KNIT HACK: Project Searches
Sometimes a great way to browse for potential projects on Ravelry is to do it through actual projects. The main advanced pattern search on Ravelry is great, but it normally shows patterns based on their popularity, and because of that it often feels very redundant, and I don’t get to see project ideas that are not the most popular. One alternative way to browse for inspiration is to search PROJECTS, rather than patterns.
- I go to the ADVANCED PATTERN SEARCH
- Then I click on the PROJECTS tab in the top left. This will show all the projects people have added to Ravelry.
- You can change the order they are displayed based on various factors by clicking on the drop-down menu that is just to the right of the “search” box.
- So far, you still have a lot of stuff to look at. The big column of menu items on the left side of the screen will let you limit the search parameters. For example, you might want only crochet projects, or a certain weight or yarn, or a specific type of project (like a shawl, or a sweater). Today, I am searching for a specific yarn, so I went to the bottom and chose YARN NAME and put in “Rowan Denim”.
- I found a skirt that looked really interesting. To see more skirts made with this yarn, I put “skirt” into the search box and it pulled up all kinds of skirt projects made with Rowan Denim.
Simple Straight Skirt
In my search today, I found something really cool, a simple straight skirt made with Rowan Original Denim – a great little summer knit that you can wear all year. Plus, the denim yarn is pretty sturdy so it will stand up much better than a regular cotton or a wool. Plus, Rowan Denim is ON SALE NOW!
Materials (for a 19″ skirt)
- Rowan Original Denim: 6(7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10)
- 4mm/US6 needles (straight or circular)
- TWO 3.5mm-24″ circular needles
- Size I (5.5mm) crochet hook, for provisional cast-on.
- ¾”/2cm non-roll elastic (waist measurement plus 2″/5cm).
- Needle and thread (for the elastic)
- Optional: Blocking materials.
- Pattern Download
Size
Finished hip sizes (actual skirt hip measurement after seaming): 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52)inches or 81 (86, 91, 97, 102, 107, 112, 117, 122, 127, 132)cm.
DENIM HACKS
Denim yarn is a lot like the denim your jeans are made of, and it is dyed with the same type of dye, indigo. All the things that happen with your jeans also affect denim yarn. You should definitely not avoid using denim, and knowing a few hacks in advance will make the experience fun.
1. Shrinkage
Denim shrinks in length (like jeans), so I suggest you make your project a little longer than you normally would, maybe buy an extra ball. If you are using a pattern written by Rowan for their denim yarn, all of this will already have been taken into account, so you don’t have to worry about this.
2. Dye
Due to the nature of the indigo dye, it bleeds. The two darker colours come off on your hands quite a bit, and I’ll admit that that is a constraint unless you live in a world where everything you own is a dark colour. The lightest colour isn’t as bad, the colour transfers a little bit but not a ton.
- I skein up the yarn and secure it in at least 4 points. If you’re making something big you can join the skeins and made a super-skein to save time down the road.
- I fill a basin with cold water and white vinegar (maybe a cup? I just splash a bunch in). I use the Allen’s Cleaning Vinegar, it is double strength and seems to stabilize dye better than regular white vinegar.
- I leave the yarn in the solution for at least 15 minutes – I like to give it a good soak for good measure.
- I hang the yarn to dry.
- With the two darker colours I will wash the yarn a second time in a fresh vinegar bath, to set any residual dye.
It’s a little bit of work, but in the summer it’s fun to do some experimentation and light chemistry experimentation. I do it in my bathroom and the indigo has never stained my white ceramic. It’s also a fun thing to do on the deck or balcony.
Other Denim Hacks & Lore
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