Subscriber Exclusive
How to Knit with Art Yarn
Learn how to incorporate your handspun art yarns into your knitting with these expert tips—plus knit a darling purse!
This month’s Subscriber Bonus features tips from renowned fiber arts maven Esther Rodgers on how to use textured yarn in your knitting. Plus, current Spin Off magazine subscribers can log in to access the downloadable pattern PDF for the “Locked Up Bag” by Kathy Augustine using the link at the bottom of this post or find it in the Spin Off library here. Not a magazine subscriber? Learn more about all the perks.
Have you ever seen (or spun) those amazing textured skeins of creative art yarn, the ones that you just love to fondle? Most spinners’ first question is usually, “How can I make that?” The second is always, “What would I do with it?” They’re often put up in skeins of small yardage, and they can be very bulky in nature. It’s tempting to just put them in a bowl and pet them when you are having a bad day, but they can be useful as yarn. So how can you actually incorporate them in your knitting projects?
Loosen Up and Keep It Simple
The easiest way to use textured yarn in knitting is by using large needles and simple stitches.
When you use needles that are the “correct” size (the one most commonly associated with the diameter of the yarn), you often lose the amazing texture that piqued your interest in the first place. By using larger needles, you allow the yarn room to show off everything it has going on while also creating a lacy look without fancy lace stitches. You’ll also use less yarn when knitting with large needles, so this will help your smaller skeins go farther.
Simple stitches are extra important when working with textured yarns. When you use intricate stitch patterns with textured yarn, it becomes too much to look at, and you lose both the pattern and the character of the yarn. It’s best to let the yarn do the talking and keep the stitches simple.
This bag is a great example of using simple stitches to help art yarn shine and you can check out the pattern in the Spin Off library.
Drop It!
One of my most favorite ways of using textured yarn, especially yarn that has special textures or add-ins, is to include long stitches such as dropped stitches and twisted dropped stitches. These long stitches give space for the yarn’s texture to shine, obscuring nothing. I like to create even more interest by alternating the length of the dropped stitches, making some rows higher than others. Long stitches also address the problem of small skeins because they are great for adding length without using up yardage.
Dropped stitches allow the long, luxurious locks and fun, glitzy wraps in this yarn to stand out (left). A very thin commercial bouclé yarn contrasts but doesn’t compete with the curly lockspun art yarn (right).
Mix It Up, Stretch It Out
Another way to use textured yarn in your knitting is to mix it with commercial yarns. This is a great way to incorporate smaller skeins of yarn and make them go farther. You can match the weight of the commercial yarn to your handspun,
This month’s Subscriber Bonus features tips from renowned fiber arts maven Esther Rodgers on how to use textured yarn in your knitting. Plus, current Spin Off magazine subscribers can log in to access the downloadable pattern PDF for the “Locked Up Bag” by Kathy Augustine using the link at the bottom of this post or find it in the Spin Off library here. Not a magazine subscriber? Learn more about all the perks.
Have you ever seen (or spun) those amazing textured skeins of creative art yarn, the ones that you just love to fondle? Most spinners’ first question is usually, “How can I make that?” The second is always, “What would I do with it?” They’re often put up in skeins of small yardage, and they can be very bulky in nature. It’s tempting to just put them in a bowl and pet them when you are having a bad day, but they can be useful as yarn. So how can you actually incorporate them in your knitting projects?
Loosen Up and Keep It Simple
The easiest way to use textured yarn in knitting is by using large needles and simple stitches.
When you use needles that are the “correct” size (the one most commonly associated with the diameter of the yarn), you often lose the amazing texture that piqued your interest in the first place. By using larger needles, you allow the yarn room to show off everything it has going on while also creating a lacy look without fancy lace stitches. You’ll also use less yarn when knitting with large needles, so this will help your smaller skeins go farther.
Simple stitches are extra important when working with textured yarns. When you use intricate stitch patterns with textured yarn, it becomes too much to look at, and you lose both the pattern and the character of the yarn. It’s best to let the yarn do the talking and keep the stitches simple.
This bag is a great example of using simple stitches to help art yarn shine and you can check out the pattern in the Spin Off library.
Drop It!
One of my most favorite ways of using textured yarn, especially yarn that has special textures or add-ins, is to include long stitches such as dropped stitches and twisted dropped stitches. These long stitches give space for the yarn’s texture to shine, obscuring nothing. I like to create even more interest by alternating the length of the dropped stitches, making some rows higher than others. Long stitches also address the problem of small skeins because they are great for adding length without using up yardage.
Dropped stitches allow the long, luxurious locks and fun, glitzy wraps in this yarn to stand out (left). A very thin commercial bouclé yarn contrasts but doesn’t compete with the curly lockspun art yarn (right).
Mix It Up, Stretch It Out
Another way to use textured yarn in your knitting is to mix it with commercial yarns. This is a great way to incorporate smaller skeins of yarn and make them go farther. You can match the weight of the commercial yarn to your handspun, [PAYWALL]or you can mix the yarn weights for a different look. If you pair a commercial yarn with a similar weight handspun, increase your needle size just a bit to let the yarn breathe.
I love to mix weights, usually a very thin commercial yarn with a bulky textured art yarn. The combination creates the illusion that the bulky yarn is floating and allows the texture to fully shine. You can alternate rows—work a few rows of commercial and then one row of handspun—or mix it up altogether and proceed without a pattern. The key is to carry your handspun up the side, rather than cutting it as you go.
When working with textured handspun, I make sure to use it for the cast-on and bind-off to keep the final piece stable and strong, with a little extra weight on each end. Use large needles here, too, so that the knitting is lacy and the art yarn is the main feature. I usually keep my stitches simple here, though I have seen amazing use of a feather and-fan stitch pattern that alternated thin commercial yarn with rows of textured handspun.
The diameter of the yarn would suggest knitting garter stitch with a size 17 (12.75 mm) needle, but the beauty of the yarn is partly hidden in the dense fabric (left). Using a size 50 (25 mm) needle lets the yarn show its character, conserves yardage, and improves drape (right). In both swatches, the stitch pattern is completely overshadowed by the yarn.
Fit and Trim
A great way to add pop to the edges of knitting projects is to use textured yarn as trim for otherwise plain knitting. These techniques are especially great for curly tailspun yarns. The easiest way is just to bind off using textured yarn rather than the main yarn. If the textured yarn is bulkier than the main yarn, you can bind off with two main stitches to every textured stitch while also increasing the bind-off needle size. This will keep your bind-off loose enough to block.
Another way to trim your knitting with textured yarn is to carry it up the side of the knitting as you knit your stitches. This technique is great if you only have a little bit of yarn. It also allows you to add art yarn to any part of your project, not just the end or beginning. Simply hold the textured yarn and catch it with the main yarn, locking it in.
Curly tailspun yarn makes a great trim as a crocheted edging (left) or a bind-off (right).
Finally, you can break out a hook and crochet the textured yarn onto the edge of your knitting. To keep the stitches open and keep from distorting the fabric, increase the hook size and crochet into every two or three stitches, depending on the bulk of the textured yarn.
There are other creative ways to add textured yarn into knitting, such as weaving it through yarnovers or through a dropped stitch that you allow to run to the bottom. It just takes some creative thinking and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to mix and match these techniques along with your skeins. Throw in some commercial yarn and break out the big needles. You’ll be diving into those textured yarns, creating a one-of-a-kind piece in no time.
Log in below to get your Locked Up Bag pattern to knit.
Locked Up Bag PDF Download
Click here to get the PDF download of the Locked Up Bag Pattern.
Enjoy even more lessons from Esther:
Esther Rodgers is an internationally known fiber arts teacher who travels the world teaching creative spinning, expressive weaving, color blending, and more. Find her at JazzTurtle.com.
