bulky – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

New Yarn: The Plucky Knitter’s Cachet

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Cachet is The Plucky Knitter's brand new 100% cashmere yarn. Although it's listed at an aran weight, it knits up in the worsted range for me, with 18 stitches/26 rows to four inches on size 6 needles.

It knits up like a dream: a soft cloud of stockinette. And, the gauge is perfect for some of the patterns in my queue I'm longing to knit the most, including Carol Feller's Portulaca, Thea Coleman's new sweater, Rye, and Mailin and Monte Rosa, both by Isabel Kraemer . Decisions, decisions.

I'm also going to swatch this yarn a couple of needle sizes down to see what the fabric looks like. Originally, I planned to knit Alana Dakos Cabled Leaf Pullover in this yarn. Since its gauge is 20 stitches/26 rows, it seems like that might be doable.

I know it's obvious, after years and years of being a polyamorous knitter who carried a torch for a lot of different brands of yarn, when I discovered Plucky last year, I fell deeply in love with the wonderful custom spun, hand-dyed yarns they produce. All of the yarns I've used so far, from Snug Bulky, to Bello Worsted, to Cashmere Sport, to Primo Aran, to Crew, to Scholar, have made me really happy. Each new project makes me think I've found my favorite yarn of all time. And truly, they are all my favorites. I adore this yarn, and the new heavy weight Cachet cashmere is like knitting with a dream. If you haven't discovered Plucky yet, it's worth the effort. Although the yarn is sold in an unusual fashion, there is lots of advice for newbies here and a very nice group of helpful knitters on the Ravelry group. You'll be glad you took the time to figure it out!

Another Knit Nevermind Hat. Subtitle: Why I Love The Plucky Knitter’s Snug Yarn

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

I'm sure I sound like I have lost my marbles to anyone who is not passionate about knitting. But, I have a new favorite yarn, and I really don't care who knows about it. Snug. I love you Snug. I love you for your cashmere content and for your beautiful, smooth, round, bulkiness. And I love how you take color. All of them. I loved you right out of the box, even before the first time I put you on my needles.

I love you even more, now that I've knit a second hat out of Snug, my second using the Nevermind cabled pattern. It is what you were meant for.

Forgive me for the glamour shot. I'm rather partial to the model as well. But she still doesn't get to keep the hat!

The colorway is Fisherman's Wharf, a neutral with just a hint of a purpleish undertone in the right light. So subtle that you're not even sure it's there. So beautiful that I'm kicking myself for not getting a sweater quantity.

Here is the obligatory cat photo. I was chided, after the lovely photo of our baby cat Juliet earlier this week, for not including our cats in more photos. So here is Harry, who is skilled at photobombing, but agreed to pose just this once.

In case I haven't been clear, if you don't have any of The Plucky Knitter Snug in your stash you need to RUN not walk and get some. You can buy it at her periodic updates or through destash on Ravelry if you're lucky. It's amazing yarn. You need to knit with some now!

A Big Box of Yarn

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

Last month, one of my favorite online vendors, Necessitate, did an auction to benefit a charity that works with the families of terminally ill infants. How could you not want to contribute?

I found a listing from KimberlyR for a "Scrappy Rug." She was offering to knit a big bulky I-Cord spiral rug, using the winning bidder's yarn scraps. Yarn love. So I am sending her this.

I know. It's not exactly scraps. But I decided it would be fun to have a rug done up in my favorite Elliebelly colorways. I had some bulky superwash yarn — an American produced yarn that had never been part of Elliebelly (its a sort of superwash cousin to the Talia bulky weight yarn I did), but that I had purchased a large amount of to do some knitting for my kids — and I seemed to have a lot of random skeins. Perfect!

From L-R, Top to bottom, that's Pallas, Agatha Wants to Win, Moulin Rouge, Nightingale, Farmhouse, and Alphabet Block. (They look different because the yarn hasn't been reskeined after dyeing to mix up the colors. This is something many dyers, including me, do because it gives a better idea of how the yarn will look knit up).

Marble Angel, Sacajawea, Sunflower, Retro-Kitchen, Pretty Kim, and Sakura.

And finally, Treasure, Peter Rabbit, Guppy Creek, Crayon, Urban Myth, Cleo and Baba Yaga.

I'm sending Kim 26 skeins in all — there are two each of Urban Myth, Baba Yaga, Cleo, Agatha, Sacajawea, Sunflower and Crayon. Each of these skeins comes in at 105 grams/3.7 ounces, so there is a lot of yarn goodness in the box. I thought she would enjoy having a lot to play with. I'll use her leftovers in scrappy hoodies I'm knitting for the kids.

The box will be on the way to her in the morning. I can't wait to see the results!

The Big Lace Shawlette — A Very Quick Knit

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

I have been obsessively occupied with the idea of knitting "Big Lace" for quite some time now. I date it pretty much to the time I discovered Malabrigo's Rasta, a bulky and extraorinarily soft Merino yarn. It's a pleasure to knit with, and very pretty in a simple cabled scarf. But I was longing to see it knit up as big, chunky lace.

Although I couldn't find a pattern that was exactly as I envisioned, there were a few brave big lace knitters on Ravelry. Armed with their wisdom, I cast on and knit me some B.I.G. L.A.C.E. And, it was big and quick, because about 24 rows into it, I was done.

Although I want to play around with the shape a little bit, I love the idea, and I love how this gently variegated yarn looks knit up in this way. This one needs a good blocking before you get a final show and tell, but I think I'm ready to call it a success.

A New Favorite Yarn

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

I have a new favorite yarn — Malabrigo's Rasta. It's extra bulky, single plied (or unplied, depending on your point of view), and extraordinarily soft.

Knit up in the Mirror, Mirror Reversible scarf pattern.

I liked both the pattern, a simple, wide cable, and the yarn so much that I'm contemplating a Meathead Hat from it, and perhaps a sweater for Ollie to wear this fall. This is definitely knitting nirvana.