Knit and pearl
Saturday December 03rd 2011, 12:47 am
Filed under: Knitting a Gift,Lupus,LYS

A side note first in case someone out there needs to read this: last summer I started to make a chemo cap out of a bright white corn-based ribbon yarn, thinking it would go with everything for the recipient and not be itchy.

A few rows into it and it looked like I was knitting a great big garish hospital bandage to plunk on their head. I ditched it.

Today: I had to return something to Lands End. Rather than pay return postage, I looked up where there was a Sears store accepting such. Turned out I could drive south to a mall that I knew required a too-long walk in the sunlight to park, or I could go to the one in San Bruno.

You know, the one just a few streets away from Cottage Yarns. The fact that I’d knitted six projects in seven days, five from skeins I’d just bought there, needed showing off anyway.

The Sears parking turned out to be two car lanes’ width from the door, much safer for my lupus. Bonus.

I’d offered Richard to come with me to keep me out of trouble. (He’s on semi-vacation.) But no; returns and yarn just weren’t his thing.

When I was at the Cottage last Saturday, I bought a single, cautious skein of cotton/modal/I think it had some silk in it too, where’s that ball band, and knit a chemo cap out of it. My hands did much better than I expected; cotton and I are not friends, but I got it done by the end of that day with only minimal soreness.

So, back to the Cottage–only this time, knowing a little more now about gauge and effect in that kind of yarn and what needle size I could use, I took a more serious look at the Sublime Bamboo and Pearls. Again, not knowing the particular yarn yet, I bought just one skein to test.

I’m late blogging tonight because I could not put it down. 70/30 “Viscose from bamboo and viscose from pearls.” So soft! Shiny, just slippery enough to tamp down the effect of inelasticity from the celluloid bamboo, it just poured through my hands like water over pearls. It’s made of many strands but, being rounded well and with my sharpish Holz and Steins, it hasn’t been splitty.

But what surprised me, apart from the fact that it was almost as easy as wool to work with, was the warmth from the strand that suddenly caught my attention in my cool house. Cotton feels cold. I did not expect warmth. I don’t quite understand it; I can only guess the oyster is designed to stay comfortable in its ocean. That 30%, I am guessing, would have been made from what they shaved off the pearls to make them round for market. Purls from pearls knitted on needles of leftover wood from making musical instruments. It danced in my hands.

Kathryn was unexpectedly away taking care of her mom; I did get to show off to her husband, who loved the knits, but not her yet. They had more Sublime colors, you know…

I think I’m in trouble now.


8 Comments so far
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I MUST have this yarn. I love Tofutsies and its shrimp chitin, but… Oysters are my favorite seafood. Pearls, my favorite gem. You know we share that cotton problem, so…

There’s a newish (changed owners and names) yarn shop in town that used to carry Sublime… I think…

Comment by Channon 12.03.11 @ 6:11 am

You found the perfect match.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 12.03.11 @ 8:55 am

a couple of years ago I knit a scarf out of a bamboo tape yarn — it was the first time I had ever played with bamboo, and I was surprised by it too — and I’d go there again

I’ve not heard of anything made from pearls however — what would be really cool I think is a silk and pearl blend (after all, when I tie a strand of pearls I use silk cord!)

Comment by Bev 12.03.11 @ 10:13 am

I’m beginning to think you guys could knit something out of copper tubing.

Comment by Don Meyer 12.03.11 @ 11:15 am

Don, I’ve knitted with copper wire to make bracelets and necklaces,close but not actually tubing. Gee Whiz , a new yarn to wish for and see if I can find it out herein the “boonies”,;)

Comment by Kris 12.03.11 @ 3:22 pm

Hmmm, and to think, Hubband will be in the area part of next week. I wonder if I could sweet talk him into getting me yarn?

Comment by Barbara S. 12.03.11 @ 7:36 pm

Uh-oh. Webs carries this yarn. I’m in trouble now… 😉

Comment by Pegi 12.08.11 @ 7:45 pm

You sure make me do my research. I had to go look up this pearl based viscose. Apparently it is a very fine pearl powder dispersed in the viscose. One site claims Traditional Chinese Medicine benefits from wearing it. Pearls are ground and eaten in TCM for skin beauty effects among other benefits; one manufacturer of the fiber claims similar effects by wearing. As they say, these claims have not been approved by the FDA!

Comment by twinsetellen 12.13.11 @ 4:07 am



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