitivities or allergies
Cotton’s cons: as we’ve said before, all fibers have their cons. Cotton can be inelastic to knit with and can show an imperfection in one’s knitting. Knitted cotton garments have been known to stretch so it’s important to keep that in mind when choosing a pattern. It’s a very good idea to wash your swatch when using a cotton yarn for a garment so you can see what’s going to happen. To lessen these “cons” consider a yarn that has a blend of fibers, manufacturers have been spinning cotton and other fibers together to make fabulous yarns. A great example is a 50% cotton 50% wool mix. The wool will keep the cotton from stretching and the cotton will help keep you from overheating!
Come on into the store so we can show you all of our cotton and cotton blend yarns!
See you soon!
Let’s continue with our discussion of last week’s question:
“There are so many fibers like wool, cotton, and even bamboo as well as blends of fibers available in yarn, how do I choose the right one for my project?”
Last week we discussed bamboo fiber. This week we will discuss cotton yarn. Cotton fibers have been used in garments for many years and cotton yarns have a wide variety of manufacturers as well as uses.
Cotton yarn is great to use for summer and winter projects, especially if the wearer tends to run warm. A worsted or bulky weight cotton sweater will make a garment that will keep you warm in the spring and fall as well as cool summer nights, and a light worsted, DK, or sport weight yarn can make a garment that is perfect for keeping cool in the summer months. Another plus of cotton is it’s easy to care for; usually you can wash and dry it making it ideal for child and baby garments. Cotton is very absorbent and is perfect for making washcloths, bathmats and baby bibs. Cottons are also great for those who have wool sensitivities or allergies
Cotton’s cons: as we’ve said before, all fibers have their cons. Cotton can be inelastic to knit with and can show an imperfection in one’s knitting. Knitted cotton garments have been known to stretch so it’s important to keep that in mind when choosing a pattern. It’s a very good idea to wash your swatch when using a cotton yarn for a garment so you can see what’s going to happen. To lessen these “cons” consider a yarn that has a blend of fibers, manufacturers have been spinning cotton and other fibers together to make fabulous yarns. A great example is a 50% cotton 50% wool mix. The wool will keep the cotton from stretching and the cotton will help keep you from overheating!
Come on into the store so we can show you all of our cotton and cotton blend yarns!
See you soon!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Yarn of the week 5/20/08
This week’s yarn of the week is Classic Elite’s Soft Linen. This beautiful yarn is made up of 30% Baby Alpaca, 35% Wool, and 35% Linen.
Never worked with linen before? Soft Linen is a great introduction into knitting with linen fibers. Linen is strong, 2-3 times stronger than cotton. It has very little elasticity so it will not stretch. Adding wool and alpaca to the linen makes the fiber more elastic while the linen gives the fabric durability. The linen will get softer and softer the more it is washed making any garment made from this yarn very special. The mix of linen and wool is an especially good idea for knitting garments that work with our ever changeable weather here in the Pacific Northwest. The linen is able to breathe and keep your temperature down while the wool keeps you warm.
Clara over at Knitter’s Review highlighted the Soft Linen a few months ago and loved the yarn; check out what she has to say.
We are well stocked in seven of the rich colors this yarn is available in. This is one yarn you must see for yourself in the store; you will not be disappointed!
Never worked with linen before? Soft Linen is a great introduction into knitting with linen fibers. Linen is strong, 2-3 times stronger than cotton. It has very little elasticity so it will not stretch. Adding wool and alpaca to the linen makes the fiber more elastic while the linen gives the fabric durability. The linen will get softer and softer the more it is washed making any garment made from this yarn very special. The mix of linen and wool is an especially good idea for knitting garments that work with our ever changeable weather here in the Pacific Northwest. The linen is able to breathe and keep your temperature down while the wool keeps you warm.
Clara over at Knitter’s Review highlighted the Soft Linen a few months ago and loved the yarn; check out what she has to say.
We are well stocked in seven of the rich colors this yarn is available in. This is one yarn you must see for yourself in the store; you will not be disappointed!
Purl of the Week for Saturday May 17, 2008
This week’s Purl is our Pattern Alteration Class
Have you ever finished a sweater or other garment and found that it didn’t fit you at all? Maybe the armholes were too small or big; maybe it was too tight across your chest or so big it made you gain 10 pounds when you put it on. Did you swear never to knit another sweater? Did you think that your knitting days were numbered? We’ve all been there. It takes practice to read a knitting pattern to discern what size the medium will actually turn out to be.
We here at Cultured Purls have not only struggled through the same problems you have with patterns but in our brilliance we have come up with solutions! The first is a Pattern Alteration class . It will take place Saturday June 6th and 28th from 3:00 -5:00. This class will be suitable for beginning to intermediate knitters with some experience knitting from a pattern. In order to get the most out of the class you must be able to knit and purl as well as increase and decrease.
The second solution to your knitting woes is our Project Central groups. In Project Central you get instructor help with whatever it is you are working on. So, you could get all of your questions answered, learn new techniques, see what other knitters are working on and make some new knitting friends! Project Central runs from 10-12 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Stop by or call us at the store for more information.
Hope to see you soon!
Have you ever finished a sweater or other garment and found that it didn’t fit you at all? Maybe the armholes were too small or big; maybe it was too tight across your chest or so big it made you gain 10 pounds when you put it on. Did you swear never to knit another sweater? Did you think that your knitting days were numbered? We’ve all been there. It takes practice to read a knitting pattern to discern what size the medium will actually turn out to be.
We here at Cultured Purls have not only struggled through the same problems you have with patterns but in our brilliance we have come up with solutions! The first is a Pattern Alteration class . It will take place Saturday June 6th and 28th from 3:00 -5:00. This class will be suitable for beginning to intermediate knitters with some experience knitting from a pattern. In order to get the most out of the class you must be able to knit and purl as well as increase and decrease.
The second solution to your knitting woes is our Project Central groups. In Project Central you get instructor help with whatever it is you are working on. So, you could get all of your questions answered, learn new techniques, see what other knitters are working on and make some new knitting friends! Project Central runs from 10-12 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Stop by or call us at the store for more information.
Hope to see you soon!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
May 15th Question of the week
Question of the week
“There are so many fibers like wool, cotton, and even bamboo as well as blends of fibers available in yarn, how do I choose the right one for my project?”
Let’s start with Bamboo yarn since the yarn of the week was a bamboo blend. Bamboo is a relatively new fiber for the knitting world and we get a lot of questions about it in the store. One hundred percent bamboo fiber is very drapey and usually has a sheen which makes it a great choice for a project that will be worn in the summer or warm climate. It also has anti-bacterial properties that make it more breathable than cotton and it resists odor which makes it a great addition for socks and tops! If you are looking for environmental sustainability in your yarns, bamboo yarn is often milled from left over bamboo product such as chopsticks and the bamboo plant can be harvested without killing the plant.
Some of the potential ‘cons’ of bamboo (there are “cons” for every fiber, that’s why there are so many, something for everyone!) is that a garment made from 100% bamboo can stretch. One way to overcome this would be to knit the yarn at a slightly tighter gauge, allowing that the fabric will stretch.
A great way to get all of the positive effects of bamboo yarn and eliminate some of the negatives is to use a bamboo blend such as bamboo and wool or bamboo and cotton. The wool can keep the fabric from stretching and the bamboo makes the yarn drapey and moisture-wicking for the perfect summer or warm weather garment.
We will discuss other fibers in upcoming question of the week so stay tuned.
“There are so many fibers like wool, cotton, and even bamboo as well as blends of fibers available in yarn, how do I choose the right one for my project?”
Let’s start with Bamboo yarn since the yarn of the week was a bamboo blend. Bamboo is a relatively new fiber for the knitting world and we get a lot of questions about it in the store. One hundred percent bamboo fiber is very drapey and usually has a sheen which makes it a great choice for a project that will be worn in the summer or warm climate. It also has anti-bacterial properties that make it more breathable than cotton and it resists odor which makes it a great addition for socks and tops! If you are looking for environmental sustainability in your yarns, bamboo yarn is often milled from left over bamboo product such as chopsticks and the bamboo plant can be harvested without killing the plant.
Some of the potential ‘cons’ of bamboo (there are “cons” for every fiber, that’s why there are so many, something for everyone!) is that a garment made from 100% bamboo can stretch. One way to overcome this would be to knit the yarn at a slightly tighter gauge, allowing that the fabric will stretch.
A great way to get all of the positive effects of bamboo yarn and eliminate some of the negatives is to use a bamboo blend such as bamboo and wool or bamboo and cotton. The wool can keep the fabric from stretching and the bamboo makes the yarn drapey and moisture-wicking for the perfect summer or warm weather garment.
We will discuss other fibers in upcoming question of the week so stay tuned.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Yarn of the Week
On Tuesdays we are going to feature a yarn of the week. The chosen yarn may be something we have just received and want to highlight or a yarn that we have used and love and want you to love, too. We carry so many varieties that when you are in the store, it can be easy to overlook something amazing. We hope that the yarn of the week will be educational, informative and fun! Please leave comments with what you would like to see in yarn of the week or questions about the specific yarn in the post.
The yarn of the week this week is Debbie Bliss Prima. New for spring 2008 Prima is a wonderful blend of 80% Bamboo and 20% merino with a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch on a US 6 needle and at 110 yards, it would be fabulous in your spring or summer DK weight project. This is also an easy care yarn. The label instructs you to machine wash cold and dry flat – no problem in the summer!
Prima has a slight sheen to it and will create a fabric that drapes without clinging and feels so soft next to your skin. The merino bamboo blend is perfect for a spring or summer garment, as the bamboo will keep you cool while the wool will help the garment keep its shape over time.
We also have the Debbie Bliss Prima Book in stock which has 12 beautiful patterns for women featuring Prima yarn. We have all 16 colors of Prima in stock right now for you to choose from. This yarn is a must see, come on in and ask us to tell you more about it!
The yarn of the week this week is Debbie Bliss Prima. New for spring 2008 Prima is a wonderful blend of 80% Bamboo and 20% merino with a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch on a US 6 needle and at 110 yards, it would be fabulous in your spring or summer DK weight project. This is also an easy care yarn. The label instructs you to machine wash cold and dry flat – no problem in the summer!
Prima has a slight sheen to it and will create a fabric that drapes without clinging and feels so soft next to your skin. The merino bamboo blend is perfect for a spring or summer garment, as the bamboo will keep you cool while the wool will help the garment keep its shape over time.
We also have the Debbie Bliss Prima Book in stock which has 12 beautiful patterns for women featuring Prima yarn. We have all 16 colors of Prima in stock right now for you to choose from. This yarn is a must see, come on in and ask us to tell you more about it!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Two Purls of the Week
The Purl of the Week will appear each Saturday highlighting something special we have to share with you in the store. This week’s purl is actually two. We received two great books this week, Knits So Fine and Cable Confidence and instead of choosing one over the other, you get to read about both!
Knit So Fine, published by Interweave Press and written by Lisa R. Meyers, Laura Grutzeck, and Carol Sulcoski, focuses beautifully on knits designed with lighter weights of yarn. Before you think to yourself that you would never, ever knit with anything less than a DK weight, check this book out. The authors have included twelve pages of information discussing why lighter weights of yarn drape more beautifully, show stitches such as lace patterns better, and are more flattering to the body.
Still not convinced, and in love with your size 10 needles and bulky weight yarns? Check out the pictures of a Barbie in two dresses, one with chunky yarn and one with a fine weight yarn. It was enough to make me take a second look at the book.
Connecting to our question of the week last week, there is a section on how to substitute yarns that provides more in-depth information about fiber content and drape rather than just gauge. Good reading as well as pretty patterns.
Cable Confidence is published by Martingale and Co. and is by Sara Louise Harper. This book has very handsome cabled sweaters for men, women and children, too. What's great about this book are the introductory pages that will make you confident in knitting a cabled sweater. These pages have very clear "how to" pictures for cables and well-written information on how to read charts. The techniques page has great pictures for seaming, binding off, and weaving in yarns that most books just assume you know.
The patterns themselves range from simple to intricate and has something for everyone. Definitely a must-see book.
Come by the store to check out both books! See you soon.
Knit So Fine, published by Interweave Press and written by Lisa R. Meyers, Laura Grutzeck, and Carol Sulcoski, focuses beautifully on knits designed with lighter weights of yarn. Before you think to yourself that you would never, ever knit with anything less than a DK weight, check this book out. The authors have included twelve pages of information discussing why lighter weights of yarn drape more beautifully, show stitches such as lace patterns better, and are more flattering to the body.
Still not convinced, and in love with your size 10 needles and bulky weight yarns? Check out the pictures of a Barbie in two dresses, one with chunky yarn and one with a fine weight yarn. It was enough to make me take a second look at the book.
Connecting to our question of the week last week, there is a section on how to substitute yarns that provides more in-depth information about fiber content and drape rather than just gauge. Good reading as well as pretty patterns.
Cable Confidence is published by Martingale and Co. and is by Sara Louise Harper. This book has very handsome cabled sweaters for men, women and children, too. What's great about this book are the introductory pages that will make you confident in knitting a cabled sweater. These pages have very clear "how to" pictures for cables and well-written information on how to read charts. The techniques page has great pictures for seaming, binding off, and weaving in yarns that most books just assume you know.
The patterns themselves range from simple to intricate and has something for everyone. Definitely a must-see book.
Come by the store to check out both books! See you soon.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Cultured Question of the Week
From a Chinese Proverb: One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.
We love questions here at Cultured Purls. Questions are what make us all better learners. With knitting there is always more to learn, therefore always more questions to be asked! On Thursdays we will be answering the most asked questions that we get in the store, over e-mail and hopefully from the blog comments. These questions could be about knitting technique, yarn, the world of knitting, and pattern reading. They will vary between beginning and advanced so stay tuned!
So here's today's question which we get a lot in the store:
"What's the difference between yarn weights?"
Good question! Here is a great link to the Yarn Standards and Guidelines for Knitting and Crochet. These are only guidelines of course, but provide practical use for you in your knitting or crochet life.
Here's an example. Let's say I want to knit from a pattern that calls for a gauge of 18 sts & 24 rows. I'm not sure I want to use the yarn the pattern calls for, so what now? Referring back to the Guidelines I see that 18 sts (sts is knit-glish for stitches) falls into the medium or worsted weight category of yarn. Therefore when I am ready to buy my yarn, I know that it needs to be a medium or worsted weight yarn. Yarn labels have suggested sts per inch on the label (though sometimes in metric) and for this particular project I would be looking for something in the range of 16-20 sts per inch on a US needles size 7-9 according the guidelines. It is a fantastic idea to download and print the guidelines for your personal use. Don't be afraid to bring them into the store for more detailed answers as well as examples. Remember, we were all newer knitters once!
You always (always, there is no getting around this if you want your project to turn out like the picture or example) need to make a swatch for your knitting or crochet project to make sure that it's the right size for your pattern. Try various sizes of needles to get the right sts per inch and rows per inch. We will address more about gauge swatching next week!
We love questions here at Cultured Purls. Questions are what make us all better learners. With knitting there is always more to learn, therefore always more questions to be asked! On Thursdays we will be answering the most asked questions that we get in the store, over e-mail and hopefully from the blog comments. These questions could be about knitting technique, yarn, the world of knitting, and pattern reading. They will vary between beginning and advanced so stay tuned!
So here's today's question which we get a lot in the store:
"What's the difference between yarn weights?"
Good question! Here is a great link to the Yarn Standards and Guidelines for Knitting and Crochet. These are only guidelines of course, but provide practical use for you in your knitting or crochet life.
Here's an example. Let's say I want to knit from a pattern that calls for a gauge of 18 sts & 24 rows. I'm not sure I want to use the yarn the pattern calls for, so what now? Referring back to the Guidelines I see that 18 sts (sts is knit-glish for stitches) falls into the medium or worsted weight category of yarn. Therefore when I am ready to buy my yarn, I know that it needs to be a medium or worsted weight yarn. Yarn labels have suggested sts per inch on the label (though sometimes in metric) and for this particular project I would be looking for something in the range of 16-20 sts per inch on a US needles size 7-9 according the guidelines. It is a fantastic idea to download and print the guidelines for your personal use. Don't be afraid to bring them into the store for more detailed answers as well as examples. Remember, we were all newer knitters once!
You always (always, there is no getting around this if you want your project to turn out like the picture or example) need to make a swatch for your knitting or crochet project to make sure that it's the right size for your pattern. Try various sizes of needles to get the right sts per inch and rows per inch. We will address more about gauge swatching next week!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to the new Cultured Purls Blog! We have been receiving so many new yarns as well as new books and needles this spring, we wanted to find a way to keep our customers updated as often as possible. We hope to use this blog to let you know about new yarns that have come into the store, answer your burning knitting questions and highlight some of the wonderful knitting being done by our customers and staff too!
Tuesdays will be Cultured Yarn of the week. We will highlight a new yarn we have received or a yarn that we may have received earlier in the season that we think is fantastic!
Thursdays will be Cultured Question of the week. We get so many questions both in the store and by e-mail that are smart and well thought-out and we want to share the answers. We will answer questions about yarn, technique, knit-glish (the language of knitting), and any of your other burning questions pertaining to the store, Gilman Village, Issaquah, and the world of knitting in general!
Saturdays will be the Purl of the week. This post will be about a new book that's come into the store, maybe a new website to check out, exciting news in the store or even customer FO's (finished objects)!
We are looking forward to sharing with you! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments area or just say hi! You can also send pictures of your knitting to our e-mail info@cultured-purls.com with blog in the subject line.
Tuesdays will be Cultured Yarn of the week. We will highlight a new yarn we have received or a yarn that we may have received earlier in the season that we think is fantastic!
Thursdays will be Cultured Question of the week. We get so many questions both in the store and by e-mail that are smart and well thought-out and we want to share the answers. We will answer questions about yarn, technique, knit-glish (the language of knitting), and any of your other burning questions pertaining to the store, Gilman Village, Issaquah, and the world of knitting in general!
Saturdays will be the Purl of the week. This post will be about a new book that's come into the store, maybe a new website to check out, exciting news in the store or even customer FO's (finished objects)!
We are looking forward to sharing with you! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments area or just say hi! You can also send pictures of your knitting to our e-mail info@cultured-purls.com with blog in the subject line.
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