A Guide to Super Funky, Bulky, Chunky Yarns - Tried & Tested

I'm an impatient knitter - I like to see results quickly (It's all about the instant gratification...) - and for me the best way to achieve this is with using thick, heavyweight yarns from the Super Bulky / Chunky category.

I've been using a lot of different yarns from this category; here is a run down of some of the yarns in this weight:

Rowan Big Wool

This is not a cheap yarn - 100g is usually priced at around £8 (approx $13), it is 100% Merino wool spun 3 ply. It suggests knitting on 15mm needles, but this leaves a very open knit - for closer knit work I'd recommend 10 or 12mm needles. 

Plus points: It comes in a great range of colours, and 100g is about enough to make a good sized cowl or hat so you don't need lots of balls for a small project 
Downsides: It's expensive, a little itchy to start with (it does soften out with use) and is not as super chunky as "Big Wool" suggests...

Sirdar Bigga

This yarn really is super chunky - knits up on 12 -15mm needles brilliantly, is much cheaper than Big Wool at around £3 (approx $5) for a 100g wool (though with less yardage) - made up of 50% wool and 50% acrylic.

Plus points: On the bulkier end of the spectrum, comes in a selection of earthy tones, wears well with the acrylic content
Downsides: Getting harder to get hold of as Sirdar have discontinued a lot of colours (still available to buy on ebay in good quantities), 

Sirdar Big Softie

Available more widely, this acrylic blend is 51% wool and 49% acrylic, and softer than Bigga. It is spun single ply, so does stretch when knitting if knitted too tight. Knits up well on 10mm needles, and is a great low cost option for those on a budget at £2.50 (approx $4 ) a ball on average.

Plus points: Cheaper than most super bulky yarns, versatile, softer feel
Downsides: Limited colour options, sheds when knitting, acrylic content noticeable in finished product - fine for accessories, may make a very hot and sticky jumper...

Debbie Bliss Como

I've been raving about this yarn for a while - it has the consistency of cotton wool, and is 90% wool, 10% cashmere. It is not cheap at around £6 (approx $10) for 50g, but knits up on 10mm needles beautifully. I have made a beret style hat out of 50g, 100g would do a thin scarf or a bigger hat and headband. Felts great too!

Plus points: Feels gorgeous against the skin, comes in a wide range of colours, is widely available in store and online, and easy to work with.
Downside: It is really expensive! Look out for people clearing out their stash on ebay if you are on a budget, and is not hard wearing.

Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Wool

I found this one a little harder to get hold of in store, but is available on line. At £2.50 (approx $4) for 50g and 100% wool content, it felts well, knits up on 12mm - 15mm needles, and would be a cheaper alternative to Como.

Plus points: Felts well, good value, comes in a good range of colours
Downsides: Not that hard wearing (but nor is Como really!)


Jiffy Thick & Quick Lion Brand Yarn

This popular US brand is available widely in the US, but I have found a European supplier too! Jiffy is a mohair type 100% acrylic yarn - a good vegan alternative to wool, and knits up on 12mm needles

Plus points: Great choice for those who can't wear wool, harder wearing than some yarns tested
Downsides: Only comes in 8 shades, all multi coloured - not much choice

Wool Ease Thick & Quick Lion Brand Yarn

This acrylic / wool blend of 80% wool and 20% acrylic is available in over 30 colours, and knits up on 9mm needles, so not as bulky as other yarns, but at £6.50 for 170g of yarn it is a good choice for larger projects. 

(Note: It seems more expensive in Europe than in America, where I can purchase from Lion at $7.80 (approx £4.80) a ball...)

Plus Points: Versatile, comes in a wide range of colours, larger balls so better value
Downsides: I don't like paying more for the same yarn just because I live in the UK! 

Deborah Norville Serenity Chunky

 

This 100% acrylic yarn is great for those who can't wear wool - it is soft and won't split when working with it - it is a 2 ply spun yarn. Retailing at around $4.50 in a good range of colours, but is difficult to get outside the US. Knits up on 8mm needles.

Plus points: Great alternative to wool, knits up well, durable

Downsides: Hard to get here in UK - more expensive again to buy here at £6 a ball, not as bulky as some of the yarns reviewed

There are also lots of homespun bespoke yarns out there locally and online from artisans spinning and dyeing yarns which I've not covered here as they vary so much between suppliers - but I urge you to seek out your local spinners for special yarns!

There are patterns available for all of these yarns - I am useless with patterns and tend to make up what I'm doing as I go along! A lot of the time you can substitute yarns from the list above (for example you can substitute Como for Big Wool to good effect on some projects)

My Big Wool cowl & hat set using 200g wool

And as a final tip - for those of you on a tight budget, or have found your dream yarn but it's too thin - you can double or even triple the yarn up and work with it this way. It may take a tension square or two and a bit of trial and error to get it just right, but it's something I do a lot!

Giant Scarf - Sirdar Bigga doubled up for extreme knitting!

*** 15% off in store finishes 12 midnight GMT on 31st January so get shopping! (NEWYEAR15) ***
Debs

How to do tassles, and other recent projects.... (& UK Silly Sale)

Back after a month of festivities and visiting family, I'm trying to catch up on all my work and creative exploits - it's been a great Christmas and new year. I've not been resting on my laurels though! (well....maybe a bit!)

Matching Christmas PJ's for the girls this year!

I've mastered the cabled hat pattern that took 15 attempts last month, and got it right first time on my last go. I loved the way my cream one looked, so knitted one up in duck egg blue and navy, using Debbie Bliss Como. Highly recommended Merino wool yarn - it's like candy floss, knits up on 10mm needles and felts up amazingly! You can make a hat similar to mine with around 75g of yarn, with some left over for say a headband or some fingerless gloves.

The most versatile hat ever - and keeps you warm in the Welsh snow!

I decided I wanted to make a matching scarf to go with my cream set. I had some left over yarn from the hat so I made a lace pattern scarf - I like that it has spaces in it so it's not too hot to wear. 

Easy knit lace scarf to match lace stitch hat

I've fallen in love with the autumnal shades of brown, mustard and rust that are all over the shops at the moment. I've had some rusty coloured yarn in my stash for ages now - I loved the colour but it was a bit thin, so I doubled it up and knitted a great seed stitch hat, and a single rib scarf. The scarf is lovely and warm, and could be worn by guys or gals!

To make tassels:

1. Decide how long you would like your tassels. I chose 5 inches for the white scarf and 7 inches for rust coloured one.

2. Double the measurement above (so 6 becomes 12) and cut strands to that length. I used 4 strands in each tassel for the rust coloured scarf, but as the white scarf used chunky yarn I only used 2 strands. You can make them as thick and chunky as you like. Group your cut strands together once cut.

3. Get your scarf and look along the edge above the cast on / off row, there should be a natural space to insert the tassel. Fold your strands in half and insert the folded loop end through the gap, then take the ends of the bundle and feed them through the loop, and pull tight.






 And that's it!

In fact, it took me longer to write the instructions than it does to make the tassels and put them on the scarf!! 

I'm waiting on some mustard coloured Rowan Big Wool to come - it is usually £8 for a 100g ball, but I managed to find some on eBay for less (Sunday night is the best night for people listing their leftover yarn!) I think I'll make another hat and if I have enough left maybe some mittens.

I've had a concession request from Aunty Nanna's in Norwich, UK. Amber the owner sells quirky handmade goods, vintage china, super cool homewear and refurbished painted furniture - definitely worth a look. Kitty hats will be available to buy in store later this month!

You can still shop online too - there is still 15% off in store until Jan 31st with code NEWYEAR15 - this includes custom orders! This is part of the Etsy UK Silly Sale - UK sellers join together to promote their stores - search for Silly Sale and you can find some bargains! The Silly Sale runs from 14th January - 21st January (but I'm extra generous so I'm going until 31st!)


Debs

2010 - a sum up and celebration!

So it's the end of 2010, and some pretty significant milestones have been met:

1. I got married to my fiance of 5 years Stewart in May
2. I managed to hold down a good job at the same place for nearly a year - the longest so far!
3. I've managed to get to 100 sales in my Etsy shop - thank you Andy from Ontario, Canada!
4. My health is starting to improve in small but steady steps...

Debs and Stew enjoying Cornwall in 2010

It's been a funny kind of year - I'm really pleased that I kept my head and didn't turn into bridezilla at any point before or during my wedding - it was a fantastic day enjoyed by all - and showcase some amazing handmade items - see my blog post for full details!

Our Wedding Day in Cardiff May 2010, St Davids Hotel

My knitting skills have really improved - I've gone from a hesitant knitter who couldn't knit in the round, and wasn't much past knitting, purling and different kinds of rib. Now I'm able to cable, do lace stitches and have mastered knitting on magic loop needles. For 2011 my next skill to master is knitting on double pointed needles. I'm sure if I sat down with my super talented knitting friend Linda I'd pick it up after a few attempts, but it is beyond me at present. One of my big musts is to learn how to crochet by this time next year. I've been trying for years without success! My friend Zoe taught Sarah, a complete novice, how to do it in one evening. There again, Sarah seems to be able to pick things up SUPER quickly. She mastered knitting in a weekend... I'm not green with envy... well maybe a little!

One of my new range of hats launched Spring 2010

Our Craft Night set up between local friends (and with visits by their dogs) has been a major success - meeting once a fortnight on alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays (I know...) we have been able to relax, eat good food, drink plenty of tea and make projects just for us - as well as having a good gossip and a moan!
 
My Etsy shop is looking much more cohesive - I'm really happy with the branding on my shop banner and blog - i think they match in well. I've had business cards made up with the same branding (thank you free premium business cards on Vistaprint!) - and I've tried to keep up with Twitter and Facebook to keep interest (although with the office being really busy this month it has slipped a bit - but I'm not beating myself up about it.)

New Handmade & Found branding designed in 2010 by me!

My goals for 2011 are pretty straight forward:
1. Keeping myself in work for another year 
2. Build on the success of my Etsy shop, working on new products and designs
3. Treat my long suffering husband in little ways throughout the year (maybe with cake...)

So have a very Merry Christmas / Festive Season, and a happy New Year! 

Want to celebrate in style...? Use discount code NEWYEAR15 for 15% off across my Etsy store until 31st January 2011(including custom orders) - as a big thank you to everyone who has got me this far. 


Debs

Return of the Knitter...

I vowed to myself that I would be blogging at least once a week... I failed  this last week sorry - I've been really busy at my office job organising conferences and working all hours under the sun, so today I'm making my triumphant return to you all this week - Yay!

I'm celebrating a few things this week:

1. I managed to pull off a big local event with work 
2. I'm at 98 sales in my etsy shop!
3. My knitwear is being sold in a local shop in Pontypool (!)
3. It is exactly 2 weeks until Christmas!

We went out for our office Christmas party last night - I've promised not to share the pictures on my blog, but rest assured everyone had a great time and ate and drank plenty of tasty things...


I'm feeling pretty festive; and now that the Christmas rush in store is calming down, I'm knitting Christmas presents for family and friends - I never stop knitting!!

Here are some of the projects I've been working on:

This is a lovely custom tea cosy order for a customer to match her retro melamine kitchen - dark blue, cream and aqua - looked great!

Another custom order on a brown kitty set - I changed the way I embroidered the paws and I think it really looks great!

These fab mittens have extra long cuffs - in a gorgeous deep red colour - they look fantastic on and will keep your arms nice and warm!

This was a gorgeous navy wool ribbed beanie hat for a local customer - wide rib to the edge with a larger rib pattern to the rest of the hat & a lovely soft wool yarn too.

So as you can see I've been keeping busy! Some of these new custom designs and ideas will be making their way in store over the next weeks; I really like it when a customer gives you a great idea for a new stock product - it really comes from demand!


Debs

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

This week the coldest November temperatures ever in Wales were recorded in Powys (Mid Wales up in the Mountains...) minus 18 degrees Celsius (-18C!!!) - that's about 0 degrees in Fahrenheit I think... Either way it was VERY VERY Cold!

Being in the City meant that it only dropped to -6C, but it was still cold enough to experience a decent amount of snow and ice. Saturday I went for a walk with Stew my husband to get some supplies, and walked through one of our local parks, Victoria Park. It looks pretty all covered in ice and snow

To warm up, we called into our local cafe called Waffles - it is a great little place (you can tell it's good as it was packed when we got there!) - they serve all sorts of baked delights, which included waffles! Even better, they do a gluten free option (I've got coeliacs disease which is a wheat and gluten intolerance) so I munched through 2 big hot chocolates with mini marshmallows, and waffles with cheese, mushrooms and bacon - SO yummy! Stew had apple, raisins, cinnamon and cream on his - it looked lovely apart from the icky raisins...

It was a lovely little walk - this weather is here to stay me thinks, so I've ordered in some more yarn so that I can make some knitted goodies to keep me warm! The first thing I worked on is this gorgeous slouch hat made of cream roving 100% wool yarn (it feels like wearing candy floss!)

Anyone following me on Twitter has witness the anguish this hat has put me through - this was attempt 15 (yes - 15) to get it right - the ribbing is simple, but the spiral lacy pattern involves a sequence of knits, yarn overs and slip slip knit wise - sounds fine, but if you mess it up even a little bit there is no way back - you've got to start it over. PAIN! It look 2 hours of talking through the stitches out loud one by one, sitting in my lounge on my own and missing my fave TV show just to get it right. I'm glad I persevered - it looks gorgeous! (the pic isn't great, but on it is FAB)


I'm thinking I need to get better at getting this pattern right before this one gets put in my shop, and it works best with chunkier weight yarn in simple unpatterned colours, but it's getting lots and lots of compliments already!


Debs

Black Friday is upon us...

So it's getting darker, snow has been forecast here in Wales and the Christmas lights are up in the city centre - this can only mean one thing - the holiday season is fast approaching!

Check out Stew in a custom knitted Santa Hat!

 Black Friday - Wikipedia describes it as:

Black Friday (sometimes Green Friday) is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

As we don't have Thanksgiving here in the UK, this kind of went unnoticed by me here - blissfully knitting through my orders ticking down the time down to Christmas - then I hit the online shops to stock up on presents - and there it is - Black Friday!

In store, I'm utilising the new Coupon facility that Etsy have launched - I'm offering a Black Friday promotion offering 10% off to all customers in store for Blog readers and Facebook  fans - a little Christmas gift from me to you all!

Enter the discount code BLACKFRIDAY10 between now and 23.00 GMT on Monday 29th December 2010 - and let me know your feedback on how you found the process!

Another cool new feature just launched on Etsy is being able to list and being paid in your own currency. I'm intrigued to find out opinions on this one - I'd find it SO much easier to list and sell in £ pounds, but I'm not sure if it would put off my large international fan base... mmm... 

Let me know your thoughts on this too!

Debs

Feature: Shawl Pins from WireDreamsDesign

I was browsing on Etsy recently and stumbled across  these gorgeous handmade shawl pins by WireDreamsDesign. 

Amy lives in the Orlando, FL area but used to live in Texas and hopes to one day move back there. This is her story:

"I'm a cartographer (map maker) by day and artisan by night with a 4 year old and a totally supportive husband that does what he can to help out when I need it. I'm a music and somewhat of a techie geek. 

I'm not sure what I would do without my Pandora app when I'm at work. I do a lot of knitting and crocheting but apparently not enough finishing. We won't discuss how many unfinished, ongoing, projects I have right now..."
 
"I do most of my work on the a section of countertop that I have set up sepcifcially for as my workspace. Each one is rolled out individually, cut out and any additional pices that are needed are also cut out. I usually bake all of the pieces individually and assemble after. Just in case something happens during the baking process I only have to remake one part instead of the whole piece. After they are assembled they are glazed and left to dry.

I started making pins because I got tired of all the wooden ones at the time that were at the yarn shop I frequent the most. To me, they were boring and didn't add anything to the shawl. I started off making just plain shaped pins and from there the sun, turtle and lady bug were the first "themed" pins I made. They sort of happened by accident by just playing with the clay and shapes. I get requests now and then for different animals or things which is where the cat came from and usually will spark some other animal or pin idea."

"While I consider myself a bit of a techie I just can't get into the social networking thing. I do have a website that I use somewhat of a gallery":

http://www.wiredreamsdesign.com

Amy also have a personal blog which usually deals more with knitting things and general things going on:

http://girl-wrapped-in-wire.blogspot.com/


Aren't these pins fantastic! I think they make brilliant presents for the knitter or fashion adict who has everything - they come in lots of different shapes and designs, so there is one for everyone, no matter your tastes. This one is my fave - it's so cute!

Take a look in Amy's shop to find more cool pins!


Debs!

Celebrate!!

Wow!!

What a FANTASTIC giveaway! This has been the best one so far - well over 100 entries!!

Thank you for all your entries - The winner was picked by a random number generator at 3pm GMT. Our winner is....

Damla! (Sweepstake Lover)

Congratulations - your prize will be making its way out to you soon.

As a big thank you to everyone who entered, all entrants will receive FREE shipping in store from today (14th November) until 1st December 2010  - Quote BLOGNOV10 on ordering along with your blog ID so I can check your entry.

This month I am celebrating too - it has been 1 year of my store being open, and 6 months since I started my blog.

Over the last year I've had over 80 sales, met some great fellow crafters, had a great time, and taken one step closer towards knitted world domination!

Check out this super cool map showing all the cities and countries where my knitted creations now call home - that's 9 countries, 4 continents and 25 states in all and counting! (Don't worry - no addresses, just nearest cities/towns)

As you can see, I'm doing pretty OK for one year of sales - but there are quite a few gaps on the map. I'm offering an ongoing promotion, where buyers from states, provinces or cities not yet flagged up on the map will receive 10% off on their order! Quote MAPGAP when ordering to receive the discount.

Finally, check out Christmas posting deadlines for shopping in store on my Facebook Fan Page

Debs!

The Big Blog Giveaway!

The time has arrived - finally! I've been so excited about launching this giveaway; I've been planning it for weeks!

The aim was to come up with a giveaway item that could be given to either sex as a good Christmas present - (or a present for yourself if you wish!)

So I've come up with this super cool circular scarf, mittens and beanie set, all in a matching rich moss green yarn. It looks stunning on - perfect for girls or boys!

The hat has been knitted in a rib stitch making it really stretchy - will fit a standard adult head snuggly. 







You can see that the full set looks rather fetching on my husband Stew - he said it was very comfy to wear, and would keep you cosy and warm in the winter time!





The mittens have a ribbed cuff to make them fit snuggly against your wrists, and are fitted around the thumb. They are quite fitted so they will keep you warm, but can still function in them!













I love this cowl - it is very warm. I knitted this on a loom, so it has a great laddered pattern, and has no seam so it is very strong - you can pull it on and off as many times as you like and it will keep its shape!











So here it is - a 3 piece set worth a staggering $50 retail value! I'm feeling very generous with the festive season approaching, so one lucky blog reader will win this great prize!

This giveaway is open worldwide so everyone can enter - it is really simple, no games or catches - a very straightforward giveaway!


You get automatic entry into the competition if you:

a. Leave me a comment under this blog entry saying what you would buy from my Etsy shop if you had a blank cheque…
b. You get another entry if you have left a message and follow my blog.
c. You get another entry for following me on Facebook
d. You will get another entry if you follow me on Twitter
e. Lastly if you tweet or post on your own blog a link back to this blog competition you get another entry.

So maximum of 5 chances to win… - how cool is that!?


Please make sure when you leave your comment on this blog post that you say where I can contact you (Email address, Etsy username, Twitter handle, Facebook page etc)

Winner will be picked at random on Sunday 14th November 2010

Pob Lwc!

(Good Luck!)

Debs!

Halloween Post: Double, Double Toil & Trouble...

... It's that time of year again; All Hallows Eve is fast approaching this weekend - and it's also the weekend the clocks go back 1 hour here in the UK, changing from British Summer Time back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), making the 31st extra dark and spooky this year.

"Double, Double Toil and Trouble"; Shakespeare's contribution to the Halloween festivities from the Witches speech in the play Macbeth conjures up thoughts of cauldrons, eyes of newt and frogs tails! (not bubble bubble like you may think, the thought on this is that the collective memory on this has become a bit cloudy, and double has got substituted for bubble...)  Though Halloween is not celebrated with the same fervour here in the UK as it is in the US, we still have a great time!

This year I'm planning to settle in for a night of movies, candlelight, popcorn and plenty of sweets! Which movies are on the play list I'm not sure yet... All suggestions welcome! In Halloweens of past I've enjoyed dressing up and going to a big party, but I am a bit obsessive with costume etc - in 2005 I spent 4 hours painting myself up as a zombie with terrifying results!

(I was at University at the time so had plenty of time to cover myself in green greasepaint and fake burns - and yes that is glow in the dark paint in my hair!)

But Halloween does not have to be all blood guts and gore if you don't want it to! There are some fantastic handmade objects that can be kept out all year to enjoy if it takes your fancy...

I LOVE this hat - I stumbled across it on Folksy recently and I think it would look fantastic to glam up a more classy Halloween outfit. It's made by Janine Basil; the hanging spider is a stroke of genius!

I've also fallen in love with these fantastic candles - we don't really have Candy corn here, but the colours always make me smile, and I'd have these out in my house all year around. They are hand made by Craftasticparties on Etsy and at $11 for a set of 3 they are really good value too!

Throwing your own party? Need some tips? There are so many ideas out there! Bobbing apples, spaghetti meatball guts, haunted house mock-ups (though maybe not for very small kids or those with a nervous disposition!) - and of course you will need a Jack-O-Lantern carved from a big fat pumpkin.

 

This pumpkin lantern bowl by TheCaramelJar is a great way to enjoy the lantern effect, but keep year on year to display at your parties. And if it is full of sweets all the better!

I really do not like pumpkin. I've tried year on year to try and like it - but I can't stand wasting all that food by just scooping it out and throwing it away either; I've scoured around for a way to use up the flesh from the lantern and have discovered that doesn't fill me with horror (!) is a Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage; it's a River Cottage classic recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and mixes the pumpkin in with a creamy rich risotto, and you can hide it under lots and lots of cheese. I think it's one I'm going to give a go this Halloween!

Happy Halloween to you all!

UPDATE

Sunday is also the day I launch my Christmas present to you guys - my blog giveaway! It will make a great present for a loved one, or for yourself! I'm very excited about it already - 1 week to go!

Debs