Help a Really Cool Yarn Company Make More Yarn

It always amazes me the innovation that is still happening in knitting. From different ways to cast on and bind off to new techniques and new materials to knit with, this is definitely a good time to be a knitter.

One really cool yarn that’s come out very recently is LanaMudi Yarns’ SilverSpun, distributed by Feel Good Yarn Company. As the name implies, this is a yarn that’s spun with a silver filament (along with cotton and Lycra).

Why would you want to knit with such a thing? Well, silver is very conductive, so it makes cotton yarn feel warmer than it normally would. It also makes it possible for you to work electronic devices with touch screens while still keeping your gloves on.

Silver is also touted for anti-microbial and pain-relief properties, so your socks may end up less stinky and your wrists may feel less pain from marathon knitting sessions if they’re wrapped in silvery mitts.

I don’t know about all that, but it’s still a soft, pretty yarn that’s fun to work with and certainly a conversation starter.

The yarn came out in April and is sold out, but the company is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a new batch. Silver, as you can imagine, is pretty expensive, and they have to buy a large quantity to make it more cost effective. Anyone who pledges $75 or more will get a skein of the good stuff to play with, and there are lots of other great incentives, too.

Would you knit with silver yarn? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[Photo via Feel Good Yarn Co.]

100 % cotton yarn

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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