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Natural Stitches' News

Wow, time flies and here it is, (past)time for another newsletter.

Getting ready for Fall reps:

We've already met with one rep and as more start coming in with their wonderful new fall lines, we have got to find room for them. So, various yarns are going to have to find new homes — fast. Come check out which yarns we've decided need to go, they will be 20% off until they are gone.

• Check out the bins right in the front of the Sock Grotto for new yarns that have come into the shop.
• We just got in a lot of new books. Lots of knitting and crochet titles to whet your appetite and keep those needles and hooks moving.
• As you might know, we are an Ashford distributor. We're starting to bring in extra wheels, other than the floor models, so you don't have to wait for a special order. Right now we have a second Traditional waiting for a new home. It's unassembled, but they are pretty easy to put together.
• Stay tuned for the next newsletter....we have some special things planned for the summer!

We have a couple of customer projects to show off this week:

Aslan Trends “Class”

220 meters / 240 yards
Needle Size: 4 to 7 US
Size used for testing: 6 US
Gauge: 5 to 6 stitches per inch
Sport weight
55% Cotton 45% viscose

$9.00 per skein at Natural Stitches

First from Carla:

I happened to be working the floor the day this yarn hit the shop. I immediately claimed the #947 “Oatmeal” for myself. It was a tough call as the #1090 “Berries and Cream” was also calling my name. (Hey! It’s purple. What’s not to like?!?!) I took home the Oatmeal and started casting on for a project.

Class is soft and silky. The hand is great. The colors are bold and beautiful (variegated and solids). The finished product has an incredible drape and sheen and feels wonderful to wear. I used US size 6 needles and got a really great fabric. That’s the good news.

Now the not-so-good news. Class has splitting problems. Big ones. The fibers come untwisted very easily to the point where it is a bit difficult to wind into balls. Because is is so silky it doesn't hold the shape of the ball well. (I suggest putting each skein in a plastic zip-top bag to keep them in line.) Once you have gotten your cast-on done (see Teri’s comments on this below) you need to tie a knot in your tail. I mean right now. It is already unraveling and you have a bunch of threads hanging down. Without a knot it’s unmanagable.

You begin to knit and are soon loving every minute of it because of the softness of the yarn and the way you know it is going to drape. Then all of a sudden your needles are trapped. Bits of fiber from the yarn have come loose and grabbed your needle and you must stop and ‘untrap’ them. The best way I can describe it is if you have ever knit with silk and get those places where the fibers are a bit loose and just fuzz apart. This doesn’t happen with every stitch or even in every row but it does happen. It's totally fixable but it does slow you down a bit. I didn’t have a problem with my needle splitting the yarn -- just with this occasional fuzz problem.

Let me say right here that the above problems don’t stop me from loving this yarn. The finished product is well worth the little bit of trouble it causes. If you don’t believe me, let me tell you that I went back and bought 5 skeins of the Berries and Cream and that was after I was working with the Oatmeal for a while. The finished product is just so gorgeous that I wanted to work with it again.

I would not recommend this yarn to a beginning knitter or crocheter. You will just not be able to handle it. My experience with it told me that I want to use bamboo or plastic needles. It is just too silky for me to be comfortable using it on metal. I think Teri’s opinion differs on this but she will let you know below.

My ‘yarn by the numbers scale’ on Aslan Trends Class (with 10 being “heavenly” and 1 being “get this stuff away from me!”) would be:

I’d say those numbers add up to a yarn I would want to try out for myself if someone else told me about it. I hope you will feel the same.
Now let’s see what...

Teri has to say:

Good Day

Those of you who know me are already aware that I prefer single-ply yarns, mostly because split yarns break my rhythm when I’m knitting. That being said, I chose this yarn based on gauge, fiber content and colors. I’m in the process of developing a tuxedo sweater for the Manannan (my cat) and his “style”/comfort are more important to me than a single-ply world.

• Have your yarn store turn the hank into a skein for you. The yarn is fiddly, so why frustrate yourself when you can look for more treats while waiting.
• Unless you absolutely have no choice, do not start with a long tail cast-on! Of course I don’t know any other cast-on (yet) and there was no way I’d be able to have someone teach me by phone. By the fourth time casting on the yarn had completely untwisted.

Once the first row was in; life improved dramatically and I absolutely agree with Carla, the drape on this is amazing. The under-panel is k1p1 and lies over my hand like silk. I’m in progress on the back which is all stockinette. Despite the fact I’m knitting on US 5’s and Carla used US 6’s I’m getting a looser gauge. We attribute this to the Addi Turbo needles effect.

Not for love or money, not even for the Manannan, will I give up my Addi Turbo’s. Slick yarn and glass-like needles equal looser stitches. Despite the fact I don’t listen to my own advice, a gauge swatch would really have helped. If I had swatched perhaps four cast-ons wouldn’t have been necessary!

Splitting was a periodic problem for me as well, but I found it to be no more frequent than any other multi-ply yarn -- just a little more fiddly to fix. And with Class, the results I’ve had are more than worth the effort.

Class Spotlight: Tunisian/Afghan Crochet

Did you know there’s a crochet technique that allows you to create fabric that look more like knitted fabric than crochet? Did you know there is a crochet technique that keeps live stitches on the hook, more like knitting? Did you know there’s a crochet technique that allows you to do entrelac? Yes, I said entrelac! Do I have you curious? Good.

Tunisian crochet goes by several names. It’s also known as afghan crochet or crochetknit. Using stitches more like what are used in crochet and a nice long (or flexible) “afghan hook”, a series of live stitches are worked onto the hook on one pass and worked off on the next. If you’d like a knitted look fabric, but don’t knit, perhaps this technique is for you!

I offer two Tunisian crochet classes at this time. In Tunisian Crochet 101, you’ll learn the basics and get started on this cool style. We’ll talk about basic stitches, color changes, finishing off and other important beginner steps. You should have a good handle on regular crochet techniques before taking Tunisian Crochet 101, including chain, single and double crochet, increasing and decreasing and fastening off. This is a solid intermediate class. If you’d like this technique, but are shaky on your basic crochet, I’d recommend Beginner Crochet and/or Advanced Beginner Crochet first. In Entrelac Crochet, we’ll build on the basics learned in Tunisian Crochet 101 and use them as we learn that entrelac is not just for knitters!

Tunisian Crochet 101 is being offered Saturday, May 17 from noon to 2pm. The cost is $25 for the two hour class. Keep an eye out on the June 2008 schedule for Entrelac Crochet.

From the entire staff of Natural Stitches, we wish you happy knits, creative crochets and splendid spinnings. And, as always, if there's anything we can do to help, just let us know!

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