Thick Wool
Chunky knitting goodness
I hit a wall with knitting recently. This has happened to me off and on the last few years. I feel part of it is because I got into a habit of pushing goals for my knitting. Not skill goals but output or production goals.
It started back in 2019, when I test knit for a designer. The wool was back-ordered and had to ship from the UK. It was a fingering weight sweater too, Jamieson & Smith jumper weight to be exact . Three to four weeks of knitting time was lost awaiting that yarn. (I didn’t know better at the time or else I would have subbed with Harrisville or Knit Picks Palette.) I pushed hard to hit the deadline and knitted an entire fair isle jumper in 6 weeks. As much as I deeply enjoy stranded colorwork, I felt utterly burned out after that pace of knitting. Wanting to soothe my aching hands and exhausted heart, I decided to try a cabled hat in super bulky wool.
Knitting that hat gave me back some knitting verve and delight. Here was a project that didn’t take weeks or months to finish. It was almost like magic watching an entire hat knit up in only a couple of days. (Really it could have been knit in an afternoon, but I was relaxing after The Fair Isle Rush.) In fact, it was so restorative I named the project “Soul Revival”.
Well, lately I realized the impending burnout creeping in again. A loss of delight. A feeling of rush and hurry. I could stop knitting until joy returned —which could be weeks or possibly months. Or, I could try a bulky knitting project.
I went with the super bulky yarn and fat needles.
Pause for Thought
Let us pause here. I struggle to knit with heavier wool. At some point I internalized this idea that knitting with super bulky wool was a bit like cheating. The serious knitters I followed were only knitting with fingering weight and the occasional DK or worsted. None of this super bulky stuff. Which is funny to even admit. Knitting legend Elizabeth Zimmerman used thick wool. Her Hurry-Up Last Minute Sweater is quite famous.
Let us also note that knitting with super bulky can be a bit tough on the hands. The needles themselves are heavier. Depending on yarn choice, the yarn itself can be heavy and result in quite a heavy garment. This is not a light layering sweater. This is a chunky monkey behemoth that won’t fit under your winter coat. Because it becomes your winter coat.
Finally, super bulky knits are not necessarily flattering. They add visual bulk. Some of that can be mitigated by choosing a drapier gauge. Still, one has to be at peace with the bulk they add.
Super Wool to the Rescue
I chose Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick n Quick. A fellow knitter had some up for grabs. Knitting it up is heavy. My hands are getting a workout. A delightful side effect is the heaviness forces me to slow down and enjoy. (What a lesson.)
The design is a cabled sweater (more on that in a later post). Mid thigh in length with a shawl collar. It will most likely knit up in time for autumn wearing.
The color is a Dark Autumn dream. It’s called Spiced Apple. It’s an interesting color and finish. The color splotches aren’t enough for stripes but are not blended enough for a true heathered yarn. I would call it dappled. Subtle splotches of sienna, russet, pine, gold, and orchid play on a spiced wine background.
Cheating or Joy
So anyway, I’m “cheating” and using super bulky. And I am loving it.
Maybe it’s not cheating. Maybe it’s just knitting joy! Maybe… it’s okay to play with textures and weights and let the project be something of delight and enjoyment, not just for the finished project but for the experience. What a wonderful thing.
A tip
Super bulky yarns can be heavy. I mean, the name alone implies it. You could call it hefty honker weight, if you like.
To lighten things up so you don’t feel as if you’re wearing an area rug, I recommend choosing or creating a more airy yarn. Here are some suggestions.
Lopi Alafosslopi yarn is very airy and extremely warm, thanks to the special properties of Icelandic wool. It’s more a bulky weight than super bulky, but try and see if it works for you.
Chain ply a sport weight to worsted weight yarn (plenty of Youtube videos about how to do this). Woolen spun will probably be even lighter and better for this, but chain plying itself lends less weight for the bulk.
Mix an aran or bulky weight yarn with a strand of fluffy lace weight yarn, such as mohair silk or one of the newer alpaca blends for an airier bulky gauge yarn.
Mix a lot of yarns together until you get the feel and gauge you need. This can be really artsy and beautiful and really use up stash yarn.
What about you? Do you knit with chunky yarn? Do you enjoy it?
Puffy Pancake
So, now we have talked about bulky knitting. How about some “bulky” cooking?
This is may version of Dutch Baby pancake. I like it eggier. It allows me to use up a lot of eggs, and it offers a bit more protein. It’s still soft and tender, buttery and puffy — all the things we love.
Dutch Baby Pancake
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
Jams, maple syrup, fruit, or other desired toppings.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Place butter or bacon grease in 9x13 and place in oven as it preheats. Keep an eye on it. Pull it out when melted but before it starts to brown.
While butter melts, place the other ingredients in a blender. Give it a good blend until well combined. Pour the batter into the hot pan full of melted butter.
Bake 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 300F and bake another 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately with various jams, syrups, and/or fresh fruit.
I also like serving it with a side of bacon for some additional yumminess, but it’s not necessary.
I do love a chunky knit but I find it so hard on my hands. I always think a chunky knit will be quicker but I have to do it in such small sessions that it rarely is.
Oh, my, I love that purple hat and scarf!