Don't you love to try new yarn and new yarn companies? It can be a lot of fun!
I was given the chance to do a collaboration with ThisCraftOrThat. In exchange for the yarn, I designed a pattern that she will use as an example and also sell when she goes to shows.
The package is sold in Missy's Etsy shop, and 245 yds would be enough to make a nice project, but I had a cowl in mind so Missy added the cream colored yarn as well.
The yarn is Leaf Peeping Road Trip Hand Dyed Mini Set DK (85% Superwash Merino Wool, 15% Nylon, 49 yards each, 20 grams)
Oh my gosh! This yarn is wonderful to work with. Very smooth sliding through my fingers, so easy to keep a steady tension. When I was young my grandma tried to teach me to knit, and taught me to wrap the yarn around my little finger to keep the tension even, so that's what I still do. Some yarns can pinch my finger and grip it a bit, but this yarn doesn't. It's very soft and would drape beautifully if you made a scarf or shawl. It's a dk weight, however the cowl I made feels very cozy, warm and a bit squishy. For me squishy is always a good thing :)
It is a true dk weight. Many times I've ordered what I thought was a dk weight yarn, but it turned out to be fingering weight. In my opinion this is a dk weight yarn. It's even throughout each skein, no thick or thin spots.
The yarn is easy to unravel, also important. When I design unravelling happens quite often lol. Even after a few unravels the yarn still looked and felt the same. Some yarns to not take well to a lot of friction, but this was still perfect. It split twice when I was chaining too quickly, but when working all the other stitches it didn't. Maybe it's the way I hold my crochet hook when I chain? I was using my favorite crochet hook: US 7 / 4.5 mm Amour.
Missy is amazing to work with! If you have any questions, she replies very quickly. Shipping was fast as well. It came in a pretty package, wrapped in tissue paper, but I forgot to take a photo, was too excited to see the yarn.
I don't know about you.... but I always like to know a little bit about the person behind the business, especially with a home based small business. So I came up with a few questions to ask Missy :)
Name, your name, where you are located.
This Craft or That, Missy Cushman, Onondaga Michigan
What made you decide to dye yarn?
I played around with some bare yarn and dye that came in a kit. It was so much fun that I bought some bare yarn and dyes. I love being creative and making things and this is a way to make something and play with color.
I buy my bare yarn from two different places, West Virginia (Wool2dyefor) and the UK (Bare Yarns/Yarn Undyed). I have many different bases that range from 100% SW Merino and some with blends of nylon, silk, bamboo, and cashmere and the same goes for my baby alpaca bases, some are 100% and some are blends. Most of them are 4 ply. I have not had issues with it splitting and have not had anyone complain about that issue. YES, both companies that I deal with get yarn from mills that use ethical sourcing. I will not buy any yarn that uses mulesing practices. The companies that I purchase my bare yarn from mostly get their stock from Australia and Peru as the main sources.
What inspires you when choosing colors and/or color combinations.
Inspiration comes from things around me as well as just having fun playing with putting different colors together. It doesn't always work out, but it's always fun! Sometimes people ask me to come up with colors so some colors about that way. There are also different methods to use in dyeing and I'm always trying out new ways to dye yarn.
Do you have a favorite yarn base you like to work with?
I have a lot of bases and some are softer to knit/crochet with, but as far as dyeing yarn, I favor bases that have Superwash Merino as it really likes to take the dye well so I can get saturated colors that allow me to go light to over dyed. It is also more forgiving with they dye process.
Do you knit or crochet?
My mom taught me how to crochet at a young age but decided to learn how to knit in 2010 as I do like the look of knitted fabric. I tend to knit more than I crochet. I love to knit hats using the magic loop method.
Where can everyone purchase your yarn?
I have an etsy shop as well as my own website.
Website: thiscraftorthat.com
What are your social media links?
One of my resolutions is to be on social media more, but I do have a Facebook Page, Facebook Group, and Instagram.
Do you ship worldwide? If not, where do you ship?
I do ship worldwide, although I have only ever had 2 orders that were out of the country.
How do you pick the color names?
I get that question a lot lol. I get a lot of help from friends and family, sometimes I search the internet for color names, sometimes something just comes to me, and I have even run contests and then picked a winner using a random name picker from the internet to choose the winning name. Leaf Peeping Road Trip came from a niece of mine and it just fit so perfectly! Names for colors can be hard and I have had people tell me that if it comes down to picking just one skein, they'll go by the name they like best. Isn't that crazy?!
Please check out all of Missy's links!
The Pattern
As stated above, I designed a cowl pattern using the yarn Missy sent me. Trying to figure out or be happy with a stitch pattern is much harder than you would think! I did end up unravelling a few times (the yarn was still perfect). After trying out a few different stitches, I was finally happy with the result. :)
The pattern has been tested and it's ready for release!