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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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A Few Good Yarns

March 12, 2015 1 Comment

A Few Good Yarns - A review of A Good Yarn Sarasota's custom colorways. A yarn review from Hands Occupied.

There’s nothing like happy yarn mail to make your day. Indie yarn shop A Good Yarn Sarasota sent me a few yarns to review recently, and I was so excited when they arrived! I received one hank each of Dream in Color Jilly yarn, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock and Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport. Being the swatch addict that I am, I knit up a little 4×4 inch stockinette swatch in each yarn and blocked them. The photos are of each swatch post blocking.

A Few Good Yarns - A review of A Good Yarn Sarasota's custom colorways. A yarn review from Hands Occupied. A Few Good Yarns - A review of A Good Yarn Sarasota's custom colorways. A yarn review from Hands Occupied.

A Good Yarn is located in Sarasota, Florida, but thanks to their large online presence, they’re a shop I was a fan of despite being a Chicagoan. One of the unique things A Good Yarn Sarasota offers is exclusive colorways of yarns that knitters know and love. All three of the yarn colors featured in this post are among their exclusive colors. What’s seriously cool is that all of these colors are either inspired by the underwater photos taken by the owner’s husband, places around the Sarasota region, or teams local to the area (or call the area home during spring training).

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn in Scarlet and Grey / Bucs (Exclusive colorway for A Good Yarn Sarasota)

The yarn above is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Scarlet and Grey (a.k.a Tampa Bay Buccaneers colors). I am a native of a state (North Dakota) that’s entirely lacking a pro team, I never really got into sports. Sports chick or not, I really dig the red and grey striping in this yarn! Lorna’s Laces is a favorite yarn company of mine (they’re based in my adult hometown, Chicago!), and their sock yarn is yummy to work with. (Sorry for all the parenthesis here! Ha!) It’s so soft, and the really even striping has me hankering to make a fantastic baby sweater, hat, or of course, socks. I really can’t wait to cast on some selfish socks with this ASAP.

Dream in Color Jilly Yarn in Cabbage Patch (Exclusive colorway for A Good Yarn Sarasota)

Next , I tried the lovely Jilly from Dream in Color in the custom Cabbage Patch colorway. If you visit the custom colorway page for this one, you can see the photo this yarn is inspired by, and it’s so good! You can absolutely see the color connection between the fascinating photo and the finished yarn. You can see in the swatch I knit with this how the color changes throughout in a nice, subtle way. This yarn is single ply, which would be great to show off some nice lacework. With 880 yards per skein, you could knit an impressive Stevie Nicks-style shawl! (#personalknittingbucketlist)

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport Yarn in Grape Jelly (Exclusive colorway for A Good Yarn Sarasota)

Lastly, I tried Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in Grape Jelly. Oof, I love me some grey and purple, you guys! This yarn, much like Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, is nice and soft. With the more modest yardage compared to the 800+ yards of the Jilly, I’m really leaning toward a baby project with this yarn. Last year I blogged a couple baby blankets (here and here) during a 14-baby baby boom among my friends and relatives, and now that all those babies are turning one, this yarn might need to turn into a baby raglan pullover for one of them.

A Few Good Yarns - A review of A Good Yarn Sarasota's custom colorways. A yarn review from Hands Occupied.

The yarn featured in this post was provided by A Good Yarn Sarasota in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: a good yarn sarasota, dream in color, exclusive colorways, jilly, lorna's laces, shepherd sock, shepherd sport, yarn review

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Marilyn

    March 13, 2015 at 10:26 am

    Sock yarns are simply yummy! Thanks for introducing us to these three yarns/colorways. Stunning!

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

Surprise, I had a baby 3 weeks ago! The pregnancy Surprise, I had a baby 3 weeks ago! The pregnancy was high risk, so I chose to be quiet about it online until recently.

My son was born on Saturday 8/30. My water broke at 2 am, and he was born at 11:26 am, which the nurses kept telling us was very fast for a first labor. He weighed 5 lbs 14.2 oz and was 18.5” long. 

My husband & I both put so much effort into educating ourselves about pregnancy and natural childbirth, and when we found out an induction was highly likely, we embraced the lack of control we had in favor of hoping the baby would arrive healthy. To our surprise, he arrived spontaneously at 37 weeks + 4 days, and the labor progressed so quickly, we did end up with a natural labor experience (which I was glad I was prepared for! 😮‍💨😅).

We’re all happy and healthy. June has become his little nanny dog and makes sure we know when he’s crying or has a dirty diaper. We are very grateful for all the love and support we’ve already received from friends and family. Much love to everyone! ❤️❤️❤️
POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
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