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Some of what I'm working on

11386 views 19 replies Latest reply: September 23, 2014 at 1:03:08 AM

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BetwixtTheStitch message #1
Some of what I'm working on
September 12, 2014 at 10:24:21 AM

Baby blanket, hat, and booties made with Pipsqueak fuzzy yarn and tunisian simple stitch.
These worked up really quick and the soft fuzzy yarn was nice to work with.

This is the crocodile cluster pattern I found at yarnspirations, I still have a few rounds to go on the edging.

Here is a close up of the stitch pattern.

Sherry

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Stitchboard Admin message #2
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 12, 2014 at 9:22:53 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #1)

Sherry,

Love all of it!

Sooooo jealous of you, getting to work with the Pipsqueak yarn...that must have felt so nice while working with it!

How large are the skeins of that? Were you able to buy one of each of the two colors?

And the crocodile pattern turned out gorgeous!

I bet that feels heavenly...it sure looks like it does! What yarn did you use for that? Whatever it is has such a pretty sheen to it. Was it the Simply Soft? My experience has always been that Simply Soft doesn't hold its shape too well...but if that's what you used, I'll think differently about it from now on!

Excellent work!

There are going to be some very happy people with these yarny gifts!

Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.

Member since:
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BetwixtTheStitch message #3
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 13, 2014 at 9:53:58 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #2)

Melanie,

You're so right, the Pipsqueak was heavenly to work with.

The skeins are 3 1/2 oz. and each stripe is one ball (keep it simple).

I bought an extra ball of the brown to do the edge, hat and booties. I still have at least half of that ball, so I may need to make various sizes of booties.

Yes, the crocodile blanket is done in Simply Soft. The pattern calls for Softee Baby, but you know I have trouble seeing the size 3 yarns, so this was my substitute. Unfortunately it was not a good idea for this pattern, the blanket is actually quite heavy. Unless it changes when washed, it's probably just going to be packed away as a keepsake.

It also requires a lot of yarn to make that crocodile blanket, 42oz. to make 35"x 35".

The Pipsqueak blanket is 36"x 48", I bought 21 oz. and had plenty left over to make other things.

So now my DIL's sister wants a crocodile baby blanket. I may try it with a different yarn, now I'm thinking that if I use a larger hook and something like RH Soft, maybe I can use less yarn and make it less heavy.

Sherry

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Stitchboard Admin message #4
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 14, 2014 at 12:51:03 AM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #3)

Sherry,

Oh, yeah, that Pipsqueak just looks soooooooo buttery soft!

If I'm understanding correctly...you used 1/2 skein for everything except the blanket? That's really not bad!

Argh, I'm so sorry the SS made the blanket much too heavy.

I take it there's really not much choice with that particular stitch? It's so yarn intensive, I'd have to imagine it's heavy in pretty much any yarn.

And I'm definitely not surprised you used 42 oz for a 35" x 35" blanket. That stitch uses a ton of yarn. It's gorgeous, but to make those scales, it requires a bunch of yarn for each one!

21 oz for the Pipsqueak blanket isn't too bad, IMO. Meh, you'd probably use just a tiny bit less for a not-quite-as-cute blanket in other yarns, so why not use something that's wonderfully soft?!

What weight of yarn is RH soft? If it's, say, sport weight, that might be better than SS. I love SS, but if you're going to make something that will never be used, it's not all that great.

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BetwixtTheStitch message #5
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 14, 2014 at 10:12:53 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #4)

Melanie,

Yes, maybe a little less than half a ball for the hat and booties. Newborn booties take so little yarn anyway, and tss uses less than other stitches, soooo.....

I knew that blanket would be heavier, much like any that concentrates a lot of stitches in a smaller area. But it seems heavier than any I've ever done. The bavarian crochet blanket I did for my granddaughter was quite heavy too, but when I ran it through the washer and dryer it fluffed or something. I'm hoping I'll get similar results with this.

The RH Soft is a ww, but one of the thicker ones, so I was thinking that if I use that and maybe a K hook, I can make bigger scales so that it's not so concentrated. I have some in my stash that I can try out before I commit to buying enough to make a blanket.

This pattern is hard on my eyes even with the SS, so I can't imagine trying to do it in a sport. So if I can't make it work this way, she's just out of luck.

Sherry

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Member since:
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Stitchboard Admin message #6
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 15, 2014 at 12:01:13 AM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #5)

Sherry,

That's not a bad amount of yarn for hat and booties. Loving the idea of the TSS stitches using less yarn, too!

Ooh, please do tell what happens when you run the crocodile stitch blanket through the wash! Hope it fluffs up. Even if it doesn't...I know it's kind of useless, but it looks sooooo gorgeous!

What a great idea to try the RH Soft with a K hook before you really get into a project! That should tell if the stitch can be manipulated to not be so heavy.

I don't blame you. Some things are just harder to see, and sport weight is definitely starting to get on the small side.

If you can't make it work wtih RH Soft, I'm sure she'll understand.

Can't wait to hear how the RH Soft/K hook combo works for that stitch!

Member since:
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BetwixtTheStitch message #7
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 15, 2014 at 9:13:18 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #6)

Melanie,

I took a little break from working the edging on the blanket and played a littl with the RH Soft. The idea wil definitely work.

So then I tried it with RH Super Saver and a J hook.......ding, ding, ding, both are winners.

Sherry

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Stitchboard Admin message #8
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 16, 2014 at 1:31:16 AM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #7)

Sherry,

Woo hoo! So glad the RH Soft works well!

Wow, and with RHSS, too...so it's really not too heavy?

Member since:
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BetwixtTheStitch message #9
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 16, 2014 at 8:44:15 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #8)

Melanie,

Ok, so what I think on it is that the Simply Soft is too "compacted". It has the weight of worsted in a thinner yarn.

Smaller hook +smaller stitches = more stitches, more weight in the finished project.
It just wasn't a good choice for this project.
To be perfectly candid, I'm not sold on the quality of the Simply Soft either. With it's tendency to split and fray, I just don't know how well it will hold up in a project that actually gets any real use.

It's pretty to look at, feels good to work with. But in the end, if it doesn't hold up to washing, it's a fail in my book.
Add that to the fact that it costs so much more than the Super Saver.........

blah.

I've worked a good size swatch in the Super Saver, and no it won't be too heavy.

Sherry

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Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584

Stitchboard Admin message #10
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 17, 2014 at 1:43:39 AM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #9)

Sherry,

Wow, that makes so much sense how you figured out why the blanket is too heavy!

I'm not sure, either, how Simply Soft holds up in the long run. I've used it in the distant past for baby blankets, and though I've never heard any complaints, it doesn't mean the blankets lasted!

Yeah, nobody wants to get (or give) a gift that's going to fall apart 3 months later.

And it really does cost much more than the Super Saver. It used to be that the cost wasn't too bad, but recently, the price of the Simply Soft shot way up there!

And for that price you're getting a smaller skein, which makes it even less cost effective, sadly. It's a shame, because I actually loved working with it...but now the whole game has changed.

I'm so glad the Super Saver gave you a good solution!

I guess the biggest problem I had with the Simply Soft (and the reason I only made a couple of baby blankets with it in the past) is how the yarn didn't seem to hold its shape. I'd tried a few different stitches, and they were almost formless in the Simply Soft, so I had to stick to basic stitches, nothing fancier.

Super Saver does hold up better...that stiffness which is a disadvantage when making certain items is an advantage to crisp, well-formed patterns!

It's too bad the features of the two yarns that we like can't be combined!

Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575

BetwixtTheStitch message #11
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 17, 2014 at 10:06:52 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #10)

Melanie,

I've only worked with the Simply Soft in the last couple of years, when our Joann started carrying it. I do love the feel of working with it.

I think the RH Soft feels even better, smoother. It's not compacted like the Simply Soft, and has less of a tendency to split and fray. However it's thicker, so the gauge would be different. It also holds the shape of the stitches quite well.

RH With Love is another good one that holds it's shape well. It's not stiff like the Super Saver, and it doesn't have the satiny feel like the Soft. But it holds up well without the splitting and fraying.

Sherry

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Member since:
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Posts: 4584

Stitchboard Admin message #12
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 17, 2014 at 8:28:23 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #11)

Sherry,

I also love the feel of Simply Soft! I started using it when I found it at Walmart. Sooooooooo nice on the hands!

I haven't seen or tried the RH Soft. Guessing I'd have to go to JoAnn's or something for it. I don't recall seeing it at Walmart. It sounds lovely!

And what a plus, that it holds the shape of the stitches!

RH With Love also sounds wonderful! Which do you prefer - that or the RH Soft? Are they both along the lines of a worsted weight, give or take some thickness?

I had no idea there were soft yarns that actually held shapes of stitches. I had always thought anything soft wouldn't have enough substance to hold a stitch shape well, as with the Simply Soft!

Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575

BetwixtTheStitch message #13
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 18, 2014 at 9:01:16 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #12)

Melanie,

I'd have to say the RH Soft is my favorite. Sadly, it's only available in a handful of colors.

I don't want to get too attached to it until I see what's going to happen with it though. RH has been discontinuing so many of their yarn lines, I just don't want to be disappointed.

Both the RH With Love and the Soft are ww, on the thicker side, much like Caron's One Pounder.

Sherry

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Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584

Stitchboard Admin message #14
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 19, 2014 at 12:34:31 AM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #13)

Sherry,

Argh, isn't that always the case...the yarns you really like are almost never available in the colors you want!

I discovered that several years ago, when one of the manufacturers made a gorgeous sparkly yarn...I wanted purple...they didn't have a purple at all.

Yes, that's true. Anything in danger of being discontinued means you'd have to scrounge around for what you want, paying a premium on the off chance you do find something - and likely not in the same dye lot.

I had that with Coats & Clark's Lustersheen. They used to have an incredible set of colors...Ming Blue was one of my faves. Such a gorgeous blue. Then they discontinued it. I think the closest match was Parakeet then, and IIRC, it was too green and I didn't like it.

I hope the RH With Love and the Soft last a good long time and the colors are expanded...however; yarns don't seem to have much longevity, particularly with the less mainstream ones. Of course, Caron's One Pounder will always be around, though the colors may change here and there. But more specialized yarns probably rely on demand and I have to guess there isn't much demand, sadly.

Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575

BetwixtTheStitch message #15
Re: Some of what I'm working on
September 19, 2014 at 10:34:54 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #14)

Melanie,

Isn't that the truth, though?

I'd certainly love to see RH expand the Soft collection, but I won't hold my breath.

Super Saver and One Pounder seem to be the only one's we can count on.

Sherry

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