Bernat Recalls Tizzy Yarn

I saw a post from Vickie Howell about Bernat’s voluntary recall of its Tizzy yarn.

The yarn, which is a polyester novelty yarn that has twists of fiber protruding from the core, is being pulled over worries that garments made out of it can come unraveled when snagged.

The company said:

All knitted or crocheted garments or blankets can come unraveled or pulled apart if they are “snagged”. The potential for these snags can vary depending on the tension of the stitch or the construction of the yarn.

We believe that the risk of snags with Tizzy may be higher than normal. In finished knit or crochet items, the yarn can unravel or snag and form a loop, posing an entanglement hazard to young children. Since this yarn is marketed towards babies we have decided to voluntarily recall this product from the marketplace and discontinue its sale.
Since all yarn is prone to a certain level of risk in this regard, this was a very difficult decision. However, the safety of children is our first concern. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this Voluntary Recall may cause you.

If you have the yarn and are interested in obtaining a refund, visit the company’s recall page. I think this is a great proactive (though I hate that word) step and am glad to see it.

[Photo via Bernat.]

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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