Meet the Yarn: It Could be Worsted
Jill Wolcott
passion.fashion.knits
Hi there! I’m back after a hiatus, and there are still fabulous Anzula yarns to be reviewed, so let's leaping back in. Next in the lineup is It Could be Worsted.
“It could be worse” than this soft, yet strong worsted blend of 50% silk and 50% merino. I have to admit that I love this yarn and wasn’t at all upset when I realized I had to reknit my Tangiers sample because I had failed to return to seed stitch after completing the moss stitch neckband. Yup, I ripped it back to the end of third Arabesque, then decided to just go all the way back and reknit the whole thing.
I also did my standard gauge swatch, beginning with garter, moving to stockinette, on to seed stitch, then rib, and on to moss stitch. Unblocked, there was some biasing in this yarn. I used US size 6[4mm] needles, but liked the fabric I got, so don’t think that was a problem. Although there was some biasing, I was able to block it flat so it wasn’t a long-term problem. It did unsettle me though! Biasing is leaning in one direction and is usually the result of the way the yarn was spun. If it blocks out, it is usually not a problem. I just caution you to do a swatch and to block. Having noticed these things swatching, I might not knit a large piece in the round.
I’ve looked through the projects on Ravelry, and don’t see anyone with problems, although there are not many comments. I was amused to see my notes were equally incomplete! There are 58 stashes, and 53 projects. Such a great yarn needs more love! Looking online, it sells for about $38/skein, so a single skein project might fit into a lot of budgets. My new Tangiers pattern is made with two colors in It Could be Worsted (shown in Gumball and Aqua), and a version in a single color (sample uses For Better or Worsted).
The yardage is 190 yards or 174 meters to 114g or 4 ounces. There were several games of yarn chicken, probably owing to the 10 yard difference between It Could be Worsted and For Better or Worsted! Judging by what I have remaining one could knit opposites of Tangiers. If needed, some fudging could be done to make it work.
So let’s get to the details:
Do be sure to take extra time on the blocking. Pinning it to shape should do the trick. I also steam blocked mine. The Tangiers 2-color Scarf just needed a little patting into shape when I steam blocked it after wet blocking it. Due to the small number of stitches, no biasing occurred.
Worsted is a great weight for knitting gifts—the knitting goes pretty fast and in this yarn, it looks super impressive—everything we want in our gift knits. The colors are sharp and clear in this yarn, I thoroughly enjoyed Gumball and Aqua both.
Tell me why—in the comments—you think there are 10 fewer yards in a skein of It Could Be Worsted than in a skein of For Better or Worsted. I’ll do a drawing and give away one Tangier’s pattern for every 50 comments. Deadline for comments is October 9, 2018.
You can find It Could be Worsted at these shops:
Admit Ewe Knit - Raleigh, NC
Amazing Threads - Maple Grove, MN
Baskets of Yarn - Charlotte, NC
Do Ewe Knit - Westfield, NJ
Fiber Artwork - Huntsville, AL
Harps & Thistles - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
KnitKnit - Couer d’Alene, ID
Knitorious - St Louis, MO
Knitting Garden - Coral Gables, FL
Sated Sheep - Dripping Springs, TX
Swift Stitch - Santa Cruz, CA
Online @ Kitterly.com
You’ll find more great pattern ideas for It Could be Worsted on our Pinterest page here!
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