ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

A while back I posted a photograph of my yarn on Facebook for a bit of fun. The yarn was sitting in readiness in front of my knitting chair – waiting for me to begin creating a vest for myself from it. It is a rare thing that I plan create something for myself. The photograph received a few comments which really surprised me. I will add photographs there more often, but seeing is this was a yarnie photograph and not everyone uses facebook – maybe you would like to see it as well.

‎ And then of course there is the vest that I have begun. I did take it with me on our little jaunt to the UK, but didn’t manage too much knitting whilst away.

Now I look at the two photographs it is hard to see that the vest is from the same group of yarns – I can assure you it is. The vest in progress is resting on the yarns and the photograph is taken from my knitting chair.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss

A while back I told you about my Moda Vera Tracey yarn joined by a unique knotting process and I did say I would post photos – and here they are.

I purchased the yarn thinking it was quite interesting looking, and it is – every change in the yarn is created by knotting two different lengths of different types of yarn together. It would be perfect to knit a funky scarf or shawl and I am sure that is what was intended. I guess I didn’t look close enough at the different yarns within, and I did not consider what it would be like when I started to knit with it.

Can they automate knotting of yarns together do you think? Or did some poor person sit and cut and knot and cut and knot and cut and knot.

Not for me.

What do you know about Mohair?
What do I know about Mohair?
What is the trend with Mohair?

A little about Mohair

Mohair is from the very silky hair of an Angora goat, and is one of the oldest textile fibres in the world. The Angora goat is native to Turkey and they are now farmed all around the world, including of course in New Zealand where I have lived most of my life.

The goats look cute and odd because they are covered in a coat of shaggy, slightly curly hair which is shorn to make make the mohair yarn.

It is an incredibly light yarn, with great insulating properties and is renowned for its softness, sheen and lustre, and takes up dye easily and it maintains its colour well over the life of the piece. The mohair yarn can be thick or thin or it can be spun with an uneven texture creating a chunky or slubby yarn.

It is also a smooth fibre, and a good shake will dislodge stuff from it. If it needs the odd wash, it should be hand washed with a wool wash or fabric softener followed by a clean water rinse, roll in towels to remove excess moisture, or spin dry maybe – I have never done that. Lie the garment flat to dry, in the shade. Do not tumble dry. Can be drycleaned – check your yarn label for information.

Do not hang your mohair garments to store them – make certain they are dry and store them flat.

So all in all the news is that it is a great fibre. Easy to create with, and easy to care for.

Capes and cloaks in mohair are in for 2010 – they are the big in the fashion trends worldwide. I make gorgeous capes and cloaks and they are sexy, gorgeous pieces an essential item to add to your wardrobe for 2010. Capes and Cloaks created in mohair are also light and easy to wear, and so so warm.

Here in the Netherlands I do not have my Toastmaster folder so some of the details are hazy – except for that pertaining to yarn and fibres. So I shall stick to the yarn (story).

Sometime in the very late 1990″s I had an opportunity to be a member of a local toastmasters club and what does a fibre crazy individual speak to a group of toastmasters about? I decided to yarn about yarn of course. This was a prepared speech and if I remember it was to be 30 minutes long. Now it might simply I remember it being very long and it may not have been.

I sorted through my stash and found yarns of different plys, different content – 100% wool, faux fur, other crazy fibres, mohair, alpaca, cotton, ribbon and everything else I could find. The yarns were all purples or shades of purple.

I brought my large bag of yarns to the front of the group. They were all sitting in a horseshoe arrangement of desks and chairs – so everyone could see me and I hoped they would also listen. They could also see each other and their reactions to my yarns and my yarn.

I was absolutely terrified to speak in front of a group of people where no one had previously admitted to any type of yarn interest (no knitters, no textile artists, no crocheters, no embroiderers, no weavers – no one passionate about yarn or fibres). These were men and women from all walks of life including managers, business people, software developers etc.

So there I was alone at the front and I had to excite these people about fibres. I passed the yarns around as I spoke about each one and these non fibre enthusiasts were asked to participate by touching, smelling, stroking, resting it on their cheeks, comparing the shades and so on. Some looked a little stunned, but they are all toastmasters and they are open to anything. They did touch, stroke, feel it against their skin, smell the yarns and laughed a lot.

I guess now that speaking to a group like this will never be scary again as the yarn story went quite well. They all learned a lot about me, and I learned just how easy it is if you are passionate to take people along with you.

I do not remember the score or mark I received. I do remember some of the faces and their reactions and then their enthusiasm.