Stolen From Abigail: "The Best XKCD Cartoon Ever is the Best XKCD Cartoon Ever" -- AND Actual Knitting Content (No Joke!)

 From here.

P.S. If the full cartoon is cut off, you can either click it to make it bigger (thereby making it bigger, haha) or click the link for the cartoon at the original site. (I was having some problems with the formatting and in my previews it seems to be cut off on the right side.)

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Finally the tendinitis has eased enough (of course, because I have a P.T. appointment at oh-dark-thirty tomorrow morning) that I have been able to do some knitting. I've done a teeny bit on my mother's Shetland sweater, but that's still a bit painful, so I've gone more for the softer and easier option -- the Calmer sweater -- and great progress has been made.

I'm about at the place where I need to figure out what to do with the v-neck. 

I've even done some swatching. Please note, you are on the RIGHT BLOG -- yes indeed, the anti-swatcher has actually swatched. Mark your calendar.

This is the second attempt, and though I have not yet figured out exactly what I want to do with that damn V, I have learned what NOT to do, so that's something.

I also reminded myself of something else really important:  I love Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool yarn. I discovered this years ago, and panicked when the rumor was that they were going to discontinue it. I bought up enough (more than enough) for making a sweater at that time, literally for a song (and if you've ever heard me sing, you know how CHEAP that is!), when it was on sale at JoAnn. 

It has sat untouched, in a plastic bag, all this time. I pulled it out the other day to swatch that basketweave scarf sample, and picked it up to continue to try to figure out this v-neck. Yarn snobs, cover your eyes: That is NICE yarn, and so cheap. I wonder if it pills something awful, but I don't care. I'm determined to make a sweater out of it. It knits up soooo nicely, and flows over the fingers like butter. Once we become yarn snobs, we forget these things. And sometimes the snobby super-expensive yarn turns out to be nothing but expensive, saggy, stretched out, pilly crap that did nothing but eat a hole in your retirement account. (Right, Sandy?)

There is even an Aran sweater pattern on the damn ball band, and it looks like a nice one (though it takes a high-power microscope to read it). I'm going to make it. Screw the snobs!

Comments

[Sheila]

Can't believe I'm the first to comment. Huh.

I love the fisherman's wool, too. So far I've made a dog sweater, socks, mittens (lined with alpaca, sooo warm), slippers, and leg warmers. I'm thinking I might try dying some next and if it turns out alright I might make the Every Way Wrap from Interweave in it. I find after a couple of washings it's nice and soft. At least the white stuff is.

I'm only a snob in that I won't ever knit anything in polyester. And that's because that is all I used when my kids were small and I couldn't afford anything else. But that's just my personal preference and not meant to offend anyone who uses polyester.

[Nora]

I love xkcd. I haven't seen the Fishermen's wool. I did pick up a couple of skeins of Lion Brand Alpine Wool a while back for dirt cheap, simply because I was intrigued, and I've always thought the Paton's merino is extremely serviceable and holds up far better than some of the more precious yarns.

[Adelaide]

I heard that same rumor and bought up a lot of the fisherman yarn, too. It is great yarn and it dyes very nicely (at least it did for me).

Is there anyway to tell about pilling before you knit? I've been very disappointed in the past and it doesn't seem to matter if the yarn is expensive or inexpensive.

[Mary Fran]

I'm as yarn snobby as the rest of them, and was also quite happy knitting an afghan with some Lion Brand that was destashed to me. The thing about knitting - there's no tag telling anyone what yarn you used. So if it feels nice and knits up nice, who cares?

As for the V-neck - have you tried an overlapping placket at the bottom? I'm never happy with where the V comes together, I think if you have one lay over the other it might looks nice. Just a thought.

[margene]

OK, I'm a snob. I have never touch Lion Brand and plan to in the future. The biggest reason...I'm knitting through the already acquired stash. You are becoming quite the designer. It make take 5-6 tries to find what works, but you will.

[Brenda]

I read that xkcd cartoon the other day and thought it was great. I haven't tried the yarn you mentioned so I can't comment on the pilliness (is that a word?), but I may pick it up and touch it next time I'm in Joann's.

[Becky]

I was a yarn snob until I began rediscovering that a lot of economical choices are just as good as those that are more expensive. Like everyone else who is connected in any way to the outside world, I have been the victim of advertising. You know, spend more(for whatever reason)because it's better (for whatever reason). I have read that the degree of pilling is related to the yarn's softness. True? Or does it have something to do with the fiber's length or how it is spun?

[Joannah]

Am I a yarn snob? Oh, probably. Sure. Why not? It's a dirty job, put someone's got to do it. On the other hand, I only shop the sales, which makes me a cheap-yarn-snob.

[sandy]

Oh, you said it, missy! Horrible, horrible overpriced yarn that pills like a mofo a month after wearing should be OUTLAWED!
You know what other peon yarn I love? Geez, I cannot remember the name of it. But I DO love it. I'll come back later to shout out the name when it finally comes to me! :/

[AnnaMarie]

As much as I love my silks and camel and merino for spinning I adore my shetlands for knitting. I think it's because I can add enough twist to my spinning to make the yarns work for knitting and not pill, unlike commercial stuff that is more loose. That reminds me..... need to peruse the Harrisville site so I know what cones I want at NH S&W.

[Vicki]

You could probably find a Large Print edition of that Aran sweater pattern on the Lion Brand site.
XO

[gayle]

I'm a big fan of xkcd. It's the leading cause of coffee spewing on the keyboard...

I think you'll be happier if you cross those two stitches where the base of the V splits - it'll tighten up the start so you don't get a stress gap.

[Judy]

Love the calmer and that blue color is fantastic! Love it!!!!

[Cheryl S.]

I actually LOOKED for Fisherman's wool when I was at Jo-Anns buying some fabric a few days ago. Sadly, they had none.

[kmkat]

Okay, you are the THIRD blogger in the past couple weeks to sing the praises of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool yarn; Erika and Mel were the first two. I need to investigate that yarn, methinks.

I have XKCD in my Google Reader -- love it!

[marie in florida]

thanks for saying something nice about Lion Brand, i've been using their yarns all my life. ps, xkcd is even more funny to me, cuz i had to look up the meaning of the word tautology ; but only once.

[sandy]

Plymouth Encore!!!!! (shouted out of context to everything going on around her!)

[Elizabeth Durand]

Norma, you can take that pattern and photocopy it at 200% and voila! legible!

[Jessica]

Heh heh heh. Tautology club was pretty funny, but this xkcd comic made me name my cat Sudo... http://xkcd.com/149/

[Jenn]

Nothing wrong with Fishermans Wool. Lion Brand has even brought out some new colorways. There's a chocolate-y brown that I really like.

And definitely go to their website for a more legible version of the aran pattern.

[karin maag-tanchak]

I have tendonitis in my arm too and it is killing me! Good luck with your appointment.

[Sally Weiner]

I love the Fisherman yarn also. I got mine at Michaels.

Just want you to know you have me hooked on the Red Scarf project. Am always telling knitters about it. Thanks.

[Tish]

I have (more than) enough of the LBFW natural to make a replacement for an Irish fisherman sweater my dad got me back in HS that is now rather moth eaten. I also made one of my (not so) red scarf sweaters in a Meandering Rib (free LB patt) in the dark brown and natural marl- soft and beautiful (and I plan to knit a sock monkey with the leftovers). I often use my 40% off Michael's coupons for a skein of Fisherman's wool. Love it.

[elizabeth a airhart]

lion brand has cashmere at 14 dollars

i would cross over the v neck vote for that

well i am off to see the wizard
harry potter turned me down

good night

[Elizabeth]

I have resolved to knit only basic basic pure wool from now on. No more getting lured into the lovely alpaca, bamboo etc. I want memory - not drape!. Who thought drapey knits were a good idea anyway?
And not too irresistably soft to begin with - that is the sign of a sure pill.

[Jess]

Hi, I'm Jess from Lion Brand. I wanted to thank you for your kind and honest words on Fishermen's Wool. Also, I believe the pattern you're referencing is our Knitted Aran Sweater, which can be found online here: http://bit.ly/aa7QDo If you prefer to work with cable charts, you can try our Inishturk Sweater pattern: http://bit.ly/c9JRxV

Again, thanks for the kind words, and have a great day.

With warm regards,
Jess
Lion Brand

[Charlotte]

Funny, I was just signing into the comments to say that there was another really nice-looking cable sweater on the Lion Brand website. And it's the Inishturk pattern mentioned above. I've got my Fisherman's Wool all picked out for it--just have to get brave and cast on! I've used the Fisherman's Wool for a few things and really like it. It also takes dye very nicely and softens up after being washed.