Join the Loida KAL with Sandra Singh!
Guess what?
Sandra Singh is doing a knitalong for my Loida easy lace shawl pattern!
The KAL takes place in her Ravelry Group and officially starts tomorrow. The prizes you can win are pretty great!
I've joined in on the fun and am knitting myself another Loida, this time in a chunkier yarn to make a large, squishy, warm shawl to keep at the office for those frigid A/C moments. Technically you have to use laceweight to join the KAL, but since I'm not eligible for prizes anyway (because I'm a prize sponsor!), I figured the rules don't apply to me ;o)
Here's what I've knit so far to make sure I liked the chunkier yarn:
I'm using some Dream in Color Classy that I've had in my stash for, oh, 2 years or so. It's a beautiful greenish-blue, sort of seafoam-ish, color which they call GoGo Green. I'm using size 9 needles to get a relaxed, lacy fabric that will block out nicely to show off the simple lace.
Speaking of simple lace, if you've been wanting to try lace knitting, this KAL is definitely for you!
I designed this shawl pattern specifically with beginners in mind. It gives tons of information and explains every step of the process as you start knitting. Plus, if you join the KAL, you'll get the support of your fellow KAL members as you go along!
Oh and if you're not a beginner? Then you might want to join us because this shawl flies off the needles. The pattern is only 4 rows long so you memorize it after the second repeat, and since every WS row is just purling, you zoom right along! I once knit one of these in a weekend . . .
The pattern includes full written and charted instructions. And both verbose/beginner instructions and regular written instructions are included, so you can pick what you want to follow! Get your copy of the pattern now and join us!
I'll see you in the Ravelry group!
Loida Knit-Along: Choosing yarn for lace knitting
Hi all, and welcome to the first installment of the Loida Knit-Along!
Today I'd like to talk about yarn choice and how it affects your lace knitting.
For each type of fiber I'm going to talk about 3 things:
- How lace stitches look
- How easy it is to knit lace
- How blocking is affected
To me those 3 things are the most important elements to consider when choosing a yarn for lace knitting, and they're in order from most important to least important.
Wool
I happen to be a complete wool nerd and try to use 100% wool as often as possible, so it's probably no surprise that Loida is done in 100% laceweight wool.
How lace looks in wool:
Here's a closeup of the lace fabric done in the laceweight wool:
See how the stitches are nice and clear, and the overall look is flat and even? That's what you get when you use a smooth 100% wool. I like this look because it shows off the lace stitches well enough but still feels cozy and warm, the way I want my knitting to (almost always!) feel.
How easy it is to knit with wool:
I love the act of actually knitting with wool because it's springy and easy on my hands.
If you're a beginner, I highly recommend choosing a similar smooth wool (or mostly-wool) yarn for your Loida. The springiness of the yarn will help you keep your stitches even (and on your needle!) and the smoothness of the yarn will let you see what you're doing. Stay away from any fuzzy or hairy wools and wool blends though, as they make it hard to see your stitches and really hard to rip out mistakes.
Blocking wool lace:
The great thing about wool when it comes to blocking is that it's fairly fool-proof: you dunk the shawl in water and lay it out to dry, spreading out the lace (and pinning if desired).
But wool isn't without its negatives though.
One downside is that because wool is springy, it won't stay blocked as well as a non-elastic fiber would. That means that you'll periodically need to reblock your wool shawl. I usually wash and reblock my wool shawls about once a year, either when they're visibly dirty or when they've lost the "crisp" look of the lace.
One more thing: All wool is not the same.
You'll find that different wools and wool breeds behave differently (as you probably already knew!). Here's a quick rundown of some important differences I've noticed:
- Superwash wool doesn't block well. It wants to be machine washed and dried, so it tends to stretch way out when wet and does go back to its original proportions its machine dried. I don't recommended it.
- Merino wool is softer and smoother than other wools, which means it will more closely resemble superwash than other wools. You'll find that Merino lace will need to be reblocked more often than some of the hardier wools out there.
- The highest quality Merino is extra-fine Merino, which is so stretchy and smooth that it almost doesn't feel like wool at all. You'll find that it behaves similarly to superwash when you try to block it. I don't recommend it.
- Shetland wool has a "stickier" hand that makes it great for complicated knitting as the stitches will stay put. It also is less stretchy than other wools, so it blocks beautifully and will need to be reblocked less often.
Cashmere
How lace looks in cashmere:
In comparison to wool, lace knit in cashmere will have a more subtle, softer look. Your lace stitches won't be as crisply defined. Cashmere also has less of a "sheen" than wool does, so you'll get more of a matte look in cashmere than in wool. The photo below is actually of a cashmere/silk blend, which explains why it's so shiny: it's the silk!
Cashmere also drapes more softly and smoothly than wool, so your finished shawl will be cozy and lay beautifully around your shoulders.
How easy it is to knit with cashmere:
In terms of knitting, cashmere is less springy than wool, so it may be a little bit harder to knit lace in because of that. However the difference is pretty marginal and I doubt most people would notice.
Blocking cashmere lace:
Blocking cashmere is about as easy as blocking wool, and as a bonus, cashmere will stay blocked longer than wool will (because it's less elastic). So you'll need to reblock less often if you use cashmere than if you use wool.
Alpaca
Disclaimer: I don't like to knit with alpaca because it's not elastic enough for my taste, so it's likely that I'll be more negative about it than others might be. If you already know that you enjoy knitting with alpaca, take the below with a grain of salt!
How lace looks in alpaca:
I realize that not all alpaca is fuzzy, but most of it is, so that's why I'm focusing on fuzzy alpaca in this section.
As you can see in the photo above, the fuzziness of alpaca obscures the lace a bit, but the yarn overs are quite prominent. This is because alpaca isn't very stretchy, so it behaves a bit like silk does in settling into the lace stitches. Many people like the look of alpaca lace because the fuzziness adds a softness to the lace pattern.
How easy it is to knit with alpaca:
Because alpaca is not stretchy, it is harder to knit with it than to knit with wool or cashmere. You may find your yarn overs popping off your needle even! I'd recommend using a stickier needle, like a plastic or bamboo needle, if you're going to knit lace with alpaca.
In the case of fuzzy alpaca yarns, you'll also have a harder time seeing your work and ripping out to correct mistakes. An alpaca/wool blend may give you better results than a 100% alpaca yarn, as the wool will temper some of alpaca's less desireable qualities.
Blocking alpaca lace:
Alpaca blocks very similarly to cashmere in that it will hold its shape longer than wool and therefore needs to be reblocked less often.
Silk
How lace looks in silk:
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"]
Note: this is not my image, it's from Ravelry. Click to go to the project.[/caption]
Silk stitches are perhaps the most clear and beautiful of all lace stitches. As you can see above, even complicated and delicate details can shine through when you use 100% silk yarn. And the sheen! It's lovely, and adds dimension and interest to the lace patterning. The resulting shawl will be very elegant and lightweight, and may bring the word "cobweb" to mind when you wear it!
How easy it is to knit with silk:
In one word: challenging. Silk isn't stretchy at all, and to add insult to injury, it's very slippery. I pretty much can't knit with silk at all because my hands just won't do it. Definitely stay away from slick metal needles if you're going to knit lace in silk yarn!
For beginners, I advise not using 100% silk yarns for Loida. Go for a wool/silk or cashmere/silk blend instead so that you can get some of the benefits of silk without having all the negatives.
Blocking silk lace:
Silk blocks, and stays blocked, beautifully. If you want to "hard block" your lace (meaning pull it really tight and pin it way out, to make the lace as stretched out and clear as possible), you can't do any better than choosing silk. One negative about blocking lace is it tends to smell weird when wet . . . but that's just a minor thing that I'm probably more sensitive to than most!
Other fibers
The above four fibers are obviously not the only ones you can work with, but they're the most common and likely to be used for lace. I've knit lace in a few others though and will give a quick rundown of why some of the other fibers are not good for lace work:
- Acrylic is not fun to knit with (for me!) so knitting anything complicated or time-consuming with it isn't ideal. If you do decide to knit lace with it, you'll find that blocking doesn't do much to the fabric. Instead you can "kill" the acrylic with a steam iron, and it'll stay blocked forever (and by forever I mean way past our lifetimes, acrylic doesn't biodegrade!).
- Tencel/bamboo/milk/other new fibers will behave a lot like silk, so they can be a good choice for lace . . . except that many of them stretch and keep on stretching. If you love a yarn made of these fibers and already know it won't stretch forever, go ahead and use it! The finished shawl will be drapey and light.
- Angora is like alpaca's less-stretchy, more fuzzy cousin. Definitely not a good choice for lace, unless maybe it's used sparingly with wool or something. Then it could add a pretty, subtle halo to your shawl.
- Cotton/hemp/linen are like silk's poor cousin, and aren't a bad choice for lace if you want the look of silk but need a more affordable alternative. They will behave very similarly to silk with the exception of the blocking: you'll find that they will need to be reblocked more often than silk does.
TL;DR:*
Use a smooth wool. =)
What yarn are you using?
Please leave a comment telling everyone what yarn you're going to use! I'll be doing a poll on the KAL list later today too!
Questions? Comments? Disagree with me?
Please leave a comment, email the list, or email me directly at ivete [at] chiagu.com
* That's a little nerd lingo for you. It stands for "Too long; didn't read." Ha!
Loida KAL button!
Are you doing the Loida KAL?
Looking for a button to put on your own blog?
Well here you go then!
And here's the code you can copy and paste to insert it anywhere you'd like:
[sourcecode autolinks="false"]<a href="http://chiagu.wordpress.com/category/loida-knit-along/"><img src="http://chiagu.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/loida-kal-logo.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Loida Shawl KAL" title="Join the Chiagu Loida shawl Knit-along!"></a>[/sourcecode]
I can't wait to start seeing the button pop up all over blogland!
Announcing the Loida Knit Along!
Are you planning to knit my new pattern, Loida? If so you should join my KAL and knit it at the same time as dozens of other knitters!
KAL Details:
The KAL will officially start next week on October 1st, 2012 and will run through November 15th, 2012.
To join the KAL, sign up for the Loida Knitalong Google Group List and start chatting with your fellow knitters!
Throughout the KAL I will be writing blog posts about the process of knitting the shawl, starting with choosing a yarn and ending with blocking your shawl.
The posts will also be sent as emails to the Loida Knitalong Mailing List, so you'll always be up-to-date on the latest KAL news.
Prizes:
I've taken a page from the quilting blog world and have decided to do prizes with this KAL!
This was a new concept for me but seeing how it works in the quilting world with their QAL's has inspired me to do the same thing with knitting. I hope you guys like it!
There are 3 different prizes you could win:
3 skeins of Koigu in your choice of colors! You'll be picking from the Koigu colors I have in stock.
Courtesy of Sandra Singh:
Spring Maple Shawl Kit - the pattern for the Spring Maple Shawl plus a skein of Sandrasingh.com Lace!
Koigu minis grab bag! Approximately 15 mini skeins of Koigu KPPPM, all of which are from my Koigu Mini-Skeins Club shipments.
How to win:
When the KAL is over on the 15th of November, if you've finished your shawl you'll be able to enter to win one of the above prizes!
You'll receive one entry into the prize raffle for doing each of the actions below:
- Posting a photo of your finished shawl on the Chiagu Facebook page
- Posting a photo of your finished shawl on the sandrasingh.com Facebook page
- Repinning my Loida Shawl pin to your own Pinterest account
- Repinning one of Sandra's pins (which pin is TBD)
- Putting your finished shawl project in Ravelry, linked to the Loida pattern
- Posting about your shawl to the Sandra Singh Ravelry group
Do as many of those as you'd like and each action is an entry into the raffle!
Prizes will be randomly chosen from the entries on Monday, November 19th, 2012.
Winners will be announced here on my blog, in the Google group, and via email. Prizes will ship out within a week of recipients claiming their prizes by responding to my email.
And yes, international entries are welcome! Encouraged even ;o)
Ready to get started?
Here's what to do:
- Join the Google group
- Buy the Loida pattern (it's on sale for only $3.00 until October 1!!)
- Start shopping for yarn -- Sandra's got her Lace yarn on sale for 10% off right now!
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Leave a comment or email me at ivete @ chiagu.com!
