Looking for a not “Kitchen Cotton” yarn recommendation.
My daughter (7 years old) learned to knit a couple of weekends ago, at the Detroit MakerFaire – we spent quite a lot of time in the needlecrafte area – and she has been casting on, knitting, and frogging repeatedly ever since. I think she doesn’t know what to make.
(I tried to teach her myself a while back, but it did not work out. I can tutor math; knitting not so much. :oops: )
It crossed my mind yesterday that a dishcloth would be a good project for her to finish – she can only do the knit stitch, but I think I’d like to try her on the common “Grandmother’s Favorite” diagonal washcloth – the yarn over and k2tog might make it more interesting and maybe she’ll stop unraveling her work.
What would be a good yarn to give her? The ball she is using is a wool blend and I’m thinking for a dishcloth (or even a washcloth that she could use herself) a cotton blend would be better. I don’t think she would enjoy using my kitchen cotton (Bernat Handicrafter) but I am unfamiliar with most of the other cottons (and blends) that are available.
I’ve heard KnitPicks’ Dishie is good, but I would prefer to not order it online. I have three or four LYS’s near me, so I have a lot of options and resources for getting it without going online. Of course, KnitPicks shipping is fairly reasonable, so I could easily go that route; I just don’t seem capable of ordering less than $50 at a time from them. :teehee:
Anyway, are there other cotton yarns can you recommend to me to try for her? I want something that comes in a worsted weight – I just bought her a set of Lion Brand needles, size 10, for kids and she will want to use them. (They have little lion heads on the ends. They are plastic and shorter than the metal needles she got at the Faire.)
DK is really nice for facecloths. I think a new young knitter could do fine with DK but maybe the needles already purchased would be too large for it. I’ve used CotLin from Knit Picks, I think it’s DK. I haven’t tried Tahki yet. Too bad I am only using stash yarn these days and have to delay getting any. :sad:
My local Walmart has Peaches & Cream cotton in LOTS of different colors. I think your dd might enjoy choosing a color she likes and trying to knit a dishcloth with that.
daylily - could you clarify/expand on that for me? i’ve been told repeatedly that there’s no difference between yarns for crochet, knitting, tatting, etc - that if anything is marketed as specific to a craft, it’s just that - marketing - and instead the focus should be on material preference, bulk preference and which one in combination with various needle sizes gives the gauge we need for a project… so what would ‘crochet yarn in size’ be? thanks much! - X
The idea is that thread and yarn are thread and yarn, no matter what they are called, and that if one can be used for knitting or crocheting, then it can also be used for the other.
I think that Daylilydayzed is referring to specific type of yarn called “crochet thread”. Similar to “sock yarn” and “kitchen cotton”, it covers a range of similar yarns that are often used for a common purpose but is not limited to that one style or technique in actual use. I believe (but do not know for certain) that “crochet thread” is a sort of cotton mostly used to crochet doilies. I’ve never used it myself.
ok thanks, i get it now… i looked up aunt lydia’s crochet threads on the red heart site, and all the different types are equatable with 0-lace weight, or smaller, when it comes to knitting… 32-40 sts per 4" gauge with weights 2-10, even more stitches with weights 18-30, so it’s basically lace/cobweb size (bigger number equals smaller thread)… filing that away in my yarn databank.
LOL Looking it up yourself was certainly better than going along with my “I don’t know but here is some not quite relevant information” answer. :roflhard: I’m glad you figured it out!
I’ve not actually made anything except swatches but crochet thread knit up on sock needles is wonderful. It looks very delicate and stretches more than I expected though still not as much as other yarns I use. It’s a lot of stitches for a largish project and I’ve not quite decided what I would make with it. I have read that 2 strands held together make a really nice facecloth. I don’t know the number on the stuff I played with but it’s some of the skinnier stuff. Maybe I’ll go get some of the heavier stuff and try making a washcloth, or one skinny and one not so skinny strand held together, or… :teehee:
Peaches and Cream is a pretty good choice for someone starting out. It’s readily available as Walmart and Meijer carry it too, it comes in lots of colours and it’s cheap to buy! The only downside is that the colour runs very badly, so soak it well before use. Perhaps choose a lighter colour to begin with?
just a quick add here… peaches&cream/sugar&cream being interchangeable, as both cotton and both owned/distributed by spinrite yarns (yarnspirations.com). and michael’s craft stores had S&C on sale last week 4 for $5… way cheaper than anybody else, so when that kind of sale pops up, get some for starting out.
Personally, I don’t care for Peaches & Cream – I avoid it the same way many people avoid Red Heart Super Saver (which I actually don’t mind using). I used to use it often, until someone gave me a skein of Bernat Handicrafter, and then I couldn’t go back to it. However, I shouldn’t let my biases influence her.
For that matter, I should finish up the dishcloth I have started and let her try out the Handicrafter; my current skein is even in her favorite colors. I was just thinking I wanted try her with some other yarn that was a blend and has some stretch to it. :knitting:
I have some Little Grins cotton/acrylic yarn that I got from Ben Franklin, I don’t know what other stores might carry it. Is there a Hobby Lobby nearby? They might have something.
The interesting thing about Hobby Lobby is that they are in an area that we only go to on Sundays – it is near the restaurant that MIL likes to go for lunch after church. I hear wonderful things about it, but they are never open. :shrug:
(I say that tongue in cheek because if I knew for certain they had something I wanted, I would make a special trip out there. I don’t think of them when I need yarn. The last time I was there, they didn’t have the particular yarn I wanted and overall the clearance bins seemed to have as much yarn as what they were stocking. I felt like they were downsizing.)
That said, maybe I’ll make a special trip out there on Saturday; the kids have been asking to go to the library, and while it is no where near the library, it’s easier to drag just the kids into stores they are not interested in than to have to drag the kids AND DH too. :teehee:
There are two LYSs near the library, but if I can’t find anything there, I could drive to the other side of town and check out Hobby Lobby. I Love This Cotton! (Hobby Lobby house brand) looks promising.
I tried the Handicrafter cotton from Bernat and will use it again but I think I prefer Peaches and Cream, just the opposite of you. Maybe it’s because I’ve used so much of it over the years in crochet and knit. Familiarity may be the real culprit for me. lol
