Like most human endeavours, knitting is subject to fashion. It comes and goes in popularity generally and certain trends come and go within knitting as a whole. Like most fashion, knitting style is cyclical. Fun fur and boucle have come and gone and seem to be making a reappearance.
There are some trends though that seem to be here to stay. One of these is heavier weight yarns. It makes sense. Knitting was once not so much of a hobby as a way to provide a necessity and so people could devote more time to it. And even when it did become just a hobby people had more time to devote to it without the constant stream of technological distractions we have today. We have less time for our knitting but still we expect the same number or even more projects to be completed. It seems logical that we would turn to thicker yarns to solve the problem. They work up faster and they create warm garments with bold patterns.
Here's the thing about thicker yarns though: they make people look thicker. (In the physical, not the mental sense.) And in most cases, a pattern in thick yarn has all the subtlety of a hammer to the head.
Sometimes this is fine. A thick sweater for lounging in or a jacket that's meant to go over other layers should be thick. Bold patterns have a long tradition in outerwear. It just makes sense. But I think a subtler approach is better most of the time. If I think about "classic" fashion, in the sense of the ability of the look to stand the test of at least fifty years worth of time, it's not the bold patterns that stand out. The looks that today's designers tend to reference are about flattering shapes. Yes, there are certainly classic patterns but they are generally repetitive and reasonably subtle. Paisley, florals, houndstooth and some plaids come to mind.
I professed my love for sock yarn earlier and I think that my desire to create subtler, more classic looks has caused me to gravitate towards this thinner yarn. It allows me to make garments with smaller patterns, that fit closer to the body. Garments like this weigh less, are generally less expensive to make even in beautiful hand dyed yarns, and are fairly durable. They also take longer to knit. For those who are really in a rush to have something done RIGHT NOW, this is a problem. These are not instant gratification projects but for the knitter who is looking to keep a project going for longer because they enjoy the process, or want more knitting time for their money, it's a great option.
I love this kind of project. I'm currently working on a couple of them. Right now, it's a little brown sweater, it's going to have a henley neckline and set in sleeves. The caramel coloured wool is really doing it for me. I love how it looks like the bark of a tree. It's quite simple in construction but I think it will be a great addition to the wardrobe. Hopefully it will also be a successful pattern.
There are some trends though that seem to be here to stay. One of these is heavier weight yarns. It makes sense. Knitting was once not so much of a hobby as a way to provide a necessity and so people could devote more time to it. And even when it did become just a hobby people had more time to devote to it without the constant stream of technological distractions we have today. We have less time for our knitting but still we expect the same number or even more projects to be completed. It seems logical that we would turn to thicker yarns to solve the problem. They work up faster and they create warm garments with bold patterns.
Here's the thing about thicker yarns though: they make people look thicker. (In the physical, not the mental sense.) And in most cases, a pattern in thick yarn has all the subtlety of a hammer to the head.
Sometimes this is fine. A thick sweater for lounging in or a jacket that's meant to go over other layers should be thick. Bold patterns have a long tradition in outerwear. It just makes sense. But I think a subtler approach is better most of the time. If I think about "classic" fashion, in the sense of the ability of the look to stand the test of at least fifty years worth of time, it's not the bold patterns that stand out. The looks that today's designers tend to reference are about flattering shapes. Yes, there are certainly classic patterns but they are generally repetitive and reasonably subtle. Paisley, florals, houndstooth and some plaids come to mind.
I professed my love for sock yarn earlier and I think that my desire to create subtler, more classic looks has caused me to gravitate towards this thinner yarn. It allows me to make garments with smaller patterns, that fit closer to the body. Garments like this weigh less, are generally less expensive to make even in beautiful hand dyed yarns, and are fairly durable. They also take longer to knit. For those who are really in a rush to have something done RIGHT NOW, this is a problem. These are not instant gratification projects but for the knitter who is looking to keep a project going for longer because they enjoy the process, or want more knitting time for their money, it's a great option.
I love this kind of project. I'm currently working on a couple of them. Right now, it's a little brown sweater, it's going to have a henley neckline and set in sleeves. The caramel coloured wool is really doing it for me. I love how it looks like the bark of a tree. It's quite simple in construction but I think it will be a great addition to the wardrobe. Hopefully it will also be a successful pattern.
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