For the first time in many years I find that I am monogamous and I'm really not enjoying it.

I thought I'd be able to concentrate on just one and make every moment matter but the reality isn't living up to the ideal!   I like being able to swap around when I'm a bit bored or stressed.  Sometimes one is just a bit too high maintenance so swapping makes life that bit more relaxing.   I'm not going back to full on polygamy as nine or ten (as some of my friends have admitted to) is a bit much, but two or three is just fine.

As this is a knitting blog, I'm sure you've all worked out that I'm not talking about men,   I'm talking about monogamous knitting* and my works in progress (or WIPs).  How many projects we have on the go at once is a favourite knit group** topic and numbers vary but more than ten has been known.  I usually have at least two garments on the needles together with various started socks stuffed in bags and the odd bit of discarded lace.  Over the last few months though, I've finished off all the garments I was making except for one (which is nearly done)  handed all my unmade socks over to Greg to convert to machine knits and the only lace I have discarded needs to be undone as I've lost the extra ball needed to complete it!  So I am a monogamous knitter!  I'll rephrase that, I am a monogamous knitter on the search for more projects!  My one project on the needles is an intricate gansey which has just one sleeve left to do -- its's been lovely to make, definitely a process knit, but it is not one to take to group as that just invites mistakes.  I need a nice simple 'TV' knit to go with it together with another difficult knit to keep me on my toes.  I am heart, a polygamous knitter!

Just a small confession before I end.  I may only have one WIP but I have at least a dozen projects in my converted stash queue*** !

* for knitting you can also read crochet, spinning or whatever your favourite hobby is.
**knit group encompasses crochet too -- it's just quicker to say!
*** see yarn diet blog for explanation.

For those of you who fell in love with Stylecraft Naturals Bamboo and Cotton, you'll love these new baby kit patterns that they have released.  Lots of our customers were using the yarn for baby items anyway and it's lovely that Stylecraft have responded with some patterns especially for the yarn.  You can find the yarn and patterns here to either order for us to post out or while Wales is locked down you can click and collect.

How many of you have heard of yarn diets?  At the beginning of each year, crafters talk about yarn diets because stashes have got out of hand and need some trimming.    
As yarn shop owners ‘Yarn diet’ is a term we never want to hear.   We prefer ‘yarn management’ because having an unmanaged stash is a drag.  It stifles creativity as it sits there in your figurative peripheral vision, getting in the way of your hobby.  We all know the feeling – inspired to make something but feel we should use what we have in spite of the fact that most of it is left-overs.  It’s a bit like wanting to make a pavlova with the remains of Christmas dinner – you need different ingredients or the finished dish will be bubble and squeak!

So if the size of your stash is upsetting you, here are our ten top tips to slim it down:

1. Don’t bother!   Like all other diets the yarn diet is doomed to failure and increased stash in the end!

Sorry, that’s a bit negative.  Here are the real ten top tips for managing your stash:

1. Create three (large) spaces and label them KEEP, DISCARD, UNSURE.
2. Sort your stash into piles of yarn weights (dk, 4-ply etc) and within those piles into colours.  You can now really see what you have.
3. Take a photograph for posterity.
4. Be honest, have you found yarns that you are really never going to use – if the answer is yes, start the discard pile.
5. Divide the rest of the yarn into KEEP AND UNSURE.
6. This step is where having the yarn in different weight categories helps.  Most of us have a list of projects we would like to make (a pile of patterns or a Ravelry queue).  Match KEEP yarn to projects.  You might also find that UNSURE yarns can be used here too.  Bag yarn with a pattern or name thus transforming it into a project and miraculously removing it from stash.  You now have a queue of items to make.
7. What is left?  Are there oddments of yarn that you have kept for an imaginary fairisle which remains stubbornly imaginary?   Add to Discard pile.
8. Check out online for stashbuster projects (Ravelry or just google).  There are loads you could make like log-cabin blankets, ripple blankets, helical knitting projects.  Granny Square crochet.  Allocate your yarns and again add to your project queue.  If you don’t like stashbuster projects like these, be honest with yourself and discard instead.
9. Add anything that is left to the Discard pile.
10. Take a photograph for posterity!

You now have an organised store of potential projects which you can make over the coming year (or millennia).  If you are very focussed you will make them before buying more yarn.  You could alternate queued projects with new purchases.  Wahtever you do, you now have a managed craft instead of an unmanaged stash.  Be proud of yourself!
 
Footnote:
Now, of course, by ‘discard’, we don’t mean ‘throw away’.  Here’s what you can do with your spare yarn.

• Swap it with yarny friends or just gift it to one of them (but only if it is something you are sure they would use -- increasing someone else’s stash to decrease your own is just mean!).
• Donate to charity crafting groups
• Donate to your local school
• Take to charity shop

​Do you have lots of UFOs* in amongst your projects?

If you have a pile of knitting or crochet hidden in a workbasket just waiting for that extra bit of motivation to finish it off, we can help.  Join us for encouragement and help to clear the basket (or pile behind the sofa  or wherever  you keep your naughty pile). 

We are moving Sew up Saturdays as Covid restrictions mean that we can't meet in the shop.  We will publish the codes for joining the meeting closer to the day so keep an eye out. 

​The event will run in the same way online as face to face, you just have to provide the refreshments yourself!

Come along and be inspired to finish off those UFOs. 
Online Sew Up Saturdays run from 10 am till 12 noon and are free to attend.

*UFO = Unfinished Object

Sew up Saturday dates for your diary:
16 January 2021
13 February 2021
13 March 2021
10 April 2021

In these dreary days of lockdown we all need something to cheer us and we find that yarn is just the thing so we are doing our bit and have just taken delivery of King Cole's new superchunky yarn, Quartz.   
Quartz is a variegated yarn and is completely random in it's striping with punches of colour running throughout.  As usual, pattern support from King Cole is comprehensive with garments and accessories in the range.  A mid-size sweater takes around eight balls, a hat takes one ball and a cowl two and at £4.50/100g ball it is an affordable make.   We love this bright and breezy knit in Amber which is so cheery and definitely lifts the spirits.  Nip over to our website and take a look.

​As you know, we love West Yorkshire Spinners yarns so this review is about their baby yarn Bo Peep.  Produced in two weights, DK and 4-ply and with fabulous pattern support for both knit and crochet, Bo Peep is a favourite for baby and children’s items.  The mix of Falkland Island wool and nylon makes it soft and wearable while being easy to maintain and can be made into adult garments too.  Bo Peep Pure was added to the fold this year too, a 100% wool version, which we don’t stock at present (other than in the Botanicals yarn pack) but can easily order
 
The colour range is larger for the DK than the 4-ply but both yarns have solid and variegated tones and are the DK in particular is not limited to traditional baby shades.  Some of the more intense colours look lovely made up and give a much more modern feel to traditional baby knits.
 
Recommended for:
Mainly for baby and children’s garments and nursery accessories although it is a good all round yarn.
 
Technical Details:
52% Falkland wool/48% nylon on 50g balls
DK has 112 metres per ball while 4-ply has 200 metres
Both work to typical DK and 4-ply tensions.
  
Our opinion:
This had been a really popular yarn for us and knitters and crocheters alike love it.  The pattern support has a mix of traditional and modern available in pattern books.  We love the crochet pattern which has the pattern for a bear and then every item in the book has matching projects for child and teddy.  As well as being sold separately, WYS have put together two yarn boxes with the patterns for a knitted baby blanket and a crocheted one which are very pretty.  The yarn is soft and easy to work with and we particularly like the wide range of shades.
 
 Itch Rating: 
(0= not itchy at all 'I could wear this next to my skin' and 5  =very itchy 'I can't wear this'
Ruth's rating: 0
Jenny's rating:0
  
Bottom line:
Good quality baby yarn with lots of colours to choose from both traditional baby shades and brighter colours.

Caldolino is another of our Filanda brand yarns so is also sold as Adriafil Woca.  The yarn is an aran weight mixed fibre of 70% wool and 30% linen.  The mix gives a subtle tweedy look to garments as the wool and linen take dye differently resulting in lighter and darker tones. 
 
Because of the linen in the yarn, it is hardwearing and becomes softer when worked up and washed.  The cardigan that Jenny knitted last year hasn’t pilled and has really good structure so hasn’t sagged or stretched out of shape.  The downside of the linen/wool content is that the yarn is very much a handwash (although Jenny did spin it in the machine).
 
Recommended for:
Garments and accessories although it is a good all round yarn.
 
Technical Details:
70% wool/30% linen on 50g/75m balls
Recommended needles are 5mm which give tension of 17stitches x 22 rows over 10cm.
 
Our opinion:
A lovely, natural fibre which works equally well for knitting and crochet.  The colour palette is very classic autumn/winter shades with a lovely subtle tweedy effect so is a great choice if you don’t like really bright colours.  Caldolino has body when worked up and holds its shape well.   It is  prickly next to the skin but does soften with washing and makes lovely sturdy garments.
 
Itch Rating: 
(0= not itchy at all 'I could wear this next to my skin' and 5  =very itchy 'I can't wear this'
Ruth's rating: 3 ( 2 after washing)
Jenny's rating:4 (3 after washing)
  
Bottom line:
High quality luxury yarn with subtle colour palette.    Not accessible to all budgets.

Timeless from King Cole is a premium acrylic yarn with just a touch of alpaca to give it a soft and fluffy feel and appearance.   Initially launched in solid colours, King Cole have now added Timeless Classic to the superchunky range which is a 'barber pole' yarn (the two colours are twisted a little like a candy cane or barber pole) which gives a subtle tweedy effect. 

​Timeless comes in a good array of colours in both chunky and superchunky weights.  Pattern support is very good with garments and accessories in the range.  It is a very soft, smooth yarn which is very easy to work with with just a fine halo caused by the alpaca.   With a high acrylic content, Timeless goes a long way making large projects more affordable. 

Timeless is easy to care for and can be machine washed but as with all acrylics, care needs to be taken as if too much eat is applied it loses it structural integrity.   Acrylic generally doesn’t feel as warm as wool to wear and has less stretch and “memory” which can affect the lifetime wearability of a finished project, especially if too much heat is applied. Like other acrylic yarns, it originates from petrochemicals which may contribute to our environmental changes. As a synthetic, it cannot resist heat and will melt and then burn if exposed to a naked flame.
 
Technical Details
90% acrylic/10% alpaca
Chunky has 155m on 100g balls and knits to tension of 14 stitches x 20 rows on 6mm needles
Superchunky has 85m on 100g balls and knits to a tension of  10 stitches x 14 rows on 10mm needles
Machine wash on 30 (wool wash)

Recommended for:
This yarn a great all-rounder for chunky items.  It is ideal for garments and accessories and can be used for larger household items too.

Our Opinion
Fairly gentle on the hands although it has little give.  The alpaca in the mix gives the finished projects a soft halo and soft and cosy feel.  A great yarn to give the feeling of luxury while not breaking the bank.
 
Itch Rating: 
(0= not itchy at all 'I could wear this next to my skin' and 5  =very itchy 'I can't wear this'
Ruth's rating: 1
Jenny's rating: 2

​Bottom line:
This is a good quality mixed fibre yarn with a which feels soft when knitted up.  Accessible to all budgets.
 ​

Well – what can we say!  This has been the hit of the Summer 2020 yarns.  Naturals is, well, a natural for summer tops and is a favourite for just about anything!  Janie Crow used it for her Fruit Garden Crochet along this year and it was just beautiful for that (at time of writing we have one pack left in stock).  The Colour range is amazing for a newly launched cotton blend with 23 colours.  We stocked all 23 ready for Wonderwool which was sadly postponed due to Covid restrictions but Covid didn’t stop us selling!  The yarn is a mix of bamboo and cotton giving it a lovely drape and sheen and has amazing metreage which means that it can be used for big projects without breaking the bank,  Technically it is a DK but Jenny has used it successfully for 4-ply projects too – just check your tension before you start!
  
Stylecraft are always brilliant when it comes to colours with the Naturals range is more in line with their Yarn Stories colours than their Special so the colours are quite subtle.  With 250m/100g, one balls goes a long way – for to five balls for an adult summer top and only one for a first size baby jacket. It is easy to knit and crochet with although as it is cotton-bamboo it is quite slippery on the needles.  It can be used for colourwork but care has to be taken securing the ends when finishing as it can slip undone. 
 
Naturals can be machine washed and dried in the tumble drier on cool.  Jenny has used other bamboo yarns in the past and advocates care as it can lose its sheen if washed carelessly.
 
Technical details: 
60% bamboo/40% cotton 100g/250m balls.
Knits to DK tension with 22 st x 30 rows on 4 mm needles.
Swatch to check first, but it can be used for 4-ply patterns too.
Can be machine washed on 30 degrees, tumble dried on cool and can be dry cleaned.
 
Recommended For
A great all-round yarn for both knit and crochet and has good pattern support from Stylecraft.
​
Our opinion:
One of the best yarns of the Summer season with lovely colours and drape.  Ideal if you don’t like the feel of wool or the fact that synthetics don’t biodegrade easily.

Itch Rating: 
(0= not itchy at all 'I could wear this next to my skin' and 5  =very itchy 'I can't wear this'
Ruth's rating: 0
Jenny's rating: 0
 
Bottom line:
This is a lovely cotton mix yarn with lots of colours in the range.  It is accessible to most budgets giving a luxury look to an affordable project.  Beautiful drape to the finished garments.  Ideal for knitting and crochet.