Yarn of steel (and wool)

I love unusual yarns -- natural, human-made, whatever.  As long as there's an interesting quality that I haven't explored, and it won't hurt my machine, I'm all over it.

The first time I saw an object created with Lion Brand's LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel yarn I wanted to give the yarn a try. The 25% stainless steel gave it memory. When given a pinch, it held its new position. The 75% wool made it comfortable against the skin.  It was lace weight and came on cones. I had to try it on my Passap knitting machine.

Using a single end or using two ends, the yarn knitted easily with each rib stitch pattern I tried. I decided to go with the single end of yarn since the stitch formation was so good and the fabric so light.

Cautiously, I tried a few racked stitch patterns. No. It was too delicate to reliably withstand the pull to the side when using just a single end.  This was not a problem. I had already decided on a stitch pattern I liked and on the garment I would knit.

With such a radical yarn, I was inspired to use a radical cast on. The pseudo "live" loops won't unravel -- just looks that way.

My stitch pattern alternates a band of stockinette with a tucked rib. It creates a natural scalloped edge. Clicking on this photo will show an enlarged version, where you can see the stainless steel reflecting the light.

Here's the completed garment. The crinkles are made by simply scrunching the fabric. Great yarn, fun project!