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There are 7 Important Yarn Facts that every knitter should understand
No matter how great your pattern is, or how skilled you are in your craft, yarn will always make or break your work. Yarn does matter, and telling the difference between one yarn and the next is essential for the quality of the finished product.
Here are 7 important yarn facts to keep in mind:
Fact #1: Read labels. All yarn comes with labels, letting you know about weight, composition, dye color and the like. There is a lot to learn from the fine print.
Fact #2: Weight actually means the diameter of the strand. It may sound counter-intuitive, but that’s yarn lingo for you! The heavier the yarn, the larger the strand.
Fact #3: Knit your own test swatches. Trying out a new type of yarn can be nerve-wrecking. Don’t let it get to you. Knit a small patch and see how the yarn behaves. It will definitely save you a lot of trouble.
Fact #4: Make a gauge test before getting to work. Gauge is another knitting term that is used in pattern descriptions. It represents a number of rows and stitches. The pattern is practically split into gauges. Knit your own test sample before starting your project. Some people like knitting loosely, while others prefer tighter work.
Fact #5: Don’t replace yarn weight. Patterns are made to work with a certain type of yarn weight. Changing it may lead to unpleasant and unexpected results. Of course, if you’re daring enough, you can try it. Just don’t say you haven’t been warned!
Fact #6: Dye lot numbers matter. This little number is a bit of a troublemaker. Dyeing can lead to different results, even when using the same dye on different lots. It is just how things are. To avoid any out of tune coloring, just get skeins from the same dye lot.
Fact #7: Laundering instructions are there for a reason. Your knitted creations will last longer if you abide by these instructions.
Featured image(s): Sarah over at Knitting Women – thank you!
Despite meticulously following a pattern, my experience has been that because yarn comes from a living thing, it has a feel and if you rip out and reuse the same yarn over and over ( my limit is usually 5 ). That action can ‘kill’ it; the higher the percentage of actual pure wool in it , the smaller the number of ‘un-dos’ you get… It just seems to get to a point where no matter what you do, nothing works. I have to leave it for sometimes months on end before even trying anything with that yarn again. solely my experience.
Question. Is there a way to increase knit stitches with out leaving a hole in the knitted work.?
Question. Is there a way to increase knit stitches with out leaving a hole in the knitted work.?
Dear Susan,
Thank you for reaching out to The Knitting Space.
There will always be some kind of “hole” where you increase. However, there are number of different increasing techniques that will produce different results and are used for different types of project. We have a great video tutorial which demonstrates the 3 most common ways to increase. Many people just “pick up” a stitch from the row below and this will create a biggish hole. The second method shows a great way of doing this method correctly.
You can find the tutorial here: https://theknittingspace.com/3-ways-increase-knitting-stitches/
All the best,
Ann
#5 is simply not true. You can knit a gauge and then figure out the stitches and rows that you need for a pattern and knit the pattern with another weight of yarn.k You just need to do some simple math; and if the pattern requires specific decreases or increases there are sites on the internet that will take your numbers and feed back the answers….. You will end up with a different feel, but even lace can be done with a different weight. Sure, it is an adventure, but, even as a beginner, I never used the preferred weight…just did the math.
Can you knit cable bobble hat successful in DK cotton , if so are there any suitable pattens Lainy