Painting with Yarn

Laceweight yarn is highly under-rated. As I watch various knitting podcasts,  I've learned that many knitters resist knitting larger projects with anything light than a DK yarn. Fingering yarn is popular with knitters who enjoy color work, but I've yet to watch a podcast all about laceweight yarn.

I discovered the joys of mixing weights of yarn a few years ago. Since being gifted a fellow knitter's laceweight yarn stash, I'm doing it every chance I get. It is a great way to help a lighter yarn (like a fingering or sport weight) become suitable for a particular project. It's also a wonderful way to paint with yarn!

When I can't decide on a project,  I'll pull some skeins from my stash, make up some yarn cakes, put on a favorite knitting podcast and start switching. So many of my projects start that way. TIP: Always add a tag to the tail of a swatch identifying the yarn and needle size used for future reference. 

Marled yarns and handpainted yarns are hard to come by, especially in desirable fibers at a reasonable price. I've scored some great deals on lace, fingering and sport weight yarns over the past several years and have no trouble putting them to good use. 


This cardigan featured two laceweight yarns: Cascade Llama Lace and a Malabrigo Merino Lace held double throughout, except for the bands which featured a double strand of the Malabrigo color. This cardigan was an improvised pattern knit on 4 mm needles. 


This project features a Cascade sport weight as the main color (Straw), with a Cascade Llama Lace in a chocolate brown, a merino/silk laceweight by Fiddlesticks Yarn in a deep red, and a Malabrigo Merino Lace (Lettuce). I held two laceweight strands with the sport weight,  alternating the red and green in the sleeves when I was worried about having enough red to finish the project. This sweater used 3.25, 4.5 and 5 mm needles and is my take on the Athena Jumper by DROPS Design.

This open front cardigan features an Estelle Andean DK in Bark and a multitude of laceweight colors (mohair/silk, merino/silk), with appliqué leaves knit in laceweight yarn. The Estelle DK is a great value at $12.99 for a 250 meter ball. Little bits of luxurious laceweight in complimentary colors carried along in intervals adds interest and elevates basic stockinette knitting. I used 4.5 mm needles on this project. It is my take on the Helmi cardigan by Mari Muinonen. 

Laceweight yarn goes a long way as the smallest 25g balls usually have 200+ meters.  I've purchased skeins that have had up to 800 meters! And the fibers can be luxurious,  like mohair, silk, llama, etc.  Sometimes I luck out and pick up a custom dyed laceweight from an indie dyers "oops" sale page.  I always tuck them away and keep my eye open for a good deal on a basic yarn to use as a base, like an Estelle Yarn or Cascade Yarn.

The results of my efforts are custom colors, luxurious fabrics and one-of-a-kind garments that won't be seen anywhere else.

So the next time you cruise past a sale bin at your favorite yarn store, take a peak for orphaned skeins of laceweight yarn. You might discover treasure!