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Which Base?

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A very important question. If you were making this cardigan

Image of a white cardigan with pattern of medium sized diamonds separated by lace holes.
Gemma cardigan, pattern by IamLankadesigns

with this yarn color

Picture of yarn dyed in a variety of cinnamon and cream shades.
Sandbar yarn by Terrapin Fiberworks, available for preorder

for Austin, TX, where 90F is pleasantly warm, which of these yarn bases would you go for?

Picture of the same yarn dye pattern as above on a variety of skeins.
Yarn bases available from Terrapin Fiberworks

I know they are calling is Sandbar, but this reads fall to me. Cinnamon coffee and pumpkin pie and warm on a chilly day. <– wishful thinking, there are very few chilly days in Austin during our very short fall.

This is my big reward to myself for finishing The Inheritance and the yarn is pricy, so I don’t want to stumble. The pattern calls for sport, but I’m thinking maybe DK weight.

What do you think?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I’d have to vote for the Harbor as I love organic, and the cotton/linen blend would look great with this pattern! And congratulations and yay for finishing The Inheritance!

  2. Just do it in DK. I knit a lot of tops in sport/DK and it works as long as you swatch wearables. Though with crochet it’s easier to make it work.

    This might be weird depending on how it pools. Have you looked at how the cardigan looks with variegated yarn? I think you should go for it personally. If you hate how the yarn looks it will be awesome for the Gemini top from knitty (made 3x use super stretchy bind off and it’s lovely). Knitty has all free patterns and they’re sorted by difficulty

    https://knitty.com/ISSUEss12/PATTgemini.php

    If you are still trying to do socks search knitty for their two at a time. They have a formula and it works for any yarn type. I use german short rows because I can’t wrap and turn.

  3. Those yarns look like all the same color to me. My answer would be none of those. Anything other than a solid color would obscure the original diamond pattern (which is exquisite) or even possibly make the gaps seem uneven. I would go with a solid cream or another solid color.

  4. DK for me. This is an open work pattern, so DK. I love working with silk. Finished a shawl last fall in silk and feels wonderful and was a dream to knit. I like Chesapeake because it has more depth (I think), but unless I have the yarn in my hand to examine it – cannot be sure.

  7. Do you want an all cotton sweater? If you do, I think the Sandy Point sport would be nice. Personally, with your weather in mind, I think the Harbor cotton-linen might be more wearable.

    Also, how much do you want the pattern to pop? I was thinking the less textured yarn was my favorite, but then I saw the green (muted neon green? Lizard green?) between what I think are your color and the moss green version and I liked the way the texture worked out, so maybe a boucle?

    Whatever you pick, I’m sure it will come out lovely.

  8. I wouldn’t suggest doing DK unless you’re going to make any mods to the pattern simply because it
    will mess up your stitch count. If you don’t want do their sport weight, then I would do their heavy fingering and go up a hook size. The heavy fingering would be the closest to the sport weight plus it’ll still give you some gorgeous drape.

  9. You can use whatever gauge yarn you want with that pattern, and I think DK is great for a temperate weather sweater. Do a gauge swatch, and then do a little math to convert. https://www.ashleylillis.com/blog/2021/4/14/how-to-change-knitting-gauge-in-a-pattern

    As for fiber content, here are my thoughts:
    Bamboo/tencel is super soft and shiny. Yay! It also doesn’t last nearly as long.
    Cotton is cool and absorbent and I love that mercerized look. It’s also prickly and not stretchy enough to knit easily, but a lot of people love to knit with it.
    Silk is soft and shiny and looks stretched out and limp after a season or two.
    Linen is cool and absorbent and has a lovely drape. It can be prickly, but that depends on the manufacture.
    Wool is warm, but it allows me to be comfortable in a much larger range of temperatures than any other fiber.

    Personally I’d go for the cotton/linen mix.

  11. Whatever is the lightest in weight. As you know, Austin (as in San Antonio where I live) is ungodly hot almost year-round so as light-weight as you can get is key (if it’s for you or your fam in Texas. I like the Monocacy or the Anacostia.

  13. Love the pattern! You should always treat yourself when completing a very good thing.

    I agree with the suggestions for DK weight and the Severn color. It reads less fall and more classy but warm tone to me.

  15. I think you are right in the “fall” call. I’m in Denton County and while North of you, we may get 5 more days of Fall to wear that sweater. The pattern is really lovely. Does this yarn brand have other gradient color yarns? I might go with a more cool tone; but that’s my color preference. You may be more of an Autumn, so you would lean warm colors. The Ivory shown in the pattern is always a good choice. I wanted to THANK YOU for the INHERITANCE, I had back surgery and was on a 6 week house arrest sentence. Getting the installments of this book kept my spirits up!

  16. It’s a beautiful pattern and I love your color choice!
    I haven’t knit or crocheted much in yarns like these, but based on my limited experience, I would start with the yarn that has the elastic (Anacosta) or maybe linen (Harbor). Both cotton and Tencel, in my experience, are heavier than acrylic and have a tendency to relax and stretch out under their own weight, so the sweater would lose its shape over time. The elastic would help counter the stretch and I think linen doesn’t have the same tendency to grow. If you want to try a pure cotton or tencel, you might be able to counter the growth a bit by going with a fingering, so there isn’t as much weight, or a really tight gauge on your stitches.

    • The colour way is all the same in that image, but the differences are going to be in the fibre content of the yarn, how thick it is, and a bit in how it’s spun. Something like a 100% cotton is going to knit up more stiffly, and the stitches will hold their shape pretty rigidly. But if you blend it with other fibres like tencel or linen, it’ll be more flexible, giving you a drapey-er garment. If Ilona goes with the recommended size of yarn, it’ll knit up faster because it’s a bit thicker, but the end sweater is going to hold heat better. If she sizes down to a DK, she’ll have to adjust some pattern math a bit, but the end garment will be more breathable.

  18. I have a 100% tencel skirt that has been great for hot weather. I would get the tencel blend or tencel yarn.

  19. Do you have a preference in knitting the different yarn thicknesses? I prefer to knit with DK yarn over sport yarn. However Austin is hot, so I would go with the lighter yarn.

  21. I love the pattern- and I live in Austin! You may have just put another project on my waiting list. I can definitely see this for my daughter for Christmas. Personally, I would do in the DK weight, and I am drawn to Monocacy. I would prefer a cotton blend for layering in winter and cool air conditioned spaces the other seasons. I am definitely not clicking on the yarn site. Don’t need the temptation!

  22. Love the pattern. I live in the Pineywoods area of southeast Texas and I’m a crocheter. Definitely the DK yarn and I agree, they read fall to me, beautiful yarn!

  23. As someone who can’t wear any animal fibers because they itch so much I’ve got a lot of experience working with cotton and cotton blends, both in knitting and crochet. Using 100% cotton is going to make a very heavy cardigan especially at dk weight. Cotton has no stretch and gets heavy quickly when you crochet with it. I would go with the cotton tencel or linen blend to help it drape and keep its structure. I would also buy the pattern first and make a few gauge swatches at both sport and dk weight with scrap yarn you already have…that yarn is beautiful but also expensive to realize it won’t work for your project. The pattern is fairly inexpensive so you can experiment before deciding on which yarn to order. Thanks for bringing a new company to my attention! It’s really hard to find hand dyed yarn that isn’t wool.

  26. I would do Harbor with linen and cotton. In my experience tencel can be hot. Cotton alone can be hard on the hands, especially if knitting. Tencel can be so splitty, but brand could make a difference.

  27. Disclaimer:
    I am not a knitter (last project probably around 14 years ago) and I do not crochet.

    At first glance the bases all look pretty much the same to me. At fifth glance Severn *might* have more color than the others.

  28. They have a mercerized pima cotton there. That will give you softness, sheen and durability. I think you can machine wash it, in case of dog accidents. I’ve been spinning some tencel blends lately. Tencel is a greener constructed cellulose fiber. it looks and feels a lot like silk, and it breathes well for comfort in hot weather.
    I like the DK idea. That’s a very loose knit structure and Dk will make it more durable. You might want to go down a size for the trim, It looks a little loose in the picture. Good prices too.

  30. I try to picture you with the yarn colour and I see Chesapeake or Anacostia.

    Congrats on finishing The Inheritance! Yayyyy!

  31. Love the pattern. I haven’t been crocheting long, but I feel you will lose the delicacy of the pattern if you go to a heavier weight. Just a thought. 🙂

  33. Hey Ilona, I would go with Anacostia because it is the softest, most blended , least harsh of all the colors. The least stripy. You already have a lot of pattern going on in the sweater and you want to complement the pattern, rather than fighting with it. I have a rule with everything whether it is decorating, fiber arts, or just getting dressed. Think of it as you would think of a play, or TV show. There are one or two stars and then there is the supporting cast. Imagine what it would be like if everybody decided they were the stars and they all decided to talk at once. We’ve all seen that happen on talk shows, from time to time, and it is jarring!
    Think about all the other things that will be in the supporting cast with your sweater – shoes, bag, pants, dress, or skirt, jewelry( and , of course, what Gordon will be wearing standing next to you 🤭).
    I’m sure you have some variegated yarn that you could use for a swatch of the pattern to see if you want it subtle and how the color will “wave”with the pattern. Decide which will be the star, the yarn or the stitch pattern. I hope this helps.

  34. I have enjoyed knitting with mercerized cotton before, so I would suggest the Atlantic base. If you have time before the preorder closes, order the sampler mini pack so you can actually touch the different bases before you make a final decision.

    • That’s a really good point, Stella. I thought it was all the same yarn.
      I personally don’t use ungulate yarn(allergies) and live in Florida where it is hot all year. Though I wear my hand knitted sweaters every day, even around the house, I almost always use cotton and cotton blends. I don’t even knit with acrylic unless it is a minor player in a blend, because it is like being wrapped in plastic ( which it is).

  35. just be aware of the gage. You may have to use the instructions for a smaller size. I would be checking the actual dimensions of pieces I knit compulsively.

  36. For Texas, I’d definitely go down to a DK. From that spinner, the Harbour or Chesapeake look like they’ve got an appropriate texture, but the linen blend is probably going to let that open work pattern fall in a nice, soft drape.

  37. I neither knit nor crotchet, so i was drawn in by the pretty colours.
    I did a double take at how casually you mentioned’ inheritance is finished ‘ because i didn’t understand a word after that.
    Congrats, i can’t wait.

  39. Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your yarn reward! What does Gordon usually choose as his book reward?

  40. I’d go with the Monocacy for the boucle. But I’d also consider the Wicomico for the linen even though it has to be dried flat. Remember, linen can help you feel cooler than cotton.

  41. I will try to be patient about waiting for the pre-order link for The Inheritance.

    As for the yarns, I like the one labeled Severn. I don’t know that the finished piece would look all that different from one using any of the others, but that’s the one that caught my eye.

  43. harbor in DK. I like the blend for out Texas heat, and it will be good in the indoor AC temps. The blend sounds good for drape and shape.
    Thanks for turning me on to Graphic Audio. I loved the Sweep series with the Texas accents!

  45. Cotton is hell on the hands and wrists to knit with, so I’d go for a different yarn altogether to be honest, or pick one of their Tencels but the growth post blocking is likely to be an issue. Knitting for Olive has 10% off in their summer silks right now (FB has coupon code), which would also work great for this pattern. Their silk is much easier on your hands to knit with and the resulting fabric is delish!

  47. This is gorgeous! You are so talented. I also knit and crochet. For a cardigan in Texas I would lean toward a linen blend, so wicomico base. But whichever you decide will be beautiful. Can’t wait to see the wip and FO pics!!

  48. They are all so similar but the one I would choose is Monocacy. It appears to have more white than the other skeins. Although when you get it you might find that it is just the way the skein was created that it showed more white.
    Good luck
    Mary

  49. I would go for Harbor DK because I am intrigued by cotton-linen blends at the moment. (No personal experience using any yet, but I bought some linen tops the summer before last and fell in love with the wearing experience. So I have some cotton-linen in stash, waiting for that magical “someday” when I cast on…)

    • Oops … now have read the fabric content info … I would suggest one of the linen cotton blends … I like my linen blend light-weight cardigans for summer

  52. I have a cardigan similar to that one. It is great for those places where the air conditioning is set to frigid, so mine is worn year round. I recommend getting a yarn that washes well, so you can wear it often.

  53. Are you going to have it dyed to your favorite – like Wicomico in the picture? I’m all for anything washable. A couple of them say they might shrink! Deer Creek Fingering appears to be on sale @ $21.60 And you might just order a couple of the Sample minis.. make up a few rows and then wash and dry to see how they do..

  55. Monocacy. Looks like there’s a hint of blue in it. Good luck! Thanks for your hard work; it is much enjoyed.

  56. Because arthritis killed me celebrating ANYTHING I celebrate by buying Earrings. Usually Connemara Marble ones from a great Irish jeweller in Co. Galway.
    That pattern though looks lovely, I have a friend who knits I wonder if I could persuade her ……..but I digress.
    I love the yarns. The colours are sumptuous . Wouldn’t DK be a bit heavy for your heat? I quite like Anacosta/Atlantic.
    Heaps of congratulations on finishing Inheritance. I don’t think I’m go8ng to read any more snippets now. I’ll wait with anticipation.

  57. If you are crocheting this, I think you should go with the lighter weight, sport rather than DK. I would not choose the boucle or the tencel. Maybe Sandy Point organic pima in sport. Looking at those yarn bases, I am asking, shiny? slippery? how much drape? What’s your preference?

  58. I like the Serevn DK. I think it might be the right ‘weight’, and I like how it had more of the deeper rust color than some of the other options. I, too, love fall and all that comes with it. So, thank you for this lovely recommendation. I ordered three skeins myself to see how it turns out. I am excited to make something fun!

  59. The general rule for yarn selection is busy pattern, single colour, Simple pattern, multi colours. With this pattern I would go for a single colour, so that the pattern shines.

    You do you, as I would do me.

    As for weight, as long as it meets gauge, go for DK.

  60. I like the Severn because it looks so coppery. I think those glitz would look very handsome.

  61. I’d go with the Chesapeake DK, personally. I think it has a nice soft and clean base look without too much shine, smooth finish that doesn’t look bulky, and being Cotton will be nice and breathable.

    Atlantic has a bit more gloss to it, so if you like that more then that might be the pick.

    Severn is very bright as a base and extra shiny, which I feel doesn’t suit the pattern. And some of the others seem overly textured for a pattern that is going to build texture through the stitches.

    These are just my opinions of course though. It’s a really cute pattern I’m inclined to add to my own library.

  62. Well it reads ‘ walk along the beach , drift wood and blue sky, in long flowy linen skirt and care free days’ to me. But I am in the middle of winter here, the August winds have arrived early – sucking the warmth out of everything.

    Take the reward!
    Thank you both for brightening the world.

  63. I’d go with Harbor DK for the cotton/ linen blend. Great for TX weather and drape, will hold the lace pattern. Plus I’ve been knitting a cotton/linen summer cardigan lately and really like how it feels in my hands while working it. Happy knitting!

  64. It depends on how cold you get. I like working with light fingering for these types of projects. I would also add a strand of mohair just because. 🙂

  66. I can’t decide between Severn or Chesapeake, but my eyes were immediately drawn to those. I’m also a fan of DK size yarn because it offers nice detail without needing the stitch count or time of what I refer to as the arthritis inducing skinny floss sizes. I’m mainly an amigurumi crochet gal, though, so not sure what works best for knit projects. I never got beyond knitting basic stitch squares/rectangles and took an eternity just to make a poor attempt at a scarf. 😅

  67. Atlantic DK. Per their site, recommended for hot weather, good for drapey and lacey stuff.

    Severn would be my personal choice (Tencel is fun), but I think that might be a little bulkier than you are looking for.

  68. I would go for a sport weight yarn that way you could wear it even on the warmer days in winter or even strand it together with mohair for some more thickness

  70. I live in Florida so I tend toward cotton or cotton blend yarn. There are cotton/wool blends as well. DK is fine if you can meet gauge. If it calls for sport you may get a stiff fabric. DK held double would be more like bulky.

  72. Yay! You’ve finished Inheritance!
    They all look wonderful. I do like Severn. I love the cardigan pattern!

  73. I would elect for the lighter weight. The garment is better for layering and more weather choices. Granted, I crochet which is always heavier than knit, so I usually opt for lighter weight yarns

  74. I love that the company used those names – they’re either IN Maryland or have a heck of connection to it, because those are all Chesapeake Bay/Maryland names.
    And no, I didn’t go look because if I did, I might buy yarn for which I have no time to use and looking and my will power are not compatible. Grins.
    Excited that Inheritance is done! Had to LOL that you had to reassure us that you didn’t write horrible ending books and that Bear would make it. Thanks.
    Enjoy your reward!!

  75. I like all of them, but if I had to pick I’d go for severn first and Chesapeake second. I like sport / fine in solid colors for fancy patterns and stitches so that the handiwork can really shine without getting lost in the bulk of the yarn and color changes. For basic stitches and simple patterns I like variegated and bulkier yarns.
    For this pattern I would go with sport, but you do you and it’ll be lovely. Enjoy 😊
    Also, thank you for sharing sources for yarns and patterns.

    • I’m in the Rockies so an open, lacey pattern like this would be a lighter summer piece, hence I would pick a cotton bamboo or cotton linen blend. Fall and winter pieces need to be tightly stitched or they’re kinda pointless (like open-toed snow boots), unless you’re only wearing them indoors.

  76. I would also go with Harbor DK. I think the darker shades speak to the cinnamon/spice fall feel and the straps will be better than straight cotton. and yay for a new yarn source! My husband may not thank you though, lol! what a great way to celebrate finishing Inheritance!

  78. Severn is the one I like–has more gold tones. Of course, I don’t know what a base is in knitting. So I just picked what would blend and I liked!

  79. It is definitely fall and not sandbar, coming from someone who lives near the beach in Florida… and I agree with DK weight. But you gotta stop bringing up yarn! I keep getting inspired and buying more and have too much already! 😉

  81. I’d go sport, I live in a sub tropical area. For autumn, sport is your best bet, dk would be to heavy & you wouldnt get much use.

  82. I really Like Mixed fibres. My new love is a mix of cotton and tencel. It feels Like cotton, but you don’t sweat as much in it. And it falls very good. You don‘t have to damp it. It holds its shape .
    When I See it right, that would be the Kent Cotton-Tencel Light Fingering.

    But the colors you choose, also would look very beautiful, if the Yarn would be shiny.

    So the Atlantic Mercerized Pima Cotton could also be good.

    Look how shiny it is.

  86. Harbor.
    A cotton/linen blend is great for warmer temps.
    It will get softer with every wash and wearing.
    It may grow a bit with wearing, but washing will bring it back into shape (like denim jeans).
    It will produce a fairly sturdy fabric – less prone to snags and easier to fix.
    If you find it stiff after drying flat, put the dry sweater in the dryer with a damp kitchen towel and it will soften right up.

    I think 100% cotton is too heavy for a sweater, and while the tencel in Severin looks gorgeous & probably feels lovely, it has a real tendancy to stretch. Once that happens I don’t know how to bring it back to the original size.
    If the Harbor stretches, you can play around with short runs thru the dryer (10 min) on low until you like the result.

    It looks like a great pattern! Good luck, and thank you for all your writing and taking such good care of the BDH!

  89. I know you’ve been inundated with suggestions, but if you’re comfortable adjusting the pattern to use DK instead of sport weight yarn, I’d go with Sandbar in the Harbor cotton-linen base. Harbor comes in DK so that should work out well. It’s a lovely pattern and the Sandbar yarn looks like it will be gorgeous! If you decide to stay with the equivalent of sport weight, you could still use the Harbor base with two strands of the fingering weight. Happy crocheting!

  90. I’d do the Harbor DK. All cotton would be heavy and absorbs 2 times it weight in moisture and slow drying. Linen blended with it will be lighter and add drape for an oversized cardigan. I’ve not worked with Terrapin yarn, but other yarns with that much linen to me could easily sub a yarn weight down.

  91. I’m sticking with Anacistia, Because it is similar to my all time favorite yarn from Hikoo CoBaSi, Almost the same blend. It is cool and very light weight. holds its shape after many trips to the washer/drier. and still gorgeous! The elastic in the yarn is the key to keeping its shape and very easy to work with, Plus you can probably go bigger with the hook or needles than you might think. Plus the color blend is so subtle!

    • Sorry – Anacostia (hate Spell check sometimes). You might also want to try dubbling the sock yarn for the right gauge.

  93. Ok, having now clicked through to look at the yarn on my laptop vs my phone. I’m double voting for the severn. I have chronic pain and sensory issues, and the severn looks buttery soft and so smooth that it would not irritate my skin. I’ve really gotten into wearing knitwear these past few months because they feel so nice against the skin when you get the right yarn.

    Not being able to touch the yarn to verify texture… I vote for the Severn.

  94. Thank you for finishing Inherticance and congratulations. It has been a rough time and books (including this series) are taking a heavier load off my stress than normal. I am just so appreciative you guys are so responsive and wonderful.

    I like the Monocracy’s whiter base and I prefer how the colors are more distinctive not as blended. That’s the only one that doesn’t really remind me of a Starbucks drink.

  97. I would go with the harbor, organic cotton linen blend. Cotton and linen work really well together, and should feel nice in the warmer climate you are in. Gorgeous yarn.

  98. I asked my daughter the knitter / crocheter and she had no advice on yarn weight… I live in Texas but my motto is the thicker the better

    Is it Friday yet?

  99. i’d go with harbor (cotton/ linen blend) or severn (tencel)
    because cotton is heavier than linen or tencel, and that extra weight means it grows over time. the linen blend is my first choice, but the tencel would be lovely too.

  100. Severn is calling my name. It definitely says Autumn though. If you’re going for Summer vibes, maybe Kent?