Now that I’ve hopefully gotten you also hooked on knitting backwards (honestly, am I ever gonna purl again?), lets talk about joining a new ball of chenille yarn! Any way that you love to pull loops of yarn through other loops of yarn is perfectly perfect for you! ***disclaimer time! I know some people knit this way normally! There’s nothing wrong with knitting like this, I just know its the opposite of how many of my, likely English speaking readers tend to knit. And for me, that meant avoiding any tension differences between my knits and purls, helping to keep my stitches more consistent throughout the project.Ī visual is really required for a concept like knitting backwards, so I made a handy video for you to check out! That’s right, instead of turning your work at the end of a row, simply knit back the other way.īelieve it or not, I knit this entire stockinette blanket without actually purling a single stitch. This next tension tip is kinda crazy but hear me out. The “backwards loop cast on” would be an example of a cast on that is too loose for working with chenille. Just a bit more insurance against worming (when a loop pulls out long and twists around itself). I also made sure to go with a structured cast-on like “the long tail cast on.” A crochet equivalent to this would be a row of foundation double crochet or foundation single crochet rather than a typical chain. This ensured tight stitches that would be less prone to looking loopy or wonky if my tension was off a bit from stitch to stitch. The yarn I used in my blanket called for 12mm needles but I actually went with 9mm needles for my project. A quick way to make this part easier on yourself is to go down a couple needle sizes! This is sort of unforgiving for beginners who can struggle with even tension in their projects. So, when you work with this yarn, the stitch you make is the stitch you make…and the tension won’t necessarily even out over time. I actually think this feature is kind of fun, because I don’t need to keep a pair of scissors near by if I ever need to break (literally) the yarn. The core strings are brittle and prone to snapping right in half rather than stretching. You’ll know if you’ve ever pulled t00 tightly on two ends of chenille. When it comes to things like casting on and picking a gauge, it’s important to remember that this yarn does not have the same natural stretch to it as many wool yarns. With all of that “fun” stuff out of the way, let’s talk about actually working with this yarn! They can be dry-cleaned and/or very gently hand washed or spot washed while always laying flat to dry. All these things could cause those core fibers to stretch and lose their grip on the chenille fuzz. This means that anything that compromises the integrity of those core strands can cause the fluffy fibers to fall out! Making this otherwise cheap and cheerful yarn, actually quite fussy to care for. So the fiber you see is essentially teeny little bits of fringe held in place by some sturdy, core strands. What’s going on inside is that there are a few strands of string, tightly wound around each other, clasping onto that shiny chenille fuzz. You see a fuzzy, tubular yarn that looks kinda like a caterpillar. What makes chenille different is its construction. No, I needed something modern… something kitschy… something…seafoam! And that meant straying away from the typical, plied, woolen fibers that we think of when it comes to yarn. This one pairs perfectly with my new, modern corduroy couch that just didn’t vibe with any of my existing boho-style afghans. To demonstrate just how beautiful projects made in this yarn can turn out, we’ll be working on a basic, chunky knit throw blanket! (Who’s entire pattern is basically contained in the table below ?). So if you’re fed-up, with a pile of tangled chenille and no project, come along with me and I’ll share all the tips and tricks that I know for dealing with jumbo chenille yarn. Sometimes called blanket yarn or velvet yarn, loads of crafters, from beginner to advanced, love tackling all sorts of home décor projects, using this yarn, with (or without) hooks and needles!įor how many beginners this yarn attracts, it’s not without its challenges! Uneven tension… breaking yarn… shedding… and then, of course, how to join a new ball of yarn? I got you! The last thing I want is for that beautiful yarn that reeled you into crafting, to be the one thing that discourages you from continuing on in your knitting adventure. Every year, when the weather gets colder, the leaves change color, and jumbo chenille yarn starts popping up everywhere! You can hardly scroll through insta or tiktok without these luscious textures appearing on your feed.
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