Rewards
Unique fibers are a wonderful thing.They test us, push us and make us fall right out of the box. Darn Good Yarn has many fibers that go beyond the basic yarns that we all grew up with.In a time gone by, texture, content and color were limited and we loved what we made as that was the limited choices we had. Worsted weight synthetics and synthetic wool blends are what most of us grew up with.
Today there are no boundaries with what we make and our infinite possibilities literally leave us with those a-ha moments every time we try something new. Your choice in fiber can really set the bar for your projects. Good as a decision maker, I can drown in choices when choosing fiber. No matter if I have a pattern, a colorway, or a friend's suggestion, I undoubtedly will spend hours touching, ogling, and calculating my choices. Whether beginner or tenured fiber artist, we try a new fiber. That simple, try a new fiber for your next project. How about something snuggly fun like the unicorn cotton above?
New to using fiber? Hooray and welcome to the addiction! Or have been using the same fibers for a long time because you love the feel, know how it works up and there are no surprises? In either scenario, it's time to journey where no man has gone before, to venture into the uncharted territories, to leap into the universe! Okay, maybe that is a bit overstated but let's you and I delve into the unknown.
Do you use fiber furs? Oh and let me clarify, we are not going out and killing animals to make our own fur! There are many types of fake fur fibers and here are choices of faux fur from etsy.com as we love supporting independent fiber sellers. Fur yarn is unusual and some might feel it may be too much of a bother. I'd like to suggest a few reasons why you want to use different fiber:
1.Outside the box! We are trying something beyond our comfort level, remember?
2.Pizazz! Trying new fibers is going to change your thinking about knitting and crocheting, no more ho hum knitting.
3.Style! Taking your basic scarf and using an outlandish fiber gives your scarf flair, and whether for yourself or for gifting, your creation is now making a statement.
4.Comfort! Some fur fibers are so unbelievably soft that you will want to make more than a scarf like maybe a throw just to snuggle right in on those cold and blustery days. Also, keep in mind that the reason the Arctic explorers had fur on their hoods was warmth. Not all fur yarns are warm, but many are!
5.Don't get too comfortable! I can't stress this enough. Remember? We are going outside the box and that is really what all unique fiber journeys are about! Going on the wild side!
What to make? The obvious choice would be a scarf. Scarfs can be as easy or as difficult or as easy as you want them to be. Choosing fur fiber to make it will create an accessory that is unique to you. Have you seen Nicole's arm knitting kit or how about the arm knitting pattern? Hmmm....I think I am having another A-Ha moment. How cool would it be to take some really crazy yarn or fur and knit a quick scarf with arm knitting?
Or how about this pattern that speaks to creating with fur and has a distinct fur look? Thanks to deliacreates.com for this amazing free pattern and remember your fiber creates the look. If you are not sure you want the really faux fur look, here are a grouping of fur-look scarf patterns courtesy of Lionbrand. Look how stylish these ladies look in their faux fur scarves and hats!
There are super cute hat ideas out there and if you want to make a statement, nothing says it better than a faux fur hat. Perhaps you want to create that look of Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago or just want that crazy wild attention getting hat! You could even take a hat you have and add a distinctive fur line! I'd take a look here at Pinterest for some variations of fur hat patterns. Snappytot.com offers a free, cute, fur-look hat pattern for the young child in your life or how about making a toque for your pet?
Slippers? Did you have a pair of those super fuzzy slippers as a kid? You know, the kind where it looked like you were wearing an animal on your feet except that they were glow-in-the-dark lime green? An excellent choice for a fashion statement today as wacky slippers are in vogue and can speak out about who you are. And with slippers, you can go really wacky because you don't HAVE to wear them out in public...however, you might just want to!
Or an afghan...furry, fuzzy, playful all sound really excellent for snuggling up with. Touching fuzzy and furry things feels good so why not try an afghan or throw? An afghan pattern found at ravelry.com is a great place to start with any exotic fiber. Remember that like a scarf, you can make an throw any size and you have way more flexible for needle size and what fiber to use.
In gathering my thoughts on fur yarn patterns, I have integrated this into my fur journey; some fibers may work better used doubled or in unison with another "anchor" fiber. The reason for this is that some of these fur fibers have inconsistent density and the anchor fiber will give your piece more integrity.
As I think more about this fur thing I know that there are so many possibilities. Like the evolution of yarn and fiber, the uses for it continue to grow and push against our typical expectations. Great ideas come from expanding our yarn products, our yarn ideas, our yarn creations. So what would you do? Where is your A-Ha moment?
These are some thoughts I've gathered on fur but hey, this is your journey so let me know what you have done, are doing, or want to do with your fur journey. If you are already making creations with faux fur, unicorn cotton, or other crazy fibers be sure to post them here in the comment of our blog, on our facebook page or sent them to our office email, info@darngoodyarn.com because the staff at Darn Good Yarn really love hearing from you and your A-Ha moment might lead to another and another and another so let's keep that creative joy flowing!
A-Ha!