Knitting Needles etc.

I don’t know the name of the yarn, but it’s really furry and basically on a thin thread. Thanks. What would a good size be for a youth.

A rule of thumb for knitting scarves is to make the length the same as the height of the recipient. The width can be 3-8".

The yarn sounds like Fun Fur. (http://www.lionbrand.com/yarns/funFur.htm) It’s considered a bulky (5) yarn because of the "eyelash" texture. If used by itself, the yarn will not hold the shape it is knitted in and will stretch limply. You should use a sport weight or worsted weight yarn for shaping, and let the furry yarn give the texture, as in this pattern: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/kff-bicolorScarf.html?noImages= You would use the size needle appropriate for the stabilizing yarn. Or, you could use two strands of the furry yarn together as one strand to help the scarf hold its shape, as in this pattern: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/40643AD.html?noImages=0 It calls for size 15 needles.

I have yarn that measures 77 yards.I want to make a baby blanket but i don’t know how big 77 yards will make.I also need to know how many rows to cast on.Can you help me?

depends on the size of your needles. Do a stitch gauge ~ cast on 10 stitches and knit ten rows to figure out how many stitches you’ll need to make it the right size. 7 stitches per inch would equal 70 stitches cast on to make a 10-inch row, for example.

I want to make a tote style bag using ‘Fancy Kntting Yarn’ and then Felt it. Is this possible seeing as the yarn is 100% Polyester? Will it look much different from one felted in wool yarn?
What stitch would be best to use?

Polyester will not felt. The only yarns that will felt are both a.) at least 80% wool, alpaca, angora, cashmere, llama &/or mohair, and b.) not labeled "superwash" or "machine-washable." Every yarn felts differently, and different colors of the same yarn may felt differently. (Some light colors will not felt as a result of the bleaching process.)

Also, knitting shrinks more lengthwise than widthwise when felted. So always knit a swatch (small sample square), measure it, felt it, then measure it again to calculate what dimensions you’ll need to knit in order to make the desired size felted tote.

Here are some good articles about felting:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATfelting.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/FEATfelthis.html

All stitch definition is lost when felted. So plain old stockinette stitch or garter stitch is fine.

There are lots of free knitting patterns for felted items at
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/felted_items.php
http://www.knittychick.com/freebiepatterns.htm

What is a good soft yarn that is good for crocheting blankets and hats? I have been using the yarn from Wal Mart. But, it is coarse and itchy. Where could I find better suited yarn to use? And what is a good brand to use?
The yarn I have been using is Red Heart. I am fine when I use it to crochet, just when it comes to wearing it does it itch me like crazy. Which totally sucks because my aunt makes me all kinds of cute beanies that I can’t wear if it touches my skin.

It isn’t necessarily the brand of yarn I would be concerned with. It looks like you are sensitive to certain fibers. Look on the yarn label and try to avoid acrylic and wool. Some nylon can make you itch as well, but not as bad and it is very soft.

Both my sons and I are "yarn sensitive". This is why I usually stick to cotton only on items which will touch our skin, including garments and afghans.

There are lots of different cotton yarns in all different price ranges. Some less expensive types are Lily – Sugar ‘n Cream, Peaches & Cream, and Kitchen Cotton by Lionbrand. All of these are worsted weight (same as the Red heart you have been using) and are usually available at Wal-Mart, Michaels Crafts Stores and Joann Fabrics. These yarns work up nicely.

If you would like a higher quality yarn for a finer hat or sweater, I really like Plymouth Fantasy Naturale Yarn. You can buy it online here:

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Plymouth+Fantasy+Naturale+Yarn.aspx

It is a little more expensive, but it has more yards / ounces per skein than most cotton worsted yarns. I like it very much. It is cabled so it doesn’t shred, pill and split as easily as your lower end worsteds. Also, it has a slight sheen which is lovely.

Tahki Stacy Charles makes a good yarn called Cotton Classic. It comes in two weights – worsted and DK "double knitting" weights. DK is between worsted and sport. It is quite a bit more expensive, but, for hats you wouldn’t need a lot.

If you would like to try an even thinner choice, say a sportweight yarn, one I really recommend is Grace by Paton Yarns.

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Patons+Grace+Yarn+1.aspx

Again, it is more expensive than your lower end cotton or acrylic yarns. But it is worth it if you want a garment which will turn out lovely with a fine hand. Cotton yarns which kind of shimmer are mercerized.

My very favorite cotton yarn is by Bernat and is called Cottontots. It is a larger worsted weight. The skeins are large in yardage as well. It is so soft, really nice to the touch. It is a baby yarn and comes in many pastels. But there are also some brighter colors as well, some varigateds, and some new country colors. I really like it and use it all the time.

http://www.bernat.com/product.php?LGC=cottontots&SPP=999

Make sure you don’t use too small of a hook when working with cotton. If you want garments to drape beautifully, use a slightly larger hook than called for on the label. Cotton shrinks a bit also. You might consider making it in one size larger to account for shrinkage.

Also, please allow me to give you another word of advice. Do NOT trust the knots that the manufacturer uses to join two ends in the skein. These knots are tiny and do NOT hold. If you are crocheting along and come upon a knot where two ends have been tied together, cut the yarn and join the new end just as if you are beginning a new skein of yarn. Leave at least an 8 inch tail and later weave it in with a darning needle, zigzagging back and forth on the back of the work. I took the easy way out a couple of times and learned my lesson the hard way! The baby afghan I had given as a gift had a big gaping hole in it after it was washed. How embarassing! I was able to fix it for her enough to use, but it never looked "perfect" after that.

Good luck!

What is a good soft yarn that is good for crocheting blankets and hats? I have been using the yarn from Wal Mart. But, it is coarse and itchy. Where could I find better suited yarn to use? And what is a good brand to use?
The yarn I have been using is Red Heart. I am fine when I use it to crochet, just when it comes to wearing it does it itch me like crazy. Which totally sucks because my aunt makes me all kinds of cute beanies that I can’t wear if it touches my skin.

It isn’t necessarily the brand of yarn I would be concerned with. It looks like you are sensitive to certain fibers. Look on the yarn label and try to avoid acrylic and wool. Some nylon can make you itch as well, but not as bad and it is very soft.

Both my sons and I are "yarn sensitive". This is why I usually stick to cotton only on items which will touch our skin, including garments and afghans.

There are lots of different cotton yarns in all different price ranges. Some less expensive types are Lily – Sugar ‘n Cream, Peaches & Cream, and Kitchen Cotton by Lionbrand. All of these are worsted weight (same as the Red heart you have been using) and are usually available at Wal-Mart, Michaels Crafts Stores and Joann Fabrics. These yarns work up nicely.

If you would like a higher quality yarn for a finer hat or sweater, I really like Plymouth Fantasy Naturale Yarn. You can buy it online here:

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Plymouth+Fantasy+Naturale+Yarn.aspx

It is a little more expensive, but it has more yards / ounces per skein than most cotton worsted yarns. I like it very much. It is cabled so it doesn’t shred, pill and split as easily as your lower end worsteds. Also, it has a slight sheen which is lovely.

Tahki Stacy Charles makes a good yarn called Cotton Classic. It comes in two weights – worsted and DK "double knitting" weights. DK is between worsted and sport. It is quite a bit more expensive, but, for hats you wouldn’t need a lot.

If you would like to try an even thinner choice, say a sportweight yarn, one I really recommend is Grace by Paton Yarns.

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Patons+Grace+Yarn+1.aspx

Again, it is more expensive than your lower end cotton or acrylic yarns. But it is worth it if you want a garment which will turn out lovely with a fine hand. Cotton yarns which kind of shimmer are mercerized.

My very favorite cotton yarn is by Bernat and is called Cottontots. It is a larger worsted weight. The skeins are large in yardage as well. It is so soft, really nice to the touch. It is a baby yarn and comes in many pastels. But there are also some brighter colors as well, some varigateds, and some new country colors. I really like it and use it all the time.

http://www.bernat.com/product.php?LGC=cottontots&SPP=999

Make sure you don’t use too small of a hook when working with cotton. If you want garments to drape beautifully, use a slightly larger hook than called for on the label. Cotton shrinks a bit also. You might consider making it in one size larger to account for shrinkage.

Also, please allow me to give you another word of advice. Do NOT trust the knots that the manufacturer uses to join two ends in the skein. These knots are tiny and do NOT hold. If you are crocheting along and come upon a knot where two ends have been tied together, cut the yarn and join the new end just as if you are beginning a new skein of yarn. Leave at least an 8 inch tail and later weave it in with a darning needle, zigzagging back and forth on the back of the work. I took the easy way out a couple of times and learned my lesson the hard way! The baby afghan I had given as a gift had a big gaping hole in it after it was washed. How embarassing! I was able to fix it for her enough to use, but it never looked "perfect" after that.

Good luck!

I am a beginner at hand spinning and would like to start spinning my own yarn. I will be using a drop spindle for this,btw. If anyone knows what the best type of fiber to use for beginning to spin, please let me know.

Wool is the only thing that works.

You need to call around and get wool rovings. They come already dyed and carded. Ready for spinning.

Baby yarn is more expensive for less yarn and I already have alot of the red heart super save kind but I want to make a baby outfit. I want it to be soft but if I can get away with it I dont want to have to buy a bunch of baby yarn.
The yarn i have is red heart supersaver that is 100% acrylic.

I use the regular red heart supersaver and have found that after a washing it softens up a bit. I have never put it into the dryer tho.
maybe try using hair conditioner on it once you’ve washed it.

Good Luck

I want yarn that is variegated with both orange and blue in it. Does anyone know where I can find it?
I want it to be only orange and blue, if there is white in it that’s okay, but no other colors. Just orange and blue variegated.

how about "Impressionist Supersock Select" Yarn in ‘Irises’
available at http://www.yarnmarket.com

I hear about people creating the "hank" first from the spool of yarn then making a ball but I don’t really understand how or why that is done. I just make a ball from my spool. Why should you make a hank?

If your yarn is already in a ball, either oblong or round, it is not necessary to make a hank out of it, nor is it necessary if the yarn is coned or on a spool, a ball can be wound directly cones or spools, or simply knit from the cone or spool. However, it may be preferable to rewind any yarn, regardless of how it has been put up in order to check for flaws in the yarn, including undesireable slubs or knots, since these may fall at a point in the knitting where it is difficult to rejoin the yarns when they are removed.

However, some yarn is still put up in circular hanks or skeins that must be held open in some fashion and then wound into balls. Usually knitters use another person to hold the hank, or use a swift, which is a mechanical device to hold it, or simply put the hank around the back or upturned legs of a chair, or around a large bowl or an overturned stockpot, or even their own feet. The reason for this is to prevent the yarn from catching on itself as it is wound and tangling.

How can I keep my scarf looking new, other than not wear it anymore? It’s made of very soft yarn and stray fibers are already poking out. :l

Hand-wash it in cool water. Do NOT use hot water.