I couldn’t possibly choose any one over the other, they are each very beautiful yarns, and so far I’ve found each base has its place. (A bit of nylon in a sock base keeps the toes and heels a lot warmer, for longer.) Thank you so much Melissa your Podcasts are always so interesting and jam packed with information! ❤️😁👍🏻
My favorite yarn is a heavy weight fingering and I like blends in fiber, silk or bamboo with anything. I prefer tonals, so blends create depth in colour. I do love how the Purl &Ply knitted up in your piece so I took a peek at their site. By the Sea was my fave.
I am jubilantbarbara on Ravelry and have spun and knit a 100% Qiviut neckwarmer. It is my favorite winter object. Look at it on my project page and expand the picture so you don't miss a speck of it. It looks like your fiber is already cleaned (all guard hairs removed). Cleaning my fiber was the most tedious and time-consuming part of this project. It is so soft and so warm and I absolutely love it. I was so happy to have made something so useful and use up every bit of the yarn. It is not a yarn you will be able to successfully rip out and reknit and still have it be as nice, so decide carefully what you want to knit. I hope you are as happy with your Quiviut as I am with mine. My Quiviut was a gift from my sister when she went to Alaska.
So happy to see you again!! I love your podcasts, very much!! I'm a very knitter beginner, so I try not to miss your podcast so I can learn even more on this wonderful world of yarn and needles, or hook!!! 🤗 see you soon!!!
Thank you for another enjoyable podcast Melissa. It’s so exciting that you will be sewing the knit together squares into a blanket soon ~ that’s a huge job! 🤗
Hi Louise! Yes!! I can't wait to lay them all out and see what it looks like. Organizing them will be fun and then deciding *how* to joint them . . . I think i may need some community input! I hope all is well with you!
Just discovered your podcast and really enjoyed it! I have squished Purl & Ply yarn at my LYS in Fort Worth and it is lovely! I love Bouquet, Rendezvous and their lovely soft tonals 😍 hmm yarn base definitely depends on the project but I really enjoy silk blends. A BFL base is nice too for a hardier sweater
Oh you lucky lady! I've not tried a BFL for a sweater . .. but now I'll be looking for a sweater quantity at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool this weekend--thanks for the tip!
I love that swanky elephant color you tested for your shawl; it is beautiful. I guess my favorite is fingering since there is so much you can do with it and I seem get mostly that. I mostly work with blends of wool, silk/bamboo; love the feel in either 2 or 3 ply.
Thanks for the fiber lessons! I can attest to qiviut’s extreme warmth. A knitting friend from Manitoba sent me some spun yarn about 10 years ago, from the Churchill area. I made it into a scarf and it is so warm I can only wear it when temps are in the single digits. It has worn well enough although it does pill a bit like pure cashmere. By the way some musk ox ranchers from Montana have been present at VK Live these past few years.
Oh, Musk Oxen in Montana??? I go out there backpacking every summer . . . sounds like an absolutely necessary side-trip, methinks! Thanks for the tip!! And I bet your scarf is beautiful. I love being warm in the winter!! ~Melissa
I went to Alaska a few years ago and went to a Muskox farm and the research center. Those animals are enormous. I got to buy some raw fiber not enough to spin and three skeins of muskox sock yarn. It had merino and nylon in it. The yarn was very expensive. So far I knit of of the skeins into socks. They are extremely warm. I also bought some lace weight yarn to knit a scarf. I think seeing the muskox was a highlight of my trip.
Oh how wonderful! So maybe you can answer our burning question: how do they smell? I love sheepy smells, but I'm not sure about musk oxen!! I love the idea of truly warm socks!
knittingthestash I don’t remember that they smelled. Not sleepy anyway. The musk ox did not like face to face with humans. One of our group did that even though he was warned and the musk ox charged the fence. No damage done
holy cow--I mean, musk oxen! I had the impression (from some videos) that they are not too keen on humans or combing . . . but they seem to put up with it under the right conditions. And THANK you for answering the question about smell :)
My favorite colorway is Walk in the Sand. For indie dyed yarn I'm torn, I love fingering weight yarn but for really fun yarns I tend to gravitate towards larger yarns like worsted or aran weight. I always want a base with something special though... cashmere is the way to my heart. Merino nylon cashmere makes me very happy as well.
Violent Pink...I love the name and the deep color for what they call a “non-Barbie” pink! As for bases, I’d enjoy worsted and heavier...there are lots of fingering and sock choices out there for shawls, socks, and lighter sweaters, but I’d love a thick bulky sweater made with these beautiful colors
Hello Joy! I will be announcing this on Episode 42: you are the winner of one skein from Purl & Ply! Please send your mailing address to me at knittingthestash@gmail.com Congrats and thanks again for an excellent test knit :) ~Melissa
I like wool blends that use rare breed or breeds not typical in the market, also blended with cotton, or bamboo or silk so that i can wear my garments in spring and summer and all year
Love your podcasts! Informational, educational, great recommendations and just enough “chit chat”. 😊 Just dreaming about how amazing that qiviut must be...never heard of it. Can’t wait to see what you make! For the giveaway: way too difficulty to choose one color way, so I have to say Sweet Pea, Walk in the Sand and Ghost Ranch. 😁
For the giveaway I love the Bouquet colorway! So pretty! In June we were in Alaska, in Anchorage. Went to the yarn shop called Wooly Mammouth. They had a beautiful array of Alaskan yarns. On one wall was a glass fronted case with a large number of skeins. The owner asked if I had heard of qiviut. I had not and so she unlocked the cabinet and showed me. I picked up a skein and turned it over and it said $236 for 50 grams. I asked her if I read that right...anyway it was, like you said, so very soft! Not surprised the cabinet was locked. But I had to put it back ... How lucky to get some fiber to spin! Can't wait to see what you make.
Oh my! Your description of the glass case is just too much! I know what you mean about the sticker shock . . . I very gently laid down the skein I was holding and took a few steps back! lol
Hi! Great episode as always. It was really interesting to hear a little bit about musk oxen. Also, your shawl is beautiful. It is really showing off that beautiful colorway from Purl and Ply. I think either the Swanky Elephant or the Bouquet colorways are my favorite. As for bases from indie dyers, I like single ply fingering for shawls and plied DK, usually for hats. And a good BFL or Targhee for socks.
I really love the pistachio macaroon colorway by purl and ply as well as secret garden. As far as bases I think my favorite would be ones with yak and silk in them. I don’t really work with single ply. But yak and silk get me every time.
For sure you should knit a hat with that hologram. It would look so good on you. That and bouquet are my favorite. But omg the violent pink is awesome!
I prefer sock yarn weight yarn since I live in the AZ desert and anything too heavy isn't wearable most of the year. I like the stitch definition of a plied yarn with a nice twist. I don't trust single plies to be durable enough. I love yarn with a bit of silk it adds interest in the color and texture. Wool, Blends of wool and cotton or bamboo are always nice.
Cottagecraftangora has lots of Qiviut products, knitwear, yarn & rovings at very reasonable prices. The 100% Qiviut roving is only $48.50 Canadian dollars for 30 grams. They have been in business for over 11 years now just processing Qiviut. It's an amazing fiber, wonderfully soft.
There are musk ox at Highland Wildlife Park...I wonder if they ever brush them!?!? 🤔 they also have 4 polar bears ...I bet they have warm undercoat but definitely not brushable without losing a hand lol
Hello. I love your podcast. I always learn something. The Purl&Ply colors I love are High Tide and Memories. As for bases I like single ply, but also MCN bases, depending on what I’m knitting.
Paper heart is my favorite color way. I have only tried worsted, but I am really wanting to try DK from all the people I have read or listened to it sound lovely.
re: P&P giveaway (if still open): I like Ghost Ranch and First Kiss but then I saw Paper Heart... yum yum. As for base, I've actually never purchased from an indie dyer, so I couldn't tell you from that perspective. I'm a spinner. I certainly like wool; I'm not a fan of superwash-- don't like how it feels on my fingers. But I love most wool bases otherwise. I'd probably go for fingering weight because I can't yet spin that fine myself.
I would love to know how your qiviut spinning goes. My mom recently took a trip to Alaska and bought a couple of ounces of it for me. She hasn't brought it to me yet (we are in different states) so I haven't had a chance to play. I was figuring I would combine it with some merino or something as well.
I LIKE THE ROMANTIC GETAWAY COLORWAY AT THEIR SHOP AND ALSO I LIKE WORKING WITH DK WEIGHT DUE TO IT WORKS UP FASTER FOR SWEATERS AND SHAWLS MARY GALLANT
Hi Melissa! I prefer plied yarns that are 100% non superwash wool in fingering to DK. The romantic getaway is really pretty! Thanks for the chance to win some yarn!
Great selection! I totally go for the non-SW for any garments I make. I love a bit of SW for socks and the dyes are kind of incredible on the base, I must say . . .
Fingering weight is my go-to weight for all the projects! I love finding indie dyers who have non-superwash wool bases. I know that non-superwash wool doesn't take dyes the same way as superwash, but I love it anyway!
Hi! I really love your podcast. Maybe you've already talked about this in another episode and I missed it, but I would love to know how you get so much knitting done. I love to knit but I am so slow at it! Any tips or tricks?
So fun to catch up with you. Loved learning more about Musk ox. And according to your hubby below, sounds like you’ll be getting one soon 😂 have a great time at Wisconsin sheep and wool and the competition! What fun!
Thanks, Rachel! It was fun seeing you on the 3 Ply Podcast episode! I hope you had fun at Stitches!! And when I get that Musk Oxen, I'll have to invite you down for a visit ;)
I love Weekend Getaway!!! It’s such a gorgeous colorway I’m in love :) Btw off topic your podcast is one of my favs, I always learn something new about fiber and yarn which is so important to me 💕
Hi Jo--all self taught thanks to good RUclips videos and some Crafsty classes. I read a LOT of knitting books and I have a Spinners and Weavers Guild in town for any 1-1 help I might need. The community has been such a wonderful resource. How about you?
@@knittingthestash I learned to knit when I was 9 years old in 4-H. I remember some neat projects but some that were "required" to do that were never used. I took up knitting in 2009 again after a 18 year hiatus. When I took it up again, I had no idea how much more there was to llearn.
I couldn’t possibly choose any one over the other, they are each very beautiful yarns, and so far I’ve found each base has its place. (A bit of nylon in a sock base keeps the toes and heels a lot warmer, for longer.)
Thank you so much Melissa your Podcasts are always so interesting and jam packed with information! ❤️😁👍🏻
Aww, thanks, Michelle! And I completely agree a different base for every project!
I like non superwash BFL DK. I used quivet once after a trip to Alaska, so soft and warm!
Yes to non-SW BFL! And I'm so curious: what dod you make with your yarn??
knittingthestash I made a lacy scarf and boot toppers.
wow, that p&p swanky elephant color is amazing!
:)
My favorite yarn is a heavy weight fingering and I like blends in fiber, silk or bamboo with anything. I prefer tonals, so blends create depth in colour. I do love how the Purl &Ply knitted up in your piece so I took a peek at their site. By the Sea was my fave.
The Weekend Getaway colorway is beautiful!! Love your podcast!
Thanks, Anissa!
I am jubilantbarbara on Ravelry and have spun and knit a 100% Qiviut neckwarmer. It is my favorite winter object. Look at it on my project page and expand the picture so you don't miss a speck of it. It looks like your fiber is already cleaned (all guard hairs removed). Cleaning my fiber was the most tedious and time-consuming part of this project. It is so soft and so warm and I absolutely love it. I was so happy to have made something so useful and use up every bit of the yarn. It is not a yarn you will be able to successfully rip out and reknit and still have it be as nice, so decide carefully what you want to knit. I hope you are as happy with your Quiviut as I am with mine. My Quiviut was a gift from my sister when she went to Alaska.
Thanks for all of the great advice, Barbara! I'm looking forward to this spin and knit!!
Thanks for your great podcast Melissa. I enjoy a non superwash and many different breeds. A B.F.L is great. The frolic colourway is my favourite :)
I like a BFL base in a sport or DK weight.
Thanks, Patsy!
So happy to see you again!! I love your podcasts, very much!! I'm a very knitter beginner, so I try not to miss your podcast so I can learn even more on this wonderful world of yarn and needles, or hook!!! 🤗 see you soon!!!
Thanks, Lili! It's so nice to meet you! Let me know what kinds of things you'd like to learn and I'll do my best to work up some videos!
Thank you for another enjoyable podcast Melissa. It’s so exciting that you will be sewing the knit together squares into a blanket soon ~ that’s a huge job! 🤗
Hi Louise! Yes!! I can't wait to lay them all out and see what it looks like. Organizing them will be fun and then deciding *how* to joint them . . . I think i may need some community input! I hope all is well with you!
It will be really exciting to put them together. Thank you, I'm well, back at work so limited knitting time, but I grab every moment I can!
Just discovered your podcast and really enjoyed it! I have squished Purl & Ply yarn at my LYS in Fort Worth and it is lovely! I love Bouquet, Rendezvous and their lovely soft tonals 😍 hmm yarn base definitely depends on the project but I really enjoy silk blends. A BFL base is nice too for a hardier sweater
Oh you lucky lady! I've not tried a BFL for a sweater . .. but now I'll be looking for a sweater quantity at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool this weekend--thanks for the tip!
I prefer a yarn base with a bit of cashmere and or silk, for that EXTRA specialness!
always!
Love Swanky Elephant!! The base for me depends on the project
Thanks, Karol!
I love that swanky elephant color you tested for your shawl; it is beautiful. I guess my favorite is fingering since there is so much you can do with it and I seem get mostly that. I mostly work with blends of wool, silk/bamboo; love the feel in either 2 or 3 ply.
I love the love potion color way from purl and ply. I love purple too 😍 as usual great episode. Thanks!!
Thanks for the fiber lessons! I can attest to qiviut’s extreme warmth. A knitting friend from Manitoba sent me some spun yarn about 10 years ago, from the Churchill area. I made it into a scarf and it is so warm I can only wear it when temps are in the single digits. It has worn well enough although it does pill a bit like pure cashmere. By the way some musk ox ranchers from Montana have been present at VK Live these past few years.
Oh, Musk Oxen in Montana??? I go out there backpacking every summer . . . sounds like an absolutely necessary side-trip, methinks! Thanks for the tip!! And I bet your scarf is beautiful. I love being warm in the winter!! ~Melissa
I went to Alaska a few years ago and went to a Muskox farm and the research center. Those animals are enormous. I got to buy some raw fiber not enough to spin and three skeins of muskox sock yarn. It had merino and nylon in it. The yarn was very expensive. So far I knit of of the skeins into socks. They are extremely warm. I also bought some lace weight yarn to knit a scarf. I think seeing the muskox was a highlight of my trip.
Oh how wonderful! So maybe you can answer our burning question: how do they smell? I love sheepy smells, but I'm not sure about musk oxen!! I love the idea of truly warm socks!
knittingthestash I don’t remember that they smelled. Not sleepy anyway. The musk ox did not like face to face with humans. One of our group did that even though he was warned and the musk ox charged the fence. No damage done
holy cow--I mean, musk oxen! I had the impression (from some videos) that they are not too keen on humans or combing . . . but they seem to put up with it under the right conditions. And THANK you for answering the question about smell :)
My favorite colorway is Walk in the Sand.
For indie dyed yarn I'm torn, I love fingering weight yarn but for really fun yarns I tend to gravitate towards larger yarns like worsted or aran weight. I always want a base with something special though... cashmere is the way to my heart. Merino nylon cashmere makes me very happy as well.
yes to cashmere!
Violent Pink...I love the name and the deep color for what they call a “non-Barbie” pink! As for bases, I’d enjoy worsted and heavier...there are lots of fingering and sock choices out there for shawls, socks, and lighter sweaters, but I’d love a thick bulky sweater made with these beautiful colors
Thanks, Joy!
Hello Joy! I will be announcing this on Episode 42: you are the winner of one skein from Purl & Ply! Please send your mailing address to me at knittingthestash@gmail.com Congrats and thanks again for an excellent test knit :) ~Melissa
Thank you for the great information on qiviut. I am always interested in all the various fibers to be creative with. I enjoy working with DK yarn.
Thanks so much, Darcy!
Can't choose a colour they are soooo beautiful, I like to work with singles yarn , but each have their qualities for different projects.
Yes, great point, Davina! A different base can be ideal depending on the project!
I like wool blends that use rare breed or breeds not typical in the market, also blended with cotton, or bamboo or silk so that i can wear my garments in spring and summer and all year
My husband gave me a paper about Musk Ox last year! Ooohhhhh you are so lucky to have some🤗 I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
It's pretty wild to have it just sitting there waiting to be spun up. Now, if only my nerves would calm down enough for me to actually spin some! lol
Love your podcasts! Informational, educational, great recommendations and just enough “chit chat”. 😊
Just dreaming about how amazing that qiviut must be...never heard of it. Can’t wait to see what you make!
For the giveaway: way too difficulty to choose one color way, so I have to say Sweet Pea, Walk in the Sand and Ghost Ranch. 😁
Sweet Pea was totally on my list as well! And, thank you, Julie!
For the giveaway I love the Bouquet colorway! So pretty!
In June we were in Alaska, in Anchorage. Went to the yarn shop called Wooly Mammouth. They had a beautiful array of Alaskan yarns. On one wall was a glass fronted case with a large number of skeins. The owner asked if I had heard of qiviut. I had not and so she unlocked the cabinet and showed me. I picked up a skein and turned it over and it said $236 for 50 grams. I asked her if I read that right...anyway it was, like you said, so very soft! Not surprised the cabinet was locked. But I had to put it back ... How lucky to get some fiber to spin! Can't wait to see what you make.
Oh my! Your description of the glass case is just too much! I know what you mean about the sticker shock . . . I very gently laid down the skein I was holding and took a few steps back! lol
Hi! Great episode as always. It was really interesting to hear a little bit about musk oxen.
Also, your shawl is beautiful. It is really showing off that beautiful colorway from Purl and Ply. I think either the Swanky Elephant or the Bouquet colorways are my favorite.
As for bases from indie dyers, I like single ply fingering for shawls and plied DK, usually for hats. And a good BFL or Targhee for socks.
Thanks so much! Good choices on the colors--I think all of them would knit up well, but that Swanky Elephant is something else!
Just found you through 3 ply podcast....lovely podcast! I Love combo of pinks & purples.....my favorite......DK is my most favorite weight!
Thanks, Mary! Those ladies are great, aren't they?
I really love the pistachio macaroon colorway by purl and ply as well as secret garden. As far as bases I think my favorite would be ones with yak and silk in them. I don’t really work with single ply. But yak and silk get me every time.
Oh yes to yak!
For sure you should knit a hat with that hologram. It would look so good on you. That and bouquet are my favorite. But omg the violent pink is awesome!
Thanks, Sue! Hat coming right up! Great color choices :)
Loving that Paper Heart colorway and would love to see it on a sport weight yarn.
Oh good idea!
I prefer sock yarn weight yarn since I live in the AZ desert and anything too heavy isn't wearable most of the year. I like the stitch definition of a plied yarn with a nice twist. I don't trust single plies to be durable enough. I love yarn with a bit of silk it adds interest in the color and texture. Wool, Blends of wool and cotton or bamboo are always nice.
all great suggestions and ideas! Thanks!
Cottagecraftangora has lots of Qiviut products, knitwear, yarn & rovings at very reasonable prices. The 100% Qiviut roving is only $48.50 Canadian dollars for 30 grams. They have been in business for over 11 years now just processing Qiviut. It's an amazing fiber, wonderfully soft.
Thanks for the tip, Beverly!
There are musk ox at Highland Wildlife Park...I wonder if they ever brush them!?!? 🤔 they also have 4 polar bears ...I bet they have warm undercoat but definitely not brushable without losing a hand lol
laughing so hard about the polar bears, Liz! Thanks!! ;)
I like merino and cashmere. Is it a favorite? I don’t know; I have more to try!
ohhhh cashmere!
I like Romantic Getaway. Actually, love all with purples. I'm just made a quilt with purples and green. Yarn looks yummy.
Oh that quilt sounds beautiful. I am a vicarious quilter and LOVE looking at finished projects :)
Hello. I love your podcast. I always learn something.
The Purl&Ply colors I love are High Tide and Memories. As for bases I like single ply, but also MCN bases, depending on what I’m knitting.
Great choices and thanks so much, Virgene!!
Paper heart is my favorite color way. I have only tried worsted, but I am really wanting to try DK from all the people I have read or listened to it sound lovely.
Hi Cindi! A good DK is so versatile and great for garments and accessories . . . totally agree!
I love MCN fingering ! Swanky Elephant gets my vote ! (so versatile). Hope I win prize!
Thanks, Elizabeth!
re: P&P giveaway (if still open): I like Ghost Ranch and First Kiss but then I saw Paper Heart... yum yum. As for base, I've actually never purchased from an indie dyer, so I couldn't tell you from that perspective. I'm a spinner. I certainly like wool; I'm not a fan of superwash-- don't like how it feels on my fingers. But I love most wool bases otherwise. I'd probably go for fingering weight because I can't yet spin that fine myself.
Gasp! Did you see "Violent Pink" from P&P???!!!! That and the "Vary the Gate" pattern would be stunning.
Yes. oh yes, that colorway was on my list for sure!!
I like Secret Garden. Very pretty colorway. My favorite yarn to knit with is 4 ply 75% SW Merino Wool and 25% Nylon. Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks, Marsha!
I would love to know how your qiviut spinning goes. My mom recently took a trip to Alaska and bought a couple of ounces of it for me. She hasn't brought it to me yet (we are in different states) so I haven't had a chance to play. I was figuring I would combine it with some merino or something as well.
I LIKE THE ROMANTIC GETAWAY COLORWAY AT THEIR SHOP AND ALSO I LIKE WORKING WITH DK WEIGHT DUE TO IT WORKS UP FASTER FOR SWEATERS AND SHAWLS MARY GALLANT
My favorite base is dk/worsted :)
such a good, versatile weight, I think!
Hi Melissa! I prefer plied yarns that are 100% non superwash wool in fingering to DK. The romantic getaway is really pretty! Thanks for the chance to win some yarn!
Great selection! I totally go for the non-SW for any garments I make. I love a bit of SW for socks and the dyes are kind of incredible on the base, I must say . . .
Fingering weight is my go-to weight for all the projects! I love finding indie dyers who have non-superwash wool bases. I know that non-superwash wool doesn't take dyes the same way as superwash, but I love it anyway!
Hi! I really love your podcast. Maybe you've already talked about this in another episode and I missed it, but I would love to know how you get so much knitting done. I love to knit but I am so slow at it! Any tips or tricks?
Sounds like a great podcast segment to me--maybe in the next episode? :) Thanks for your message, too, I really appreciate your kind words!
@@knittingthestash that would be amazing, thanks! :)
So fun to catch up with you. Loved learning more about Musk ox. And according to your hubby below, sounds like you’ll be getting one soon 😂 have a great time at Wisconsin sheep and wool and the competition! What fun!
Thanks, Rachel! It was fun seeing you on the 3 Ply Podcast episode! I hope you had fun at Stitches!! And when I get that Musk Oxen, I'll have to invite you down for a visit ;)
I love Weekend Getaway!!! It’s such a gorgeous colorway I’m in love :)
Btw off topic your podcast is one of my favs, I always learn something new about fiber and yarn which is so important to me 💕
Thanks so much, Nicole! And your color choice is spot on--love that one!
I like fingering and DK most. I think I need a skein of Bouquet or Message in a Bottle.
I'll start checking Craigslist for a musk ox. You seem to really like them :)
bring me the musk oxen!
I’ve been really into DK weight Merino lately!
It is hard to choose a base. It always depends on what project I am going to make.
Absolutely!
I am a new viewer. How did you learn to knit?
Hi Jo--all self taught thanks to good RUclips videos and some Crafsty classes. I read a LOT of knitting books and I have a Spinners and Weavers Guild in town for any 1-1 help I might need. The community has been such a wonderful resource. How about you?
@@knittingthestash I learned to knit when I was 9 years old in 4-H. I remember some neat projects but some that were "required" to do that were never used. I took up knitting in 2009 again after a 18 year hiatus. When I took it up again, I had no idea how much more there was to llearn.
Are you taking the prison bus to camp out? I know it still needs work but it's looking really good.
Ha! We thought about it, but with gas prices, we decided to make the drive in the little car--maybe next time!!
Favorite base is fingering. I’m a sock girl lol