Scarf Style/Wrap Style Knit-Along

The inspirations for this knit-along are the Scarf Style and Wrap Style books (from Interweave Press); should you wish to share your creations from the book, this is a wonderful place to do it. Also welcome are helpful tips, corrections, ideas for variations, and suggestions for materials. This knit-along will last indefinitely, so join any time!

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Vintage Velvet Substitutes

To all the experienced knitters out there:

I would like to make the Vintage Velvet scarf, but it calls for five balls of Muench Yarns Touch Me. At about $11-$15 a skein, that's a very expensive scarf! Does anyone have suggestions for replacement yarns?

Also, does anyone have a good suggestion for a beginner scarf, other than the Vintage Velvet? (This would be my backup, in case I can't find a cheap replacement for the yarn.)

Thanks so much!
Molly

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posted by Molly @ 1:50 AM  

2 Comments:

  • At 4:09 PM, Blogger Kiri said…

    Hi! I'm a knitter/weaver and I use chenille alot. I frequently need thousands of yds for projects on the loom, so I buy chenille by the lb on cones (much cheaper that way). If you're not looking to stockpile like that, try this site http://www.numei.com/BulkyChenille.htm
    This is the same gauge yarn as is used in the book. Just check the fiber content before you order. And its only $2-4/ball for about a 75 yd ball.

    Basically, you're looking for a chunky/bulky rayon chenille. Rayon is what makes the yarn smooth, shiny and velvety. So make sure you're picking a chenille with rayon. You also generally want to knit the chenille with needles 2-3 sizes smaller than the yarn company recommends using. For example, Muench suggests using size 11 needles for Touch Me, but the pattern calls for size 8 needles. Here's why: chenille has a tendency to "worm" (wiggle its way out of stitches/weaving patterns) if it's not worked tightly. Trust me, it looks icky and breaks when this happens, ruining your work :(

    Good luck and I hope this helps. You'll love the Vintage Velvet when you're done - it'll be SOOO soft and snuggly. :)

    ---Kirsten

     

  • At 4:21 PM, Blogger Kiri said…

    This place has more colors!
    http://www.yarn.com/yarns-knitting/heavyrayon.html
    You'll need just under a lb. of this, so at $14 for a 2 lb cone, you can make more than one. This will probably require a smaller needle than the site suggests, but you can always test a small swatch with bigger and smaller needles, handwash it, then see which one's tight enough to use.

     

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