Ideas for Knitting with Luxury Yarns and Fibers
Knit Small Accessories and Add Quality Embellishments to Garments
Dec 21, 2008
Luxury yarns are a delight to knit with. They are spun from the finest fibers before being carefully dyed. Luxury fibers include fine silks, exotic fibers such as camel, cashmere, baby alpaca or yak, as well as modern 'new generation' fibers such as bamboo and soy.
While luxury yarns are wonderful to work with, they are also very costly. For many knitters, the prospect of knitting a full sized sweater or other large garment is simply cost prohibitive. Happily, there are many other ways that luxury yarns can be used. These give knitters the opportunity to work with these lovely yarns while not breaking the bank!
Small Accessories
A single ball of a luxury yarn is perfect for creating small accessories. Luxury yarns are ideal for knitting accessories that are going to be worn as this allows the wearer to get maximum benefit from the softness of the yarns. Ideas for small accessories include:
- Scarves – thin and lacy scarves do not take much yarn and can often be knitted from a single ball of yarn. Variations on traditional scarves are neck warmers which can be dressed up or down as required.
- Hats – luxury yarns make lovely hats. A simple hat does not require much yarn and there are many different styles available for knitters of all experience levels. Hats such as berets or Tam O'Shanters are very stylish and interesting to knit.
- Gloves or mittens – these are perfect for luxury yarns. Wrist warmers are an alternative to traditional gloves or mittens and are quick to make. These can be knitted with frills or lace for added glamor.
Adding Luxury Yarn Embellishments to Other Garments
Luxury yarns are also ideal for adding to other garments to give a quality finishing touch. Both hand knitted and bought sweaters and other garments are suitable for adorning with luxury yarn embellishments. A lacy collar knitted in a fine silk, for instance, can transform a run-of-the-mill black woolen sweater into something truly special. Another alternative is to introduce strips of a luxury yarn into a knitting pattern. Working stripes is a good way to get the maximum from the yardage of a yarn.
When adding a luxury yarn to another garment, it is best to chose a garment that is made from a good quality yarn. A cheap acrylic yarn will still look like a cheap acrylic yarn, even with the addition of the finest quality luxury yarn. A good quality pure wool sweater, however, can be turned into a stunning garment with the addition of a luxury yarn collar.
Free Knitting Patterns
There are many excellent free knitting patterns available that are easy to adapt to luxury yarns. Many yarn manufacturers and knitting magazines offer free knitting patterns on their websites and these are a great starting point when looking for free knitting patterns.
Tips for Working with Luxury Yarns
Here are some tips to help get the most from a ball of luxury yarn:
- Look for lace patterns. Lace knitting will make a single ball of yarn go much further than dense knitting stitches.
- When knitting a scarf or other item where gauge is not important, try using a larger size needle than normal. This will create a lacy and open stitch and will get the maximum from ball of yarn.
- Always hand wash luxury yarns or garments that have luxury yarn embellishments unless the yarn manufacturer states otherwise.
Luxury yarns require luxury accessories! Take a look at Luxury Gifts for Knitters for ideas for quality knitting accessories.
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