One of the things that I've always liked about the *Queen's English*, is the number of really cool expressions. It's not that these expressions don't exist in American English, they do, or that they're not understood, it's just that no one uses them. One of my favourites, "Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb".
Kind of appropriate isn't it? when one considers that after the Daydream diversion from the 'man-raglan', I was already guilty of not working on the man raglan, so might as well cast on something else.
It's Cotton Candy, also from the Rowan Babies book. I'm going to swap the buttons and hopefully finish it so that I can give it to my nephew.
As I promised to, Lis, I'm still working from stash. While the ecru denim is from a cone that I've had for about 2 years, the light blue denim is from a bunch of left-over skeins that I had bought last year. All mixed dyelots, but fairly close in shade. I'm not sure how this jumper will turn out, given that the blue does bleed and the ecru doesn't.
I've used the Rowan denim lots of times before and thought that I would mention a few things about it, given that the Denim People book launched by Rowan will surely get lots of people, who haven't tried this yarn to give it a go. So if you're a tried and true denim user, send me your tips and I'll include it in a tipsheet.
Rowan Denim, the stuff that you'd wished someone had told you sooner.
1. Denim Yarn shrinks lengthwise. How much? Shrinkage is about 20%. The width doesn't change, so if you're find the horizontal tension to be too wide, the shrinking isn't going to help you. Rip now. It only shrinks the first time that you wash it, although the fading will continue with each wash.
2. The ecru denum is stringy and splits. It's also harsher to knit with than the dyed one. So if you've used the ecru one and hated it, don't give up on the coloured ones, the handle is different
3. Never, ever knit using any of the coloured yarns wearing light colours or, sitting on a light colour chair. Until you wash it, the colour will get everywhere. My bamboo neeedles all have a blue tinge from working with this yarn.
4. You must wash the finished pieces before sewing up and dry it in the dryer on high. If you wash and dry after sewing up, the material will shrink and the pieces will distort. Don't listen to people who tell you it doesn't matter. It does, especially if you are sewing in, set-in sleeves.
5. When you wash the pieces, make sure that you wash a few meters for use in sewing up. If you don't the yarn that you use to sew will shrink while the pieces won't so the fabric will get distorted.
6. If you're going to put the pieces in the wash, sew in the loose yarn or knot then. If you don't the yarn will fray and get all tangled up. It's not pleasant.
I've knotted the blue yarn but not the ecru one. Even without much handling, the ends are fraying and does get tangled with the working yarns.
7. Although the yarn does fade, dyelots do matter. If you have odd balls, do a stripey jumper so that the colour is broken up. It will not 'fade into the same colour'
8. If you really want to do something in the Denim People book and hate using denim, you can adjust the patterns by reducing all the lengthwise dimensions but 20% and using Handknit DK.
Posted by atu at May 8, 2004 05:49 PMI just bought a denim yarn "knock-off" from Elann.com, and inside the label was the suggestion that if you make a nice big swatch and wash and dry it, you can later unravel the swatch and re-use the yarn for sewing up the garment. That way it will be pre-shrunken, too.
Posted by: Meg at May 14, 2004 08:32 PMHas anyone washed a piece of the blue and ecru stripe, yet. I would really like to do that sweater, but was concerned about the colors running. Thanks. Betty
Posted by: Betty Edwards at May 14, 2004 07:25 PMThanks Polly for your tips! I haven't knitted used any denim yarn before and after reading what you wrote, I'll try to find a pattern I like and knit it.
Posted by: marjorie at May 14, 2004 06:57 AMgreat advice! although I haven't used the denim yarn yet, but I now know all the precautions to take. thank you so much!
Posted by: janet d at May 12, 2004 12:25 AMGood tips Polly - especially #5. It was a while before I figured this one out. It really does make a difference in my opinion.
Posted by: Carol at May 11, 2004 08:20 PMI've bought my tickets and packed my projects, oh and some clothes. I am coming to London! I was wondering when you meet at Liberty's? I would really like to meet up with some knitters while I'm there as well as stock up on some Rowan. I also remember you complaining about things you couldn't get in London. Is there anything I can bring you from the states? Dawn dish soap, yarn, magazines (Vogue knitting), or anything else? Let me know what you want and I'll smuggle it in my suitcase. I'll be there from 26-31 May.
Posted by: Jane at May 11, 2004 07:52 PMpolly you're awesome. now will i see you when i'm in the UK? i'm meeting rowanette michele g. for beer & yarn on tuesday (june 1) afternoon....
Posted by: carolyn at May 11, 2004 07:48 PMYou are such a useful person to know Polly ! I have printed off your tips and stowed them away with the small amount of denim I have in my stash. I've only used it once and because I didn't "believe" that it would shrink so much I knitted the jumper short - and my husband really suited that cropped top you know ! In fact that's why I have 5 balls in my stash. They are the guilty evidence of my previous too short denim knitting misdemeanours...
Posted by: Heather at May 11, 2004 07:33 PMThanks for all the tips Polly, and also to you, Kay!
I'm beginning a love affair with the denim, and think it is going to last. I finished sewing up the Delta jumper from the last collection and love it, it is true that it gets soft with the wash, and the touch is just great.
A last tip concerning the patterns with this yarn in the last Rowan denim collection, is the following : check the final measurements of the patterns, and don't only see the sizing. The patterns are apparently small-sized. I do get into the delta jumper, but it's true that it's short. Anyway, there wouldn't have been any possibbility of lenghening it, as it is a bias constuction, and that's what appealled to me.
I have already recieved the next denim project material : denim in the darkest color.
I was disappointed not to have the fingertips blue, and decided to go extreme! Lol!
Thanks for all the Denim tips! Are you and Kay getting a Denim sales kickback from Rowan? Very inspiring.
Posted by: Ann at May 10, 2004 08:33 PMMiss Polly!
Thanks for the Rowan Denim tips...I will be swatching some denim this week and I will keep your tips in mind. So glad that my "knitting out of the box" has inspired you! You are knitting out of the box and at a furious rate!
Posted by: Lis at May 10, 2004 01:57 PMThank you for your tips about Rowan Demin cotton. I am going to make one sweater in Demin People book. Fortunately, I read your tips before get start. Otherwise, I will do it in my own way and end up everything goes wrong ! Thanks !
Posted by: Eva Shiu at May 10, 2004 02:09 AMThanks for the tips. Polly!
There are a few sweaters in that book I think I might want to try (especially the flower one- the one the model with the Big Hair is wearing). These tips are great! I wouldn't have thought of washing before sewing- thanks.
One last point--when you're knitting in Denim, you get a very harsh, boardy fabric. Beyond crisp. But when you wash and dry it, it's baby soft. Trust that! Kay
Posted by: Kay at May 9, 2004 06:54 PMPolly--Rowan Denim is my favorite yarn. I've used miles of it. All your tips are correct. I have found, however, that if one does not wash and dry the sewing-up yarn, it doesn't matter. I try to do it each time, but often it frays to much for me to use it for sewing up. The most important thing is to wash all the pieces before sewing up. That's key. It will not look right if you don't do that.
I've also found that only the darkest color, Nashville, really gets the dye on you and your needles as you knit. I haven't had a problem with the other blues. As I'm nuts for this yarn, I actually cherish the blue shine on my 'Denim-dedicated' bamboo needles. I worry that I'll sit on them and then I'll have to get another pair blue all over again!
Re: variability in color, especially in the darker colors: To my eye, the slight variation looks great in an authentically denim way. I have never found it to vary in a way that looks ugly or weird. I would not go to the trouble of mixing skeins of the same color just to even out the color, as Rowan recommends with the dark Nashville shade. But then, maybe disaster is just around the corner for me!
And I will be a bit bold and mention that Elann's version of Denim comes in the very same colors and the very same quality as Rowan's more expensive version. I'm loyal to Rowan, but since I knit this stuff in BULK, I buy it from Elann when I can.
Cotton Candy looks fab! Love, Kay
Posted by: Kay at May 9, 2004 06:52 PMThanks for the tips, Polly - especially the one about washing your sewing-up yarn. I've got a project on the go in the ecru denim - I'd hate to ruin it when making it up after all the time it's taken me!! Too right about it being harsh to knit with!
Posted by: Anita at May 9, 2004 06:03 PMI just finished making a jumper out of Rowan Denim for my boyfriend. The pattern is from one of the earlier mags (I can't remember which one off the top of my head now). My feedback on using the yarn is ...ohh the pain the pain....it seemed to take forever!! The pattern was a K10 P10 rib and I made the larger size. I had to knit for 88cm before starting the shoulder shaping.
BUT........it is now finished - washed - shrunked and it looks fantastic...and he loves it!
I only wish I had know the tip about sewing in the ends before putting it the machine. I had one big ball of mess when I took it out of the dryer. It had all tangled together with the sewing up yarn I had throw in as well.
All that being said - I would quite happily make something else from this yarn...only it probably wouldn't be for someone quite so large!
Jacqueline
Posted by: Jacqueline at May 9, 2004 11:21 AMGosh! Thanks for that info Polly. My order of Denim and Denim People came two days ago, ready to make Picot for the Summer! I'll take all these points on board and hopefully have something to be proud of! I feel a little apprehensive actually, considering the shrinkage and always make everything at least two inches longer due to my height. This could be fun!!!!!
Posted by: Tracy at May 9, 2004 09:24 AMI particularly like comment 8 - tried denim once a long time ago and didn't like it (can't even remember what I didn't like now) so wasn't even slightly interested in Denim People - suppose I'd better take another look.
Posted by: Lesley at May 8, 2004 11:59 PMGreat advice on the Rowan Denim. It's fun stuff, but many people are afraid to work with it because of the uncertainty factor. I ran into siimilar experiences with the Marks & Kattens Denim clone and wish I'd had guidance like this. Especially on the don't-sit-on-a-beige-sofa part.
If you haven't already done so, would you consider adding comments to the Denim entry in the on-line yarn review collection at wiseNeedle? Knitters worldwide would appreciate it! Here's the Denim main data page. There's a review this yarn link right on it.
http://www.wiseneedle.com/yarndetail.asp?id=1196
Thanks in advance even if you don't have time to add your comments.
Kim
Posted by: kbsalazar at May 8, 2004 07:38 PMWell, Polly, you've done it now!
I love the patterns in both denim books, but can't knit the yarn because of arthritic hands.
Now you offer me a soft substitute - and I was filled with good intentions of working on the UFO's, the EC, and then from stash ... Temptress!!
Love,
Jen
Posted by: Jennifer at May 8, 2004 06:44 PM