Hello my knitting friends. I’ve taken some time off from knitting because life got busy and I was doing other things.
Back in September (a year ago!) I began knitting the pattern Knus Light as a summer top. I am using a very unique type of cotton yarn. Pascuali’s cotton Suave yarn (link to buy this yarn below) is creating the most incredible, light weight and soft fabric!
I seldom knit with cotton fiber because I just don’t like it, except for dishcloths. It is usually stiff, it shrinks, and it fades.
The cotton Suave is not at all like regular cotton yarn! It is a fluffy, thick and thin yarn, that can take some patience, but the outcome is worth it.
Characteristics of Pascuali’s Suave, Cotton Yarn
The Pascuali Suave yarn is made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. It is vegan friendly, and good for those with animal fiber allergies. It is fluffy (see my photos below) and looks fragile, but it is strong and holds together well. It can be machine washed on a gentle setting. Best of all, it comes in a wide array of beautiful colors. The color I am knitting with is Color 54 Brown.
After working with this yarn for the first time, I’m adding it to my favorite yarns list. It might be the best yarn for creating summer items that are truly perfect for my Florida climate!
How to Do a Sewn Bind-off, With Video
Now, I am nearly finished with the body part of Knus Light. It calls for a sewn bind off, or Italian bind-off for 1×1 ribbing.
Here is a quick little video that I followed to begin the bind off. You will use an embroidery needle. It is quite easy. I’ve done them before, but I needed a refresher. This is also called an Italian bind-off.
Here are some photos to remind you where you are if you set the project down while doing a sewn bind-off.
When you pick up the project, if the yarn is coming from behind, slip the first stitch off knit-wise. Then, put the needle through the front of the second stitch. Now the yarn is in front (photo 2).
If you pick up the project and the yarn is coming from the front, slip the first stitch off purl-wise and bring the needle from the back through the first two stitches and knit that second stitch. See the “quick little video” linked above to understand this better.
How I Got Into Trouble During the Bind-off
I ran out of yarn, which became a big problem. The cotton Suave does not splice, so I needed a way to connect more yarn.
I did the attachment using a needle to go through each end as seen in this video. My cotton yarn is very different, but this would have worked had I been simply knitting and needed to attach yarn. But, when I tried to pull the yarn through the loops by sewing, the attached section of yarn bunched up, creating a knot.
I ended up leaving the knot with a loop hanging to the back. I couldn’t get it pulled through while sewing. I will cut the loop and weave in the ends. I really had no choice. I had already tried splicing and wetting the yarn, which didn’t work. I tried tying a tiny knot – nope, it wouldn’t pull through. By this point I was freaking out and hoping that the remaining length was enough to finish. It was, phew… It was stressful.
OKAY… after I finished knitting the bind-off, and published this post, I found this very helpful video that would have been great to know a few days ago… Anyway here it is… just in case you have my same problem of running out of yarn.
All I can say is either do not do a sewn bind-off using Cotton Suave, or make sure you have plenty of yarn to finish the bind-off. Attaching this yarn to itself is impossible. A sleeve would have been different, but the body is so big around that I didn’t have the length needed. It took me hours (and a bottle of wine – just kidding) to get the hem finished!
After the body, I still have the sleeves to knit. One thing I know, is that I will need one more skein of yarn to finish this project.
I Need More Yarn
I knew I was cutting it close with my yarn amount for this project. I did add some length to the body, and plan to make the sleeves 3/4 length. It means I need one more ball of yarn. I’m hoping that Wool and Company can match the dye lot.
Have you used the Suave yarn? What did you think? I’ve always passed by the so-called “summer tops” patterns because the yarn used would not be summery enough for Florida. Once the Knus Light is finished comes the true test – when I wear the top.
