[Cilscreations]

With the Olympics coming I eagerly bought Red Heart Americana yarn to make hats and scarves for the grandkids. I'm very disappointed. There is too much white in the blue and the red and white stripe areas come out as a blur both by crocheting and knitting because the red and white areas need to be much longer between the color changes.

First I made a crocheted hat for our grandson by just using half double crochet stitches. That enhanced the red and white and sort of stacked them on top of each other to make nice broad stripes. Each row was built on the back loop of the stitch in the previous row.

Encouraged by that I decided to knit the girl's hats. Big mistake. They hardly look patriotic--just a tie-dyed effect and too much white everywhere.

Then I wanted to use up the rest of the yarn and started to knit a sweater for myself. To me it has a hippy look that is not my style with all the colors running together. And the blue sections are all different with strange white designs that don't make any sense.

I'm going to undo the sweater and turn the yarn into a rug. If the girls won't wear the hats, then they will be frogged, too.

Has anyone had better results from this yarn?

 

[TinaS]

I am in the process of making this cowl and I think it is lovely. I think purling the red and white and knitting the blue makes it look so good.
http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/american-pride-knit-cowl

 

[JudithKnits]

I had good results and think the difference may be knitting vs. crochet, although I see you had unexpected results with knitted items as well. I sold out on beanies, messy bun hats, headbands and tube scarfs with big pompons on the ends at two holiday fairs, but they were all knitted, the abstract "start" and stripes were clearly defined.

 

[Cilscreations]

That is lovely.

I am in the process of making this cowl and I think it is lovely. I think purling the red and white and knitting the blue makes it look so good.
http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/american-pride-knit-cowl

 

[Cilscreations]

On second thought--the white in the blue on the model are just specks, which is what I wanted. The skeins I bought group 2-4 white stitches in a row and don't even come close to looking like that.

That is lovely.

 

[TinaS]

Mine is looking a lot like the picture. There are places where there are 2 white stitches together but not always. I think I have about 3 rows of red and white and 3 rows of blue and white done. So far I am happy with it. I hope you find a pattern that you love, that looks good to you.

 

[TinaS]

This is the cowl I am working on. I thought I would take a picture so you could see how mine was working to compare to yours.

 

[PhoneGal]

I would try the method color-pooling people make- that is, when you come to a certain place where the color changes, cut yarn, find a place in the yarn where it extends that very color-scheme a bit- and cut yarn (so, you'll be joining blue/white to blue white, instead of where the natural color change takes place) hope this helps

also try different st pattern. If it's crochet it's sc, ch1, sc. Alternate rows it's ch1, sc, ch1 and so on.

 

[candybooth]

I am making a hero hat. I find some of the dye did not come out red and it looks orange. Candace

 

[Cilscreations]

Yours looks great. I also tried the cowl, but the skeins have much too much white in them and I got a lot of patches of 2-3 white stitches in a row. That is less than when I was using a smaller needle and getting up to 4 white stitches in a row.

I've already started to make a rug with the remaining yarn.

This is the cowl I am working on. I thought I would take a picture so you could see how mine was working to compare to yours.

 

[hilltopper]

This is the cowl I am working on. I thought I would take a picture so you could see how mine was working to compare to yours.

Tina - love the effect you are getting here. A beautiful fabric.

 

[hilltopper]

I would try the method color-pooling people make- that is, when you come to a certain place where the color changes, cut yarn, find a place in the yarn where it extends that very color-scheme a bit- and cut yarn (so, you'll be joining blue/white to blue white, instead of where the natural color change takes place) hope this helps

also try different st pattern. If it's crochet it's sc, ch1, sc. Alternate rows it's ch1, sc, ch1 and so on.

Hi PhoneGal. - The color pooling I have seen does not involve any cutting of yarn. Cutting would mean an awful lot of weaving in.

 

[hilltopper]

I think you may have hit on the solution here cilscreations. Needle size [or hook size] will make the difference.

Yours looks great. I also tried the cowl, but the skeins have much too much white in them and I got a lot of patches of 2-3 white stitches in a row. That is less than when I was using a smaller needle and getting up to 4 white stitches in a row.

I've already started to make a rug with the remaining yarn.

 

[klh1016]

I'm about to make a small afghan for a doll bed, I'm going to do Tunisian crochet, so I'll show a photo when done.

 

[TinaS]

Sorry the cowl didn't work out for you but I am sure you rug will be so pretty.

Yours looks great. I also tried the cowl, but the skeins have much too much white in them and I got a lot of patches of 2-3 white stitches in a row. That is less than when I was using a smaller needle and getting up to 4 white stitches in a row.

I've already started to make a rug with the remaining yarn.

 

[TinaS]

Thank you! I am really enjoying it even though it is such a simple pattern.

Tina - love the effect you are getting here. A beautiful fabric.

 

[quatrefoilknits]

With the Olympics coming I eagerly bought Red Heart Americana yarn to make hats and scarves for the grandkids. I'm very disappointed. There is too much white in the blue and the red and white stripe areas come out as a blur both by crocheting and knitting because the red and white areas need to be much longer between the color changes.
...
Has anyone had better results from this yarn?

Yes, I've enjoyed great results with this yarn! There is both art and science to successful pairings of yarns with projects. I found the Red Heart Americana to make extraordinary keyhole scarves. I made dozens in a variety of sizes. I'm attaching a few photos for anyone who might be inspired to knit something similar. Related posts with patterns for keyhole scarves here.

:sm11:

Happy knitting!

 

[Cilscreations]

Tunisian crochet--why didn't I think of that? It may just work. I've tried everything else so let me give this a try. Thanks for the suggestion, hope it works.

I'm about to make a small afghan for a doll bed, I'm going to do Tunisian crochet, so I'll show a photo when done.

 

[Cilscreations]

I LOVE your scarves; they are so beautiful. How many stitches and what size needle did you use?

Yes, I've enjoyed great results with this yarn! There is both art and science to successful pairings of yarns with projects. I found the Red Heart Americana to make extraordinary keyhole scarves. I made dozens in a variety of sizes. I'm attaching a few photos for anyone who might be inspired to knit something similar. Related posts with patterns for keyhole scarves here.

:sm11:

Happy knitting!

 

[quatrefoilknits]

I LOVE your scarves; they are so beautiful. How many stitches and what size needle did you use?

Thank you for the compliment.
- The scarves vary in size... number of stitches cast on ranges from 24 stitches to 36 stitches, in multiples of 4: 24, 28, 32, 36.
- Needle sizes vary between 6, 7, 8, 9... whatever is free and not in use for another project.

Tips:
- Some scarves are worked in 1x1 ribbing, some are 2x2 ribbing.
- All keyholes worked in 1x1 ribbing.
- Splice the yarn to arrange the stars and stripes for the design you have in mind for each scarf.
- I always splice and join in the middle of a white section...
- Except... I always work the keyhole in stars design. Pull the entire stars field from the skein, and divide in half: Use one half for each side of the keyhole.
- Depending upon size of scarf, each skein makes 1 scarf, with a bit left over: Can make about 5 scarves from 4 skeins... sometimes 4 scarves from 3 skeins.

:sm11:

Happy knitting!