Review: June Cashmere DK Yarn

Today, I'll be reviewing Cashmere DK yarn from June Cashmere. Disclaimer: I received this complimentary yarn in exchange for a review. I am not being paid to write this review and everything shared here is my real opinion. June Cashmere as a company is really interesting and worth reading about. Check them out!

When I received this review yarn in the mail, I was very excited. It is completely gorgeous and soft. Also, the lot for the colorway was 1! I've never had that happen before. Very cool. I was feeling old-school that day, so I even wound it by hand instead of using a winder. There were no snags in the hank at all, making winding no problem.

To be honest, I was concerned about one thing; I only had 50g of yarn to test with. As you may know, I am looking to improve my knitting skills. Crochet is my first and forever fiber love, but branching out into new territories is good for everyone. Plus, knitting illuminates my crochet skills and design ideas in new ways! Since knitting tends to use about 1/3 less yarn than crochet (on average), I decided that I had better knit with my precious June Cashmere in order to stretch it out.

The yarn and the project ended up being a heavenly match. I chose this fox scarf pattern, but I diverged from it quite a bit. I had exactly the right amount of yarn, with a touch leftover. The yarn was very pleasant to knit with and produced crisp stitches. I supplemented with some stash DK in the appropriate colors.

I don't think I could have chosen a better yarn for my fox scarflette if I'd tried. The color, Pumpkin, was spot-on. I totally adore the finished project. Usually, I would love to tell you about the alterations I made to a pattern as I worked it up. However, this time I just went with the flow. I practiced my knitting shaping in a very organic way and didn't write anything down.

Thank you to June Cashmere for letting me test their yarn. I unhesitatingly recommend it, especially for its rich colors and stitch definition. Maybe I can squeeze a tiny project out of the leftovers!

Schultertuch/Dreieckstuch aka Orchideeflower Shawl

Have you every crocheted with Knitpicks Chroma? They have such lovely colorways! I had been gazing longingly at Wondermint for a long time and finally decided to purchase it for myself. I'm so glad I did -- they are retiring it! What did I make with my precious Wondermint fingering weight yarn? A lovely shawl.

Such pretty colors! The pattern is a really great four row repeat that was very easy to memorize. Here it is on Ravelry. The original pattern is in German so I ended up using the chart. As other Ravelers suggested, I subbed in a ch 7 for the ch 10 loops and it came out very nice. I also added a simple single crochet border at the very end which I think ties everything together. I definitely recommend it as a great pattern for showing off a slow striping yarn. Thanks go out to my lovely husband Alex for helping me take pictures! Also, wow do I need a haircut or what?

I may end up vending at a craft fair this winter, but if I don't this shawl will eventually show up in my Etsy shop.

Remix Friday: Freeform Pillow

Hello, lovely readers! It's Friday once again and I'm so excited to show you this week's Remix Friday project. This remix was made by Akua Lezli Hope, a respected crochet designer and accomplished artist. Wait, you may say, I thought this was Remix Friday not Friday Focus! We're learning about a designer? Yes! Indeed. This remix is super special. Akua has crocheted a captivating object that was remixed from pieces of her own patterns. She incorporated aspects of nine different designs to make one awesome pillow. Cool, right?! It's got such magnificent texture. Check it out.

The Crocheter
I’m a creator who uses mainly fiber and words with a deep affection for glass, fire, and metal. I’m an award winning poet, a crochet designer, a handpapermaker, and the founder of a new paratransit nonprofit. When I was able bodied I also created kilncast, sandcast and flameworked glassworks. I just fell in love with straw and stick weaving and today my first peg loom arrived...
 
The Original Pattern
Lezli Paisley, Cat Spiral, Pretty Picot Paisley, Frost Flower, Swirling Square Motif, SunRays Shrug and more by Akua Lezli Hope

The Story
Every year Ravelry has a party for National Crochet Month and a group forms that sponsors a freeform crochet along where daily there is a new stitch or technique to try. This year I committed to finishing and making something for my home. Most of what I make is for others and my environment should share in the love. Why was my lovely yellow leather couch so bare? Well, no longer.

The Remix
Between the patterned motifs are total improvisation as well as an echoing effect that I call encasing, inspired by Ukrainian designer Lena Green. The motif is filled in and surrounded, making it easier to connect to other components and motifs. I like the echo encasing where the shape of the motif is replicated through ridged echoes.

Crochet is... creates profound joy

So sunny, so awesome! What a statement piece. Ready to learn more about Akua? Visit her on her blog, Etsy, and her website.