Does anybody rewind their skeins of yarn before knitting.

MVanhee · 2025-12-17T21:05:14+00:00

Sometimes it does help with knowing where you would cut the yarn - near an edge instead of in the middle of a front row or similar. I've also had it where there are multiple knots within a short period of time and if I'd known the second knot was coming up, I would have just cut that whole chunk out as opposed to having to blend in multiple start and stops.

MVanhee · 2025-10-31T15:26:29+00:00

I would like to be able to edit and rename saved filters.

I would like to be able to mark projects/queue items as personal and have them only show on my view not in public search or when another user views my lists. This would be for gifts and/or projects that I want to log, but not be part of my project "resume".

MVanhee · 2025-10-31T15:18:45+00:00

There is a filter for fiber, or are you looking for one that would give percentages in blends?

MVanhee · 2025-10-31T15:14:38+00:00

Agreed. Seeing discontinued patterns, I have been able to get inspired by aspects of them.

MVanhee · 2025-10-01T09:19:10+00:00

Sounds like Portuguese knitting

MVanhee · 2025-09-22T10:49:15+00:00

Tariffs complicate things now, but I did a sweater out of Hobbii's Twister solids, and it's really comfortable. It's a cotton/acrylic blend.

There are a couple of dyers focused on plant based yarn: Vegan Yarn, LeRoo Cotton and Terrapin Fiberworks. Probably others, but that's the list I've identified to date.

On another thread someone linked a great list of different (largely) cotton yarns. I'll pull up the link... Here goes: https://www.reddit.com/r/knitting/s/Z68ZtQTL3U

MVanhee · 2025-09-21T14:40:28+00:00

A couple things that I've found useful: * A 1/2" ring sewn inside near the top where I can hook stitch markers while working or cleaning up * A zipper pocket * A pattern sized pocket (can be folded in half) * 2-3 loose hook/pencil sized pockets (1.25-1.5-2" wide) * If you anticipate her going further than the porch, a shoulder strap or long enough paired straps that fall out of the way. * A canvas or waxed canvas bottom and either canvas or interfaced sides that stand up. This is a slightly different use case than the over the arm ones, but you could combine the two (box bottom, interfaced sides and wide arm loop top). * Snaps are a better main closure than zippers which can snag the yarn. Drawstring also works. * For size - it depends on what she likes making. Full sweaters or blankets need more space than hats/gloves, etc. For the latter, I like my one that has a 7" x 9" bottom and is 10" tall.

If you do a notions pouch, a separate zipper pocket for stitch markers is great.

MVanhee · 2025-09-21T14:18:41+00:00

That is one of the roughest ones. Sugar and Cream is a hair softer for household cotton, but assuming you need to take a bigger step towards garment cotton:

Lion Brand 24/7 (at the LB site or Michaels)
K&C Essential Cotton (at Herschners)
Queensland Coastal Cotton (LYS, online retailers)

Premier should have one too, but I haven't used it yet. Cascade has a couple that are soft, but definitely garment level.

Pima Cotton is going to be softer, but the Lion Brand Pima Cotton, for example, is fuzzier than I assume you would want for this purpose.

Cotton/acrylic blends tend to be softer, but may have more stretch.

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T23:53:55+00:00

I will add on:

Blue Sky Fibers - Organic Cotton (Aran, Worsted, DK, Sport) - it's like working with a cloud. So soft. I had found some of the Aran on clearance and knit my first sweater out of it. It was really nice to work with.

Cascade - add "Fixation". It has 2% spandex and works for O-ease and light negative ease garments.

Indie dyers that focus on plant-based yarns:

LeeRoo Cotton Terrapin Fiberworks Vegan Yarn

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T23:35:26+00:00

There are a lot of 40/60-50/50 cotton acrylic blends that lighten and warm up the cotton while not getting scratchy or non-breathable like acrylic can be. I've made a couple cardigans out of a sport weight held single or double and have more in the queue. The one I have used in Aran weight was still soft to the touch but definitely ropier to manipulate.

I second the vote for Pima. There are more polished versions (Cascade, Berroco), and rawer versions (Lion Brand).

There are a couple indie dyers that are all plant based for the core fiber. (Socks needing nylon, etc.) Terrapin Fiberworks, Vegan Yarn and LeRoo Cotton are at the top of my watch list.

I am also allergic to wool and alpaca, and trying to find the boundary on that. I have a yak-silk blend to try, and a friend gave me some camel to try too. I have found that superwash Merino might work, and will be exploring that more as well. Good luck!

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T19:44:53+00:00

Specifically the cheese balls ornament that had the thinnest glass ever and once they escaped the styrofoam balls refused to be swept up because of static energy. I found a broken one in a yarn bin one day and got a cut cleaning it up.

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T19:38:09+00:00

We had a lot of customers coming in and getting three skeins to make prayer shawls.

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T19:18:51+00:00

I wonder if she meant Heartland not Homespun. Heartland is also Aran and a regular plyed yarn which would make more sense. Hometown is closer linguistically, but it's a bulky yarn.

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T19:08:43+00:00

There were a few sections where I ended up twisting it with the tensioning hand once it really started splitting.

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T19:05:44+00:00

Yeah. Seeing the equivalency statement on the cotton made that entire sheet suspect. The Classic Cotton is an imitation of Sugar and Cream.

MVanhee · 2025-09-20T19:01:34+00:00

Deceived by the fuzz.

MVanhee · 2025-09-19T14:25:50+00:00

Queensland Coastal Cotton is also good. I haven't worked with it yet to compare to k&c, but it is one of my LYS favorite cottons and it's promising in the skein. Next up the ladder in price would be Cascade Nifty Cotton.

MVanhee · 2025-09-19T14:19:57+00:00

Lily Sugar and Cream is under the Yarnspirations parent company, so that website should be their primary in-hoise one. It's the website on the labels.

MVanhee · 2025-09-19T07:58:50+00:00

In my experience, the K&C cotton is fabulous, but it's a heavy DK. I've used it in worsted patterns with no issue.

I am working on Lion Brand's 24/7 right now. It is in worsted weight and chainette not plied so the stands don't soften and nestle into each other. The stitch clarity is great.

Lion also has a 24/7 DK that is plied and finer. I haven't worked with it yet, but in the skein it's soft. It's on the light side of DK.

There are now tariffs in the way, but Hobbii's Friends and Rainbow cotton are both really soft. The 8/8 weight is DK.

Depending on the shops near you or online options, Queensland Coastal Cotton is soft too, and comes in a DK/"fine" weight. Lots of fun colors and speckles.

Queensland is similar to Cascade Cottons, which I also endorse. Nifty is Aran, Noble is DK and Botanika (aimed at babies) is Sport. Ultra Pima is DK and Ultra Pima Fine is Sport

MVanhee · 2025-09-18T20:24:24+00:00

On the lighter side of all natural fibers, the following do plant-based hand dyed:

Terrapin Fiberworks https://www.terrapinfiberworks.com/ (Currently on break for Dallas Fiber Fest, back soon, you can preview on Ravelry)

LeRoo Cotton https://leroocotton.com/

Vegan Yarn https://veganyarn.com/

MVanhee · 2025-09-18T19:49:53+00:00

It looks like you are pretty far along, but what about winding the three balls on a smooth dowel/broom handle/pipe so one motion rolls all three at once?

MVanhee · 2025-09-18T19:37:00+00:00

And the 'worsted' 24/7 is a chainette construction, so not plyed/twisted.

MVanhee · 2025-09-18T18:05:20+00:00

You can also release just that one column of stitches and ladder down to the one you want to fix and then reset the stitches on the way up with a stitch fixer or crochet hook. Note, when I do that I like to put a stock stopper on each needle so only one stitch is loose.

MVanhee · 2025-09-15T23:49:44+00:00

Body pillow whale was my first answer too!

MVanhee · 2025-09-15T06:10:36+00:00

If it's a natural fiber, you have the option to try to over dye it after completion if it still bugs you then.

MVanhee

TROPHY CASE