WORKING WITH SEQUINS & HOW TO FINISH YOUR PROJECTS.
Last week, I talked about the basic differences between the sequin options. Today, I am going to talk about working with the sequins. I use this fabulous sparkly yarn as a carry-along yarn; meaning, I always hold it with another main yarn. You can really hold it with absolutely any yarn and all yarns. It is important to do a gauge swatch as the sparkles can change the colour of your project and some of the sparkle yarns like Mega Bling, Sequinicity, and Lana Gatto Paillettes can effect the gauge.
Above is a photo of a sweater project I am working on holding Frankie Grey Fibres Suri double in a natural colour + Ella Rae Sequinicity. Because my yarn color is natural and the Sequinicity are solid colors, it's really picking up the colour of the sparkles; it feels like I am painting with the sparkles.
For this project, you can see I have a lot of colours going on; but, I specifically designed this so I would only have the Suri (held double) and one sequinicity color going at a time. Too many sparkle balls going on at one time can be a bit of a mess.
TIPS WHILE WORKING
- For beginners, especially, I would always recommend placing the sequin yarn in a separate little baggy, just big enough for the ball to rotate in the bag. This will keep it from tangling with the other yarns. And because the yarn can be slinky, it can fall off the ball easily; keeping it contained makes this less of an issue.
- When you are not using the balls, I would store them with an elastic around them.
- If your ball of sequins gets tangled, don't fret. Unless it is the Mega Bling which is typically the easiest to untangle, I would just break the sparkles at the knot, and re start the strand. It's not worth the painstaking of untangling.
- If you're doing any colorwork projects where you have one color with sequins, alternating with yarn that has no sequins, it is helpful to keep the yarn that has sequins together in one bag and the yarn with no sequins separated.
- If you have to frog or tink, take your time and simply keep the sequin yarn together with the main yarn as one. If you have to further separate the yarns, I would not take the time to save the sparkles, unless it is Mega Bling. Just rip it from the main yarn and trash it.
TIPS FOR FINISHING
- Weaving in ends: For the King Cole Cosmos and Sequinicity (any sequins over 4mm diameter), I always carefully snip the sequins off the thread they are on before weaving in my ends. The sequins are just too big and spaced out to weave in successfully.
- For the Mega Bling and the Lana Gatto Paillettes, I do not snip the sequins. I keep the sequin yarns attached to the yarn they're on and weave in together with the main yarn. It is easiest if you do not split the yarn/stitches as you weave in. If it's giving you a headache, weave in the main colour separate and just bring the sequin yarn to the back of the work, maybe do one weave in motion then clip it. Don't worry, because you are leaving the sequins on the thread, it wont unravel.
My final tip, don't be intimidated by the bling! It is such a joyful experience to make somebling that sparkles from start to finish. You can hold the sparkles while knitting, crochet, weaving, or for most crafty projects! The sequins are not scratchy and do not snag. Currently, my favorite sparkly yarn is the most special MEGA BLING! I am obsessed with this ultra sparkly yarn and I want to add it to E.V.E.R.Y.B.L.I.N.G! That being said, the King Cols Cosmos is probably the most used sequin yarn out there; for price, sparkle factor, and yardage, you really can't beat it!