Memorial Day, along with it's honoring of our country's lost soldiers, for many represents a transition into the summer season with it's outdoor activities, BBQ's, travel, and other fun warm-weather activities. It's hard to believe that summer is almost here!

I don't know about most of you, but when this warm weather hits, the last thing I want to be knitting on is a heavy woolen sweater or blanket, which is why I thought it might be nice to put together a list of items that would be warm weather appropriate and/or easy to travel with!

First up, garments. I'm refraining from knitting any of these lovelies until after I have this baby in July (hah, as if I'll actually have time to knit after that!), but I love each and every one of them. :)

This Togue Pond Tank by Pam Allen was originally knit in Quince and Co's Kestral, but since we aren't able to carry their yarn, I've got a great substitute! Berroco just came out with a similar linen-blend yarn called Linus, which would be perfect for this simple tank. I love the easy fit combined with the dropped back hem which makes the shape that much more modern. So pretty! 



The Gemini top by Jane Richmond (free on Knitty) is a great summer-weight tee! Knit in a DK weight cotton linen blend, this one can be knit in a number of different yarns! My picks would be either the Juniper Moon Farm Zooey, which would lend the pattern a little bit of texture, or the Rowan Creative Linen for a smooth and simple linen cotton blend. Either one would be lovely for this easy yet lovely tee.



I stumbled across this Shibui "Tank" on Ravelry and I couldn't help but love the simple shape and of course the pockets. Knit in Shibui Linen, this top is lightweight, simple, and perfect for wearing all summer long. Not only that, the light weight yarn won't weigh you down in the summer heat.




One item I don't often consider knitting is a skirt. I'm not really sure why, but I think I'm more worried about ruining a skirt than any other garment, so I don't think about putting the work into that large of a project. That said, the Amaranthus Skirt knit in Juniper Moon Farm Findley and Findley Dappled makes me want to change my tune. Isn't this thing stunning!?!? Two gauzy layers of lace, one solid and one variegated with a lace pattern, and this thing really swings.  



Last up in the garments category is Janna's Tunic by Grace Akhrem. This feminine tank features some cute neckline pleating and button details at the hip that make it truly unique. Classic Elite's Firefly or Bella Lino yarns would be perfect for this design which calls for a sport weight linen blend yarn. If you want a solid color, the Firefly is a good bet, whereas the Bella Lino provides some gentle self-striping throughout.



Now onto some smaller projects, perfect for weekend getaways, longer travel, camping trips, and just about anything else you can think of! 

If you are anything like me, you've got about a thousand single skeins of fingering weight yarn just lying around in your knitting stash. (Ok, well maybe not a thousand, but certainly a lot.) The Multnomah Shawlette, free on Ravelry, is the perfect one-skein shawl project that can help to knock out some of those single skeins. It takes about 412 yds, and is a simple project that you can easily do while hanging with friends or doing any other activity that doesn't require a lot of concentration. It also makes a great gift...just in case you are so inclined to begin working on some holiday knitting.

Don't have a lot of fingering weight in your stash? Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Manos del Urugury Alegria, Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock, and Cascade Heritage Silk Paints are all great options for this shawl!



Prefer knitting socks, but find your normal wool socks are too much for your summer shoes? Then these cute little knit peds - or called Skimmer Socks are perfect for wearing with all of your summer shoes! (Sandals more your thing? Check out this designer's other sock patterns. She's got plenty of toeless options to choose from too!) There is no project more portable than socks, and these are quick and easy. Plus, since you need less yarn, you can get away with just about 50 grams of sock yarn like 1 skein of Koigu KPPPM or Spud & Chloe Fine!




Lastly, a blanket project that can be knit square by square is another great summertime travel project. Since one little square doesn't weigh you down, you can knit them throughout the season and then sew the whole thing together when the weather gets cool again. I just love the Vivid Blanket from Tin Can Knits. The pattern is in the Handmade in the UK book, but it's also available for single PDF download on Ravelry as well. What is great about this blanket (aside from how stunning it is), is that the pattern includes yardage requirements and measurements for 3 different weights of yarn so you can configure your blanket based on a weight you like to work with (or what you might have plenty of in your stash.) Personally, I like DK weights for summer knitting and also as a nice lighter weight for a throw. The HiKoo Simplicity is perfect for this design because it's just the right amount of yardage per skein to one square in the pattern, is machine washable, and comes in TONS of gorgeous colors. 


I hope these projects provide you with a little summertime knitting inspiration! I know I've got my work cut out for me. :) In the meantime, enjoy your holiday weekend and happy knitting, crocheting, or crafting of your choice!

-Kristen

Thanks Ashley for the really great story! And on that note, we'd like to formally announce the winners of the 2013 Beans for Brains Scholarship! Many of you know that we give out 5 scholarships each year-- one each to 4 designated regions of the US and 1 to a local (Reno/Tahoe) student as a way to give back to our own community. Here are the 5 winners of this year's awards:

Western Region: Jessica Harris

Jessica Harris

Jessica is getting her Bachelors at University of Denver in Environmental Studies. She has been an advocate for environmentally friendly anything for as long as she can remember.  Her closet is a combination of anything natural from wool to silk, organic cotton, flax and hemp. In fact, her project that she submitted for the scholarship was a hand beaded hemp and silk charmeuse cocktail dress that she designed, drafted the pattern, and sewed herself. Jessica is a huge DIY'er and loves that the Beans for Brain scholarship exists to support creative students. She told us: "I am so thankful that for the opportunity that [Jimmy Beans Wool] has given to me in order to pursue my dreams. I will continue to work hard and make them proud to have chosen me as a scholarship winner. I am very excited for the future!" Jessica's future goals are certainly worth being excited for too! She plans to apply to law school to become an Environmental and Animal Rights Attorney. Congrats Jessica!


Midwest Region: Madison Stuhlreyer

Madison Stuhlreyer

Madison is majoring in Biology and is Pre-Med at Ohio State University. For her project she sewed a set of mythological themed oversized dolls. She created the patterns for all body pieces, outfits and parts for “My First Medusa and Mercury” dolls herself. Madison is a knitter as well as a sewist. Currently, she is in the honors program at The Ohio State University. In five years, she plans to be in her second year of medical school at either The Ohio State University or the University of Cincinnati. Madison is also recipient of the Ohio STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) scholarship which provides an opportunity for her to share her excitement about the sciences with Columbus-area youth. So cool! Congrats Madison!



Southern Region: Omar Johnson

Omar Johnson

Omar attends Columbia University and is studying negotiation and conflict management. Omar taught himself to knit and crochet as a way to relax while he was deployed overseas with the US Air Force. He's received several medals and is currently ranked as a Captain. His project was a crochet baby blanket that he recently made for his newborn niece. About his chosen career path, Omar writes, "I am currently getting my Masters in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. I will graduate in May 2014. Once I graduate, I plan to use this degree to become a better officer in the military and a better citizen in my community. This program has taught me the essentials of peacemaking and peace-building, which is vital within our communities and important for me to understand as I seek to serve our country." Way to go Omar! Thank you for your service and being an inspiration in your efforts!


Northeast Region: Cassie Lowell

Cassie Lowell

Cassie is attending Harvard College and is majoring in Bio-engineering. She plans to continue on to graduate school and pursue her ABET certification in engineering. Cassie is an athlete who plays Field Hockey and Swims. In her free time, she loves to sew. For her project she created a "historically accurate" Ariel dress from Disney's The Little Mermaid drafted from her own pattern and complete with hand stitched gold seashell appliques and pearl beading. She really loves historical costuming and most of her projects include some kind of historical element. Of her future goals, Cassie writes, "Solving real world problems in a way that helps people is a dream come true for me. With the right combination of passion, innovation, and collaboration, anything is possible."





Reno/Tahoe: Farah Rashdan

Farah Rashdan

Farah attends the University of Nevada, Reno and is majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. She plans to get her Master's Degree in Social Work. She is actively involved in many on campus organizations and volunteers locally as well. Farah crocheted her project using yarn that was given to her by friends and family. Of her future plans, she writes, "I want to get my Master's in Social Work so that I am able to help those that have gone through human trafficking. I would also like to volunteer abroad in countries like Thailand, which has a massive population with many young females who are affected by human trafficking. I am a firm believer of my life being my 'Magnum Opus;' it will be my greatest work, so I must challenge myself and overcome my own obstacles in my own life.”



So these are the five winners of the 2013 Beans For Brains Scholarship! Congrats to all of you and thank you to everyone who submitted an application! We hope all of you will apply again next year!

I'd also like to take a moment to thank our Sponsors for the Beans For Brains Scholarship! Without them, we wouldn't be able to continue to help crafty college students achieve their life goals! The 2013 Sponsors were:

-Skacel/Addi
-Chicken Boots
-Bar Maids
-Koigu
-Knitter's Pride
-Lorna's Laces
-Red Heart
-Westminster Fibers
-Universal Yarn
-Tahki Stacy Charles
-Alsatian Soaps
-Berroco Yarns
-Classic Elite Yarns
-Knitting Pure and Simple
-Namaste
-Unicorn Books
-Blue Sky Alpacas
-Cascade Yarns
-Lantern Moon
-Yarn Pop-Brown Sheep Yarn Co.
-Plymouth Yarns
-Javori Designs
-Kollage Yarns

For a more information about the Scholarship and a list of past winners, please see the Beans For Brains Scholarship page on our website. 

I hope you all have a great weekend and as always, happy crafting!

Kristen

 

Let's see if I can talk about these wonderful fibers and not bore you too much because they are so cool in a geeky, science-y sort of way!

Rayon is perhaps one of the least understood fibers worked with by hand crafters.  Rayon came into existence in the attempt for humans to duplicate what a silk worm does naturally.  That is, turn plant material into a fine, highly desirable fiber.  In essence, rayon is artificial silk.

Many people erroneously think that rayon is a synthetic fiber but it is not; it is a cellulose fiber. While it is man-made, the raw material is from plant material, most frequently wood pulp.  You may recall from high school science class that the cell walls of plants are made from cellulose. Using various chemical methods the cells are broken down and reconstructed then forced through spinnerets (tiny holes) to create rayon fibers which are then spun into threads and yarns. Because rayon is a cellulose fiber, it can be considered renewable.  It is also biodegradable, and it can be dyed in brilliant colors using the same kinds of dye used to dye cotton and linen or by incorporating dye into it during processing.  Some processes for making rayon can be fairly water intensive and can use varying quantities of chemicals but overall it is much more environmentally friendly than synthetics made from petroleum-based products.

There are several different kinds of rayon each using different variations of plant materials and chemical processes.

Viscose is probably the most common form of rayon; it's sometimes just called viscose or viscose rayon.  It is a very soft fiber that feels good next to the skin.  It has beautiful drape, very much like silk but not as elastic.  It is highly absorbent but does become weaker when wet so can lose resiliency if wet blocked too hard.  So only block hard if you want more drape and less "bounce" in your finished garment.  Rayon is washable.  Most garment labels will specify if you should wash or dry clean.  If the label says to dry clean you should do so, as some rayon is not as colorfast and the dye will run unevenly.  Ask me how I know!  I'll show you the lovely rayon scarves I purchased back in the 80's and how they look rather tie dyed now. If you should want to take the chance and wash a rayon item that specifies dry clean only, test an inconspicuous area to check for colorfastness.

We have many yarns that contain rayon/viscose.  My personal favorites are Classic Elite Firefly, Plymouth Linen Concerto, Crystal Palace Monaco (which is on sale!), Berroco Lago, and Rowan Panama.

I encourage you to use our Advanced yarn search  to find other rayon and viscose yarns and our Advanced Fabric search to find rayon fabric and ribbons!

Modal is a type of rayon made from European Beech trees which are grown specifically as a renewable resource. Modal is the registered trademark for Lenzing AG in Austria.  The process of making Modal reportedly uses less water and fewer chemicals than other types of rayon.  It is my understanding that all of the chemicals used to make Modal are completely recaptured and reused. Modal is very smooth, soft and about 50% more absorbent than mercerized cotton.  Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy is one yarn that contains Modal along with cotton and hemp.

Tencel is another trademarked name for another type of rayon, lyocell.  This fiber is extremely drapey, doesn't wrinkle easily, absorbs dye well and has a lovely sheen.  There are a quite a few lines of travel clothing made from Tencel.  At the moment we don't have any Tencel yarns but watch for new ones and know they are a delight to work with!

Soysilk, the registered trademark of South West Trading Company for a type of rayon made from soybean pulp that is left after pressing the beans to remove the oil. Unlike the other types of rayon which help you feel cool in warmer weather, soysilk feels warm but does wick moisture away from the skin as do other rayons.

Seacell, is the trademarked name of a type of lyocell that has about 5% seaweed added to the base materials. It is said that the natural minerals found in the seaweed are retained in the yarn and could possibly be imparted to the skin, contributing desirable minerals to help keep your skin healthy. Hand Maiden Sea Silk is the only yarn we have with seacell.

Bamboo is another rayon that is from a highly renewable resource and has the unusual property of being antibacterial even after many washings. Bamboo fiber is very soft and absorbs moisture very quickly then allows it to evaporate just as quickly so it helps you to remain very comfortable.  It makes excellent bath towels and sheets.  Yarn containing bamboo will have a nice soft drape, excellent wicking ability and dyes in beautifully vibrant colors.  It is an excellent fiber for making warm weather socks!  It's also great for shells, tops, coverups, evening wear, hand towels, baby clothes or any time you want a cooler fabric with drape, shine, durability and the added bonus of being renewable.  Some of my favorite bamboo yarns are: Be Sweet Bamboo & Bambino, Crystal Palace Panda Silk, Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo, Vail, Chalet, HiKoo CoBaSi, Frog Tree Pediboo Sock & Worsted, and Univeral Bamboo Pop.

Corn and other high starch agricultural products like sugar & wheat are also being broken down through chemical processes to form polymers, which are then spun into fibers!  We are currently out of any yarns that contain corn but do watch for Araucania Ruca which is 100% sugar viscose. We'll be getting more in a few weeks!

Acetate is a slightly different type of fiber that starts with wood pulp but goes through a different chemical process.  It has been around for decades, and most of us are familiar with the shiny fabric that melts when ironed too hot.

Last, but far from least, is one of the newer technologies, Outlast viscose!  According to the Outlast website (in geek speak): it is a phase change material that can be incorporated into or coated on a fiber and adapts to the temperature of your body.  It pulls excess warmth away or radiates warmth back depending on what is needed.  I recommend visiting the website, Outlast.com, to find out the more technical aspects, which are really cool if, like me, you love geeky science stuff but I fear will put many people to sleep. So far, the only yarns I know of that incorporate this high tech fiber are Lorna's Laces Sportmate & Solemate!

Are you still with me?  I didn't put you to sleep with too many facts?  Good! Rayon is one of my very favorite fibers to wear.  I have several knitting project planned with these awesome yarns like Paseo in Lorna's Laces Solemate and Cocoknits Belle in Classic Elite Firefly.  I'm very much looking forward to learning to sew better so I can try some fabrics too!

I hope this helps clear up some confusions about these wonderful fibers!  There is lots more to read about each of them if you're interested.  Check out The Knitter's Book of Yarn  which has been very helpful to me in preparing this post for you and then don't forget to search the web!

If I can help further please drop me an email: askTerry (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com.

Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Sewing!

Terry

This week in my continuing explorations of fiber characteristics I will be discussing cotton blends. I hope you all are finding this information useful, as it is essential to at least understand the basics about fibers to make informed yarn substitutions and sewing fabric choices. If there is more you wish for me to discuss, please let me know I'll be happy to incorporate your suggestions.

Also, please note that much of what I describe for yarns also applies to sewing fabrics!

Yarns and threads made from blends of fibers offer the best qualities of each fiber included in the blend.  There are two main methods that are used to blend fibers.

The first method is to mix the fibers together, either before or after dying, in the desired proportions before spinning it into yarn. This type of blending allows for a mixture fiber characteristics to create a new overall character that is unique to the specific blend. One of our newest yarns, Lotus Yarns Autumn Wind is a great example of this type of blending. It is 90% cotton blended with 10% cashmere.  The result is an absolutely, heavenly, soft yarn that one simply must pet every time one walks by it!!! I think it will be fabulous knit up into shells, tanks, scarves or anything that is in close contact with your skin. It would be perfect for that little lacy nighty you always dreamed of knitting!

The second method is to ply together separate singles composed of each fiber. Blending fibers in this way maintains the individual fiber characteristics and takes advantage not only of each fibers strengths but add new characteristics from the interaction between the fibers. The type of twist used to ply the strands together can also add some interesting characteristics.  Rowan Summerspun is an excellent example of this type of blending. This 50/50 Wool/Cotton yarn is composed of 4 strands of wool plied into one highly energized ply and 8 strands of cotton plied into a very sturdy ply then the two are plied together so the yarn looks like a two ply.  This unique construction makes a yarn that is both light and breathable yet very springy and resilient.  The yarn is dyed after plying in variegated colors and because the wool & cotton take the dye differently the result is in a soft marled variegation.

As I mentioned in my last fiber post, we currently have at least 51 different cotton blends in our regular stock of yarns.  There are just too many to list individually so I'll give you a little run down on each type of blend.

Cotton/Wool blends offer more resiliency that pure cotton yarns because wool is more elastic than cotton.  Anything made from this blend will retain a more warmth that pure cotton but not as much as pure wool, especially when wet.  Which is why this blend is not good for winter socks but works well for sock for spring & fall.  The cotton in this combo will add drape to the wool.

Cotton/Acrylic blends balance the durability, sturdiness and lighter weight of acrylic with the heft, drape and feel of cotton. Berroco Weekend is a great example, I love this yarn for beach coverups, summer skirts, kids clothing and blankets.  It works especially well for Tunisian crochet (aka afghan stitch) and comes in DK, worsted and chunky weights.

Cotton/Silk blends offer the luxurious hand and drape of silk combined with the soft, loftiness and easy care of cotton.  This can be one of the softest blends!  These blends can either have a soft sheen or matte depending on how the fibers are prepared. Some of my favorite examples are Cascade Pima Silk, Knit One Crochet Too Cozette (I've taken to keeping a hank of this one near me when I work in the retail store just to pet from time to time, it's that soft!), Misti Alpaca Tonos Pima Silk & Hand Paint Pima Silk, Classic Elite Yarns Classic Silk, and Rowan Summer Tweed. I'm just finishing up a project out of Summer Tweed and am really enjoying knitting with this rustic, slubby yarn. Just have the sleeves and neckline to do! All of these yarns are just the thing for summer tops and wraps!



Cotton/rayon or viscose blends.  I'll go into the specifics about rayon, seacell, tencel & viscose in a future post but for the present, suffice it to say that these fibers impart about the same characteristics as silk - excellent drape, shine and durability. One thing to be aware of, especially with older yarns, is that not all rayon has been dyed in a colorfast manner. So be sure to care for it as directed on the label. If the label says dry clean only check for colorfastness.  We have some lovely blends that are perfect for shells, tanks, twin sets, skirts, beach coverups, and evening wear. Examples are Rowan Panama, Trendsetter Phoenix, and Classic Elite Sanibel.

I already mentioned cotton/linen blends in my April 26th post on linen yarns. In my opinion this blend should be everyone's go to for summer projects just like worsted wools like Cascade 220 are go to yarns for winter items. Rowan Creative Linen and Berroco Linsey being the two I would go to first.

I hope this is providing useful information to help you in your yarn decision making. If you ever need help determining which yarn(s) are suitable to substitute in your pattern we will be happy to assist as best we can.  Just give us a call on our toll free number 877-529-5648 or email your questions to me at askTerry (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com.

Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Sewing!
Terry

Today, in our ongoing discussion about fibers and substituting yarns I'm going to talk about cotton.

When I'm helping customers choose just the right yarn I sometimes feel like we don't have many cotton yarns. But while preparing for today's post I listed out all of our 100% cotton yarns. WOW! We do have a lot!  Not counting those that we have on sale, we have 32 - 100% cotton yarns and 51 cotton blends! This was a great exercise for me to freshen my memory of what we've carried for awhile and to learn about the new yarns we just received this season. Because we do have so many, today, I will only be discussing 100% cotton yarns and save the blends for my next post.

As most people already know, cotton is a plant fiber. It's the fluff that surrounds the cotton plant's seeds and helps the plant to disburse the seeds. Cotton is a member same plant family that includes okra, cocoa and hibiscus and is native to the tropical regions around the world. The cotton plant was domesticated independently in both the old world and the new world. According to the archeological record, the use of cotton in textiles goes back at least 7000 years.

Cotton is the most common textile fiber we can find our daily lives. I would say it's probably very difficult to find an environment where there is not at least one cotton item present. Your jeans, bedsheets, towels and under garments are most likely all made from cotton. Jeans, towels and most sheets are made from fabrics of woven cotton or cotton blends. T-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and many under garments are typically made of knitted cotton or cotton blend fabrics.

Cotton's properties as a fiber are: a comfortable and soft hand (feel), it's absorbent, retains color well, is machine washable or dry cleanable, has a staple length of 1/2 inch to 2 1/2 inches, and drapes well. Like linen, cotton is damaged by acids but is resistant to alkali. Prolonged exposure to sunlight weakens the fibers and it is susceptible to mold, mildew and damage by silverfish. Cotton burns readily and is damaged by prolonged exposure to temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because cotton fibers are relatively short compared to many other fibers, a lot of twist is needed to make a stable yarn, thread, twine or rope. The typical construction is many very thin plies twisted together in different numbers to create different thicknesses. More plies equal a stronger yarn or thread. Some yarns like Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton and Tahki Rosa have fewer, thicker plies that give a wonderfully soft feel, great for baby blankets but at a sacrifice of durability when handled as roughly as say a pair of blue jeans. These yarns are also more likely to shed fibers because there is less twist to hold the fibers together.

Mercerization is a treatment  used on cotton and hemp fabrics and threads which gives them more luster, strength, affinity for dye, and resistance to mildew. On the other hand it increases the fabric's affinity for gathering lint. During the mercerization process the fabric or thread is held under tension to keep the fibers from shrinking, then treated with an alkali (lye), neutralized with an acid and finally passed through a gas flame to remove any stray fibers. Hard to believe after all that it's stronger than before, but it is! I love the shine and brilliant colors of mercerized cottons! I love the colors so much that I'm even using them to choose paint colors for a home decorating project I'm planning.



When choosing alternate yarns for patterns, it is possible to sometimes substitute cotton for other fibers but you must consider the yarn structure to make sure it performs similarly to the yarn the garment was originally designed to use. In general, cotton will have more drape and less elasticity than wool, breaths well, absorbs moisture well and will not retain as much heat as protein fibers. Cotton does dry slowly which makes it good for staying cool on hot summer days but not so good for keeping your feet warm in cold weather. Cotton is also unlikely to stimulate allergic reactions for most people.

Some of my very favorite cotton yarns that I recommend often are:

Mercerized, drapey & shiny:

I love these yarns for children's clothes, shells, light cardigans, summery shawls, bags, purses, skirts and dresses. Washcloths made from mercerized cotton will feel a bit more scrubby and hold up better as dishcloths than softer cottons.

• Tahki Cotton Classic and Cotton Classic Lite
• Cascade Ultra Pima and Ultra Pima Fine
• Plymouth Cleo
• Mouzakis Super 10 Cotton
• Classic Elite Yarns Provence

Soft, drapy with a soft sheen:

These are great for children's clothes, soft washcloths, baby items, hats, summer tops & tanks, and scarves.

• Rowan Handknit Cotton
• Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton
• Classic Elite Mesa
• Be Sweet Bambino & Bambino Taffy

Interesting textures & ribbons:

These are fun for clothes of all sorts - pullovers, dresses, cardigans, tops, tanks, shells, bags, hats, and baby items.

• Tahki Ripple
• Berroco Karma
• Cascade Luna
• Classic Elite Yarn Seedling & Sprout

Great sources for more information about cotton can be found here:

Wikipedia
The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes
Alabama Chanin

And don't forget to check out all of our cotton woven fabric too! They make great liners and coordinates for your yarn projects!

I hope you are finding these discussions about different fibers helpful.  If there is anything I'm not covering or you would like me to discuss in more detail please let me know!  As always you can email your questions about knitting, fibers, crochet, weaving, and spinning to me at askTerry (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com.

Terry

Now that the weather is warming up, our thoughts are turning to lighter,
 more portable knitting projects and we've been stocking up on some lusciously awesome new yarns for summer!

This seems like the perfect time to start talking about fibers. This will be the first post spotlighting a specific fiber and how it is best used for knitting, crocheting and weaving.

Have you ever chosen a different yarn than your pattern calls for and then not gotten the results you expected? One possible reason for this is that you chose a yarn with a completely different fiber than the one the project was designed with. For instance, lets say that you made a sweater that was designed for Cascade 220 but you chose Berroco Linsey instead. Now you're wondering why instead of being fluffy, warm and springy your sweater is droopy, not at all warm and has no elasticity. Both yarns are worsted weight, why didn't it work out?

The reason is that Cascade 220 is made from 100% wool and Berroco Linsey is made from 64% Cotton and 36% linen. Wool is a protein fiber from sheep. A couple of wool's wonderful qualities are its elasticity because it is wavy (has crimps) and its ability to maintain warmth even when 90% saturated with water. I'll go into wool in more detail in another post but today, I want to talk about linen.

Linen is plant fiber. We get linen from the stem of the flax plant. We also get the flax seeds we eat and linseed oil from flax plants. It is also a lovely, delicate blue garden flower, one of my favorites! If you've never seen a flax plant before, North Dakota State University has a flax page with some very good photos and all kinds of educational links.

I've long been interested in genealogy and my grandmother passed on a pillow cover that was made of flax grown, processed and woven in Canada by some of my ancestors in the late 1700s. My grandmother crocheted the edging on it. While it's never been used as a cover, that I know of, you can see it is still in great condition for having been woven nearly 240 years ago.



Linen as a fiber is two to three times stronger than cotton, has a higher sheen and feels cool to the touch, although it does have a tendency to wrinkle unless blended with other more resilient fibers. The process of getting the fibers out of the plant is quite interesting. Wikipedia has a good article giving a general overview of the process. The fiber is not degraded by light, heat, alkaline process, or bleaching. It is damaged by exposure to acids and is susceptible to molds & mildews in humid climates.

For our purposes, linen fibers are quite long, 18 to 30 inches long which makes it pill resistant and gives it excellent drape. Hanks of linen yarn often feel a bit harsh to touch in the store but the more it is worked with, washed and worn the softer it gets. Garments made from linen can last for many, many decades. Linen is great to knit, crochet and weave with. The cool feel of linen and the looser stitch you get when knitting with it makes it an excellent warm weather yarn both for working with and for wearing. One great advantage of knitting or crocheting with linen yarn is that the fabric produced is not as likely to wrinkle as woven linen, when care is taken.

Linen is also a good durable yarn, great for making children's clothing!

When substituting yarns in patterns, depending on the construction on the yarn, linen could be a very suitable replacement for cotton and might also work to replace a rayon/viscose, raw silk or some acrylic/acrylic blends. Linen is not a good substitute in patterns that call for any animal fibers except maybe adult mohair which is also a long, sturdy fiber with good drape but tends to be itchy.

We carry a number of great yarns that contain linen and I often recommend them to customers looking to make summer weight garments.

Both Shibui Linen and Fibre Natura Flax are 100% linen yarns. They feel very crisp to the touch in the hank but soften up beautifully when worked up and washed. The colors are vibrant and very fun! I recommend either yarn for vests, skirts, hand bags, and sheer pullovers. They would also make great spa cloths for exfoliating the skin.

Rowan Creative Linen and Berroco Linsey are both blends of linen and cotton. This combination gives a softer to the touch yarn than pure linen, a slightly duller sheen, and very pleasant colors. I recommend these yarns for cardigans, skirts, dresses, shells and tank tops, summer throws, towels and washcloths.

Classic Elite Firefly, Plymouth Linen Concerto, Berroco Lago, and Trendsetter Twiggy are great blends of linen with rayon/viscose and small amounts of other fibers. Rayon and viscose are also plant based fibers that are man made but not really considered synthetics. They offer many of the same attributes as silk so when blended with linen they add sheen, more drape and softness. I recommend these yarns for shells, tank tops, skirts, dresses, cardigans, and pullovers. They are defiantly the most elegant of all the linen yarns, plus have more wrinkle resistance.

Looking for some great patterns to knit up in a linen yarn? Check out our kits, I've done a search for Linen for you. I really love the patterns in Kim Hargreaves' Indigo book too!


And Kristen designed a delightful vest last year in Shibui Linen. Shibui Linen Vest

I hope this helped answer some questions about this great fiber without putting most of you to sleep! If you want to learn more, there is a ton of information out there on the internet for the browsing.

As ever if you have questions, comments, suggestions or anything I can help with please don't hesitate to email me at askTerry (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com.

Terry
p.s. I apologize for the typos, I've corrected them now.

There is so much news at JBW that I feel like a newspaper reporter, woohoo! 

First we have 2 weddings to report, Bethany and her love George ran off and tied the knot without a word, imagine! They announced this wonderful piece of news at their engagement party...how much fun is that? Then our own Amber and her love Ray got hitched on September 24th at Grizzly Greek Ranch in Portola California. You can read a bit more about it here in my blog post for Battle Born Knits (shameless plug:) ). Congratulations to both of these spectacular couples!!


Of course as you all know we recently moved into a larger space and on Friday, September 30th we had an Open House! So much fun was had by all and so many announcements that I am not quite sure where to start?? So I will dive in with both needles...

Diane Soucy of Knitting Pure and Simple with her fans!

We had Diane Soucy (aka Knitting Pure and Simple) here signing her patterns and of course talking knitting with her fans! She had some teaser samples of some new patterns with her that are coming out in the spring, so stay tuned!!! They are amazing of course!  


Diane, Cookie A, Lorna Miser and Ann Norling will be added to our class list soon and you can contact us at info@jimmybeanswool.com to make sure you are on the list to be notified when we have more details about those classes/workshops!! I know I will be 1st in line to learn from these fabulous designers. 

Long time customer Linette with Bethany :)

We had raffle prizes and boy was everyone excited about that one!! We had 2 kits for the Berroco pattern Duchess which uses their new yarn Boboli, 2 Rowan kits for the Unisex Scarf and 2 Ann Norling kits for her cool Easy Cowl #71. CONGRATULATIONS to our winners! 

Be sure to bring your work in for show-n-tell...we love that!!!

Victoria cried!! Who wouldn't with Huck as the MC :)

I am sad to report that Victoria is moving onto to new things in her life and will be missed around the shop dearly! Here she is getting her moving on goodie bag from Laura and Huck and there were definitely some sniffles! I am lucky that she lives right near me and we are planning on some regular visits. I am so glad that she is in the JBW family and one of my friends too!! 

Here Terry let me help you with a chip

The whole crew got a great present from the Zander's for our new break room...a Cappicino maker!!! Not only that but they are going to keep the supplies stocked...WOW!! 

Of course Huck was helping Terry open the package (plying her with a chip) and what a great job he did too!

Thanks so much for taking such great care of us!!!


Well of course I have saved my favorite news flash for last...Sandy and I have been in the JBW family for 5 years!!! 

For me it has just flown by and the changes have been phenomenal to say the least. We have both recently marveled that when we started working here we had 2 computers and not a whole lot more employees. Now I really would have to stop and think to count all the computers, employees and changes that we have seen in the last 5 years. Sandy is my friend as well as co-worker and I just can't imagine what life around here would be like without her. She only has 2 weeks on me (okay Sandy you can gloat for a second) and I am so glad to be making this journey with her by my side!! 

Sandy, Laura and yours truly, post presentation

We were presented with 2 unique, hand made pendants that represent our logo, the color wheel and the stones in them are an amazing array of Mother Earth's diversity. 

They are both inscribed with the Hindi word for family and boy did I blubber!! Sandy was my rock on this one for sure!


On my way home (and as I lay in bed trying to sleep after such an exciting evening) I reflected on the meaning of our logo to me. 

Certainly the color wheel represents endless possibilities, but to me it means quite a bit more.




The colors on the wheel are harmonious and can be blended to create a multitude of beautiful options; which I feel we have done at JBW's in too many ways to mention here. The 'wheel' can take me places that I can't even imagine and it has so far!

My journey with JBW (and in life) has been one of discovery and growth and I wouldn't have it any other way! 


I will wear my pendant with pride and look forward to the next 5 years of this journey! 

Words truly can't express my feelings as I type this post, so I must humbly sign off with a HUGE thanks to Laura, Doug, Huck, Buddy, Wiley and ALL the little beans for being who you are and allowing me to be a part of this amazing family!!


As always, happy knitting and crocheting!


Jeanne