Cotton is a fiber that has been grown and spun into yarn for centuries. Cotton represents half the entire fiber usage in the textile industry and as such, is a very important. What makes this fiber so valuable? It is incredibly absorbent. Water is able to penetrate right to the core of the fiber itself so anything made from it soaks up excess water, such as towels, or wicks water away from the body such as socks and underwear. This ability to absorb water to the inside of the fiber also makes it easy to remove embedded dirt. Creases which form in garments are easily removed using a steam iron because the fiber absorbs the moisture and relaxes. Cotton is soft and comfortable to wear in hot climates. It can keep the wearer warm in cold climates, but is not as effective as animal fiber. One drawback is, if cotton clothing gets wet, it stays thoroughly wet for a long time so can make the wearer very cold if large areas are wet. Conversely, if the wearer happens to be in a tropical climate, the wet cloth helps to cool. Also, thoroughly soaked cotton garments should never be hung to dry because they will stretch out of shape under the weight of the water.
Cotton fibers have a natural twist which lends itself well to being made into strong yarn. This is fortunate as cotton fiber generally has a staple length of around an inch which would otherwise make it difficult to spin and it would become a yarn subject to breakage.
So, why would you want to knit or crochet with cotton?
Clothing made from cotton is light weight and breathable. Thus, it is excellent for summer clothing. I have never heard of anyone being allergic to cotton so if there are allergies it is rare. Cotton is soft, non-irritating and is very comfortable next to the skin...a great quality when one considers using it for underwear. Cotton can be machine washed and dried.. It can shrink in the dryer, but if lower settings are used and the garments are removed before they are thoroughly dry, that can be avoided. Cotton actually gets softer the more it is washed. Cotton takes dye very well so they yarns come in an amazing array of color. As far as cost goes, cotton yarn often isn't expensive. Though if you pay more for higher quality, it is well worth it. Sometimes stitches are "lost" in the yarn used. The yarn doesn't give good definition and that can be frustrating if you are using a complex pattern. It just can't be seen well. Cotton yarn produces stitches with excellent definition so is suitable for those complex patterns. Cotton doesn't pill....you know, those irritating little balls of fiber that form from many washings. Cotton holds dye well, except for red and blue. They sometimes bleed the color in the wash so shouldn't be washed with anything other than dark clothes and probably shouldn't be used with lighter colors in a project lest the dark bleeds into the light.
There are some points, possibly negative, to remember when working with cotton yarn. The yarn can be slippery and may easily come off the needles if one isn't careful. It requires a very firm tension to keep to the gauge. If the tension isn't firm enough, the garment will more easily stretch out of shape when wet. This characteristic causes some knitters/crocheters difficulty if they aren't experienced enough to keep the tension even and knitting at a firm tension causes quicker hand strain, particularly if one is using metal needles. Even made from aluminum they are heavy.
The following are tips on working with cotton.
Use bamboo or wooden needles. I love bamboo needles for the fact they are very light. The lightness reduces hand fatigue and I can knit longer at one sitting. In crocheting, the weight of the tool is not as critical. If you have a problem keeping a firm tension, try knitting/crocheting with a needle/hook size one size smaller than is recommended on the ball or skein. Knitting or crocheting a test swatch is very important. Also, wash and dry the swatch to see what the cotton yarn will do when worked. If using dark and light colors, this will also show if the colors will bleed into each other. It is generally recommended when adding a new skein of yarn to the project, one should add it at the beginning of the row because the yarn tends to be bulky.
The inelastic nature of the yarn means that items made from it won't stretch. This makes socks quite a problem to make from cotton because a sock must stretch a lot to get over the heel and instep. Some ways around this is to use ribbing stitches in key areas that need to stretch. Ribbing such as K1, P1 or K2, P2 for a few rows can increase the stretch. Also, yarns that are plied often have some spring to them, more than a single ply, and combined with the ribbing, it can create enough give to stretch where it needs to.
When one keeps in mind the limitations of the material and tips on how to overcome any difficulties when working with cotton, it can be a very satisfying yarn to work with.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Knitting Tip
When knitting on 4 double point needles, having slack stitches between the ends of the needles happens. To avoid this, when beginning the stitches on the next needle, pull the first stitch quite snug. The second and third stitch as well. This will help prevent that "ladder" effect in the fabric between needles.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Working With Mohair
Back in the day, I had 3 mohair sweaters. One in pink, one in lime green, and one in a burnt orange. I loved the fuzziness of them. When I had my own fiber animals and spun my own yarn, I had an angora goat named Jill. She was a delicate looking animal with long, wavy ringlets of hair, back curving horns, and a sweet disposition. The angora goat is the source of mohair. Natural mohair comes in white and I have seen black. The white is the most used commercially because it can be dyed. It holds dye well and one can still see the natural luster of the fiber. Pure mohair and blends with mohair have the characteristic shagginess. Mohair fibers do not have microscopic hooks on them which causes wool fibers to stay together and not come loose from the yarn.. Yarns made from mohair need to be spun tightly in order to hold the long fiber in place so it does not shed or come apart.
Mohair fiber is heavier than wool fiber. Articles made from pure mohair need to be made from sport or lace weight yarn to avoid the garment being stretched out of shape under its own weight. The sweaters I had were made from worsted weight but knit on large needles to lighten it some. Even then, the cardigan would stretch longer and longer. I think it was the pockets that added the extra weight. Blends with other fibers, natural or man made, can be light enough to use in any weight yarn without stretching being a problem.
Mohair has good insulating ability. The yarn itself does not trap much air because of the need for the tightly spun nature but the resulting loft from the fibers that work their way loose add a considerable amount of trapped air space and this makes for a very warm fabric. As with wool, it has a natural wicking action that pulls moisture away from the body which aids in keeping the wearer warm.
Mohair, whether pure or in blends, makes a beautiful, durable fabric. I like to use it to knit simple patterns, nothing too complicated. The loft from the yarn itself makes it difficult to clearly see a complex pattern and the extra effort is wasted. It is appropriate to knit or crochet scarves, hat, mittens, sweaters, afghans, shawls, durable socks, anything you wish a little fancier than wool. It does have it's drawbacks. Like wool, it is attractive to clothes moths so the yarn and garments made from it need to be protected. Although I've not heard of anyone being allergic to the fiber, it can be irritating to wear and if that seems a problem (mostly with pure mohair), the garment can be lined or I would wear turtle neck shirts with the sweaters. I find kid mohair, mohair from baby angora goats, to be less irritating and of course blends are much less irritating because they contain smaller amounts of mohair yet.
Mohair needs to be washed by hand, as you would wool. I previously mentioned the process when talking about wool. The only part of the process that is different is after it is blocked and is dry, brush it to untangle the fibers and make it fluffy again. I use a hair brush but mohair brushes can be bought.
See 500 types of mohair yarn here This is a link to Shanti's Yarn Stash, the page it opens to is mohair blends. Explore the index for other types of mohair yarn. There are hundreds in any style you can think of in any color in any blend. Enjoy looking!
Mohair fiber is heavier than wool fiber. Articles made from pure mohair need to be made from sport or lace weight yarn to avoid the garment being stretched out of shape under its own weight. The sweaters I had were made from worsted weight but knit on large needles to lighten it some. Even then, the cardigan would stretch longer and longer. I think it was the pockets that added the extra weight. Blends with other fibers, natural or man made, can be light enough to use in any weight yarn without stretching being a problem.
Mohair has good insulating ability. The yarn itself does not trap much air because of the need for the tightly spun nature but the resulting loft from the fibers that work their way loose add a considerable amount of trapped air space and this makes for a very warm fabric. As with wool, it has a natural wicking action that pulls moisture away from the body which aids in keeping the wearer warm.
Mohair, whether pure or in blends, makes a beautiful, durable fabric. I like to use it to knit simple patterns, nothing too complicated. The loft from the yarn itself makes it difficult to clearly see a complex pattern and the extra effort is wasted. It is appropriate to knit or crochet scarves, hat, mittens, sweaters, afghans, shawls, durable socks, anything you wish a little fancier than wool. It does have it's drawbacks. Like wool, it is attractive to clothes moths so the yarn and garments made from it need to be protected. Although I've not heard of anyone being allergic to the fiber, it can be irritating to wear and if that seems a problem (mostly with pure mohair), the garment can be lined or I would wear turtle neck shirts with the sweaters. I find kid mohair, mohair from baby angora goats, to be less irritating and of course blends are much less irritating because they contain smaller amounts of mohair yet.
Mohair needs to be washed by hand, as you would wool. I previously mentioned the process when talking about wool. The only part of the process that is different is after it is blocked and is dry, brush it to untangle the fibers and make it fluffy again. I use a hair brush but mohair brushes can be bought.
See 500 types of mohair yarn here This is a link to Shanti's Yarn Stash, the page it opens to is mohair blends. Explore the index for other types of mohair yarn. There are hundreds in any style you can think of in any color in any blend. Enjoy looking!
Friday, June 10, 2011
NEW!
Check out the bottom of the blog to see Shanti's Knitting and Crochet Book Picks from Amazon. Great prices, great books.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Thoughts on particular fibers: wool
Once upon a time, I spun my own yarn from the fiber of our sheep, dog, angora rabbits, and angora goat. I would go to sheep and wool festivals and buy cashmere, silk, alpaca, lama, and have a grand time spinning them into yarn. I don't have the time nor the access to fiber like I used to so now buy commercially spun yarn but I learned a lot about how fiber affects the yarn and what properties and qualities are brought to the finished yarn.
I will start with the universal fiber, wool. Wool is a term that refers to many types of animal fibers. The most widely known is the fiber from sheep. Wool has very unique properties. It has great insulating ability which keeps in warmth, or in hot climates, keeps out heat. Wool is naturally flame retardant. Instead of flashing into fire when a match is applied, it will smolder often extinguishing itself. Sheep's wool makes excellent sock material as it is absorbent and will keep the wearer warm even if it gets wet. Scotsmen in the highlands would remove their kilts and soak them in streams and put them back on to keep out wind and stay warmer. Not many man made fibers can boast these attributes. It has three major drawbacks. Some people are allergic to the proteins in the wool, the fiber is attractive to clothes moths which eat it and cause holes, and one must use care in washing wool items to prevent felting and shrinkage. Clothes moths can destroy anything woolen by eating holes in it. There are several treatments, like storing woolens in the freezer, or moth balls, or many herbal remedies. There are no answers to the allergy except not to wear wool. And below is how I wash woolen items.
Wool varies in texture and use depending on the breed of sheep it comes from. There are sheep specially bred to produce the finest, softest wool. The best known breed is Merino. Incredibly soft yarn is made from Merino wool. Ramboulet is another soft wool breed. Yarn made from these types of wool can be worn next to the skin with very little discomfort in the way of scratchiness... unless one is allergic to wool. The very finest and softest Merino wool is called Cashwool. It is as soft as cashmere. On the other end of the spectrum is very coarse, thick fiber used in making felt and rugs. All the rest in between types range in softness and are what makes up the bulk of knitting yarns. Of course, there are also a great many blends using wool as one of the components.
Wool of all types can be spun soft and airy, hard and strong. Softly spun lofty yarn is the warmest because it traps air between the fibers and this aids in keeping the wearer warm. Tightly spun yarn is very strong and is not usually used for garments but for weaving rugs and other applications that require strength.
Sheep's wool comes in natural colors of white, cream, black, shades of gray and occasionally brown. It also dyes well with either natural vegetable dyes or chemical dyes. As long as someone is not allergic to wool, it is a versatile choice of yarn to knit with.
As mentioned previously, wool garments need to be washed very carefully. Unless the garment is made from yarn that specifically states it is machine washable, don't wash wool items in the washing machine. The soap, agitation and changing temperature of water will make woolens felt and shrink, thereby ruining them. Machine washable wool is usually merino mixed with at least 10% nylon to prevent it from shrinking during machine washing. These are the only items that can go into a washing machine. Other products need to be hand washed. Fill up a basin or sink with lukewarm water. Add your favorite clothes soap...enough to make a little lather. Gently immerse the article in the water avoiding agitating or rubbing the fabric together because that will cause it to felt and shrink. Let it soak for a time and gently squeeze the soapy water through the fabric, being careful not to be too rough. Treating the fiber roughly will cause the shrinkage. Lift the garment out of the water, carefully trying to support the weight evenly.. I usually put it in a colander to drain while I change the water. Make note, by feel, the temperature of the water you are dumping. It doesn't have to be exact, but the rinse water needs to be close to the same temperature or the wool will be shocked into shrinking. Gently squeeze the soapy water out of the garment, do not wring it out, again, this roughness will cause felting. Lay it gently in the water and let it soak. Repeat this process until you are satisfied the soap has been rinsed out. There are 2 ways one can remove the excess water to facilitate drying. One is to do something called "wuzzing" and the other is to use the spin cycle of the washing machine. Wuzzing is an old practice and it is similar to what happens during the spin cycle. Put the garment in a pillow case, take it outside and quite quickly, rotate it through the air above your head or at your side to cause the water to fling out. Keep doing this until no more water comes out. To use the spin cycle, put the garment in a pillow case and into the washer, add something to balance the machine and turn the spin cycle on. When the cycle is over, remove the garment. It is now ready to dry.
Lay a towel or towels on the floor and place the garment on the towel(s). Arrange it to the shape it should have, or in the case of a sweater, to the dimensions it was knit to. Smooth out any wrinkles and let it air dry. This is called blocking and it needs to be done every time the article is washed.
With proper care and protection from moths, wool articles can last quite a long time. It is still one of my first choices to work with for winter wear, either all wool or blends. If you haven't ever worked with it, try it. You'll then become part of a tradition of wool working that is a few thousand years old.
Here is a link to Shanti's Yarn Stash to view the great wool and wool blends offered by Ice and Kuka.
See wool yarn here also check out the merino wool, lambswool, virgin wool and blends. Many exciting colors and plies, all at affordable prices.
I will start with the universal fiber, wool. Wool is a term that refers to many types of animal fibers. The most widely known is the fiber from sheep. Wool has very unique properties. It has great insulating ability which keeps in warmth, or in hot climates, keeps out heat. Wool is naturally flame retardant. Instead of flashing into fire when a match is applied, it will smolder often extinguishing itself. Sheep's wool makes excellent sock material as it is absorbent and will keep the wearer warm even if it gets wet. Scotsmen in the highlands would remove their kilts and soak them in streams and put them back on to keep out wind and stay warmer. Not many man made fibers can boast these attributes. It has three major drawbacks. Some people are allergic to the proteins in the wool, the fiber is attractive to clothes moths which eat it and cause holes, and one must use care in washing wool items to prevent felting and shrinkage. Clothes moths can destroy anything woolen by eating holes in it. There are several treatments, like storing woolens in the freezer, or moth balls, or many herbal remedies. There are no answers to the allergy except not to wear wool. And below is how I wash woolen items.
Wool varies in texture and use depending on the breed of sheep it comes from. There are sheep specially bred to produce the finest, softest wool. The best known breed is Merino. Incredibly soft yarn is made from Merino wool. Ramboulet is another soft wool breed. Yarn made from these types of wool can be worn next to the skin with very little discomfort in the way of scratchiness... unless one is allergic to wool. The very finest and softest Merino wool is called Cashwool. It is as soft as cashmere. On the other end of the spectrum is very coarse, thick fiber used in making felt and rugs. All the rest in between types range in softness and are what makes up the bulk of knitting yarns. Of course, there are also a great many blends using wool as one of the components.
Wool of all types can be spun soft and airy, hard and strong. Softly spun lofty yarn is the warmest because it traps air between the fibers and this aids in keeping the wearer warm. Tightly spun yarn is very strong and is not usually used for garments but for weaving rugs and other applications that require strength.
Sheep's wool comes in natural colors of white, cream, black, shades of gray and occasionally brown. It also dyes well with either natural vegetable dyes or chemical dyes. As long as someone is not allergic to wool, it is a versatile choice of yarn to knit with.
As mentioned previously, wool garments need to be washed very carefully. Unless the garment is made from yarn that specifically states it is machine washable, don't wash wool items in the washing machine. The soap, agitation and changing temperature of water will make woolens felt and shrink, thereby ruining them. Machine washable wool is usually merino mixed with at least 10% nylon to prevent it from shrinking during machine washing. These are the only items that can go into a washing machine. Other products need to be hand washed. Fill up a basin or sink with lukewarm water. Add your favorite clothes soap...enough to make a little lather. Gently immerse the article in the water avoiding agitating or rubbing the fabric together because that will cause it to felt and shrink. Let it soak for a time and gently squeeze the soapy water through the fabric, being careful not to be too rough. Treating the fiber roughly will cause the shrinkage. Lift the garment out of the water, carefully trying to support the weight evenly.. I usually put it in a colander to drain while I change the water. Make note, by feel, the temperature of the water you are dumping. It doesn't have to be exact, but the rinse water needs to be close to the same temperature or the wool will be shocked into shrinking. Gently squeeze the soapy water out of the garment, do not wring it out, again, this roughness will cause felting. Lay it gently in the water and let it soak. Repeat this process until you are satisfied the soap has been rinsed out. There are 2 ways one can remove the excess water to facilitate drying. One is to do something called "wuzzing" and the other is to use the spin cycle of the washing machine. Wuzzing is an old practice and it is similar to what happens during the spin cycle. Put the garment in a pillow case, take it outside and quite quickly, rotate it through the air above your head or at your side to cause the water to fling out. Keep doing this until no more water comes out. To use the spin cycle, put the garment in a pillow case and into the washer, add something to balance the machine and turn the spin cycle on. When the cycle is over, remove the garment. It is now ready to dry.
Lay a towel or towels on the floor and place the garment on the towel(s). Arrange it to the shape it should have, or in the case of a sweater, to the dimensions it was knit to. Smooth out any wrinkles and let it air dry. This is called blocking and it needs to be done every time the article is washed.
With proper care and protection from moths, wool articles can last quite a long time. It is still one of my first choices to work with for winter wear, either all wool or blends. If you haven't ever worked with it, try it. You'll then become part of a tradition of wool working that is a few thousand years old.
Here is a link to Shanti's Yarn Stash to view the great wool and wool blends offered by Ice and Kuka.
See wool yarn here also check out the merino wool, lambswool, virgin wool and blends. Many exciting colors and plies, all at affordable prices.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Knitting Socks
Knitting socks is one of my favorite things. I like to use 100% wool in sport, baby, or sock weight. Wool is breathable, absorbent, warm even when wet. It has a natural elasticity so it is easy to put a sock knit from wool on. Socks are just fun to knit. Turning the heel may appear daunting at first, but once you've done it (just follow the pattern) it just is plain fun. When knitting the heel flap, I like to slip the first stitch of each row because it is then easier to pick up the stitches for the rest of the foot. And what makes this even more fun is the variety of yarns that can be used. Multi-color, stripes, bold, not so bold. The variety is endless. Socks can be made works of art.
There are many blends suitable for socks as well. All of the cotton blends are suitable for every day socks. My only problem with working with cotton is getting enough stretch to the fabric so it passes easily over the heel when putting the socks on. One that I have had absolutely no success with is 100% bamboo. It doesn't seem to have any elasticity. It's a shame because bamboo yarn contains the compounds in bamboo that make it anti-microbial so will reduce the incidence of smelly feet. I'm looking in to trying blends that contain bamboo. If anyone who reads this blog has a way of making cotton and bamboo socks with elasticity, let me know.
There are many blends suitable for socks as well. All of the cotton blends are suitable for every day socks. My only problem with working with cotton is getting enough stretch to the fabric so it passes easily over the heel when putting the socks on. One that I have had absolutely no success with is 100% bamboo. It doesn't seem to have any elasticity. It's a shame because bamboo yarn contains the compounds in bamboo that make it anti-microbial so will reduce the incidence of smelly feet. I'm looking in to trying blends that contain bamboo. If anyone who reads this blog has a way of making cotton and bamboo socks with elasticity, let me know.
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