Tips from Crystal Palace Yarns - Straw Into
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Knitting with Crystal
Palace Cotton Chenille
What is Chenille?
The word "chenille" means caterpillar in
French. If you look at a furry caterpillar you can see why the name is
appropriate.
Chenille, is a style of yam that can be
made in any of a variety of fibers: cotton, rayon, acrylic, wool or silk. It
is not spun yarn, but it is made from fine yarns which are woven and then cut
apart to form the chenille structure. The style of pile in chenille can vary
from flat to round depending on how it is manufactured.
Minimizing Chenille Problems
Worming means a protrusion of a
stitch from the rest of the knitted fabric. This happens because there is a
high amount of twist put into the core yam during manufacturing to hold the
pile in place. There is also a fiber factor. Slippery fibers such as acrylic
and rayon chenille may have a much higher tendency to "worn" than cotton
chenille does. Knitting at a snug gauge helps, knitting very loose causes
worming. Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille is very resistant to worming
and you should not have any problems unless you are knitting at a very loose
gauge.
Biasing happens because the yarn
is twisted during manufacturing and the knitted fabric may slant or bias. A
few knitters may throw the yarn in a way that increases the twist. Experiment
with different stitches if you find your St st biases. Try knitting
continental style because it doesn't add more twist to an already twisted
yarn. Do not knit in the round if you show some bias in your st st since
it will increase the effect. Going back and forth minimizes bias. When going
from one skein to the next, work from different ends. Using different stitches
is a good solution (see the Sampler Vest
here).
Shedding is the release of bits of
pile from the core yarn. This happens when the pile is not held tightly enough
by the twist of the core yarn. To minimize shedding, some chenille yarns are
made with a special kind of core that, when heat-set, bonds with the pile
fibers. The structure of the center core is also a factor. There is a way of
weaving the core (sort of like a "leno" weave) which grips the yarns more
snugly and leads to less shedding. The Cotton Chenille from Crystal Palace
Yarns has this more stable center core.
Combining Chenille is a good way to make
your own novelty yarn. Combining Cotton Chenille with Waikiki makes a great
looking knit (see one easy combined pattern here).
If you want to try Cotton Chenille before
you start a large project - try our easy
cotton chenille washcloth
pattern.
Working with Chenille
Because chenille doesn't have much
elasticity, consider choosing a pattern that doesn't have a ribbing or work
the ribbing in a different yarn. Be careful not to make a small head or
armhole opening in chenille since it lacks stretch and can cause the yarn to
break if it has to be forced. A picot or lace edge is a nice finish on a
chenille garment. Use a tubular cast-on to make the edge more flexible.
(Notice the lace edge on the Chenille Bobble Sweater
here).
Knit tightly!! Go down two needle sizes
so that you lock the stitches in place. Steam the finished fabric to bring the
softness back. Seed stitch is a good pattern to use. A wide rib is attractive
for scarves.
Assemble your knit pieces with wool since
it has some stretch.
Conclusion
Chenille is a wonderful yarn. The
finished product is worth the extra effort!!
See our other Tips and How-to
Information here