Working with Mystery Yarn

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

I received this question as a comment on one of my youtube videos.  I am guessing it’s from someone outside the U.S., but  the commenter didn’t share her location.:

“…we have some local yarn here with no instrctions abt guage and other things.. wht shld we do in such case??? how can we find guage then?? ”

Here’s my reply:

There are a couple of ways to judge “mystery yarn.”  One way is wraps per inch.  There is a good explanation of it on a site called knitchat.  That post will give you a symbol/number that corresponds to the wraps per inch.

Once you know the weight of the yarn, you can go to the Craft Yarn Council site to see recommendations on needle size and gauge.

It’s important to emphasize that these are guidelines, not commandments.  The key is to achieve a knitted fabric that you like and that feels right for the project you have in mind.  Some projects, like outerwear, may work best with a firmer knitted fabric, while others, like a scarf, may be more comfortable with a looser, airier fabric, even though they might be worked from the same yarn.

I have a couple other tips on working with mystery yarn that I’ll share in my next post.

Tags: knitting, knitting gauge, yarn
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Magical Thinking

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

I always caution against what I call magical thinking.  I’ve said it on my youtube videos, in my e-book, to new knitters–if there’s a problems, STOP.  Continuing to knit, hoping the problem will solve itself, is magical thinking, and it doesn’t work.  Is your gauge wrong? STOP–your sweater won’t fit.  Have you reached the armholes of your sweater (the halfway point) but two-thirds of your yarn is used up?  STOP–call your yarn store NOW and see if they have any more.

And yet, in spite of all my well-intentioned advice to others, I did it again.  
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Tags: knitting, yarn
Posted in Sweater Design | 1 Comment »

Next Up on the Needles

Friday, January 8th, 2010

One of my New Year’s resolutions (OK, my only one) is to buy no new yarn until I’ve finished at least a couple more projects. Or more fabric for that matter–I’m also a quilter, and actual sewing has slowed to the point where I now refer to myself as a mere fabric collector.

Avocet B by Berroco

Anyway, holding off on buying yarn doesn’t mean I can’t dream. Came across this wonderful, free Berroco pattern, Avocet B, on their website, which will be perfect for some Berroco Ultra Alpaca I already have in a wonderful heathery green. But can I resist the urge to tweak this pattern? I’ll definitely be adjusting for fit, and probably be knitting it as a seamless, one-piece sweater. There’s plenty of time, as there are at least two projects on the needles ahead of it.

Tags: cardigan pattern, knitting design, knitting pattern, one piece sweater, Sweater Design, yarn
Posted in Projects | 1 Comment »