Mobius from Cast On to Bind Off

Week 18 = Mobius from Cast On to Bind Off
Day 1 = April 30, 2014

Photo courtesy of Lion Brand

Be sure to read to the very end as I have a surprise for you!

     This week we are going to dig deep into the "True" Mobius from design ideas to cast on to bind off. Plus, if the knitting fairies are with me, fingers and toes crossed, I will have a finished project for you to see on Tuesday. As you see above, I wrote "True"... let me explain. You can make any straight scarf, cowl, shrug and so on into a Mobius by giving one end a half-twist then stitching together the ends. This creates the Mobius effect, also known as Infinity. Infinity is more commonly used when the item is not a "True" Mobius. A "True" Mobius is knit in the round from the center of the project out. This means the you will have 1 continuous path and 1 edge when you are done. I will have several examples and explanations throughout the week to help, if you do not understand.

Photo courtesy of Frayed at the Edges

     About 1-1/2 months ago I got a book, Cast On, Bind Off: 54 Step-by-Step Methods, from the library.

Picture courtesy of Amazon.com



     I was fascinated with the Mobius cast on and immediately found some spare yarn and the longest circular knitting needles I had in the house. The needles were clunky and the points were way too long for a Mobius, but I forged ahead and realized I was in love with the Mobius. So of course I ripped out all that I had just done and waited until I had found the perfect yarn and needles. This is one of the few projects where there are right and wrong knitting needles to use.

     Throughout this week I will talk about the history of the Mobius and where it originated. I will show you 2 different cast ons and which I prefer. I will discuss with you pattern ideas and more. Tonight I will start by showing you the materials that I will be using for my Mobius Shrug. Pictured below are the 4 skeins of LYDIA's Cuddle line in the colorway Grandma's Couch which I told you last night I bought out. Also in the pictures are size 10.5 US, 60" circular knitting needles.

Original Hanks with labels before they were wound into yarn cakes.

 

 My supplies, 4 yarn cakes and knitting needles.

 

I spy a yarn cuddler!
All 3 photos courtesy of Savery Knitting

     Now onto my surprise! Today's post marks the 4th consecutive month of my blogging daily on Savery Knitting. That is 120 days in a row of posting on the blog. So I wanted to start a new tradition. I will randomly pick one week of every month and offer a free knitting related giveaway (see rules of the giveaway).

~~~~~ MAY GIVEAWAY~~~~~

 1 Hank of LYDIA's Delight in Oyster Shell

Delight: 1 ply yarn – 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Silk

Light Fingering Weight

400 yards/100 grams

Colorway - Oyster Shell 

How to enter:
Answer the Knitting question of the day by leaving a comment on the blog below.

Rules of the Giveaway:

• The giveaway opens with this April 30th, 2014 blog being posted and ends on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at noon.
• You can enter 7 times, once for each of this week's 7 blogs.
• Only one comment per blog day will count.
• All comments must be entered on this blog. Leaving a comment on Facebook does NOT count.
• Only people from the United States will qualify for the giveaway.
• You must leave an email address or Ravelry ID with your comment in order to be contacted should you win.
• Email subscribers: Email me at saveryknitting@outlook.com with your name/contact information, date of blog and your answer to the question and I will post it on the blog as your entry.

ENJOY!

Knitting question of the day

What have you heard about a "True" Mobius?

Mobius Knitting,

Victoria

LYDIA

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns
Day 7 = April 29, 2014


     In every knitting circle there are a few knitters who design their own patterns and ask their friends to test knit them. This is a common occurrence in knitting circles. What is a little different is when a friend starts her own luxury yarn company and you get to play with deliciously lovely, hand dyed yarns.


     LYDIA (Luxury Yarn Dyed In America) is the dream and hard work of my friend, Angela Cline. Last week Angela did a wonderful 2 part interview with our friend, Tamara Goff of KnitOasis. Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2. I can see that this is the first of many interviews to come for LYDIA.


     LYDIA has a shop on Etsy where you can purchase their yarns. Here's the web address: www.etsy.com/shop/LYDIAyarn. There are 5 lines of yarn that LYDIA carries and I will show and tell you about all of them. Going alphabetically, first we have Angel which is 40% Alpaca, 40% Wool, 20% Silk. It is a 1 ply, DK weight yarn with 252 yards/100 grams per hank. There are currently 2 colorways available for the Angel line:

          

Limeade                                           Spruce Tree

     Second we have Bliss which is 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon. It is a Sock weight (High-twist) yarn with 400 yards/100 grams per hank. There are currently 2 colorways available for the Bliss line:

         

Peacock                                                           Cool Water

     Third we have Cuddle which is 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon. It is a 1 ply, Bulky weight yarn with 82 yards/100 grams per hank. There were 2 colorways, but I bought out 1 of them, "Grandma's Couch". You will have to tune in to next week's blogs to see why. So, here is the 1 colorway available for the Cuddle line:

Mystic

     Fourth is Delight which is 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Silk. It is a 1 ply, Light Fingering weight yarn with 400 yards/100 grams per hank. I may have just bought a hank as a giveaway prize for next week, or maybe not... Check tomorrow's post to find out.  There is 1 colorway available in the Delight line:

Oyster Shell

     Fifth and last, but not least, we have Twist which is a 2 ply yarn – 1 ply Alpaca, 1 ply Merino. It is a Fingering weight yarn with 438 yards/100 grams per hank. There are 2 colorways available for the Twist line:

          

Lavender Sky                                                         Mint

     Just like some of the other independent yarn companies that I talked about this week, LYDIA dyes their yarn in single batches. This means that the yarn is not mass produced and therefore only a limited number of hanks/skeins are available for each colorway.  

Knitting question of the day

Which line of LYDIA would you like to knit with most?

***Email subscribers, email saveryknitting@outlook.com 

with your name, date of blog and answer to the

question and I will post it on the blog for you.***

Knitting with "Cuddle",

Victoria

Colors can equal luxury

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns
Day 6 = April 28, 2014

     One of the attributes that I did not list on Wednesday was color. Sometimes a vibrant color, a subtle hue, or the perfect mix of colors can greatly increase the luxury look of a yarn. Color can bring back a long lost childhood memory or make you smile.

     Dream in Color Yarns has some exquisite colors. They have 13 different yarn lines and 94 colors in just 1 line. Imagine the possibilities. All pictures are from the Dream in Color website. 

Everlasting Sock 8-ply

         

Victoria                                                            DayLily

Smooshy with Cashmere

         

Good Luck Jade                                               Butterpeeps      

Baby

         

November Muse                                            Milky Spite

     Expression Fiber Arts has a lovely array of colors and yarn bases. All pictures are from the Expression Fiber Arts website.

Yak Silk - Lace Weight                               Wool - Aran Weight

    

Popsicle Party                                                          Pink and Purple Peonies

Cashmere - Fingering Weight                             Silk - Sport Weight      

   

Turkish Taffy                                                     Mystical Mushrooms

Knitting question of the day

What is your favorite yarn and color?

***Email subscribers, email saveryknitting@outlook.com 

with your name, date of blog and answer to the

question and I will post it on the blog for you.***
 

Knitting Color,

Victoria

Cashmere and Silk

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns
Day 5 = April 27, 2014


     I am going to head back to the luxury attribute of fiber content. There are soooo many different luxury fibers out there that I could not just tell you about the 2 that I have experience with. I feel to be fair that I must give you more!


     First up we have Cashmere. Now, I felt cashmere for the first time today courtesy of Angela (my friend and owner of Lydia Yarn). It was so deliciously soft and just had a beautiful sheen to it. The picture below is from the YarnMarket.com website. The yarn brand is Stacy Charles, the yarn name is Ivy and it is 100% Cashmere. The Yarnmarket.com website says that "Ivy" yarn is SGS-certified as being produced with NO dyes or other harmful chemicals, so you're doing something good for the Earth too while indulging yourself. Beautifully crafted in Italy of 100% cashmere, "Ivy" also gives you a sensual knitting and crocheting experience."

100006 Cream

     Second, I have Silk for you. According to their website YarnMarket.com says, "We rely on Himalaya Yarns to bring us high-quality, exotic fibers at affordable prices, and their "Duke Silk" yarn surely fulfills our expectations. A beautiful, single ply fiber gem, solid-colored "Duke Silk" knits and crochets up as that versatile light worsted weight yarn for your year-round projects."

                   

SI006                                SI009                                  SI032

Knitting question of the day

What would you love to make with a hank/skein of luxury Silk yarn?

***Email subscribers, email saveryknitting@outlook.com 

with your name, date of blog and answer to the

question and I will post it on the blog for you.***

Knitting Silk,


Victoria

Beaded Yarns

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns
Day 4 = April 26, 2014


     Beads can add so much to a yarn. Now I am not talking about adding beads while you are knitting. I am talking about yarns that have beads already on it. They can add a little bit of flash or make a subtle statement.


     Artyarns has many beautiful colors of their Beaded Silk Light Yarn line. According to their website the yarn is a "exquisite beaded silk yarn that knits up into an absolute jewel of a garment. Use it in a knitted scarf, or as a trim on a garment using artyarns regal silk, and you will know the meaning of 'heirloom'. "

Picture from Artyarns website

    

     Latifi Silk is another lovely beaded yarn which is based in India. The range of color and glimmer of the beads makes for a very nice combination when knitting. I have not yet had a chance to knit with a beaded yarn, but I can imagine making a beautiful evening wrap for special events.

                   

LYTD110                            LYTD126                              LYTD125

Pictures from Latifi Silk website

Knitting question of the day

Have you ever knitted with a beaded yarn?

***Email subscribers, email saveryknitting@outlook.com 
with your name, date of blog and answer to the
question and I will post it on the blog for you.***

Beaded Knitting,

Victoria

Blue Heron Yarns and Aslan Trends

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns
Day 3 = April 25, 2014


     Tonight's luxury yarns have filament accents. Sometimes one strand of shiny filament added to a yarn makes it look that much better. Now put that filament with a quality yarn and you have Blue Heron Yarns and Aslan Trends.

         

        Marsh Grass                   Cardinal                      Tapestry/Copper

Pictures are all from BlueHeronYarns.com

    
     Blue Heron Yarns has many great types of yarns. Tonight I am going to focus on their Rayon Metallic line. This line also fits into the higher priced category as the hanks pictured above are $47.00 each for 550 yards on the Blue Heron Yarns website. I have one hank of this yarn that I bought as a present for myself a while ago and have been searching for the pattern that fits the yarn.

                             

Tango Red Gold          Purple Silver             Vintage Gold           Jungle Silver

Pictures are all from AslanTrends.com 

     I have made several cowls with these Aslan Trends yarns. The yarn knits up super quick and is perfect for a cowl. There are 110 yards in a hank and it is machine washable. They tote themselves as "Fantasy Luxury Yarn" on their labels.

Knitting question of the day

What is your favorite yarn that has a filament accent?

***Email subscribers, email saveryknitting@outlook.com 
with your name, date of blog and answer to the
question and I will post it on the blog for you.***

 

Knitting with Flare,


Victoria

Mink and Baby Alpaca

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns

Day 2 = April 24, 2014

***Email subscribers, please see note at bottom of  today's blog.***

     Today we are going to take on Luxury Yarns that have an awesome texture. This mean that the yarns are soft, they want to be petted and most of all they want to be made into something that will be either tight or against your skin. If you are a knitter, this is all normal to you. If not... oh well, your loss.

     First I have MINK! The yarn is delicately soft, the color has this beautiful sheen and it is a bit pricey (as you will see below). Last fall when I went to Stitches East in Hartford, CT, and I fell in love with a long flowing creamy beige coat at the Great Yarns booth. I talked with the Rep and found out that it was the Ribbed One Piece Rectangular Coat. My next question was, "What was it knit with because it was just so soft and gorgeous?" She told me that it was knit with 13 hanks of their Pure Elegance, which is 100% combed MINK. I gasped because the price of each hank was $25 for 330 yards. Now I love knitting but not enough to make a $325 coat, especially since I have a 1 and a 4 year old. So I bid the coat ado with a tear in my eye. But... before the end of the conference I went back and bought a skein of the Mink in color 17 - Burgundy Marl. Then my mom got me 2 skeins for Christmas. So I have 3 hanks of this lovely Mink waiting on me to decide what it is going to become.

     Second I have Baby Alpaca! As we know, just about any baby animal is super soft, fluffy and furry. So, it is only natural that one would eventually use the fur from said super soft baby animal and create yarn. Baby Alpaca is super soft, has a rich natural color and some brands are very affordable. Lion Brand Yarns has a line of yarn called the LB Collection. According to their website it features "A line of quality, premium fiber yarns, all at a reasonable price point."  The yarns are:

Angora Merino Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Baby Alpaca Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Cashmere Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Cotton Bamboo Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Organic Wool Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Pure Wool Knitting Patterns

Silk Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Silk Mohair Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Superwash Merino Crochet Patterns Knitting Patterns

Wool Stainless Steel      I have 3 skeins of the Baby Alpaca 2 in color #125 Fawn Heather and 1 in color #124 Tan. Each skein is 146 yards and I have a special project in mind for this beautiful yarn. As stated on their website, "The LB Collection is exclusively available through Lion Brand via LionBrand.com, the Lion Design catalog, the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in New York City, and the Lion Brand Yarn Outlet in Carlstadt, New Jersey. Because these yarns are specially made in small batches, these yarns are not available through any other retailer." So you will not be able to find it at your local yarn store. Knitting question of the day Which would you like to knit with more, Mink or Baby Alpaca? Knitting with Mink, Victoria *** Email subscribers, first of all thank you for signing up to receive my blog posts daily. I greatly appreciate the time you take to spend with me each day. I recently had a friend (this is for you :) Darla) ask about answering the question of the day. Email subscribers can't respond to the question because you are not technically on the web page. However, I have come up with a solution. Forward me the blog email with your name and answer at the top and I will be glad to post it online for you. This way you will qualify for some giveaways that I have planned starting next week. OOOPS, I let slip the secret for the end of the week. Darn.***

 

Luxury Yarns

Week 17 = Luxury Yarns
Day 1 = April 23, 2014

Aol Image

     There are many types of yarn out there for you to use. Normally you start knitting with bulk yarn. After a little while you venture into specialty yarn. Then you stumble upon the cream of the crop, Luxury Yarn. Maybe you find it at your local yarn shop or you see a friend knitting with it or you find an awesome independent yarn dyer online or you visit a knitting conference. No matter where you find it, you are in LOVE.


     This week I am going to journey into the world of Luxury Yarns. When you think of luxury yarns, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

• Sheen
• Beads
• Color
• Texture
• Weight
• Shine
• Fiber Content
• Filament Accents
• Hue
• Price

     These are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. Each day this week I will be picking a yarn or yarns that fit 1 or more items from the list. Keep up with my posts this week because at the end of my blog week (next Tuesday) I will have a surprise for you.

Knitting question of the day

When you think of luxury yarns, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Luxury Knitting,


Victoria

Websites with great help features.

Week 16 = Getting Help
Day 7 = April 22, 2014

Does this not look like a passionate knitter to you?

This is Staci of VeryPink.com (credit: Bryan Davis Photography)

     To conclude our week of help I have picked a few websites that have some great help features or sections. We have classes, tutorials, videos, how-to's and more.


     First we have a knitting constant for me, Craftsy.com. I love the online classes, patterns and everything else about the site. In regards to help, the online classes are the best. You can actually leave comments for the instructor and read all the things that other people have asked about, too. This is a huge bonus especially if you are trying something new.


     Second we have KnitWitch.com. Now, I just found this site tonight, but I love the variety of videos that they have (38 that I just counted). The videos are broken up into the following categories:

• Basic Techniques
• Advance Techniques
• Casting On
• Increases
• Decreases
• Binding Off
• Helpful Hints

     Third is VogueKnitting.com. They have a free resources section and online classes through Craftsy. They even have a page specifically called Pattern Help, which has 4 sub categories:

• How-to
• Charts
• Corrections
• Pattern Help Desk

     The fourth is Craft Yarn Council. These are the same people that I am getting my certification from. They have a section on getting started that has written (with pictures) how to's on several stitches.  Another section that I like is their forums section. As of this posting there were 710 topics with 2,128 posts. The part that I like best is the helpful resources section which gives you a list of companies, websites, books, etc.


     Fifth and finally we have VeryPink.com. Staci (of Very Pink, see picture at top of page) is brilliant and has gotten the art of the video tutorial down to a science. I have watched several of her videos on patterns that I had already purchased. I got so involved I couldn't even wait until the end to start knitting with her.

Knitting question of the day

What websites have you used for help?

Very Pink Knitting,


Victoria

Knitting Daily

Week 16 = Getting Help
Day 6 = April 21, 2014

 

Painted Lady Boho Bag by Meghan Jones - Interweave Knits Fall 2012

     Knitting Daily is a wonderful website. They have blogs, forums, videos, free resources and more. I signed up for their newsletter and love all the information and articles that I get.

 

     There are a variety of blogs that they have listed below.

• Knitting Daily
• Inside Knits
• Inside Knitscene
• Inside E-Knitting Magazines
• Needlework Traditions
• Knitting Traditions
• Tuned into Knitting Daily TV
• How To

     Forums on any site are a wonderful thing. You have the ability to ask your own questions, look through other people's questions, see people's answers and answer questions yourself. That is a lot that can be done with one thing. Here is a list of the different forums that Knitting Daily has.

• Community Center
• General Knitting Discussions
• Kathleen's KAL
• Related Fiber Arts
• Sockupied
• Off-Topic Discussions
• All Things Knitting from Interweave

     As you all know, I am a BIG fan of videos. Seeing for me is understanding.

• Craft Daily Knitting Videos
• Knitting Daily Videos
• Knitting Daily TV
• Videos Around the Web

     Knitters love free patterns, help, classes, etc. We just love to try something different and learn something new. Here are the different free resources that Knitting Daily has.

• Free Online Seminars
• Free eBooks
• Free Knitting Daily App
• Free Knitting Patterns from Interweave
• Other Free Knitting Patterns
• Free Facebook Art
• Glossary
• Book Corrections/Errata

     There is a lot to look through on Knitting Daily. Have fun with all the links.

Knitting question of the day

Why do you knit?

Daily Knitting,


Victoria

LYDIAyarn

Week 16 = Getting Help
Day 5 = April 20, 2014

Banner on LYDIAyarn Etsy Shop

     We are going to take a little sideways gaunt away from this week's theme of getting help, just for today. I have been given the opportunity to test knit a few swatches and a full skein of yarn for a new yarn company. Yeah!

     Angela Cline, a good knitting friend of mine has started a yarn business. Her company LYDIA yarn (LYDIA stands for Luxury Yarn Dyed In America) just started within the past few months and already has skeins listed on her Etsy shop LYDIAyarn.

     The colorways are considered single batch dyes. This means that if there were more yarns dyed they would not necessarily match the current colorways. So if you have a project in mind, get all the yarn that you need now and take no chances.

     I will be knitting test swatches of 2 colorways for LYDIA yarn. Meet Grandma's Couch, this is absolutely my favorite of all the colorways that I saw today...

The information below is directly from the LYDIA yarn Etsy shop.

• 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon - 1 ply
• Bulky Weight
• 82 yards/100 grams
• This yarn accepted the dye so well, it is a beautiful jewel tone, the Merino is amazingly soft, the Nylon gives an amazing sheen and strength. This is a great yarn to knit something warm and cuddly with. This yarn feels as amazing as it looks. So soft and luxurious.

... and meet Oyster Shell, I love the sheen that the silk provides in this colorway.

The information below is directly from the LYDIA yarn Etsy shop.

• 1 ply yarn – 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Silk
• Light Fingering Weight
• 400 yards/100 grams
• The effect of the silk in this yarn is truly amazing. This yarn feels as amazing as it looks. So soft and luxurious.
  

     I have also been asked to test knit a full skein that is not listed on the LYDIA yarn Etsy Shop. The following skein is a test skein. I am fascinated with the subtle color changes throughout the yarn. I am going to use this yarn to knit my tablet cover.

Knitting question of the day

Which colorway on LYDIA yarn's Etsy Shop is your favorite?

Knitting Test Swatches,

Victoria


**Here is LYDIAyarn's Shop Policies**

Payment

At LYDIA we accept PayPal as payment or direct Etsy check-out.

Shipping

Shipping is First Class on domestic items under 13 ounces and Priority on domestic orders over 13 ounces. Insurance can be provided for an additional cost, let us know if you are interested in this option.

No international orders are offered at this time.

Refunds and Exchanges

Please contact us within 14 days of receipt if you have ANY concerns about your purchase, we will do all we can to reasonably leave you satisfied with your purchase.
Yarns and fibers must be shipped back unused with original band intact.

Patterns are non-refundable.

Additional Policies and FAQs

Why are there limited quantities available?
At LYDIA we dye all of our yarns prior to listing them for sale. This ensures the yarn you want is what is being displayed in the photos. If you are interested in a larger qty please send a message and let’s talk about it.

Do you sell wholesale?
Not at this time, but coming soon. If you are a yarn re-seller or LYS and are interested in carrying LYDIA yarn, please send a message.

Why does my Skein look slightly different than in the photos?
Some skeins are re-skeined, this is a process where the yarn is wound into a new skein, it helps distribute the colors, most photos of the yarn are re-skeined.

Can you wind yarn into balls?
Yes we can, please just ask.