Yarn Review: Blue Moon Fiber Arts SOCKS THAT ROCK

Socks that Rock Lightweight

by Blue Moon Fiber Arts

Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Inc.
Customer Service
56587 Mollenhour Rd
Scappoose, OR 97056-8203
Phone: (503) 922-3431

Weight : Fingering / 4 ply (14 wpi)

Yardage: 360 yards (329 meters)

Unit weight: 127 grams (4.48 ounces)

Gauge: 30.0 to 36.0 sts = 4 inches

Needle size (suggested): US 1 - 2 

Fibers: 100% Merino

Texture: plied
Machine washable (super wash)

From Blue Moon Fiber Arts: 100% super wash merino wool
This is the fingering-weight version of our signature sock yarn. A 3-ply, tightly plied, high grade super wash merino. STR has a lot of energy what we like to refer to as boing factor. The 3-plies make it a well rounded yarn, which is great for stitch definition. We call it lightweight instead of fingering-weight because of the elasticity, which makes it not a true fingering-weight close, though. This yarn truly rocks!

Colorway featured: Sea-Mar
Pattern used: my own pattern


 This is a yarn review on some sock yarn that I have browsed on Ravelry several times in the last year or so and was wondering where in the world I would find it. My LYS didn't carry it and I didn't follow through and try to locate the yarn online. Imagine my surprise when it wound up in a gift package to me sent by a fellow knitter!

As I cast on, I noted how smooth this yarn was, and the spring-y-ness it seemed to possess even while on the needles.

 I picked a simple lace pattern and these were knit on 5 dpns size US #2's. I blocked gently afterwards on sock blockers and the lace bloomed open gently. These are stretchy socks because of the pattern, but the yarn itself lends itself to being soft yet springy at the same time.

 There were no knots in the skein, nor were there any rough or unspun sections in my skein. The colorway was perfect for me, I can see these paired with blue jeans. The striping was unique. I wanted to show the colorway striping so I specifically chose a smaller lace repeat so as not to break it up too much by larger holes or complicated carry over stitching.

My one and only complaint about this hand dyed yarn was the pooling of color you will notice on the right sock below. Pooling of color is unfortunately a common problem with hand paints, but some people really like it, and actually prefer this type of coloring.

I do not. I think shorter color changes fixes that, but I tend to like the longer stripes, and I know that technique runs the risk of pooling. Notice the very dark blue patch on one sock? The underside of that sock has a lighter patch all the way around the under part of the foot.
The top portion while on the foot looks alittle strange to me staring down at my feet. Its like I "spilled" something on my foot...

So while I LOVE my Socks that Rock overall for quality and knitting enjoyment, I would have to point out the variation of color may be a luck of the draw if you are in the more even striping camp. If color pooling doesn't deter you, than you wouldn't be disappointed with this yarn. The colorways are gorgeous.  Ravelry has reported reviews of people saying the yarn holds up well to wear and tear to opposite extreme of those that say it blooms too much and get fluffy after a few wearings.

My stitch definition was very crisp while knitting, and after blocking it did bloom just a bit. I haven't worn them yet. They are fresh off the needles.

I will have report back on their wear-ability because I plan on keeping this pair.  
 
Happy sock knitting friends!

a fine fleece book review

photo from Amazon.com

 

 

A Book Review on 

a fine fleece by Lisa Lloyd 

This large hardcover book was given to me by the wonderful hubster as a Christmas gift. I also received a beautiful bag of alpaca fiber. It's shade is a chestnut brown and I came to find out later, from a friend's farm. A gift of inspiration.

The pictures in this book makes one drool. 

I'm not kidding. 

From the history of fiber collection, processing and spinning...to the wonderful cable filled patterns you can try with either your own hand-spun yarns, or commercially bought yarns, the possibilities are not limited to just spinning folk. There are options for both hand spinners and non-spinners on each pattern presented.

With natural inspired names like; "Town & Country" or "October Frost" and my favorite, "Ancient Oak" this creative imagination sparking masterpiece would be a true gem in your knitting library. 

 

The writing is superb and the beginning  section of the book goes into much detail on knowing about what you are knitting, why you are knitting it, and the background as to how the designer did what she did on design elements of each project. It reads like a story though, and not just a bunch of technical information. The play on words is exquisite as your senses are lit with all aspects of color, textures, taste and smell. I felt like I was in an old English field with sheep grazing and dew on the grass. 

I also felt a renewed interest in my own blending of fibers and empowered to experiment more. The author goes into detail about how she blends her fibers and the results of those blends. 

The sizes given for patterns in this book looks to fit us folks who aren't um, let's say, a size 0, and the pictures actually show some models swimming in their sweaters. While some may take that as a criticism, I'm offering it as a neutral observation.

The difficulty of these patterns varies, some would be very advanced in my opinion with several finishing techniques I am not familiar with. (not that I am an advanced sweater knitter, of course!) 

Don't let that discourage you though, if you wish to peruse this book and make some cabled masterpieces of your own.

I have several patterns marked and yarns put aside for when I have "oh-so-much-time" to work on the dreams inspired by this book. This pretty scarf is one of them; 

twilight

You can find the patterns included in the book to browse pictures on Ravelry.com right here: a fine fleece and I recommend taking a moment or two to look through them.

I cannot put down this book. It's a page turner. A few facts;

• 26 projects in all

• chunky yarns plus finer lace weight

• difficult cable charts to simple twist cables

• Published by Pottercraft

If you are a beginner knitter, you will be inspired to take your knitting to a higher level, but I recommend this book the most to those cable lovers that aren't daunted by large cable charts or major finishing on their sweaters. 

If you are a spinner, this book might not have enough technical info to produce the exact yarn pictured in the book, so it may take one experienced to copy the project. But half the fun of spinning is putting your individual twist into the pretty string.

a fine fleece.

Why yes, yes, it is.

Winter has Arrived in MN

 Snow and cold. Winds. Blustery drafts and red chapped cheeks.

 

Walking on a frozen lake for the first time is very fun. You slip and slide...even the dog was skating at a couple different moments.

I am not a winter person.


Winter is for knitting...

But behind the camera and watching others enjoy the snow and the cold is fun.


I have a big project starting this month.

REALLY big.

So I am holed up in the house and quietly slipping in work moments when I can.

I will continue to review yarns as they come up, and post when I can, but my energy is pointed on this project.

Sneak peaks and little bits and pieces I will share with you when I can.

Stitch by stitch...inch by inch...we'll get there.

Yarn Companies and Browsing

In browsing different yarn companies this morning, I am impressed by how much work is put into a website.

This is often the first impression a customer/potential client has of them.

I have mentioned before the lack of concern of some companies have for the Internet and media that so many of us use. Why is that? Are they so busy making the yarns, they are not so up on selling their yarns?

Some sites are just downright BORING.

To be ahead in this business, not only is media presentation an art, it's a necessity.

Check out Lorna's Laces.
Simple and not distracted by too much "bling"...beautiful pictures rotate just enough to capture your attention, but not so fast that you can't study it for a moment. Not so painfully slow, you are bored. The yarn and pattern pages do the same. I like that.


Of course, I've always loved Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud & Chloe's websites. They work hard on their design and media presentations. Detail is a must.

Some the more frequent places I visit are here:
Quince and Co
Grundl
Rowan
Skein

And one of my favorites: Wollmeise. (its in German-but really cool graphics)

Browse some links and look for yourself. I often find inspiration in peeking in at a company's images and it really is a representation of who/what they are and how they wish to be interpreted.

Skip the "busy" sites. They can be overwhelming. What are some of your favorites? Please share...

A Few Words Wednesday

In the rhythm of the needles there is music for the soul. 

(Old Sampler quote)

Handspun knitting during piano lessons this week.

Christmas Knitting Recap...

 As I review some of my knitting projects of December, I am really awed at how much more relaxed my holiday season was. There is something very soothing in winding my yarns and weaving the strands around each other to create a unique gift.

 Spinning some wool/alpaca blended fiber that I hand carded produced these lovely skeins I've named, "Africa" with it's wild-themed scheme.

 

Sarah's winter hat showed me why I love charts and can't seem to follow a color sequence in abbreviation form. The top part of the Fair Isle didn't turn out. I was so fed up with the directions, I just finished the hat. I wanted it done to get wrapped and put under the tree. This is a good reminder to myself to thoroughly read through a pattern before I embark on the project. I need to remember that if it isn't enjoyable reading through it, it won't be any less enjoyable knitting it up. 

I also knit some lined mittens for a friend. These are for alittle girl who loses her mittens frequently, so I also secured an I-cord on them.

 The liners are a sport weight alpaca, which made the fit much better as the outer mitten is worsted weight. I stash busted with these and was able to use up some pretty pink leftovers.

Notice the mistake on the cuffs? One is k1p1 and the other is k2p2...LOL! This would be alittle "too relaxed" in my knitting...or, knitting right before bedtime. 

I hope as you review your own knitting this month, you have lovely things that were made from the heart as well.

I love giving gifts that were knit especially for someone. I think about them, pray for them, and just generally hold them close to my heart as I create for them. It's a personal connection.

As 2011 winds down and we move into 2012, I am looking forward to new changes, to renewed health and to more wonderful knitting projects.

Happy New Year's!

Winner of the Christmas Yarn!

These lovely skeins are headed over to cguard as her comment was picked by Random Generator last night.

cguard said:
"The Apple for the Teacher is my absolute favorite. (and apropo as I am a teacher) I love that your dyes are eco friendly as I have realized I need to think through every purchase of yarn or needles and just like with clothes ask did the making/buying of this make our world a better/worse place to live."

I love that! I too am trying to buy more "local" and also pay attention to what my items/products are made out of. It's not only about making our world a better place...but it effects our health too! As a cancer survivor I've made alot of changes that effects not only my health, but that of my family's.

Thanks again to Kate at Knits In Class, as she so kindly offered these lovely yarns as a give away here on my blog.

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and if you are anything like me, you are breathing a sigh of relief as another year of frantic Christmas knitting is over.

I have revved up the spinning wheel again as the hubby scored big points with me for gifting me an alpaca fleece. I have carded it with some pure wool and am experimenting on the wheel with the blend. So far, I'm totally smitten.

Long term goal: to spin enough (consistently enough!) to knit a sweater for myself.

More on that later...

In the meantime, keep on knittin' friends!

A Christmas Gift for YOU!

Guest yarn: Local Indy Dyer Kate from Knits in Class Fiber Studio

 Pattern used: World's Warmest Hat by Dove Knits. Free Pattern on Ravelry.

 A double thick warm hat with a brim bearing just a few twists of cables. This pattern showed off the single ply strands perfectly.

The colors compliment each other perfectly and together this lined hat is a treat for cold, windy Minnesota winters. With the generous yardage, I had lots of yarn leftover.

The top of the hat shows best some variation of color in the darker blue. The lighter blue was pretty consistent in shade, but there are some tonal hues as well. Enviro friendly yarns and dyes are what she uses. You can knit with confidence. I had no dye leak into the water during soak blocking. So it was set well.

Kate's Bio: (her blog is here: Knits in Class)

"I have been knitting for years, and had just started spinning when I got hooked on hand painted yarns and fibers. Since I was having so much fun working with hand dyed supplies, I thought it might be fun to try it out for myself. So, I ordered a kit of primary kit of acid dyes, plus black, and a set of basic instructions. I turned my old crock pot into a dye vat and set to work with some un-dyed yarn and wool. And then I got hooked (obsessed might be a better choice of words...). And, since I couldn't possibly every use everything I was dyeing myself, I decided to share it with the rest of the world and started the Knits in Class Fiber Studio in early 2010. The name "Knits in Class" actually stems from my past life as an art history professor, when I would knit when my students were watching a film or taking exams. I realized that teaching wasn't for me - I couldn't wait for film or test days so I could pull out the knitting needles - and Knits in Class eventually became my full time job.

Almost two years later, the shop continues to evolve - I'm now a reseller for Greener Shades dyes (which I discovered while looking for safer dye options while I was pregnant with baby girl) in addition to selling my own hand dyed items, and I did two craft shows this fall, and I am planning for several more next year, too. I love my job - I'm able to spend quality time with my three kids while working in my home studio. They think nothing of the fact that there are racks with skeins of yarn drying all over the yard. I'm constantly studying colors in everything wondering what it would look like hand painted on a yarn or carded into a batt.

I've explored a lot of different kinds of yarn, and the two that I've selected for the review and giveaway are really my two favorite yarn bases. I love the single ply texture and the way the merino soaks up the colors.

Here's the specs:
Worsted single ply
225 yards (about 4 ounces)
100% merino wool
US 7-9 is recommended by the manufacturer, but I really prefer to knit this on 8 or 9 for a more flexible fabric. Although I'm using 7s right now to knit one of Rebecca Danger's monster patterns, and it's creating exactly the kind of fabric I'm looking for. The merino single ply will felt very easily (which is great if you want to felt something, not so great if it's unintentional!)

Merino Silk single ply
225 yards (about 4 ounces)
60% merino wool
40% silk
US 7-9
  The silk merino is some of the softest yarn I've ever worked with - and it becomes even softer as you knit with it - like butter!

Both of these are definitely "hand wash in cool water" yarns."


 So, you would like alittle something for yourself this Christmas? You have a chance, or two, or maybe THREE to win these beautiful skeins of yarn. Here's the deal:

1st chance: Leave a comment on this blog

2nd chance: Visit Knits in Class' etsy store and name your favorite colorway that she is currently offering

3rd chance: Take your pick, either Tweet about it on Twitter with a link back to her store and this blog, or Facebook link on your status so others can see Kate's beautiful yarns.

That's it! Don't forget to check out Kate's special she's running at her store until New Year's Day.

The winner will be picked by Random Number Generator and I will close out the giveaway on December 26th in the evening. Make sure you post links so I can contact you after it's over. Ravelry name or email, blog address or Facebook. If no contact info is left, I will generate a different winner. 

Good Luck!

Witching Hour and Copper

The Case of the Missing Presents...

 Remember my nice Salsa Scarf I made for our pizza angel in Texas? The one who sent Domino's to our door and my kids just thought she was THE coolest person in the whole wide world? It went into a box to Texas last week along with these...

 Salsa driving mitts made with the leftovers from the scarf. Nice baby alpaca along with some Sport Weight Blue Sky Alpaca yarn extras I had in leftovers. Love stash busting.

I also included for our angel some pickled peppers. Cause you know, in Texas she'd probably get more use out the peppers than she would the scarf and mitts. These peppers are pretty strong--my husband swears his hair was curly after eating them. They are great on crackers with cream cheese.

Well, I am here to tell you, insure your boxes NO MATTER what they contain inside of them if you are sending USPS. Because my box was under a $100 value, I didn't spend the extra $6 to insure it. Silly me. I put trust in our postal system.

Not only did someone STEAL the contents inside the box, they filled them with Postal Coloring Books and re-taped the box and sent it on.
Tampering with the mail is a Federal Offense.

I am sad about my friend not getting her intended items...I am sad that it appears to be a post office employee that did this.

And got away with it.
So the moral of this story? Buy the insurance, or use your UPS man.
Trust, it's a fragile thing.

 I visited my LYS over the week end and guess who came to visit?

Yes, I've been a good girl this year Santa. And what did I want for Christmas?

I want to be cancer-free.

This nice kind Santa told me he wishes that was the one and only gift he could deliver this Christmas. 

If you are like me, you are knitting like crazy in spare moments to get those gifts finished in time to wrap up and get under the tree.

Happy Christmas Knitting my friends!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS