Monday 26 January 2009

not so fine

I was prompted to borrow the book Knit so Fine: designs with skinny yarn from the library because I had previously seen Lisa Myers' Travelling Stitch Legwarmers (Ravelry link) in an past issue of Interweave Knits. I want to knit those legwarmers so I wanted to have a look at this book!

The book begins with some good short chapters on skinny yarn, including the
benefits of knitting with them - the shaping advantages, the seaming advantages, the fit advantages, the stitch definition advantages. But what is skinny yarn? The authors classify anything 8 ply (dk) or lighter as a skinny yarn. 8 ply - skinny? I beg to differ. 5 ply (sportweight) or lighter, yes, but 8 ply?

And then there are the patterns - what a disappointment. Apart from the travelling stitch legwarmers and a pair of similarly styled fingerless elbow gloves, there was nothing in here that interested me at all. And for all that is written about the fit and shaping advantages, a number of the patterns are really shapeless and there appears to be no great advantage to knitting them in a fine yarn.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I also got Skinny Yarn (bought it from Amazon)but there are probably only 2 things I would make from it. I was abit disappointed and might try to sell it.

Looking at your blogs you've been really busy! I admire your industriousness (is that even a word?). Today I started some socks and made lamington cupcakes for Australia Day-yum.

goodkarma said...

Agreed completely; I had high hopes for a book of patterns using "skinny yarns" but there were only one or two things I would make. Good thing I previewed from the library, too! :)

Stacey said...

8 ply? That's ridiculous.