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Permalink Reply by betty bear on March 31, 2008 at 6:45am: I love KP Bare merino wool/silk yarn. I just finished knitting the "Oregan Shawl". I am so happy to see that KP has the beautiful yarn in LACE wt. I have ordered the lace wt to knit "The Song of Hiawatha" stole. Pattern by Hazel Carter. I would be interested to know if anyone has knit this pattern. I am trying to figure it out before the arrival of the yarn. If anyone has knit this pattern and has any suggestions as to figuring out the format,, I would be happy to hear from them.

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Permalink Reply by dlKnits on March 31, 2008 at 2:11pm: I was recently given some fingering-weight yarn which has been in a cedar chest for about 30 years, the problem I am having is this: the yarn has no label, and I do not know what type of fiber it is.
Short of trying to machine wash it, I don't know how to figure out what it is made of, any ideas? I have successfully dyed the yarn, with kool-aid and with tea, so I assume it is a natural fiber; It does not feel like cotton, I think it may be wool but I don't know how to be positive. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alison on March 31, 2008 at 3:21pm: Have you tried intentionally felting a swatch of it? Knit up a little swatch and throw it in a load of laundry with hot water - if it's wool, the heat and agitation could cause it to felt up. The exception would be if it's been bleached or treated to be white, as those processes will sometimes prevent wool from felting at all.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Autumnknitter on April 16, 2008 at 2:43pm: I know that quilters burn a small bit- I am sure you can find a source online that explains which fiber does what. I know cotton turns black and that wool is flame proof (well- you can tamp it out), thats why the woman used to sew it on the hemlines of their skirts when they cooked in an open hearth.
Just do the burning over the sink so you can put out the fire!!
Good luck; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by minniegirl on April 3, 2008 at 9:21am: I hope this hasn't been asked a million times before. I would like to know if I can opt out of paying duty at the knitpicks checkout. I have never paid duty for any of my knit picks orders on the receiving end so this service is making it more expensive than it normally is for me. Thank you.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Customer Service on April 4, 2008 at 9:16am: I am very sorry, but duty is built into the cost of orders that are shipped to Canada. The reason you do not pay duty on the receiving end is because we take care of those fees for you. We always have. We pay all duty and brokerage fees at the border so that you are not charged upon the delivery of your package. I am afraid the only way to escape the fee is to have your package sent somewhere within the US.

For more information regarding Canadian shipping and fees, please see our website:
http://www.knitpicks.com/help/index.php/cat/shipping-info/canada/; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by yarn crazy on April 4, 2008 at 7:29am: please help. Is knitting directional? I have just finished a sweater in the round and found that the first skein of yarn in what was suppose to be no dye lot yarn was a different shade. Can I cut off the bottom and knit back down with out it looking like i did. This was the first sweater out of the sweater workshop book; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Headdoc on April 6, 2008 at 1:20pm: Not certain what you are asking regarding "directional". You cannot "cut off" part of the sweater. It would need to have a "life-line" threaded through it to have someone who can tear it out and pick up the stitiches in the proper way with a needle about a size smaller than you were knitting on. My suggestion would be to: First find the correct yarn and then take it to someone competent to correct the damage. Jan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Teri on April 6, 2008 at 7:12am: I would like to see Knit Picks would give customers the option to receive an email with a link to a .pdf version of the current Knit Picks catalog on their website, instead of getting a snail-mail printed copy. I would think that could help keep costs (and hopefully prices) down, save some trees, eliminate the carbon footprint from shipping so many of those catalogs everywhere, and allow customers like me to see the new catalogs sooner when they are released. Also, I would be able to selectively print patterns/tutorials from the catalog that I might want keep on better quality paper to put in my knitting binder.

Just a thought. ;-).; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on April 7, 2008 at 8:20am: Hey Teri - I just wanted to let you know I've forwarded your suggestion on to our Catalog Manager!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Hilary on April 6, 2008 at 7:06pm: I am new to knitting and I want to try something different. I have been knitting scarves, and I can knit and purl. I think I can follow a pattern, and was wondering which books are most appropriate for someone like me? I am hoping to get better and hopefully move on to socks soon! Is this unrealistic? Please, any help is greatly appreciated!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by DolyDimple on April 6, 2008 at 7:58pm: I found "Getting Started Knitting Socks" by Ann Budd to be a great first sock book. She explains every step very clearly. I'd made a couple hats (seamed, not in the round), but that was the only thing I'd done besides scarves before I got that book. Good luck with whatever you choose, and I'm sure there are lots of people here who would love to help you if you get stuck.; ▶ Reply to This