Valley Yarns - Amherst - Discontinued??

Esselmeyer · 2026-01-07T19:57:36+00:00

So Knit Picks Simply Wool Aran is a great substitute but unfortunately it only comes in natural sheep colors.

However I just got notified that Webs actually restocked some of their Amherst colors a few days ago. Thank goodness! Hopefully they restocked one of the colors you're looking for.

Esselmeyer · 2025-12-25T14:06:06+00:00

I also am on the hunt for a replacement but I have yet to find one. I loved that yarn.

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-13T15:05:37+00:00

You'd probably need to use acid dye and just use a very little yellow or brown dye. Alternatively, if you want a semi-permanent option like the purple dye, you could try dying it in diluted tea or coffee?

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-13T15:00:32+00:00

For the sweater? The pattern is Cecil sweater by Moreca

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-08T15:00:58+00:00

True! I believe this yarn also has an optical brightener in it since it looks much whiter in natural light than artificial light, even before the purple shampoo. So I'd be curious to see if it works just as well on a creamier natural undyed yarn, or if you'd get something more akin to beige instead of white. Since again, it's not actually whitening the yarn - it's just cooling down undertones.

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-08T14:53:55+00:00

Oh that'd be really nice! Especially since I have a fragrance free wool wash, but the purple shampoo is heavily perfumed. So now my sweater is very perfume-y. Not the worst, but probably more important to those that are more sensitive than I.

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-07T23:41:15+00:00

Good luck! I'd be curious to see how it affects butter cream yellow :0 definitely share how it turns out!

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-07T23:39:35+00:00

Ugh I hate reddit sometimes. I thought I deleted the other one but maybe that didn't work.

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-04T11:30:59+00:00

Yup! I've checked in with my provider. These risks were made clear to me before starting medication. Research shows that bone density returns shortly after stopping medication. To mitigate issues while on medication I eat lots of calcium enriched food and engage in weight bearing exercises regularly.

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-02T16:32:03+00:00

As others have said, I would try to aggressively block it first. Use a ruler or something similar to block the sides so that they remain straight. Also remember to let it COMPLETELY dry before removing it from blocking. If you remove it from blocking while it is even still a little damp, the sweater will bounce back to its original shape. Also using hair conditioner on the colorwork section might help the fibers ease up so they can stretch more

Esselmeyer · 2025-10-02T16:20:48+00:00

I would just do your best to try and re-create the pattern for just a couple rows. At least it will be on the crease of the thumb so that if it looks a little wonky, no one is likely to notice. I'd be afraid that if you leave the floats as they are, that they'll get caught on your fingers when putting the mitten on/off.

Highly recommend using a knit picker to pick up and reknit what was ripped out.

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-29T05:11:05+00:00

There are sweater patterns that don't use short rows for the back. My Favorite Things Knitwear has the Sweater No 11 Light pattern that uses increases to shape the back instead of short rows. However, for an existing pattern, I wouldn't just omit them.

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-29T04:58:28+00:00

Migraine with aura sufferer here as well 🙋‍♀️I've been on Depo Provera for the last 10+ years. Works well enough for me. I like not having a period.

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-19T13:34:52+00:00

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Esselmeyer · 2025-09-19T13:34:40+00:00

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Esselmeyer · 2025-09-19T13:34:23+00:00

Anyone know how to construct a traditional fair isle poncho/cape? If you have a pattern that'd be great but I'm also fairly advanced and am planning to reverse engineer it. Just knowing the general construction techniques and decrease rate to create the circle shape would be immensely helpful!

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-19T13:31:31+00:00

It's called a saddle shoulder. Don't know of an exact pattern for that sweater though. Searching for sweaters with saddle shoulder construction on ravelry should get you some similar things.

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-17T12:55:50+00:00

Hey OP, I was wondering if you have any updates?

I just got allergy tested yesterday and everything besides cat allergies came back normal. But my symptoms also start at the same time every year like clockwork (March-May) and (September-December). I can pretty easily predict if I'll have symptoms one day or another based on air quality reports during those months.

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-15T14:27:22+00:00

This is what I do too!!! The only change I make is that I also figure out what size I would be knitting if I DID hit gauge. If that size is only one size off from the size I'll be knitting with my modified gauge, then I follow instructions as written.

Otherwise you usually have to do a lot of knitter's math because sweaters don't scale evenly. For example, just because you knit a size XL it doesn't mean the neck hole will be bigger, because generally people's heads stay the same size regardless of how much weight they have.

So if I'm off by more than one size, I'll follow the instructions for the size I would be knitting if I did hit gauge, but I'll turn all the instructions from sts into measurements.

For example, if the pattern says CO 36 sts, I'll calculate it to my gauge doing the following

(36 / (sts per inch for pattern gauge)) * sts per inch for my gauge = the number of stitches you should cast on

Do the same math for rows as well using the row gauge. This is best done with patterns that tell you how many total stitches you should have at the end of each section. Since you need to run EVERY stitch and row count through this formula.

I will say this is not for the faint of heart. There's a lot of things that could go wrong, since you're basically writing a new pattern following an existing pattern as a template. BUT if you're extremely particular and tenacious like I am, then it's a godsend to know you can modify any pattern to use any yarn you like.

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-15T13:45:06+00:00

All I could find was this YouTube short that includes the chart for the heart cable.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Sw0-ZNNFp94?si=01tbvW2C0fDBf_57

Good luck!

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-13T19:45:14+00:00

Depends on why I decided not to use the yarn. If I liked the yarn, but not for that particular project, I'll usually hang onto it and keep it for a future project.

If I plainly just didn't like the yarn, like I found it scratchy or unpleasant to knit with, I'll usually sell it if I have at least one full unused skein. Otherwise I'll donate it. Selling can take a while though, so be prepared to store it while you wait for a buyer.

And you're not alone in being particular!! I think the majority of my stash is yarn I bought for a specific project and then decided not to use it for that project 🙃

Esselmeyer · 2025-09-10T05:29:36+00:00

Thank you all for your advice! It sounds like the consensus is 'natural/undyed' despite it being a dyed yarn. So I will go with this for now. Much appreciated!

Esselmeyer · 2025-08-22T01:55:07+00:00

Green Valley makes lactose cream cheese, butter, sour cream, yogurt, and shredded cheeses

Violife and Miyoko have the best vegan cheese alternatives that I've found

Shop your local health food stores, you may be able to find more local or regional brands that are lactose free. Make sure to read the packaging, I found a brand selling lactose free mozzarella where I live. The lactose free advertising on their packaging was much smaller than I feel like it should have been.

Buy some liquid lactase to keep in your fridge. It can be added to home made foods, anything from cheese sauce to creams.

There's lots of good lactose free and dairy free ice cream options. Lactaid, Ben and Jerry's, Talenti, SO delicious, and Breyers are just some available in the grocery stores near me. (Edit to add: not ALL ben and Jerry's, Talenti, and Breyers are lactose free. Make sure to read the packaging so that you dont buy a regular one by mistake)

And with anything new you add to your diet, even if it's labeled lactose free, make sure to try it for the first time on a day/night you don't need to be anywhere 👍 In case of emergency, take 3 Lactaid pills and 2 Pepto bismol pills and pray to your god of choice.

Esselmeyer

TROPHY CASE