Kay's Korner - A Knitters Notes

Let's face it, new things create some excitement for most of us, whether it's a new baby, a new job, a slim new cell phone, or a new model car. As knitters, new yarns grab our attention season after season. With summer in the air, I look to cotton as my warm weather fiber staple, with soy, hemp, bamboo, and linen close behind.

There are many varieties of cotton yarns from which to choose. Of course they are available in every weight, from tablecloth cotton to bulky, but they are also grouped by where and how the fiber was grown and how it was processed. For example, On Line's Linie 12, familiarly known as Clip, is 100% Mako Egyptian cotton, an extra long staple cotton favored for high end goods, especially bed linens. The long staple length of the fibers makes a superior yarn, as well.

Although the term Egyptian cotton is commonly used in advertising and marketing, the plant which bears this fiber originated in America. In fact, pima cotton, which includes Egyptian, Extra Long Staple, Creole, Sea Island, and other varieties of cotton, is a species of plant that originated in Peru and has been widely cultivated for many years. Along with its value as a fabric fiber, its antifungal and medicinal features cemented its place in American agriculture.

But as cotton is a pesticide intensive crop, it is susceptible to some very aggressive natural enemies. A large percentage of all pesticides used worldwide go to protecting cotton crops. The overwhelming popularity of cotton fiber for clothing and linens, as well as a multitude of other uses, prompted agriculturalists interested in protecting our environment to come up with ways to grow this sustainable fiber organically. Simple crop rotation, the use of natural enemies of the harmful insects, and organic fertilizers have made organic cotton a popular and lucrative crop. From 2003 to 2008, the production of organic cotton grew 22.7% and is expected to grow 15.5% in 2008 alone. To be deemed organic, no pesticides, nonorganic fertilizers, synthetic hormones, irradiation, antibiotics, or genetic engineering can be used in producing the crop. To insure that consumers are truly receiving an eco-friendly product, large producers must be inspected by a third party, USDA accredited agency to be certified organic.

On Kay's Needles

My sister's only son and his wife are expecting a baby boy this fall. Babies are a great reason to get knitting needles clicking! Most baby blanket patterns knit up a little too small for my liking. Even though I was itching to try the new Bebe Cotsoy or Pima Fresca we got in, I opted for Cascade 220 Superwash in a baby blue. Anything for a baby that is washable is doing the new mom a favor. My first attempt, I began knitting my design double stranded on US #13 needles, but about 1/3 way to being finished, I decided the knit fabric was too bulky. I was also using a lot of yarn, as I had already used two 100 gram balls. I unraveled my work and began again using a #8 US Addi Turbo circular and a single strand of the Cascade Superwash. The blanket has a 3 inch double moss stitch border all around with the main stitch pattern being a broken rib. I am so pleased at the delicacy of the smaller stitches - so much more baby like! The blanket will be warm from both the wool fiber and the all over texture, which will insulate. One more stitch pattern repeat and I will add the final border, using only 3 balls for a 29" x 32" blanket. In a few hours, Blake's Blanket will be ready to wrap for a baby shower.

Copyright 2008 Karen Mather