5 Cottons, How Do They Fare?

I'm intrigued with all the new cotton yarns that are appearing in the stores. I love working with cotton to make garments and accessories (purses and totes, especially), and I use a lot of cotton yarns when I make swatches of techniques and stitches for my crochet classes. Cotton usually has great stitch definition, so it's easy to see what I did, and my students can learn how to "read" the stitches. Many of the yarn companies are developing "organic" cotton yarns, and I hope to do some swatching and comparisons with those, soon.

One of the "staples" in the cotton yarns is what I call the "kitchen cottons", and the "big three" - Sugar 'n Cream, Peaches & Creme, and Bernat Handicrafter Cotton have been strong in that field. Lately, they have been joined by two contenders - CoolSpun Cotton, and Creme de la Creme Cotton by Coats.
"Kitchen cottons" are what I think of when I want to make dishcloths and towel, baskets, and strong tote bags. I usually don't think of these cottons when I want to make a baby afghan or sweater. They always felt a little rough to me - too rough for a garment. But - one of my crocheting buddies made a lacy sweater that I designed with another, finer cotton, and used Sugar 'n Cream to make it. And I saw a picture on-line, posted by another crocheter who made the same sweater design in Sugar 'n Cream. Both sweaters looked great! I would have never even thought to try that yarn with this design. And recently, one of my students brought in a sweater that she's crocheting for her grandson, out of - you guessed it - Sugar 'n Cream. And it looks wonderful!

In the past, when people would ask me if they could use these yarns in garments, I would say "No. The yarn is rough, and it shrinks when washed. So it's not the best yarn to use for garments or afghans that need to be washed often. Also, some of the colors fade and may bleed in the wash." (The fading part I knew from some old dishcloths I made, and anyway, I heard EVERYONE say the yarn faded. Same with the shrinking.)

Recently, though, the companies that make these yarns have come out with some great colors. I especially like the stripes, but all the colors are wonderful! And the yarn is inexpensive. And lots of times, on sale. And crocheters love a bargain. More and more people were asking me about the yarns. So...... I decided to see for myself whether the yarns would shrink. And how they would "feel" after being washed.

I happen to have a little (okay, not so little - and growing all the time) stash of these yarns. I had a skein of each of them in white, and that's what I used. (I didn't want to do this experiment using different colors of the yarns. I wanted all variables, that I could control, to be the same.) I crocheted the swatches using the same hook (some hooks, even if they have the same size marked on them, are sometimes different.) I used the same pattern, and the same number of stitches and rows. I washed the swatches together, in a washing machine filled with cold water. I dried them together, also. So most of the variables were controlled. The one thing I couldn't control was my "mood" - whether I was relaxed or tense, or thinking about something else. And mood does tend to influence gauge. So even though the swatches were worked in the same pattern, and had the same number of rows and stitches in each row, the stitch gauges and swatch measurements were different.
This is a picture of the 5 swatches before I washed them. You can see how different their sizes are.
From left to right, top row first:
Row 1: CoolSpun Cotton, Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Row 2: Sugar 'n Cream, Creme de la Creme
Row 3: Peaches & Creme



A couple of things that I thought were interesting about these yarns: Sugar 'n Cream, Peaches 'n Cream, and Bernat Handicrafter all felt like they were the same worsted weight yarn. CoolSpun felt softer, and Creme de la Creme felt as if it were a little less than worsted weight. You can see from the picture, though, the CoolSpun swatch was smaller, even though it felt like worsted weight yarn. The Creme de la Creme yarn was the largest swatch, even though it felt like dk or light worsted weight yarn.



Then, I washed the swatches. All together, in my washing machine, in cold water. First, though, I knotted the tails with 1 - 5 knots, so I could tell the swatches apart! The picture shows that the relative sizes stayed the same, but the measurements did change.
1. CoolSpun Cotton went from 6.5" x 6" to 6.25" x 5.75"
2.Bernat Handicrafter went from 6.75" x 6.25" to 6.5" x 5.75"
3. Sugar'n Cream went from 7" x 6.5" to 6.75" x 6"
4. Creme de la Creme went from 7.5" x 6.5" to 7" x 6"
5. Peaches & Creme went from 7" x 6.5" to 7" x 5.75"

You can see from the above measurements, that the Creme de la Creme swatch was the largest, and shrunk the most - 1/2" in both directions. Peaches & Creme only shrunk in length, not width. CoolSpun Cotton shrunk .25" in each direction, and the other two - Sugar'n Cream and Bernat Handicrafter shrunk .25" in width and .5" in length.



Next, I put the swatches in the dryer. On a regular cycle - one I would use for cotton. But whenI took them out I could feel that they were not completely dry - so I pulled on their edges a little, and measured them.
1. CoolSpun - dried - 6.25" x 5.75" - same measurements as before drying.
2. Bernat Handicrafter - dried - 6.25" x 6.25" - small in width, larger in length than when wet, (it went back to it's original length.) This yarn was very easy to stretch and block.
3. Sugar'n Cream - dried - 6.75" x 6.25". I was able to get another 1/4" in length when I pulled on the edges. It was also easy to stretch and block.
4. Creme de la Creme - dried - 7" x 6" - same measurements as before drying, and still 1/2" smaller in width and length.
5. Peaches & Creme - dried - 6.75" x 5.75" - same measurement in length, but shrunk a 1/4" in length when dried.

Conclusions:
All these yarns will shrink a little when washed. CoolSpun Cotton, and Sugar'n Cream shrunk the least.
All of these yarns got noticeably softer when they were washed and dried, and I think would be soft enough for a baby blanket or a garment.
These yarns are interchangeable when the gauge is not really important to the design. However, each swatch was a different size, and even 1/4" difference in a 5" swatch, multiplied by 8 (for a 40" finished chest measurement) creates a 2" difference - which could make the garment too big or too small. So, be aware when switching yarns that not all "kitchen cottons" are alike!

The Crochet Doctor is In

BIG NEWS!
Many of my students, designer friends, and teacher friends, have asked me to do this for a loooooooong time. :-) I finally did it! I have a new blog (don't worry, I'll still keep up with this one!). The new blog is TheCrochetDoctor, and that's just what I'll try to do - answer your questions, give you some "how-to's", and help you fix what "hurts".
If you have any questions for The Crochet Doctor, you can email me at: thecrochetdoctor@aol.com, or post your questions at The Crochet Doctor blog.

(And, in case you wondered, the Doctor title is legit. I do have a Ph.D.)

Quick Stitch Crochet again

Remember the cover I posted for the book Quick Stitch Crochet on Feb. 23, 2008? I saw the cover on Amazon's listing for the book, and I was so thrilled that my patterns were featured on it. Today, however, Carol M. sent me a message that she got her copy of the book, and that wasn't the cover. But - what was on the cover was another of my designs - an afghan. Of course, I forgot what afghan I designed for this book, so I had to search the web to see it. I found it on Annie's Attic, and here is the new cover:




The book is available now at Annie's Attic or Amazon.

The Knit and Crochet Show 2008

If you are thinking about attending the summer 2008 Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester, New Hampshire, and want to take some classes there, on-line registration begins March 24th! Classes start on July 24th, and continue through July 27th (Thursday through Sunday.) The shopping starts on July 25th, and goes through July 27th (Friday through Sunday.)
I am lucky that I have been chosen to be one the crochet teachers. I'll be teaching 7 classes! Yes, 7. There are 8 time slots. So, you may be asking yourself, why aren't you teaching 8 classes? Well, during that 8th time slot, I'll be at the CGOA Board Meeting! I'm going to have a busy week in Manchester!
If you've never been to one of these crochet and knit fests, you need to do yourself a favor and come. Not only are the teachers nationally and internationally known designers and teachers, there is also a marketplace,with yarn, yarn, yarn, and even more yarn. Did I say there was yarn? :-)
If you want a list of the classes, and see all the events that will be going on (fashion shows, auctions, kids' programs, Professional Development Day, banquets, 24 hour knit and crochet lounge, and much more), check out
http://www.KnitandCrochetShow.com right now. (Classes fill up fast - reserve a space in the ones you want!)

baskets, baskets, and more baskets

Sometimes in a designer's life, she/he is so busy meeting deadlines and completing projects, that there is no time to indulge in personal crocheting! Every minute is spent working or thinking about the next design to be finished, or the next proposal to submit, or the next pattern to write. When that all gets done, though, maybe there is a little time for us. What I find, though, is that often I am too tired to think of what to make for me. I want something quick, fun, easy. In the past, I've made scarves (I have a gazillion of them) and hats (ditto!), and North Carolina doesn't often get cold enough to wear hats and scarves for more than a couple of weeks. Maybe. So - what do I crochet? Baskets. Round, oval, square, short, tall, felted, cotton, floppy, sturdy. Lately, I have been able to use my current passion for baskets in my design proposals, and some have been published. Some will be published soon. One book that has just been published, with 2 felted baskets of mine (among other designs of mine), is Vogue Knitting on the Go, Felted Crochet. It's a portable book, with lots of great patterns in it! This is a picture of the cover:


Another book that won't be out until May 25th, is Quick Stitch Crochet, edited by Judy Crow and published by DRG. Here is a picture of that cover:


Now, look closely at the blue basket and the jute basket. And the table runner beneath them. Yes - those are my designs! It is really a thrill to see your patterns in print, but when you make the cover of a book - WOW!

Wooden Crochet Hook

A friend of mine, who is a retired Oral Surgeon, is studying woodworking in school now. One night at dinner, I kiddingly suggested that he start making wooden crochet hooks. (I do that with everyone I know who works with wood. I'm trying to find my own personal supplier of wooden hooks!) I just happened to have one of my favorite sizes in my purse (you never know when you will need one), so when he said he would consider it because they needed small projects to work on for a certain class, I pulled out my Susan Bates N hook, and gave it to him. (I have many more at home!) A few weeks passed, and I kinda forgot about it. Then, recently, he "gifted" me with his finished project. I was flabbergasted! And thrilled! And even excited!


It is a great hook - smooth and lightweight. I love it - and the best part is, he's making more!

Winter in North Carolina

While other bloggers are speaking of Spring and Summer weather in their fair cities, this is what we woke up to this morning! 2 1/2 inches (yes, TWO AND ONE HALF INCHES!) of snow overnight! This is in North Carolina! Where it's supposed to be warm! :-)
At least I have a lot of work to do today, so it's a good day to stay inside and do it.
What am I doing? Some tech editing, some crocheting, some pattern writing. A little of everything! So I'll be busy. Until the temperature rises and the snow melts and I can get out!