Yarn for skirt.

[Horsy]

G'morning.  I thought of making a skirt for myself and was wondering if certain fibers could possibly become deformed in the back of the skirt where you sit.  Does anyone know which yarns might be more suitable for such a project?  Thanx.  My thinking is bamboo or silk but am not sure even of those.  And silk would cost too  much. 

[Granny Square]

Years ago when I was wearing skirted suits to the office, I had a tightly machine knit non-natural fiber suit, the seat always got saggy by the end of the day; it was NOT cheap but I think Goodwill ended up with it long before it might have otherwise.  This put me off considering knitting or crocheting a skirt--each machine-knit stitch was probably about 1mm, and if those tiny stitches deformed that badly, I figured my relatively huge crochet or knit stitches would sag all the way to the next cubicle.

I just looked up bamboo yarn, I've used bamboo thread for doilies which wasn't as fit for purpose IMO as mercerized cotton--it was quite limp, and in googling just now, FWIW I found comments that bamboo and also linen it will stretch, but not bounce back (elastic recovery was low, as 1 site put it).  Cotton will stretch out with wear, but come back to shape when washed--my experience with cotton tops I've knit and crocheted.

I can't find the pattern now, darn, I thought I'd saved a link--but the only crocheted skirt I had consider making (but didn't) was a long, very wide hem lacy one made from mercerized cotton larger than size 10, meant to go over a fabric underskirt obviously.  I figured if that bagged it wouldn't be as noticeable  

Edited June 8, 2020 by Granny Square

[Horsy]

 This put me off considering knitting or crocheting a skirt--each machine-knit stitch was probably about 1mm, and if those tiny stitches deformed that badly, I figured my relatively huge crochet or knit stitches would sag all the way to the next cubicle.

Thanks muchly for your reply.  Too bad about that machine-knit suit of yours!  I think maybe this is a project I should forget about.  Yet if you go to Ravelry, there must be hundreds of patterns for crocheted skirts there.  I guess the makers of these skirts were pleased with the way they looked when they tried them on once and pirouetted in front of the mirror.  Alas, that is not reality, is it...

[USpolishgirl]

I think any crochet "skinny" skirt would not be a good idea. That would have more tendency to get "pushed out" in the back from siting down LOL. 

Believe it or not, same thing can happen to leather "skinny" skirts. I know it happened to me LOL. Picking up skinny skirts before you sit down it helps a lot.

You might consider adding a lining from thin none stretchable fabric (same fabrics usually used for lining in coats). It could be only "half a lining" just to cover your "behind", than sew that together (skirt & lining) to waist band.  I know those short linings are helping for leather skirts.

Krys

Edited June 9, 2020 by USpolishgirl

[Horsy]

Hi, Krys.   Thanks for all your info and advice.  It seems to me that the way to go might be a flared skirt.  Any deformation would just not show.  What do you think?  😊

Oh, I just went to Ravelry.   Not unexpectedly, the pattern for the best, nicest flared skirt on Page 1 is, yes, in Japanese.

I am not making this up:  whatever I look for, the best patterns are usually in Japanese or Russian.  

[Granny Square]

Are they charted?  Many are.  If you haven't tried following a charted pattern, it' is pretty easy, the symbols 'sort of' look like the stitch once you  get the hang of it.

Unfortunately there is one Japanese source with lovely charted garments, unfortunately they only offer size small (the ones I've looked up, anyway), which I'm not...boo.

[Granny Square]

BTW, you can modify the search choices on Rav for only 'universal' (charted) and English language.  

[Granny Square]

The one I thought I saved looked sort of similar to this one (free) https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spiderweb-skirt  I would start the lace section a little higher up so the solid portion was above the seat area.  

Edited June 9, 2020 by Granny Square

[Horsy]

4 hours ago, Granny Square said:

The one I thought I saved looked sort of similar to this one (free) https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spiderweb-skirt  I would start the lace section a little higher up so the solid portion was above the seat area.  

That Spiderweb Skirt is quite a beauty.  This is not a quick job, is it.  Yes, absolutely, I would start the lace section higher up.  I wonder if the whole project wouldn't be kind of heavy in #4 cotton.  Or even the discontinued #3.  I should think that chainette yarn in as light a weight as possible might do the trick, such as fingering weight "Lindy Chain".  Thanks for showing me this magnificent pattern. 

The  photos of the 196 attempts at this skirt show an awfully snug top section.   Fine if you are 13 years old and skinny.  I am going to have a good look at the pattern and see if it can't be almost entirely eliminated.  Someone did do that, as follows:

https://www.ravelry.com/projects/justwant/spiderweb-skirt-pattern-2

So since I didn’t end up liking the length and fit of the original skirt, I frogged the top section and used Josi’s Fitted Scoop Neck Tank pattern so the skirt would rest at my hips and be knee-length long. I absolutely love the result.

This won 1st Place at my 2011 local County Fair.

How 'bout them apples!!

 

 

[Granny Square]

I didn't open the pattern before, I notice it says it has no ease BUT it comes in 8 sizes, so some combination of changing the yarn to a smaller size and picking a bigger size than you normally would to work it, should hopefully line up.  I see some swatching in your future...

[USpolishgirl]

17 hours ago, Granny Square said:

  I would start the lace section a little higher up so the solid portion was above the seat area.

YES, that is the way to go!

Really nice skirt. And yes all that weight of that yarn could be a problem..

Krys