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Exotic Fibers, Yak by Bijou Basin Ranch….A Fine Yarn

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It is amazing how many different fibers can create yarn. When I decided to start writing about features and effects of various yarns, I don’t think I was fully aware how great the diversity was. One of these unique fibers is yak.

Bijou Basin Ranch, Bijou Spun Himalayan Trail yarn has one of the highest quality of yak down that I have found in a yarn. It is comprised of 75% Yak Down, and 25% Superfine Merino, and I can testify that it feels like luxury. The skein is 2oz in weight with 200 yards of yarn, making it a fine weight yarn (also recognized as a #2 weight).

Himalayan Trail yarn www.lindadeancrochet.com

Bijou Basin Ranch Himalayan Trail yarn….created with Yak Down

Yak is probably not a fiber that most crocheters have had the pleasure to work with, one of these reasons is that it is not readily available everywhere, and the other is it usually falls into a price point that discourages some. Yak is a very soft fiber, it has a fine micron count, meaning that the individual fibers are very thin. The finer the micron count the softer the fiber. This fiber is not only soft, it is warm. If there is any doubt to its warmth, this fiber is the undercoat of a large mammal that lives in the high country of the Himalayan Mountains, where weather is cold and draining. This is the fiber that keeps these animals warm.

Collection of Yak fibers is typically labor intensive, as it is usually collected after it is shed from the animal, these animals are not sheared, but in some cases maybe combed to collect the shed fibers. This is one of the primary reasons for the cost factor of the yarn, the supply of yak is not easy to obtain and thus not overly plentiful.

This fiber is then paired with just a bit of superfine Merino, another fiber of fine micron count, this helps to add a bit more stability to the overall yarn while still keeping with the very soft and almost pillowy feel of the yarn. The four plies of this yarn are smooth and consistent resulting in a yarn with very little halo, and a much defined smooth tubular yarn that enables great stitch definition.

I think this yummy yarn would look excellent in some cables, or texture stitches, as well as great with defined open work. One skein can easily create a hat or scarf, possibly even a short pair of fingerless gloves. If you have the opportunity to treat yourself a bit, do not hesitate to try Himalayan Trail, you will be glad you did.

Crochet Hanging Vase- Perfect for Spring

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It is almost time to admire the spring flowers, almost time to see the final thawing of the ice and snow for the season, a time when the days begin to warm and that restless spirit to be in the sun stirs in us. My home has seen a hint of spring this week. The weather has warmed and the daffodils have begun to bloom.

I tend to really enjoy seeing the daffodils, I never think of them as my favorite flowers, but they add such a nice harkening of s seasonal change with a bright yellow (or white) splash in the green hill side out my kitchen window.

Hanging crochet vase www.lindadeancrochet.com

Daffodils from a hanging “crochet”vase at my door.

So I found some scrap of yarn and crocheted an open mesh, for lack of a better term, “bag” that I slipped a mason jar into. This is the perfect for hanging a jar of flowers. My latest jar is hung at the entrance to my screened porch, it is a simple project that adds a definite bright spot in my day.

If you would like to attempt this hanging vase yourself, you can begin with a chain circle (creating a loop), then work a double crochet, chain nine and double crochet in the loop again. Work a few of these chain spaces, then begin working in the chain spaces created, making a mesh, until it is as tall as you would like it. Fasten off the yarn, and then create a length of chain about 12-18” (30-46cm) long. Weave this chain through the last round of chain spaces created and slip in your jar. Tie the chain tightly just under the brim. With the remaining length of chain tie a loop for hanging. It is as simple as that.

You could probably create this with just a simple long chain tied under the brim of the jar, however it always makes we a little fearful as I am concerned about the lack of support at the base, so I make this “bag” effect. Either way, I think this is a fun way to bring about spring.

Timaru- Yarn Fun with Bamboo

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In the world of yarn there can be many really exotic fibers, but at the end of the day we all usually fall back to the most affordable and common. That is why it is a treat to come across a yarn that offers so much to a design, and can take the basic to extraordinary.

One of these extraordinary yarns is Timaru from Lisa Souza Dyeworks. It is a fingering weight yarn that is comprised of 65% Superwash Merino and 35% Rayon of Bamboo. It has a very generous 500 yards per 100 gram hanks, so it goes a long way.

Timaru....www.lindadeancrochet.com

Timaru by Lisa Souza Dyeworks Merino with Bamboo yarn

The Superwash Merino ensures that this yarn is going to be soft, and can have some warmth, as well as being treated so that it does not felt or shrink. Merino is a great wool, but it is not what makes this yarn so special, in this case it is the Bamboo.

The bamboo in this yarn indicates that it is a Rayon, this means that the bamboo is made into a pulp, using the leaves, and some stem. It is ground down and added to a chemical bath to create “goo”. If you ever made homemade paper, it is a little similar. This pulp is then extruded through small holes to create a long filament. Another name you can find for bamboo processed this way is Viscose.

The way it comes together in Timaru with the Superwash Merino lends itself to a yarn with a great drape. Bamboo gives a cool touch to this yarn, so it makes it very warm weather friendly. It also does not take the dye the same as the wool (a protein fiber, whereas the bamboo is a cellulous fiber), this causes a really beautiful lustrous sheen.

I can easily see this yarn worked up as a shawl, a wrap, a tank top…I even know people that love it as a sock yarn. It has a great amount of versatility without sacrificing its integrity in any project. It might actually be difficult to find a project that this yarn will not shine in.

Waffle Stitch- Crochet For a Difference

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I started sharing Crochet For a Difference to help myself stay in touch with how my craft can benefit my community. For several years of my life I worked public service, I knew every day that I made a difference in someone’s life. Some days it may have been a small difference, other days I knew it was a life changing experience, however when I began my new adventure in crochet designing this is one of the things that has been missing, knowing I made a difference.

Today I share a go-to stitch that I use. Often I use it for garment construction, as it is a nice solid fabric, which does not offer defined straight visual lines or many holes. I have heard it referred to as a Waffle Stitch, so that is how I will refer to it here.

It is a 2 stitch repeat that alternates a between a single crochet and double crochet stitches, with subsequent rows working single crochet stitches in the double crochet stitches, and double crochet stitches working into single crochet stitches. This may sound a little daunting, but it really becomes a simple rhythm.

Waffle Stitch....www.lindadeancrochet.com

Waffle Stitch

Begin by chaining an even number of stitches, then single crochet in the 4th chain from the hook (the chain 3 counts as a double crochet), double crochet in the next stitch, and single crochet in the following stitch; repeat this stitch pattern across. Turn your work and chain 3, working a single crochet in the next stitch (which will be a double crochet), double crochet in the next stitch (which will be a single crochet); repeat the same stitch pattern across.

Essentially in a pattern it would look like this:

Row 1: chain an even number of stitches, sc in 4th ch from hook, [dc in next st, sc in next st] across, turn.

Row 2: Ch 3, sc in next st, [dc in next st, sc in next st] across, turn.

Repeat Row 2 until desired length.

I think this is a great stitch pattern for a donation to your local animal shelter, (find yours here). They often accept donations for small blankets for dogs and cats to use as bedding. This is a great way to practice a new stitch, that the recipients are not going to be overly judgmental about.

Yes, I did get Something Done!

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It is a little crazy how time goes by, and you never really take stock of it. There are many days when I feel that I have not accomplished much, if anything at all. Then there are days when I do a little reflecting and stumble upon, or at least look at the documents I use every day, that provide a listing of the works I have completed.
These listings might be staring me in the face, and I am not really looking at them. I keep a spread sheet of all the contracts I am working on and completed. I began this spread sheet when I sold my first design at the end of 2011, and I have currently filled 129 lines. I then have a listing of my self-published designs (that are not included on my contracted list) that I began in mid-2013, and find I have 29 completed with another 6 in progress.
When I actually think about the fact that I really have been on this adventure as a designer for less than 5 years, and I have completed 158 designs, I will be honest…in my mind it doesn’t sound like enough. For some reason I think that I have to have completed so much more. I still average 2.6 designs a month or .6 designs a week, but my mind wants me to finish more. (If you would like to see a majority of these, check out my Ravelry.com designer page….the number of designs listed is lower, but that gives you an idea of how things are constantly in the process).

 

Clean my desk...www.lindadeancrochet.com

I should give myself credit when I clean my desk. It catches all my ideas in various stages.

The only way I get my mind to find a little balance is to also place in this weekly schedule that I teach 2 days a week, nearly 20 students every week. That takes prep time, which takes knowledge of my skill, which takes time.
I then have to remember that I am mom to two very active kids. Active enough that one has me volunteered to lead a 4H sewing project every week. Both have me playing chauffer in running to various sports and activities (fortunately my husband does more than his fair share of this running around as well). So, I really only get work done when they are in school.
Then I usually overlook the many hours a week I donate to various organizations, mostly supporting crochet. These hours add up faster then I may think in the beginning of saying “yes” when asked to help.
Only when I finally spell it all out, do I feel like I have accomplished something. It may not be as readily tangible as would work for my mind, but this focus helps “rebalance” me in a sense, so thank you for following along my self-talk of taking stock.
Hopefully this taking “taking stock” will inspire the newest rounds of designs…hopefully it will keep me from beating myself up for a bit…I really do get more done then I think.