I’ve been asked to provide some cost-conscious yarn substitution options for the projects in Knits That Breathe, and am glad to do so with this caveat: whenever substituting different yarns for those used in a book’s samples, be sure to make a generous swatch, block the swatch, then – and only then – verify your gauge.

An 8″ x 8″ swatch would not be out of line in this situation, because you want to be absolutely certain that the yarn will behave and perform similarly, if not exactly, like the yarn used in the original sample.

Ok, now I’ll take off my schoolmarm hat 😉 and make the following suggestions (and please understand that I have not necessarily worked with these yarns – the suggestions are based on my research about their appearance, gauge, fiber content, and the success of similar projects):

Elann Lara is a 5-ply, 100% combed mercerized cotton (sport weight); 138 yds./skein @ $2.98. I’d try this as a substitute yarn in Still Waters, Sirena, or Pochette. Elann has a Bag Blowout sale on this yarn right now, @ $22.00/bag.

Elann Lustrado is a 4-ply, 100% mercerized gassed cotton (fingering wt.); 185 yds./skein @$3.48. Try this option for Flutterbye (for a less sheer version because of the slightly heavier weight), Still Waters, Sirena, Sail Away Shrug, Zephyr, or Iced Frappuccino.

Elann Sonata Soft is an 8-ply, 100% mercerized cotton (DK wt.); 115 yds./skein @ $2.98. Try this for the Pacific Coast tunic, Splash cardigan, Sail Away shrug, Breezy tunic, Haven.

Elann Ornaghi Filati United is 55% Bamboo/ 45% Cotton (Aran wt.); 92 yds/skein @ $2.98. Try this for the Splash cardigan, Breezy tunic, or Pacific Coast tunic, Haven.

KnitPicks CotLin is 70% Tanguis Cotton, 30% Linen (DK wt.); 123 yds./skein @ $2.99. An option for Breezy tunic, Pacific Coast tunic, Splash Cardigan, Haven, or Iced Frappuccino.

KnitPicks Shine Sport is 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal® natural beech wood fiber (Sport wt.); 110 yds./skein @ $2.99. An option for Pochette, Sirena, Still Waters, or Zephyr.

Classic Elite Firefly is 25% linen, 75% viscose (Sport wt.); 155 yds./skein.
Classic Elite Provence is 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton; 102 yds./skein.
Classic Elite Cerro is 85% pima cotton, 15% alpaca; 150 yds./skein.
Classic Elite Classic Silk is 50% Cotton, 30% Silk, 20% Nylon; 135 yds./skein.
(See retailers for pricing; Classic Elite yarns are not as cost-conscious as those listed above, but are nonetheless a good value for lovely product.

I hope these suggestions are enough to get you thinking, swatching, and making your own beautiful versions of the projects in Knits That Breathe! Please show me your finished projects!

I’ve noticed on Ravelry that the little Sorbet Cardi from Knits That Breathe is not getting the love enjoyed by many of the book’s other projects, and I’m not sure why that is.

It can’t be the design, because who doesn’t love a straightforward top-down design with minimal seams plus adorable lace borders and cuffs?

It definitely can’t be the yarn, because Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Marine Silk Worsted is heaven in a skein. It feels like cashmere, offers lovely stitch definition, and the Buttah colorway I chose for the sample really reminds me of an icy lemon sorbet.

The blend of silk, SeaCell, and wool gives the fibers an exquisite soft shimmer, fantastic drape, and the perfect amount of shape retention from that small percentage of wool. 

It can’t be the length, which looks great over a tunic, tee, or summer dress.  

So I think it’s just possibly because we haven’t considered all its options, all its versatility.

Perhaps my clowning around in this fun, comfortable, flattering cardi will help you see its possibilities.

A few more things to share about TNNA last weekend. The funny thing about being surrounded by fiber, and knitting, and other knitters, is that by the end of the day I was almost too tired to do any actual knitting. Almost. But not quite… managed to fall asleep one night with needles in hand!

This gorgeous tunic by Brooke Nico, designer, yarn shop owner, and now the author of the absolutely amazing new book,  Lovely Knitted Lace (this particular pattern is available in Knitters magazine, Spring 2014 issue) was on the event floor, and just blew me away!

Running into some of the designers whose work is featured in my first book, Brave New Knits, was an extra treat at the show. I saw Hilary Smith Callis, whose Yarniad designs are so fun and hip and continue to wow me:

Also met up with Kirsten Kapur of Through The Loops, whose designs have been among my favorites ever since I first started reading her blog way back in 2009. Her color sensibility is subtle but rich, and always lovely.

Also spent time with fellow Visionaries and indy publishers Hunter Hammersen (author of the marvelous Knitters Curiosity Cabinet series as well as several other pattern collections), Betty Salpeker (author of Solefull Socks), and Jill Wolcott (author of the Goddess Collection, among other sophisticated and elegant pattern collections), both amazing designers. A productive weekend!

Flutterbye was, more than some of the other designs in Knits That Breathe, a true synthesis of design concept and yarn characteristics. Over the years I’ve made shawls and wraps from Sundara Yarn’s Silk Lace, and thus was already familiar with its behavior. I knew the finished design would have beautiful drape, that it would offer blissfully cool comfort to the wearer, and that it would gleam gently whenever light shone upon it.

As a fan of the handkerchief hem in other garments I own, the yarn seemed to cry out for this design element – it needed that fluttering, wispy, feminine quality that gives the tunic its wonderful movement and makes the knitter feel beautiful every time it floats over her body. And although I’m not prone to adding ruffles to my knitting (In fact, I’ve been known to call ruffles, along with puffed sleeves, “infantilizing”), Silk Lace seemed to warrant just the slightest waft of extra flutter.

The ideas I sketched for the project evolved slowly into Flutterbye, which incorporates all the elements I’ve mentioned above as well as its own ineffable grace.

The word “scintillating” must have been invented to describe Sundara Yarn’s Silk Lace, because its delicate strength and shimmering lustre (or is that lustrous shimmer?) are the very embodiment of the word. Making Flutterbye with Silk Lace was the ultimate pleasure because every inch glides through the fingers like a sigh.

Rich color absorption by the silk renders a pleasing palette of semi-solids that range from bold to delicate. You can’t go wrong. Sundara is a color magician with such nuanced mastery of the dye-pot that she achieves amazing depth and brilliance in every skein. 

If there’s one single tip I can pass along about Flutterbye and the Silk Lace yarn, it’s that a loose cast-on and an even looser bind-off will help you achieve the desired result for your finished garment. The silk fiber has no elasticity, so although the tunic itself has some horizontal give as well as plenty of drape and motion, this is not achieved with any assistance from the actual yarn.

I’ll be at TNNA in Indianapolis over the first weekend in May to promote Knits That Breathe. I hope to see some of you there, and look forward to reporting back upon my return!

Time for a detailed look at Iced Frappuccino made from Kolláge’s Milky Whey, one of the most popular designs in Knits That Breathe according to Ravelry. And I can understand why; not only does it share the cooling properties of the book’s other eleven projects, but it has elements of grace and softness that give it an extra-special quality.

Let’s take a closer look at the mesh lace yoke, worked in a simple lace repeat that achieves excellent fit by decreasing towards the neckline, allowing it to settle delicately upon the shoulders:

A reader who likes to keep the tops of her arms covered asked me if it would be possible to extend the yoke over the shoulders to create cap sleeves, a modification that should work nicely for her without detracting in any way from the design. I think I’d probably make that modification using the Short-Row shaping technique to “build” a curved cap over each shoulder, but there are probably other ways to achieve a similar result.

What do you think?

Notice the subtle waist shaping (below) that defines the figure without clinging, and the lace motif that meanders its way vertically up the body without ever revealing too much. When I found this lace motif in one of my stitch dictionaries, I knew it was right for Iced Frappuccino.

I was on a quest for an undulating and graceful lace design that could easily be memorized, because as much as we knitters like a challenge, there are other times when we want to be able to knit while Downton Abbey, or Scandal, or Game of Thrones is on without fear of losing track of the row or repeat. 

Have I mentioned how much I loved working with Kolláge Yarn’s Milky Whey? The blend of 50% milk and 50% soy protein fibers feels like the most divine cashmere. And if it feels that good in the skein, just imagine how much softer and more luxurious it feels post-blocking, worn right next to the skin. 

Milky Whey is the ultimate in heavenly, wearable, and gorgeous-to-knit-with yarn! It is available in a lovely palette of soft pastel shades that are sophisticated rather than childish (my choice of Latte is one of those) as well as a handful of luscious brights. You really can’t go wrong.