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knittingmama
New Pal
USA
45 Posts |
 Posted - 10/01/2005 : 4:23:17 PM
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I'll preface this by saying I'm a relatively new knitter, and not a fan of cottons in general.
After a long hiatus, I took up knitting again and decided to "celebrate" by signing up for a class knitting a cabled top down cardigan at my lys. The model was knit with Rowan Calmer, and was gorgeous, but I was trying to be a cheapskate. So the sales associate recommended the Cascade Sierra since it was on sale.
I should have known it was an omen when the first skein I tried to hand-wind into a ball turned into a tangled mess that it took me an entire evening to unravel. Then I had to knit 5 swatches, yes 5! to make gauge, going from a size 9 needle to a 5. Got the shoulder tabs done, half the back done, just not happy with how it looked. The yarn has zero give and kept separating into plies like embroidery floss. You could see uneven tension between my knit/purl rows. Knitting with this yarn stressed me out. My teacher suggested I try a variation on my knitting style (I knit continental) and it worked to correct my unevenness...but, it changed the gauge. So I ripped back to the shoulder tabs and started over. Got halfway through the back again and started measuring--now my gauge is different than it was before; I mustbe doing something different, and the back is too small for me, sigh.
So I gave up, marched back to the yarn store, and bought my (gulp) 10 balls of Rowan Calmer and put it on my dh's credit card, who by this time is so tired of hearing me b*tch about the Sierra that he would buy me almost anything to shut me up. The Calmer is dream to work with, so soft, now I know why it is so expensive. |
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Mermaid Knits
Permanent Resident
USA
1129 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2005 : 4:10:01 PM
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Wow, it sure sounds like a tough yarn to work with. I laughed at your strategy to get the pricey yarn. I'm sure the cardigan will be fantastic after all the practice work! Is it for you?
Arctic-mermaid
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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2557 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2005 : 4:30:41 PM
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Knittingmama, you've spoiled yourself forever with Rowan Calmer! It's a great yarn to work with - knits up w/all those stitches standing like soldiers in a row, and so soft, and stretchy a bit, and lovely colors. Keep your eyes open for sales, that's all I can say.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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ShannonM
Gabber Extraordinaire
352 Posts |
Posted - 10/25/2005 : 07:47:58 AM
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I really like sierra. It isn't as easy to keep tension as with a more elastic yarn, and it certainly isn't Calmer, but it's soft, has lovely colors, and washes well. It might be worth a try again later on when you're less frustrated.
Shannon
my blog:
http://yarnandchocolate.blogspot.com/ |
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AlexH
Chatty Knitter
286 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2005 : 09:20:48 AM
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I agree with Shannon. I'm nearly done with a sweater for DH, and the yarn has been soft and easy on my hands. The lack of sproing didn't bother me much, and it slides easily on the needles. It blocks nicely. Everyone has his/her own preference. I love working with alpaca -- my sister thinks it's too itchy!
Sandy |
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