yarns that last
Oct. 1st, 2010 08:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
to_love_a_rose posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
knittingSo, everyone loves yarn that's pretty and fun to knit with, but...
Last year I knit a hat using a very pretty thick and thin blue yarn. It was a single ply wool, and the finished project was lovely. (Pictures here on Ravelry.) However, before the winter was out, it had begun to pill pretty badly. I looked at it yesterday and while it's still wearable, it's pretty fuzzy. It also bled really badly when I washed it (cold water, hand wash, gentle detergent). I know that pilling and fuzz is a risk of using wool, and I'm willing to make the trade off to knit with natural fibers, but is there anyway to pick out natural fibers that wear well?
I've heard that multi-strand yarns wear better than single-ply? Anyone have any experience with that? Also, any suggestions for natural fiber yarns (specific brands or just general types of yarn) that seem to wear well?
(BTW, thanks to everyone for your help in planning my impromptu knitting class. I picked up a pair of size 8 bamboo needles and some Wool Ease in light pink for my friend. She'll either end up with a garter stitch scarf or a ribbed scarf for her first project depending on how quickly she picks it up. And, yes, I will be casting on for her. *g*)
Last year I knit a hat using a very pretty thick and thin blue yarn. It was a single ply wool, and the finished project was lovely. (Pictures here on Ravelry.) However, before the winter was out, it had begun to pill pretty badly. I looked at it yesterday and while it's still wearable, it's pretty fuzzy. It also bled really badly when I washed it (cold water, hand wash, gentle detergent). I know that pilling and fuzz is a risk of using wool, and I'm willing to make the trade off to knit with natural fibers, but is there anyway to pick out natural fibers that wear well?
I've heard that multi-strand yarns wear better than single-ply? Anyone have any experience with that? Also, any suggestions for natural fiber yarns (specific brands or just general types of yarn) that seem to wear well?
(BTW, thanks to everyone for your help in planning my impromptu knitting class. I picked up a pair of size 8 bamboo needles and some Wool Ease in light pink for my friend. She'll either end up with a garter stitch scarf or a ribbed scarf for her first project depending on how quickly she picks it up. And, yes, I will be casting on for her. *g*)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-03 12:16 am (UTC)For my friends knitting lessons, I plan on starting out with a "how do you learn best?" discussion which will include "what sort of first project will work for you?" so it might very well end up being a coaster. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-03 12:51 am (UTC)Glad the yarn advice helps. BrooklynTweed (some NY guy who's a knitting and photography blogger) has come out with a brand of yarn. Considering the parameters, I think I might be interested in trying a project with it... but of course it's new and they're trying to make it exclusive to just a few stores. I tried to recommend things you can actually get in real life without being totally famous and popular.