Black Dog

We open this stage of the “Knit So Fine” blog tour with more than a little tongue in cheek. Let the mayhem begin, starring myself and the incredible and organized Lisa R. Myers, owner of Rosie’s Yarn Cellar (an amazing LYS in Philadelphia) as well as the US distributorship for Manos del Uruguay yarns (Fairmont Fibers). So, on to Lisa’s burning question…… “Can a girl have too many knitted skirts?”.

ROB: Well, from a retailer standpoint, we don’t have a ton of customers coming in and looking for skirt patterns. Our typical customer at ThreadBear tends to skew to the 35-and-up range, and given the demographics of our store, we tend to do really well with women who want “career wear”, or something nice for the office that would also take them day into night (out for dinner, to a professional meeting, etc.). The skirt project in “Knit So Fine” is perfect for that type of knitter, as it has structure and is a classic line. Check it out

I see a number of skirt patterns on the market for flirty, ruffle-covered skirts, but not as many really workable projects until this book and a couple in publications (Interweave Knits, especially) in recent months. I can see the attraction to a more sleek, more sophisticated knitted skirt, because it would be appropriate for career pieces or for something to wear to a little more “dress up” occasion. The Bamboo Skirt project in “Knit So Fine” is perfect for that type of knitter, as it has structure and is a classic line.

LISA: Even if your figure is an off-the-rack single-digit size, knitted skirts have some issues. The one everyone’s most aware of, I think, is the problem of stretch — there’s really no nice way to put it, knitted fabric (whether wool-based or cotton-based yarn) tends to stretch out in the seat and stay that way. The skirt that looks terrific when you put it on in the morning will be stretched out by lunchtime.

ROB: Yeah, there’s always jokes about wearing a knitted skirt and when standing up after a long meeting, it looks like you need to be changed…that your Depends is full.

LISA: One work-around is to choose a design that gives the fabric very little opportunity to stretch. That’s where the tiered and ruffled ones come in — if the skirt is very full at the hip, it won’t get stretched out when you sit down. Another is to choose a yarn with elastic built in — something like Cascade Fixation, or the old Melrose Cravenella (which had some nylon). Are you old enough to remember Cravenella?

ROB: Yes, Lisa, I’m old enough to remember Cravenella. And when Red Heart made 100% wool yarn. And to have crocheted with Dazzelaire (but we don’t reflect on that last one). I’ve been knitting and crocheting for right at 40 years, darlin’

LISA: Well I’ll be darned, you don’t look a day over 25.

ROB: Thanks…fat fills wrinkles!

LISA: I took both of those approaches with the skirt I did. First, I turned the fabric sideways, so I could work lots of short rows to add fullness from the hip to the hem. The wool component of the yarn was supposed to help the fabric bounce back into shape from all the usual moving around. The bamboo component was supposed to provide drape, so that the fabric fell where gravity took it rather than conforming to the shape of the wearer’s body.

Rob: The yarn selected for the project, Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo, is a nice, lightweight yarn that knits at a dk gauge (about 22 sts/4″). The fiber composition is half and half, wool and bamboo, and the palette is replete with classic shades that are very wardrobe friendly. The bamboo provides stunning drape and a beautiful lustre, while the wool lends “memory” and amazing breathability. Bamboo is also a VERY “green” fiber, given that it’s a quick-growing grass that’s a renewable resource.

My experience working with the yarn is VERY positive. It’s a nice, round yarn (many plies) that yields excellent stitch definition, especially for textures like cables and knit/purl combinations. It makes a cable really POP from the surface of the fabric, yet it’s lightweight and very smooth and slinky. Check out a swatch strip I worked up yesterday afternoon

LISA: I saw the new Fall colors at Market the other day — gorgeous. Still, as you say, “wardrobe-friendly,” but somehow unexpected. Very deep and rich.

ROB: Agreed— Matt (my business and life partner—now THERE’S a story to tell…) and I are excited and we’ve ordered deep in this yarn for Fall 2008 for our shop and expect it to be a staple in these parts.

LISA: Overall, I think the skirt worked — but there was one unanticipated result: the fabric is seriously, seriously drapey — so much so that the skirt tries to get longer and longer, rather than flaring out at all toward the hem.

ROB: Well, that’s in part due to the properties of the yarn. Here it is in simple stockinette

and again in cables

Just look at how they pop off off the fabric surface

Amazing….just amazing. And simple basketweave looks great, too

All in all, it’s a fantastic yarn that’s well suited to the skirt project, and it’s also wonderful in a wide number of styles and shapes and accessories for any other project you might be interested in tackling. In fact, it makes me want to resurrect a cardigan project that’s been on hold for a couple years now

That’s the traveling cable cardi from the Fall 2006 pattern collection by the name of “Luxe” from Classic Elite. I’m not real far on it yet

but it wll be done before Summer is gone…..that’s for sure. I mean, who could resist this???

Pretty stuff, just like so many other projects you can find in “Knit So Fine” (which you can find through the shop). Get yours today! And join us tomorrow (Thursday) for a great post from The Fitter Knitter, as we head into the final days of this traveling blog trunk show.

My great thanks to my collaborator on this entry, the fabulous Lisa R. Myers. Lisa, you’re the best procrastinator I’ve ever worked with! And I know from procrastination…I’m an expert at it!

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