Tag Archives: Yarn

Exotic Fibers, Yak by Bijou Basin Ranch….A Fine Yarn

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It is amazing how many different fibers can create yarn. When I decided to start writing about features and effects of various yarns, I don’t think I was fully aware how great the diversity was. One of these unique fibers is yak.

Bijou Basin Ranch, Bijou Spun Himalayan Trail yarn has one of the highest quality of yak down that I have found in a yarn. It is comprised of 75% Yak Down, and 25% Superfine Merino, and I can testify that it feels like luxury. The skein is 2oz in weight with 200 yards of yarn, making it a fine weight yarn (also recognized as a #2 weight).

Himalayan Trail yarn www.lindadeancrochet.com

Bijou Basin Ranch Himalayan Trail yarn….created with Yak Down

Yak is probably not a fiber that most crocheters have had the pleasure to work with, one of these reasons is that it is not readily available everywhere, and the other is it usually falls into a price point that discourages some. Yak is a very soft fiber, it has a fine micron count, meaning that the individual fibers are very thin. The finer the micron count the softer the fiber. This fiber is not only soft, it is warm. If there is any doubt to its warmth, this fiber is the undercoat of a large mammal that lives in the high country of the Himalayan Mountains, where weather is cold and draining. This is the fiber that keeps these animals warm.

Collection of Yak fibers is typically labor intensive, as it is usually collected after it is shed from the animal, these animals are not sheared, but in some cases maybe combed to collect the shed fibers. This is one of the primary reasons for the cost factor of the yarn, the supply of yak is not easy to obtain and thus not overly plentiful.

This fiber is then paired with just a bit of superfine Merino, another fiber of fine micron count, this helps to add a bit more stability to the overall yarn while still keeping with the very soft and almost pillowy feel of the yarn. The four plies of this yarn are smooth and consistent resulting in a yarn with very little halo, and a much defined smooth tubular yarn that enables great stitch definition.

I think this yummy yarn would look excellent in some cables, or texture stitches, as well as great with defined open work. One skein can easily create a hat or scarf, possibly even a short pair of fingerless gloves. If you have the opportunity to treat yourself a bit, do not hesitate to try Himalayan Trail, you will be glad you did.

Crochet Hanging Vase- Perfect for Spring

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It is almost time to admire the spring flowers, almost time to see the final thawing of the ice and snow for the season, a time when the days begin to warm and that restless spirit to be in the sun stirs in us. My home has seen a hint of spring this week. The weather has warmed and the daffodils have begun to bloom.

I tend to really enjoy seeing the daffodils, I never think of them as my favorite flowers, but they add such a nice harkening of s seasonal change with a bright yellow (or white) splash in the green hill side out my kitchen window.

Hanging crochet vase www.lindadeancrochet.com

Daffodils from a hanging “crochet”vase at my door.

So I found some scrap of yarn and crocheted an open mesh, for lack of a better term, “bag” that I slipped a mason jar into. This is the perfect for hanging a jar of flowers. My latest jar is hung at the entrance to my screened porch, it is a simple project that adds a definite bright spot in my day.

If you would like to attempt this hanging vase yourself, you can begin with a chain circle (creating a loop), then work a double crochet, chain nine and double crochet in the loop again. Work a few of these chain spaces, then begin working in the chain spaces created, making a mesh, until it is as tall as you would like it. Fasten off the yarn, and then create a length of chain about 12-18” (30-46cm) long. Weave this chain through the last round of chain spaces created and slip in your jar. Tie the chain tightly just under the brim. With the remaining length of chain tie a loop for hanging. It is as simple as that.

You could probably create this with just a simple long chain tied under the brim of the jar, however it always makes we a little fearful as I am concerned about the lack of support at the base, so I make this “bag” effect. Either way, I think this is a fun way to bring about spring.

Timaru- Yarn Fun with Bamboo

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In the world of yarn there can be many really exotic fibers, but at the end of the day we all usually fall back to the most affordable and common. That is why it is a treat to come across a yarn that offers so much to a design, and can take the basic to extraordinary.

One of these extraordinary yarns is Timaru from Lisa Souza Dyeworks. It is a fingering weight yarn that is comprised of 65% Superwash Merino and 35% Rayon of Bamboo. It has a very generous 500 yards per 100 gram hanks, so it goes a long way.

Timaru....www.lindadeancrochet.com

Timaru by Lisa Souza Dyeworks Merino with Bamboo yarn

The Superwash Merino ensures that this yarn is going to be soft, and can have some warmth, as well as being treated so that it does not felt or shrink. Merino is a great wool, but it is not what makes this yarn so special, in this case it is the Bamboo.

The bamboo in this yarn indicates that it is a Rayon, this means that the bamboo is made into a pulp, using the leaves, and some stem. It is ground down and added to a chemical bath to create “goo”. If you ever made homemade paper, it is a little similar. This pulp is then extruded through small holes to create a long filament. Another name you can find for bamboo processed this way is Viscose.

The way it comes together in Timaru with the Superwash Merino lends itself to a yarn with a great drape. Bamboo gives a cool touch to this yarn, so it makes it very warm weather friendly. It also does not take the dye the same as the wool (a protein fiber, whereas the bamboo is a cellulous fiber), this causes a really beautiful lustrous sheen.

I can easily see this yarn worked up as a shawl, a wrap, a tank top…I even know people that love it as a sock yarn. It has a great amount of versatility without sacrificing its integrity in any project. It might actually be difficult to find a project that this yarn will not shine in.

Love This Spa Mat!

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I love it when beauty, practicality, and comfort all come together in a design. The Home Spa Bath Mat definitely fits this build.

It is created with Red Heart Strata Yarn, which is a pretty interesting yarn in itself…I talk more about it here. However what surprised me the most was how such a simple stitch pattern can create a fabric with such dimension. Not only is it visually appealing, the stitch pattern added a bounciness to the mat, which I love to have under my feet. This combination of the yarn and the stitch makes it a sturdy yet soft mat.

Home Spa Bath Mat Photo courtesy Coats & Clark

This design is easy to make a customize size to fit any room in your home, by simply ensuring that the rows and stitches remain in even or odd stitch counts, if it currently ends odd, then add or subtract to an odd number, and the same is true for even numbers. That is one of the great things about two stitch repeats, they are easily adaptable.

Personally I think that wide banded boarder really sets this design off. This is another simple two stitch repeat that adds a nice contrast to the main fabric while still complimenting it.

It might sound a little funny but this design inspired me. Working it up brought me to a little simpler, and more in depth knowledge of my craft, kind of like an awe ha moment. It may have just been timing or the Zen like nature of the stitches, but this design and yarn, are imprinted in my mind and have created a list of other items I hope to create with this same technique, stitch pattern, and yarn. If only there was enough time in the day to get to everything I want to do. I think that this is a design that you can feel good about too. It really will make a lovely addition to any room in your home.

Ava, A Great Yarn by Anzula

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I am always on the lookout for yarn that inspires me. Sometimes this is color, sometimes this it texture, but regardless it needs to be good quality. Anzula Ava certainly qualify in this part.

Ava is a sport weight yarn, which is 80% superwash merino (meaning it is a soft and warm wool that will not felt), 10% cashmere (adding to the softness and warmth) and 10% nylon (giving it added strength). One skein offers a generous 330 yards/301 meters.

I really do love the feel of this yarn. It is soft in the hand and lighter in weight then it appears to look at it.  It has very little halo, no real springiness, but instead offers a really nice stable 3 ply yarn. The twist is tight, and creates a nice round yarn that I do not usually find in typical 3 ply yarns. The Merino and Cashmere really play nicely together, creating a fabric that is very soft in the hand. It is surely a fabric that you would like near the skin, even though it is soft, it is still sturdy and durable. I consider it a reliable yarn. I know that it will bring its best to my project and will enhance any project that I put it to use in.

Anzula Yarn Ava www.lindadeancrochet.com

Anzula Ava yarn

It seems to wear well, meaning that it does not pill or stretch out of shape much. It has nice stitch definition, the only thing that moves your eye from the definition of the stitches is the way to color smoothly transitions through subtle hues in this hand dyed yarn.

I would consider this yarn one for special projects. It makes great accessories, like hats and scarves, but can easily make up gloves. I would love it in a sweater or shawl, a nice cardigan, anything that is you would love to treasure. I highly recommend playing with this yarn, you will enjoy it.