April 2023

Homemade yarn stitch markers

I've realized that I prefer stitch markers made of yarn over store-bought stitch markers. The markers that I like are small rings of yarn, tied with a knot. If you want to find out why (and how to make them), I've written an article!

Newly-published books

Charlotte Kofoed Westh knows that "many people believe that crochet is impractical for clothing", but hopes her book Nordic Baby Crochet will help to change some minds. She thinks the reason people are put off making clothes is crochet's reputation for being "inelastic and dense".

Charlotte tackles this issue in two ways. Firstly, by using a "rib" stitch pattern for most of the patterns in the book. She says the rib stitch has more elasticity than many other crochet stitches. Secondly, she asks crocheters to make sure they match her row gauge as well as her stitch gauge. After all, if someone crochets with more rows per 10 cm than she does, the resulting fabric will inevitably be more dense. She includes advice to help relax your row gauge if necessary.

The book isn't aimed at complete beginners, but it should appeal to crocheters who don't like sewing up at the end. The patterns are constructed top-down and in the round, resulting in few or no seams to sew. Charlotte further reduces the number of ends that need to be sewn with an interesting hack: whenever she can, she asks you to wind off extra yarn for future sections that will be worked from the same point. For example, say you're starting to crochet at the neckline and a collar is to be added later. You wind off a suitable length of yarn for the collar, leaving it attached, and then start using the rest of the ball to work the neckline. Later you use the yarn that you wound off to work the collar, saving yourself two ends to sew in!

New and discontinued yarns

New

Austermann
Denim Melange – DK – 65% Cotton, 35% Tencel / Lyocell – Chained – Heathered colors
Playa Organic Cotton – Aran – 88% Organic Cotton, 12% Nylon – Single wrapped with thread – Self-striping
Provence Color – Worsted – 72% Cotton, 14% Alpaca, 14% Wool – Fiber-filled net – Speckled colors

Bernat
Plush Big – Jumbo – 100% Polyester – filled_tube – Solid colors

Big Twist Yarns
Fleck – Bulky – 85% Acrylic, 10% Nylon, 5% Linen – Plied – Tweed colors
Vista – Fingering – 56% Cotton, 35% Acrylic, 9% Nylon – Plied – Self-striping marls

Blue Heron
Fine Bamboo/Organic Cotton – Fingering – 51% Organic Cotton, 49% Bamboo Viscose – Plied – Tonal colors, Multicolored

Brooklyn Tweed
Re.Ply Rambouillet – DK – 100% Rambouillet Wool – Crepe – Solid colors

Ella Rae
Pretty In Pima – Aran – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors, Self-striping

Emu
Treasure Little Dots DK – DK – 55% Nylon, 45% Acrylic – Plied – Dotted colors

Garnudsalg
Blackhill Chunky Élevé Upcycled – Heavy Worsted – 100% Wool – Plied – Solid colors, Heathered colors

Gründl
Funny Dots (Jumbo) – Jumbo – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Dappled colors
Norwegia – Worsted – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping (fair-isle effect)

Hobbii
Honey Bunny Big – Jumbo – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Solid colors
Honey Bunny Shine – Super Bulky – 99% Polyester, 1% Metallic – Chenille – Solid color with metallic

Isager Strik
Eco Melange – Sport – 80% Baby Alpaca, 20% Merino Wool – Single wrapped with thread – Undyed marls

James C. Brett
Partytime Stripes DK – DK – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Self-striping

Jody Long
Lino Moda – Worsted – 50% Cotton, 50% Linen – Plied – Marled colors

Juniper Moon Farm
Cirrus – DK – 100% Cotton – Fleecy chain – Solid colors, Self-striping, Self-striping (fair-isle effect)

K+C
Hand-Dyed Cotton – Fingering – 100% Cotton – Plied – Multicolored, Tonal colors, Speckled colors
Hand-Dyed Cotton and Lurex – Fingering – 94% Cotton, 6% Metallic – Plied – Multicolored, Tonal colors
Hand-Dyed Wool Fingering – Fingering – 75% Merino Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon – Plied – Tonal colors, Multicolored

Katia
Concept Andina Cotton – Worsted – 73% Organic Cotton, 18% Superfine Alpaca, 9% Nylon – Chained – Semi-solid colors
Concept Summer Tweed Degrade – Worsted – 80% Cotton, 18% Hemp, 2% Polyester – Slubby tweed – Self-striping (gradient transition)

Laines du Nord
Cotton Silk Tweed – Fingering – 90% Cotton, 10% Silk – Tweedy – Tweed colors

Lamana
Como Grande Tweed – Heavy Worsted – 100% Merino Superwash Wool – Tweedy – Tweed colors

Lana Grossa
Bella – Sport – 35% Cotton, 30% Nylon, 25% Baby Alpaca, 10% Merino Wool – Brushed bouclé – Semi-solid colors
Cotton Light – Worsted – 50% Acrylic, 50% Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors
Diversa – Sport – 74% Cotton, 26% Viscose – S on S plied – Semi-solid colors, Heathered colors
Dodici – Aran – 65% Cotton, 25% Viscose, 10% Linen – S on S plied – Solid colors
Fantasia – Aran – 50% Cotton, 24% Viscose, 16% Alpaca, 10% Merino Wool – Fuzzy chain – Semi-solid colors
Gomitolo Collina – Sport – 72% Cotton, 28% Viscose – Slubby tweed – Self-striping
Gomitolo Lino – Sport – 60% Cotton, 28% Viscose, 12% Linen – Plied – Self-striping
Landlust Baumwolle – DK – 100% Organic Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors
Linea Pura Cotton Wool – Sport – 53% Superwash Wool, 47% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors
Linea Pura Nastrino – Sport – 100% Cotton – Tape – Solid colors
Meilenweit 100 Cotone Vegano – Fingering – 76% Cotton, 14% Nylon, 10% Elastic – S on S plied – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors, Self-striping
The Core – Super Bulky – 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester – Fiber core wrapped – Solid colors
The Paper – Super Bulky – 70% Polyester, 30% Viscose – Tape – Solid colors
The Tube Fine – Heavy Worsted – 75% Cotton, 25% Nylon – filled_tube – Solid colors

Lion Brand
Basic Stitch Anti-Microbial – Aran – 65% Polyester, 35% Amicor – Plied – Solid colors, Heathered colord
Basic Stitch Anti-Microbial Thick & Quick – Super Bulky – 65% Polyester, 35% Amicor – Plied – Solid colors, Heathered colors

Mirasol Yarn
Nieva – Sport – 40% Cotton, 30% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool – Plied – SEmi-solid colors

Moda Vera
Splendid 8-ply – DK – 70% Acrylic, 30% Modal Rayon – S on S plied – Solid colors

Paintbox Yarns
Cotton Mix DK – DK – 50% Acrylic, 50% Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors
Recycled Crafty Pots – Bulky – 60% Cotton, 40% Polyester – Chained – Self-striping (long)

Patons (North America)
Linen – Sport – 65% Cotton, 35% Linen – Plied – Solid colors

Premier Yarns
Cotton Sprout Worsted – Heavy Worsted – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors, Self-striping
Minikins – DK – 50% Acrylic, 50% Cotton – S on S plied – Solid colors

Queensland Collection
Myrtle – Aran – 100% Tencel / Lyocell – Plied – Solid colors

Rico Design
Baby Organic Cotton – Sport – 100% Organic Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Rowan
Four Seasons – Heavy Worsted – 60% Cotton, 40% Microfiber – S on S plied – Solid colors

Schachenmayr Original
Duo Multicolore – DK – 70% Viscose, 30% Cotton – Chained – Dashed colors

Schoeller + Stahl
Bambou Cotton – Sport – 40% Bamboo Viscose, 30% Acrylic, 30% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors, Semi-solid colors

Schulana
Espresso – Worsted – 54% Organic Cotton, 32% Hemp, 14% Tencel / Lyocell – Loosely plied – Solid colors
Reco – DK – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Sesia
Iride – Fingering – 100% Organic Cotton – Plied – Self-striping (long)

Spincycle Yarns
Plump – Bulky – 100% Superwash Wool – 2 ply – Self-striping marls

Tahki Yarns
Osprey – DK – 87% Cotton, 13% Nylon – Single wrapped with thread – Dappled colors

We Are Knitters
Sparkling Cotton – Worsted – 88% Cotton, 12% Metallic – Chained – Solid colors with metallic
The Egyptian Cotton – Aran – 100% Cotton – Plied – Solid colors

Discontinued

Bernat
Velvet Twist – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Chenille – Marled colors

Cascade Yarns
Swaddle – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Single wrapped with thread – Solid colors, Multicolored, Self-striping

Debbie Bliss
Roma – Super Bulky – 70% Wool, 30% Alpaca – Plied – Solid colors, Heathers
Sita – Worsted – 45% Silk, 40% Cotton, 15% Nylon – Crepe – Solid colors

Hand Maiden Fine Yarn
Cashmere 4-ply – DK – 100% Cashmere – Plied with a soft haze – Solid colors, Tonal colors, Multicolored

Ice Yarns
Mendoza – Bulky – 100% Acrylic – Plied – Solid colors, Marled colors

Lion Brand
Nuboo – Worsted – 100% Tencel / Lyocell – S on S plied – Solid colors

Loops & Threads
Cozy Sherpa – Super Bulky – 100% Polyester – Fleece style – Solid colors

Mary Maxim
Comfortspun – Bulky – 98% Acrylic, 2% Polyester – Bouclé – Multicolored

Phildar
Phil Partner Baby – Light Fingering – 50% Nylon, 25% Acrylic, 25% Superwash Wool – Plied – Solid colors, Heathers

Red Heart
With Love Metallic – Heavy Worsted – 98% Acrylic, 2% Metallic – Plied – Solid colors with metallic thread, Multicolored with metallic thread

Sandnes Garn
3-Tråds Tykk Ull – Heavy Worsted – 100% Wool – S on S plied – Solid colors
Silk Mohair – Lace – 60% Mohair, 25% Silk, 15% Wool – Brushed bouclé
Strømpegarn (Alpaca and Merino Sock Yarn) – DK – 40% Alpaca, 40% Merino Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon – Plied – Solid colors

Stacy Charles Fine Yarns
Luna – Lace – 71% Mohair, 20% Silk, 9% Metallic – Brushed bouclé – Solid colors with metallic
Luna Effects – Lace – 70% Kid Mohair, 30% Silk – Brushed bouclé – Self-striping (gradient transition)
Stella – Worsted – 74% Silk, 26% Metallic – Chained – Solid colors with metallic

String Yarns
CashSeta – Aran – 50% Cashmere, 50% Silk – Chained – Solid colors, Heathers

Stylecraft
Amor Aran – Aran – 60% Acrylic, 40% Superwash Wool – 2 ply – Self-striping marls
Regatta DK – DK – 74% Cotton, 18% Nylon, 8% Elastic – S on S plied – Self-striping
Swift Knit – Super Bulky – 80% Acrylic, 20% Superwash Wool – 2 ply – Multicolored marls
You & Me DK – DK – 80% Acrylic, 20% Nylon – Plied – Self-striping (fair-isle effect)

Tahki Yarns
Alden – Worsted – 50% Merino Wool, 25% Acrylic, 25% Superfine Alpaca – Single ply – Solid colors
Aston – Bulky – 50% Merino Wool, 24% Acrylic, 24% Alpaca, 2% Nylon – Chained – Heathered colors
Baja – Worsted – 100% Cotton – Slubby tweed – Marled
Catalina – Heavy Worsted – 100% Mercerized Cotton – Tape – Solid colors
Cotton Ball – Aran – 100% Organic Cotton – Chained – Solid colors
Dakota – Aran – 100% Wool – Slubby single wrapped with thread – Undyed
Nevada – Jumbo – 70% Wool, 30% Alpaca – Plied – Undyed
Skinny Jeans – Aran – 70% Cotton, 30% Nylon – Ribbon – Semi-solid colors
Vermont – Heavy Worsted – 50% Alpaca, 50% Merino Wool – S on S plied – Marled

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 Instagram.

See you in May!

Wendy

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