I have spent some time this morning doing research on the possible replacements. I want to knit the sweater over again, and make any necessary changes in the pattern to accommodate the new yarn.
Here are my choices so far. (Ignore the colors.) I hope you will give me some feedback and if you have a suggestion I would really appreciate it.
Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 ply:
PLUS: very close in terms of gauge, machine washable, good stitch definition
MINUS: Limited color choice
Rowan 4 ply Scottish Tweed:
PLUS: Great color choices, interesting texture (but will it be too much?)
MINUS: Hand wash
Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine:
PLUS: Machine washable, readily available, nice heathers
MINUS: A little finer gauge, will the fuzz hide the pattern?
Knitpicks Palette:
PLUS: Great Color choices, nice stitch definition, great price point
MINUS: a little too fine maybe, handwash
So what do you think?
9 comments:
Palette!
Palette seems like a great option!
My daughter is knitting a sweater with Rialto. She told me its her new favorite yarn. She said the stitch definition is amazing!
So excited you're writing the pattern up! I love it!
I would vote against palette and towards something a little thicker, b/c as you mentioned, one of the great things about doll clothes is that it's a super quick project. And I think machine washable is also really important. I think the DB is a good choice, Rowan cashsoft might also be similar.
One of the major deciding points for me in purchasing yarn is the amount of yardage I get for the price I pay.
Having said that, there is always exceptions to this. So here are my thoughts;
I like Debbie Bliss yarn. A lot. For the very reasons you point out. But this is where the above mentioned comes into play for me. It's got a bit of a price tag compared to the yardage you get. However, you mentioned that the project is for an American Doll sweater so this is where the "exception" might be in order. I don't imagine an American Doll sweater pattern would take a lot of yardage.
The Rowan Tweed looks like an awesome yarn. Tweeds are always fun and depending on the kind of sweater your making it just might be the thing. If the sweater is going to be dainty looking and feminine with stitch detail then I would probably pass on this yarn. But if the sweater is going to be rustic, simple and outdoors-y this yarn would be great. Again the above mentioned yardage/price comes into play as well as the "exception" thought.
The Berroco Ultra Alpaca is my choice. My reasons?You get good yardage for the price. Good color choice. The heathers will work with whatever style of sweater your making. Feminine, dainty, stitch detail as well as rustic, simple and outdoors (this is where I would think color choice comes into play). It offers versatility. Depending on the pattern, there just might be enough left over that one could make a little hat to go with the sweater and that appeals to me very much because I then have two projects for what I initially paid for one.
The Knitpicks Palette does have good color choice and it does have good stitch definition. You do get good yardage for the price. This is where the pattern would come into play, I would think, in deciding if this is the right yarn choice. Does it have color work in? Do you want to colors to pop? Thoughts of this yarn make me wonder if the project would take a long time to knit because it is a fine yarn. Hhhmmm....... something to think about.
I can say that I'm familiar with both the Berroco yarn and the Palette yarn, having used both before. I'm familiar with the Debbie Bliss Rialto yarn but not the Rowan Tweed. Tweeds are just such cool yarns and I would be very tempted to give it a try but, once again, that would depend on what kind of sweater I'd be making.
Anyway, these are the thoughts that come to my mind when I see the your yarn choices. Hope they help. I'm sure whatever you decide will be great because you've got a good eye for this sort of thing. I wish you the best of luck in deciding.
You know, I didn't bother to scroll down and see your previous post about the American Doll sweater pattern. Dummy me. Please forgive my ignorance. Seeing the pattern that you're trying to choose the yarn for, I will say that my thoughts are just the same. I'd go with the Berroce Ultra Alpaca.
Your pattern is very cute and it does have a vintage feel to that I think the heathered yarn would play up, if you know what I mean. I like what you did with the button band. Very well done. I'll bet you have a very happy little girl, who in turn, has a very happy American Doll.
Me too....Palette. All those color choices! And really not that hard to hand wash such a small item.
Thank you so much for you great suggestions.
I'm going with Palette, too. I have used it and it is quite easy to work with and very easy to care for. The colors can't be beat!
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