Knitting For Profit

Archive for January, 2010

Guilt-Free (Knitting) Business Mothers!

Friday, January 29th, 2010

This might sound a little off-topic, but two amazing Australian women I know are running a free teleseminar series that is starting next week about balancing business and work with mothering, which I thought might be of interest.

As a mother of two small children, I often get pangs of guilt when I get busy and spend more time on my business than with my little ones.

But I do love running my home business too!

If you are already running a business from home, or are planning to start up your knitting business, then I think this series will have some valuable advice for keeping that balance and enjoying both your family and your new business. It also includes some great advice for success in life and business for women – and it costs nothing!

I'm going to be listening in, and you can join in too by clicking the link below to register: http://guiltfreebusinessmothers.com/seminars/tspub9lr.html

I'm looking forward to hearing what all 7 of the speakers have to say and taking away some great ideas and strategies for us work-at-home mums.

I hope you enjoy them too!
 

Tags: home business, home knitting business, knitting business, make money from home, work at home mom, work at home mum, work from home
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Linen Knitting Yarn Review

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Linen is produced from the stem of the Flax plant and is a surprisingly durable, lightweight fabric and thread that has some really amazing durability and elasticity. The linen knitting yarn is no different here. While the term “linen” has become something of a rather vague and very broad category all its own, the linen knitting yarn is definitely one that you will want to try at least once.

Linens are known to date back to prehistoric times. Sufficient evidence has been discovered to conclude that linen was indeed traded as a currency in ancient Egypt. The linen is also what was used when a person of greatness died due to the symbolism attached to such a valuable and precious commodity. These days, when many people discuss “linens”, they are discussing a wide range of household items that are or at least were made from the linen cloth originally.

When it comes to the properties of linen knitting yarn, your garments may tend to wrinkle a bit easier than anything but maybe some of the tightly knitted cotton garments but linen makes up for this in many ways. The linen knitting yarn produces very lightweight garments that are durable and easy to clean. Most linen knitting yarns will handle machine washing in warm water and with the exception of a few wrinkles, come out none the worse for wear.

Bleeding tends to be kept to a minimum even in warm water so the hand knitted linens will often last for a very long time. Additionally, the linen knitting yarns tend to make garments which are not quite as prone to pilling as some of the other fiber knitting yarns are. The linen, once knitted into a garment, will also work very well at releasing moisture from your skin. The linen knitting yarn also tends to create garments with an exceptional elastic property. Together, these qualities make linen knitting yarn ideal for creating lightweight summer gear for under or outer wear garments.

Pure linen knitting yarn can be fairly expensive but is certainly not unreasonably priced for the most part. The fibers that are used to make the linen knitting yarn are very long and are mostly spun into very lightweight yarns such as lace or baby weights. The linen also has some strange tendencies with dyes and variations may occur. However, it is always a good idea to buy all of your yarn for a single project at the same time from the same batch. Thus, in many respects, the actual absorbency of the linen knitting yarn should not present any major difficulties outside of the norm for most knitters. 

Working with the linen knitting yarn may be a little difficult at first as it tends to be a bit stiff and getting the stitches just right may take a little added practice when you first begin working with it but as time goes on, it should become increasingly easier. The garments made from linen knitting yarn have the added benefit of becoming softer and more comfortable the more they are washed so if you are looking to knit a gift that will last forever, linen knitting yarn may give you your best chance to make that happen.

Tags: knitting yarn, linen, linen knitting yarn, linen knitting yarn review, linen knitting yarns, yarn
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Merino Knitting Yarn Review

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Merino knitting yarn and the garments made from it are renowned for their warmth, softness and breathability, and because merino is generally less expensive than many of the more luxurious knitting yarns, it can be an ideal choice for your knitted projects.

Merino knitting yarn is traditionally made from the wool of the Merino sheep but this has become a bit convoluted over the course of time. The Merino sheep have been introduced to many different parts of the world and many have been crossbred to produce both finer (and higher quality) meat and wool. The wool from the Merino sheep however, is of particular interest here as it is used for many different aspects of knitting. The Merino Knitting Yarn made from these sheep is great both as a single fiber knitting yarn and as a blended knitting yarn.

The Merino Sheep were first brought into Spain somewhere around the twelfth century. It was not too long thereafter that Spain become famous around the world for its fine wool and woolen products. So luxurious was the wool of the Merino sheep that until some time around the 1700s, exporting these sheep was a crime punishable by death. Fortunately, this law was repealed and the merino sheep has now become a major player in both the wool and yarn industries around the globe. Australia has also attained a level of fame for their fine merino wool.

The wool from the merino sheep varies in thickness and strength giving it the ability to produce many different size yarns. The ultra-fine wool from the merino sheep is generally short but is also extremely fine and luxurious. These qualities make it ideally suited for making blended knitting yarn with silk and the equally luxurious alpaca wool. One of the very few drawbacks of the pure merino knitting yarn is that it does tend to pill though so it may be difficult for some people to care for knitted garments made with pure merino knitting yarns.

The fact that merino knitting yarn and the garments made from it are generally softer even than cotton and also cheaper than some of the more luxurious knitting yarns make it ideally suited to making many undergarments and other clothing that will come into contact with the skin.

For outer garments or even for blouses and slacks, the merino wool still provides much of the same protection and elasticity that can be found in other wools. It is a great knitting yarn for making trousers, blouses or even scarves and ascots that may need to provide some warmth and protection but still need to be comfortable as well. Many garments knitted from merino yarn are sold on the high-end of the fashion sector as well. In these cases, the term “merino” refers to the clothes made from this particular wool or garment.

As with many wool-based knitting yarns, the merino yarn may have some variations in color between batches so if you are going to work with it, it is always best to purchase all of your knitting yarn at once from a single batch in order to prevent any unsightly variations in your finished products. However, given the number of items and garments that can be knitted with the merino knitting yarn, if you do have some left over, you should not be too hard pressed to find other uses for it.

The Merino Knitting Yarn will remain a very viable alternative to some of the more expensive knitting yarns for some people and always a pleasure to work with and to wear.

Tags: australian merino wool, knitting yarn, knitting yarn review, luxury knitting yarn, merino knitting yarn, merino wool, merino yarn, merino yarn review
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Knitting Business Success Story – Sue from TasmanianFibre.com.au

Friday, January 15th, 2010

How does a single mum go from the backyard blues to running an International Fibre House that is now Tasmania's largest spinning supplier?

It all began with a rather unusual wedding present from her new husband Barry – 2 Alpacas! But what was she to do with them?

Two years on, the "Mount Roland Alpaca Stud" in the Highlands of Tasmania produces the finest of Alpaca fleeces and supplies to an international market. Sue is now the proud owner of 18 Alpacas, 14 Angora Rabbits (including a pair of German Angoras which are rare in Australia) and 8 Tasmanian Cormo coloured sheep for fine fleece production. She even buys fine fleeces from other Tasmanian growers to help with the demand of a worldwide market for her hand spun yarns!

Sue has now given up her fulltime day job to concentrate on this business, which was launched in October 2009 and very quickly attracted local and international interest with orders flowing in daily. The Tasmanian House of Fibre (www.tasmaniafibre.com.au) supplies high quality, specialised yarns, the lastest of which are the beautiful, fine, luxurious, hand spun lace weight yarns – Mount Roland Silk ’n’ paca, Silk ’n’ Suri and Silk ’n’ Bunny.

Mount Roland Silk ’n’ paca is a fine lace weight hand spun yarn that is plied with natural silk. The Alpaca used is mainly from Sue’s own Alpaca Stud with some fleeces from other finely bred Tasmanian Alpacas. The yarn features natural colours but may also be enhanced with hand painted silk colourways.

Alpaca is light and very warm due to hollow fibres, the yarn is suited to lace weight scarves and wraps knitted on large needles or baby garments, this yarn is lovely to wear.

Mount Roland Silk ’n’ Suri is a very special and unique yarn. The Suri is also an Alpaca but instead of a fluffy coat the Suri has long silky lustrous locks. The yarn Silk ’n’ Suri is again plied with silk featuring natural colours and hand painted silk colourways.

Suri is a completely different fibre to work with, it has a long staple of 8 – 15 cm. When the Suri yarn is spun and plied with silk it is very good for garments that require drape, Suri is a heavy fibre compared to Alpaca and Angora rabbit. Suggested uses (I’m sure the fibre Artists out there will find many more) are, scarves, wraps, anything lacy, would be nice as an open lace over dress for a very spectacular wedding gown. Silk ‘n’ Suri should adapt well to cotton patterns.

Mount Roland Silk ’n’ Bunny –  a real labour of love!

The rabbits are grown happily on the property, they have special five star accommodation that has been built just for them (by her loving Husband!), they are fed twice daily plus hay and water on demand. All cages are cleaned every 3 days and disinfected, floors are swept every day and washed.

The bunnies have special outdoor runs that they use to munch their way around the yard, so most days except when raining or high winds they are all taken out to their day runs and returned in the evening, grooming, chatting and clipping add to the hours of care.

Silk ’n’ Bunny is a beautiful, delicate, soft, luxury blend of hand spun lace weight English or German Angora and silk. It comes in natural colours of white, chocolate, smoke, gold/cream and some hand painted colourways of limited quantities. Angora rabbit fleece is extremely soft and warm and cuddly being a very low micron of 10 and under, again a hollow fibre, not a lot is needed for warmth.

Silk ’n’ Bunny makes a very soft, warm lacy scarf or wrap, is lovely used as a feature or trim on garments, e.g. cuffs, edging on hoods, baby booties to keep those little toes warm or mittens. The yarn as it is knitted produces a beautiful halo of soft fluffiness.

So with all the animal care, spinning, dyeing, website management and orders, managing a small band of spinners – her mum included, developing new lines and sourcing new supplies Sue has found she is now busier running her home based  business than working 5 days a week – but she enjoys every minute of it and she loves chatting to her customers!

If you would like to know more or ask Sue a question, or just have a chat, you can contact her through her website at www.tasmanianfibre.com.au

Tags: alpaca yarn, angora yarn, hand spun yarn, knitting business, knitting for profit, Make Money Knitting, sell hand spun yarn, sell yarn, silk yarn, suri yarn
Posted in Success Stories & Interviews, Yarn Reviews | No Comments »

Silk Knitting Yarn Review

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Using silk knitting yarn can give your creations a wonderful softness and sheen, and is a popular choice for knitting warm-weather clothes. 

Traditionally, silk knitting yarn is made from purely silk fibres, but these days, many variations and combinations of silk knitting yarns are readily available including synthetic knitting yarns with many of the same properties as silk. Still, for quality and originality, nothing can ever completely replace the genuine silk knitting yarns.

Silk yarn is generally woven into a very fine or lace knitting yarn. The sheen and tensile strength of the silk yarns tends to be much better than most other fibers but even among natural silk knitting yarns, there are subtle differences that will result in different results for your garments knitted with silk. The ideal silk knitting yarns are made with the long strands of silk taken in whole from the cocoon of the silkworm. The long strands of silk fiber are used to create the finest quality silk knitting yarn and silk cloth.

There are other methods of creating silk yarn, and not all silk is created equal … though certainly much of it is based on individual tastes perhaps moral grounds for some people. Retrieving the single strands of silk necessitates killing the silkworms. While sufficient qualities are allowed to survive to produce more silkworms to harvest more silk, this actually does present a moral dilemma for some people. Countries like India and a few other places around the world have taken a different approach to harvesting the silk for the creation of silk knitting yarn that is more durable and just as beautiful in nearly every respect.

The harvesting of wild silk is becoming an increasingly popular method for gathering silk fibers for the creation of silk knitting yarn and other silk products. The silkworms are allowed to live a complete life-cycle and only when the cocoon has hatched and the moths have discarded the silk cocoon does the harvest take place. While this does prevent the silk strands from being harvested in a single strand, it does have certain benefits.

The discarded silk cocoons are then carefully removed from their place and brushed and spun much the same as cotton or wool knitting yarns. When the silk is harvested in this fashion it is usually known as Ahimsa silk but this is not always the case. Natural Silk harvesting is becoming increasingly popular around the world. While there are many benefits to getting the silk this way … especially for the silkworms who are more personally involved, there are some drawbacks as well.

Natural silk yarns tend to be a bit more yellow, grey or even brown in shade than the more traditionally harvested silks and the single stranded silks do. This makes them especially difficult to die and they often lose some of their signature silk sheen as well. Fortunately, no matter what type of silk knitting yarn you are looking for, there are many options available these days.

Whether you want silk knitting yarns made from the single strands, wild silk knitting yarns or even synthetic silk knitting yarn, they are all easily found and in a wide range of prices and styles.

Tags: knitting yarn, knitting yarn review, silk knitting yarn, silk knitting yarn review
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