One of my favorite things to do, is to combine yarns to create luscious fabrics. And then to turn those luscious combinations of yarns into divine sweaters!
I have been promising folks who are interested in knitting Ruth for our KAL, that I would offer suggestions and insight to creating Ruth out of a lighter weight yarn than Everyday.
Let's take a look...
Here are the ground rules:
Ruth Finished Chest Measurement
35.75 (40.5, 44.25, 48)(51.75, 55.5, 60.25)(64, 67.75, 71.5)”
The gauge for Ruth is 17 sts and 25 rows = 4”.
In order for your completed Ruth's dimensions to match those listed in the pattern, we must match the above gauge.
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Today, I am focusing on Wild Bloom, our blend of alpaca, silk, merino, and yak.
Using Wild Bloom on its own...
At Ruth's gauge, I think this yarn is too open.
An inspiring customer has used Wild Bloom multiple times to create Ruth. She has gone down a needle size and creates a fabric that is 20 st over 4" And she knits her Ruth a size larger than what she would normally wear, to account for the tighter gauge.
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In general, I prefer a slightly more substantial fabric, so I paired Wild Bloom with Reliquary, our lace-weight merino silk blend, and am loving the results. (To the point where I have considered setting my current Everyday Ruth aside to do this instead.) The hand is soft and silky with a lovely drape that would lend itself wonderfully to Ruth's shawl color.
On a US 6 needle, this is the gauge shown:
17.5 sts and 28 rows over 4"
If I were to choose this combination, though my swatch is a little bit tighter and smaller than the Ruth gauge, I would still choose the size 6 needle, knowing that the fabric will grow slightly due to the size of the piece, and that my gauge tends to loosen when I knit large pieces like a sweater.
To knit Ruth using this combination, you will need:
Wild Bloom 2 (2 3 3)(3 4 4)(4 4 4) skeins
Reliquary 1 (1 2 2)(2 2 2)(2 2 2) skeins
(I will continue with my current heavier Ruth, knowing that I need and will deeply enjoy a heavier sweater, but am definitely keeping this combination in mind for my next project.)
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Now for those of us who love farm yarns and to support U.S. wool...
I combined Wild Bloom with Flock. This also made a lovely fabric, that softened even more once blocked. This is heavier than the Reliquary / Wild Bloom swatch. It has more body and less drape. So I would choose this if I wanted a warmer sweater that will still be much lighter than the Everyday version.
On a US 6 needle, this is the gauge shown:
17.75 sts and 29 rows over 4"
To knit Ruth using this combination, you will need:
Wild Bloom 2 (2 3 3)(3 4 4)(4 4 4) skeins
Flock 3 (4 4 4)(5 5 6)(6 6 7) skeins
If I were to choose this combination, I would go up one needle size for a slightly more open fabric that would be closer to the Ruth gauge.
Not only is combining yarns fun because you are creating new fabrics, you can also create unique color combinations. Let's take a peek at a few options...
Katie, Sarah, and I each chose the above combinations, dreaming of the Ruth's we would make.
Left to Right:
Katie chose the vibrant flecks of Reliquary Sun-Dappled, printed with our home-grown marigold petals, paired with soft foggy grey Quartz Wild Bloom.
As the Cocoknits samples of Ruth are subdued neutrals, I am craving seeing it knit in a pop of color, so chose Reliquary in Vermillion and Wild Bloom in Lady Extravaganza.
And Sarah, subtle and serene as always, chose the combination of Reliquary in Barnacle and Wild Bloom in Rose Quartz.
TIP: When interviewing yarns to pair together, to see how well the colors go, we take a bit of each skein, and wrap them together around a white piece of paper.
Keep scrolling to see our results...
And hop over to the store to select your combination of yarns and colors of Wild Bloom, Reliquary, and Flock.
- Kristine
