Review: Debbie Bliss Rialto DK

I'm a bit biased against Debbie Bliss yarns.

Don't get me wrong-- I own a bunch of different ones, and they're great for baby knits and finding dependable skeins in solid colors. Debbie Bliss yarns are great workhorses, and I always know, like Knitpicks or Rowan, I can go to the brand when my other options aren't great.

That said, I've been romanced by semi-solid hand-dyed yarns, and seeing a skein of something so... uniform in color... is a bit offputting.

Luckily for me, Debbie Bliss comes through when I need to knit man items. My husband is appreciates nicer indie yarns, but other guys on my Knit List are more typical. Solid colors. And by colors, I mean navy or black.

I just started a small project for a Christmas gift, and I remembered buying some Debbie Bliss Rialto DK at my local yarn shop. Rialto is a 100% wool DK yarn, and it's apparently washable, according to Ravelry's comments on the Rialto yarn page.

I like it for the squishiness. It has a fantastic bounce, and the fabric (on the 8's I'm using) is so nice and mooshy. The color is deep, too...

Oh, but the color... My new project:

...Really? Sigh. At least I'll have some nice photos of my completed, blocked Jaina sweater for you tomorrow. That's a promise.

And I also promise you some color in the near future...
- YX

It's a hard block life

So I'm working on my Alpaca Squares blanket again. As I finish 3 or 4 squares, I try to block them out and continue piecing the FO together. Here's a little tutorial on hard (wet) blocking these squares, which may be a bit boring for advanced knitters, but may be helpful for anyone who is trying to get their squares nice and even. 

To block the squares, I first pin one corner to the mat:

Then, I take my awesome clear ruler and measure downward to get my desired dimension:

The important thing to remember is that you'll want to pin the squares at the point of the miter, so they're nice and even. The tension pulling on those mitered corners will keep the whole square from deforming. 

After I get all 4 corners pinned, I smooth out the square and pin along the sides evenly:

As I say in my video below, I use two mats to protect my table tops. This helps the pins keep a good grip on the square without creating large holes in the mats. It also protects my hands if I have to move the mats around while they're still blocked:

Here's the aforementioned video/ review. Hope it helps!

- YX

PS- You didn't think I'd forget the giveaway mention, did you? 

Book Review: The Knitting Answer Book

I'm not big on knitting books. 

I know that's kind of a bold statement, considering the stack I pulled off of my shelf this evening:

I've had a lot of luck with getting books as gifts, but when it comes to buying them myself, I hesitate. There's something about buying a whole book and knowing I'll only use one or two patterns... With the features Ravelry provides, it seems to make much more sense to buy patterns individually, as PDFs. You get a copy in your email, one saved to your Rav library, and you can always print out copies, too.

I DO love stitch dictionaries, though, which really help when you're looking at substitutions or designing your own stuff. I'd love to have more of them... But my most treasured book is the 3rd one in the above stack:

This teeny little answer guide is about as big as a greeting card, and maybe an inch thick. It's a must-buy for new knitters that are working up to advanced skills. Set in a question-and-answer format, The Knitting Answer Book allows you to jump around based on topic (Basics, Bind offs, Tools, Fit, Shape, Finishing, etc), to find what you're looking for.

Answers range from a sentence or two to multiple paragraphs, charts, and/or illustrations. The illustrations are so cute, too, and remind me SO much of TECHknitting, which means they're super easy to understand:

I often use this book as a reference before heading to Ravelry, which should definitely say something about how valuable it is to me. I'll also happily admit that I've read the book, front to back, at least 2 or 3 times since I started knitting. Once I graduate to a higher skill level, I usually peruse it and look for new improvements I want to adopt in my next project. Better buttonholes? Smoother increases? Nicer stitch choices? I can see how to fix these things on my next project.

I'm a firm believer in not focusing on doing everything "the right way" immediately. I think it's discouraging as a new knitter to feel like you have to make every step correctly, particularly when the first projects you do are always going to seem like they're not 100% perfect. Allowing myself to improve gradually has kept my interest in the process.

Do you have a great reference book you use? Let me know about it!

And you still have time for the giveaway! Enter enter enter!
- YX

Viola Yarn: Silky DK

Hey guys! No video today-- for some reason I can't get it to work! But that's cool, because this week I'm in Dallas at Shade Tree Films' Cine Skool! So awesome! Maybe my future videos will be better quality... One can certainly hope! Anyway, here's the good info:

Viola Yarn

So yummy and soft and the colors are like cinnamon apples and kitten nose. I had to take a photo for my stash page. Luckily, I'm currently working on adding more feathers to my poofball lampshade, so KABLAM, I bring you silk and feathers. Somewhere back in the 1980's, the doves are crying tears of joy.

Obviously, I had to cast on and knit my Caliper with the lightening speed of a depraved lunatic. Knitting with this yarn is incredible. It has enough bounce from the merino, so your hands aren't taxed with the strength of the silk. But oh, the silk. So ridiculously soft and workable. I am so excited for this project!

I'm already blasting through the twisted rib portion of the pattern. I tried magic loop, but ended up switching back to one of my shorter cables on my Addi Lace Clicks. I give you: shoddy hotel room photos!

Actually, a light box/ better photo equipment is next on my list, so I swear you'll see more WIP and project photos. My Rav page is begging for it, honestly. My lazy iPhone photo method can only last so long.

See you tomorrow!
- YX

Raphaelite

It's Tuesday, so here's my video! I thought it'd be a quick one, but my inability to shut up won again!

I loved this shawl on so many levels. It was a great pattern, written well and clearly, and I made a good yarn choice for the project. Super happy with the final product!

My project page

Pattern page

Have a great week!

- YX

Cascade Baby Sweater / Wollmeise 100%

Here's video 2:

Ravelry Pattern page
I loved this sweater. I didn't really have any challenges with it, due to previous sweater knitting experience! The leaf motif was kind of annoying, because the main repeats were at the top of the pattern, so after working part of the way down the page, I had to scroll back up to refer to that repeating pattern. Honestly, that's a quibble at best, because the pattern is so easy and cute! I love the photos, which were a great mix of detail and overall shots, and I REALLY loved the bottom and button band pattern, which had a seed-stitchy effect without the pain of doing full-on seed stitch. 


Wollmeise 100% "Nicole" page
Wollmeise is a 100% superwash merino fingering weight yarn, which is great for all kinds of garments. I've done quite a few projects with it, and I'm always pleased with the wear, warmth, and color of the yarn. 


See ya in a week!
YX

Textured Tunic/ Madelinetosh Merino DK

Hey! 

I decided to do some videos on the projects I've done and yarn I've bought, so BOOM! Here's my first video. 

Ravelry Project Page

And I discover the appeal of Madelinetosh Merino DK, which is sexy and about to become a shawl for me!
Enjoy!
YX