December 2019

Center-pull balls

Ideally, I'd never have to stop knitting to pull more yarn from the ball, but since no-one is offering to do it for me, I usually work from center-pull balls. They let the yarn come out easily and don't bounce around when you pull.

If you want to know how to make yourself a center-pull ball, I've written a tutorial that also explains what to do if you bring out half the contents of the ball while trying to locate the end buried in the middle.

The tutorial has a Harry Potter-esque twist—if you touch the pictures they come to life. (At least, they should do, on modern browsers.) Let me know if you think it's helpful or if you find it distracting. (You can reply to this mail.)

Newly-published books

Do you roll your eyes when you see a picture of "crochet" that you know is knitting? Be prepared to check twice from now on, if the designs in Modern Crochet are anything to go by—some of them look a lot like knitting.

Japanese Wonder Crochet confirms for me that crochet has progressed a long way beyond my current skill set (i.e. granny squares). Nihon Vogue gives instructions for making a swatch in some very cool stitch patterns with an equally impressive design for each one.

The patterns in Plus Size Knits are designed for sizes from US 10 to 28 (UK/AUS sizes 14 to 32) and there are at least five patterns in it that give me that hearts-for-eyes emoji feeling. Gorgeous.

New and discontinued yarns

New

Bernat
Tweedie – Super Bulky – 83% Acrylic, 17% Cotton – Bouclé – Semi-solid colors, Tonal colors
Wavelength – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – 2 ply – Self-striping (gradient marl)

Cloudborn Fibers
Alpaca Blend – DK – 70% Alpaca, 30% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors, Heathers
Alpaca Boucle Sport – Sport – 89% Alpaca, 11% Nylon – Bouclé – Solid colors
Brushed Alpaca Sport – Sport – 89% Superfine Alpaca, 11% Nylon – Fuzzy – Solid colors, Undyed
Wool Bulky – Bulky – 100% Wool – 2 ply – Solid colors
Wool Tweed Worsted – Aran – 65% Highland Wool, 20% Tencel / Lyocell, 15% Viscose – Tweedy – Tweed colors

Cygnet
Boho Chunky – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – 2 ply – Self-striping (gradient marl)
Woolly Aran – Aran – 75% Acrylic, 25% Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors

Ella Rae
Huenique Sport – Sport – 50% Acrylic, 50% Superwash Wool – Single ply – Self-striping (gradient change)
Sequinicity – Sport – 100% Polyester – Sequinned – Solid colors with sequins

Elsebeth Lavold
Silky Wool Aran – Aran – 45% Wool, 35% Silk, 20% Nylon – Tweedy – Solid colors, Tweed colors

Fonty
Nimbus – Sport – 100% Merino Wool – Plied – Heathered colors

Hudson and West Co
Forge – Worsted – 70% Merino Wool, 30% Corriedale Wool – Plied – Solid colors, Heathers
Weld – Fingering – 70% Merino Wool, 30% Corriedale Wool – Plied – Solid colors, Heathers

Katia
Big Paint – Super Bulky – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – Single ply – Self-striping
Concept Setakid Moda – Super Bulky – 35% Silk, 35% Superkid Mohair, 27% Wool, 3% Viscose – Fuzzy – Gradient
Concept Ultrasoft – Sport – 100% Organic Cotton – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors
Concept Veganette – Worsted – 90% Cotton, 10% Nylon – Chained – Multicolored

Knit Picks / We Crochet
Muse Fingering – Fingering – 75% Merino Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Tonal colors, Multicolored, Speckled

Lana Grossa
Brigitte No. 3 – DK – 40% Mohair, 37% Wool, 23% Nylon – Brushed bouclé – Solid colors
Hope – Super Bulky – 52% Baby Alpaca, 18% Cashmere, 18% Merino Wool, 12% Nylon – Fiber-filled net – Solid colors

Lion Brand
That 70's Yarn – Jumbo – 90% Acrylic, 10% Polyester – Faux fur – Multicolored

Loops & Threads
Braid Big! – Jumbo – 86% Acrylic, 14% Polyester – Chained – Self-striping (gradient transition)
Colors – Worsted – 100% Acrylic – Single ply – Self-striping (gradient transition)

Paintbox Yarns
Recycled T-Shirt – Super Bulky – 90% Cotton, 10% Synthetic – Tape – Solid colors

Patons (North America)
Lincoln Fog – Bulky – 75% Acrylic, 25% Lincoln Longwool Wool – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors

Premier Yarns
Spirit Stripes – Aran – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping

Rico Design
Essentials Super Chunky – Bulky – 50% Acrylic, 50% Wool – Single ply – Solid colors

Robin
Plush DK – DK – 100% Polyester – Fleece style – Solid colors

Trendsetter Yarns
Basis – Sport – 75% Cotton, 16% Alpaca, 9% Cashmere – Plied with a soft haze – Self-striping (gradient transition)
Merengue – DK – 50% Cotton, 50% Soy Viscose – S on S plied – Self-striping
Pure Love – Heavy Worsted – 80% Merino Wool, 20% Silk – Tweedy – Tweed colors

Universal Yarn
Colorburst – Sport – 65% Superwash Wool, 35% Acrylic – Single ply – Self-striping (gradient transition)

Discontinued

Big Twist Yarns
Gradients – Aran – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Gradient set

Cascade Yarns
Alpaca Lana D'Oro – Aran – 50% Alpaca, 50% Wool – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors, Heathers, Marls

Claudia Hand Painted Yarns
Addiction – Fingering – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – 2 ply – Solid colors, Tonal colors, Multicolored

Ella Rae
Lace Merino DK – DK – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Tightly plied – Solid colors, Multicolored, Tonals
Rustic Lace Quad – Light Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Silk – Tweedy – Self-striping (long)

Juniper Moon Farm
Dromedary – DK – 70% Merino Wool, 30% Camel – Crepe – Solid colors
Sabine – Worsted – 40% Cotton, 30% Llama, 30% Merino Wool – Tweedy – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors

Järbo Garn
Grand Elise – Bulky – 60% Cotton, 40% Acrylic – Loosely plied – Self-striping
Split – Super Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors

Lana Grossa
Cloud – Super Bulky – 80% Baby Alpaca, 14% Wool, 6% Nylon – Fuzzy – Solid colors
Cometa – Bulky – 34% Alpaca, 33% Nylon, 22% Viscose, 6% Wool, 5% Metallic – Fiber-filled net – Semi-solid colors with metallic slubs
Garzato Fleece – Heavy Worsted – 70% Alpaca, 30% Nylon – Fuzzy – Heathered colors
Insieme – Super Bulky – 50% Merino Wool, 20% Baby Alpaca, 20% Mohair, 10% Nylon – Chained – Semi-solid colors
Super Color – Bulky – 64% Wool, 30% Alpaca, 6% Nylon – Chained – Self-striping (gradient transition)

Lang Yarns
Origami – Aran – 100% Cotton – Tape – Solid colors

Lion Brand
LB Collection Crepe Twist – Worsted – 88% Wool, 12% Nylon – Crepe – Solid colors
LB Collection Silk – Sport – 100% Silk – Plied – Solid colors, Tonal colors, Multicolored

Noro
Kotori – Aran – 75% Wool, 10% Cotton, 8% Viscose, 7% Silk – Tweedy – Self-striping (nubby)

Patons (North America)
Classic Wool Tweeds – Worsted – 90% Wool, 7% Acrylic, 3% Rayon – Tweedy

Regia
3-ply – Light Fingering – 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Heathered colors
6-ply Active – DK – 40% Outlast, 40% Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors, Multicolored
6-ply Tweed – DK – 70% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon, 5% Rayon – Tweedy – Tweed colors

Shibui Knits
Birch – Fingering – 100% Merino Wool – Single ply – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors

Merry Christmas one and all (did you see the Christmas bonus at the end of the center-pull balls tutorial?!)

If you'd like to get in touch, please send a mail to hello@yarnsub.com (you can simply reply to this mail) or find me on Ravelry, Instagram and Facebook.

See you in January!

Wendy

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