Sheknits/Heknits – A KAL with Kristen and Konrad

Sometimes it is harder to take pictures than to knit a garment.

Every time I wanted to take the final pictures the weather was bad, no sun, sometimes rain. But every time the sun came out, I have no time for taking pictures. Annoying. But finally it worked.

Here are the pictures of the modified Pond. If you are interested what has been modified you may read it here.

Pond by knittingkonrad

Some advices for using Rowan Silkystones

Rowan describes this yarn as “a melange of toussah silk and linen”. It contains 52% silk and 48% linen.

Silk

Silk, as we know, is one of the strongest natural fibres but loses up to 20% of its strength when wet. Its elasticity is moderate to poor. It can be weakened if exposed to too much sunlight. It comes from the filaments spun by silkworms to form their cocoons. Silk has great insulation properties, and, like wool, it breathes and is comfortable next to the skin. Silk is very strong and can be spun into very fine yarn. Silk is nonresilient and can stretch. The careful cultivation and processing required for manufacture makes silk an expensive yarn. It is often blended with other fibres.

Linen (Flax)

Is one of the oldest known textile fibres, it is derived from the stem of the flax plant. Linen is sturdy and durable, and like cotton, is comfortable to wear in hot climates because it draws moisture away from the body. Is is also easily laundered and moth and perspiration resistent. But linen is also a heavy an nonresiliant fiber that can feel stiff, although it softens with repeated washing. It is usually spun into very fine yarns to compensate for its weight. Unlike cotton, linen is weaker when wet and prone to abrasion. Linen is usually blended with other fibres to offset this drawbacks.

From these facts you get the following rules to follow while working with Rowan Silkystones:

Knit a swatch and wash it carefully!
Block it, but do not stretch it!
Block your garment using the spray method!

Wash & Care your garment made with Rowan Silkystones, remember:

Silk has the tendency to lose dye when submerged in water!
Silk and Linen has the tendency to lose strength when wet!
Silk and Linen are nonresilient yarns!

How to wash your Rowan Silkystones garment?

My suggestions:

Be very gentle during the hand wash process!
Do not wring the garment out, just squeeze it!
To prevent leakage of colour when washing, put some salt in the water to help the colourfastness.
Wrap it in a towel to remove excess water but don’t roll it into the towel, just squeeze out the water, while the garment is lying flat!
Then lay it out flat easing the garment back into shape!

Rowan Silkystones tends to grow a bit. Knowing this you should think of

knitting and washing washing your swatch, before blocking it! (again)
Adding minimal or no ease to your body measurements and
if you want a snug fitting garment even negative ease!
Move over to Kristens blog and read about her experience finishing Margot using Rowan Silkystones!