I'm super curious if you've found a way of dealing with this knitty problem yourself? It's certainly not straightforward. Drop me a comment and let me know 🤗 Welcome back to The Crimson Stitchery, this is the first video I've made in 10 months. I had to take this extended break due to ill-health. I'm really happy to be returning now that I'm finally better! I noticed whilst editing that I appear to have become camera-shy and struggled to look directly into the lens for this video. I know, as a teacher, that this isn't ideal and I appreciate your patience whilst I find my bearings again and ease back into video-making. Remember to send me your knitty questions via the form (linked in the video description above). Thank you as always for watching! -Anushka
Girl. It was amazing. Didn’t notice a thing. I’ve been sick on/off since 2014 with ME so I know the struggle of good health is real. Good days. Bad days. But we are here for you when you want to share. Love your channel. ❤ Super methodical and on point. Take care of yourself. ❤
So glad you are back! I discovered your content about 6 months ago, and now I recommend this channel to new knitters. Your professional presentation and clear technical explanations accelerate the learning curve. Well done.
This is really encouraging feedback to read, thanks Dani 😊 I'm glad you're finding my videos useful, and thank you for sharing the channel with other knitters.
So glad you're back and feeling well. I found your channel and binged all your videos while you were gone, so happy that you're now able to get back to making videos! Take things as easy as you need :)
Very informative video! I agree that you have to appreciate the effort of swatching as it can help develop more knitting skills and knowledge as I'm always substituting yarns for projects I want to make. 2 years ago, I self-designed my first knit sweater for myself (made with chunky yarn and done in stripes), and swatching was definitely what made the sweater have a better fit (a lot more effort was focused on getting the shaping right at the shoulder and sleeve caps). I also have to be careful when swatching because I do know when to cut my losses if things aren't gonna work out! I'm currently working on your Red Brick Socks in some self-striping sock yarn from my local yarn shop.
It's a very complex problem and you've addressed it in a well-structured manner. One of the big parts of the problem, in particular for a less experienced knitter, can be the categorisation of yarn weights. Most people will rely on the length per 50g of a specific yarn to class yarns, at least initially. However, the fact that terms like lace, fingering/4ply, sport, dk and worsted a/o aran are so popular can be very misleading. Each category has a wide range of lengths possible and also overlap, and they'll vary according to the fibre content and type of spin, too. In addition, Danish yarns like Knitting for Olive or Holst have become extremely popular and while marketed as fingering weight, they are vastly finer at 230-250m/50g compared to more classic fingering weights coming at 180m/50g, catering to the Danish/Scandinavian habit of combining 2, 3 or more thin yarns - not only the addition of a laceweight mohair that has become so popular in recent years. Even winding the yarn to count stitches per inch can be unhelpful - it will depend how tightly you push the strands together, so it's just not a perfect art. Then there is the idea that 2 strands of laceweight equals fingering, or two strands of fingering equals dk etc. which definitely only works in a percentage of cases! At the end of the day, in addition to trying some of your tips, there only remains trying multiple swatches and trial and error. Your swatch may be perfect but your gauge alters depending on whether you're knitting back and forth or in the round... or any number of other shifts. I think it's something a lot of us will always struggle with. Personally, it often doesn't matter if I use 2, 2.25 or 2.5 mm dpns, I'll always have the same gauge with a fine fingering yarn, I will never achieve a 36 st gauge, while my knitter daughter quite easily achieves it on a 3mm, for instance! (Incidentally, the yarn you show as an example shows the ballband to claim 9st/inch, which would be a 36 st gauge.) I find it to be exactly as you say and with experience, we find our favourite yarns and discover our favourite gauges for various projects if we stick with those. For the more adventurous, it seems swatching will still be required! By the way, I found out years ago that if I use eastern purl when I'm continental knitting, I get much more even knit/purl in my garments, so combined continental has become my go-to. Perhaps that's something you'd like to try out of curiosity...
Thank you for this extremely thorough and helpful comment, you make some excellent points! Also thanks for the suggestion on the 'eastern purl', I will look it up. I have tried the Finnish continental purling method as well, which is fun to do, but I still find it slow.
I so glad you are back! I really missed you. I also missed you saying all things beautiful and useful 🤭 i love this catchphrase ❤ Can’t wait for more tips!
Lovely to see you back making videos Anushka. Sorry you've been poorly but glad you're better. A really interesting and thoughtful video. Also, a shout out to your designs. Last year I knitted the Sisymbrium sweater and the Hawthorn Tincture shawl, both of which have had a lot of wear and a lot of compliments. Bernadette x
Looking forward to seeing your new video after all this time. Very sorry to hear of your ill health. It’s wonderful that you are so much better now. I hope knitting was a good distraction and helped you during convalescence. My very best wishes going forward ❤
I have this problem too! I pretty much just accepted I will usually have to use a needle a few sizes bigger than in the pattern, better to do that than to try and knit looser and risk the project coming out too small! Definitely agree with the stress thing though, I have returned to projects in the past that I was making during times of stress and ended up with e.g. two noticably different sized socks 😂
Lovely channel. I just swatched for gauge in the round for first time ever. Learnt a method whereby the yarn is uncut so it can be reused. Which got me thinking… is it important to make a physical collection (aka Swatch Mtn 🗻) for future ref or is it good enough to simply make cracking notes and take a few pics so I can frog said swatch and save space/waste less yarn. All thoughts and opinions will be gracious received. ❤ Do you love and look back fondly at your swatches? Will I regret frogging mine? Maybe… thanks! The knitting newbie.
I'm also quite keen on unravelling swatches to save yarn. You make some good points! Please do feel welcome to submit a query via the submissions form (linked in the video description) ☺️
I'm super curious if you've found a way of dealing with this knitty problem yourself? It's certainly not straightforward. Drop me a comment and let me know 🤗
Welcome back to The Crimson Stitchery, this is the first video I've made in 10 months. I had to take this extended break due to ill-health. I'm really happy to be returning now that I'm finally better!
I noticed whilst editing that I appear to have become camera-shy and struggled to look directly into the lens for this video. I know, as a teacher, that this isn't ideal and I appreciate your patience whilst I find my bearings again and ease back into video-making.
Remember to send me your knitty questions via the form (linked in the video description above).
Thank you as always for watching! -Anushka
You could put googly eyes around your camera to make it a little more personable to look at 😂
@@wobin_dwonderdog that's a good one 😂
Girl. It was amazing. Didn’t notice a thing. I’ve been sick on/off since 2014 with ME so I know the struggle of good health is real. Good days. Bad days. But we are here for you when you want to share. Love your channel. ❤ Super methodical and on point. Take care of yourself. ❤
So glad you are back! I discovered your content about 6 months ago, and now I recommend this channel to new knitters. Your professional presentation and clear technical explanations accelerate the learning curve. Well done.
This is really encouraging feedback to read, thanks Dani 😊 I'm glad you're finding my videos useful, and thank you for sharing the channel with other knitters.
@@TheCrimsonStitchery❤
So glad you're back and feeling well. I found your channel and binged all your videos while you were gone, so happy that you're now able to get back to making videos! Take things as easy as you need :)
Very informative video! I agree that you have to appreciate the effort of swatching as it can help develop more knitting skills and knowledge as I'm always substituting yarns for projects I want to make. 2 years ago, I self-designed my first knit sweater for myself (made with chunky yarn and done in stripes), and swatching was definitely what made the sweater have a better fit (a lot more effort was focused on getting the shaping right at the shoulder and sleeve caps). I also have to be careful when swatching because I do know when to cut my losses if things aren't gonna work out! I'm currently working on your Red Brick Socks in some self-striping sock yarn from my local yarn shop.
It's a very complex problem and you've addressed it in a well-structured manner.
One of the big parts of the problem, in particular for a less experienced knitter, can be the categorisation of yarn weights. Most people will rely on the length per 50g of a specific yarn to class yarns, at least initially. However, the fact that terms like lace, fingering/4ply, sport, dk and worsted a/o aran are so popular can be very misleading. Each category has a wide range of lengths possible and also overlap, and they'll vary according to the fibre content and type of spin, too. In addition, Danish yarns like Knitting for Olive or Holst have become extremely popular and while marketed as fingering weight, they are vastly finer at 230-250m/50g compared to more classic fingering weights coming at 180m/50g, catering to the Danish/Scandinavian habit of combining 2, 3 or more thin yarns - not only the addition of a laceweight mohair that has become so popular in recent years. Even winding the yarn to count stitches per inch can be unhelpful - it will depend how tightly you push the strands together, so it's just not a perfect art. Then there is the idea that 2 strands of laceweight equals fingering, or two strands of fingering equals dk etc. which definitely only works in a percentage of cases!
At the end of the day, in addition to trying some of your tips, there only remains trying multiple swatches and trial and error. Your swatch may be perfect but your gauge alters depending on whether you're knitting back and forth or in the round... or any number of other shifts. I think it's something a lot of us will always struggle with. Personally, it often doesn't matter if I use 2, 2.25 or 2.5 mm dpns, I'll always have the same gauge with a fine fingering yarn, I will never achieve a 36 st gauge, while my knitter daughter quite easily achieves it on a 3mm, for instance! (Incidentally, the yarn you show as an example shows the ballband to claim 9st/inch, which would be a 36 st gauge.)
I find it to be exactly as you say and with experience, we find our favourite yarns and discover our favourite gauges for various projects if we stick with those. For the more adventurous, it seems swatching will still be required!
By the way, I found out years ago that if I use eastern purl when I'm continental knitting, I get much more even knit/purl in my garments, so combined continental has become my go-to. Perhaps that's something you'd like to try out of curiosity...
Thank you for this extremely thorough and helpful comment, you make some excellent points!
Also thanks for the suggestion on the 'eastern purl', I will look it up. I have tried the Finnish continental purling method as well, which is fun to do, but I still find it slow.
I so glad you are back! I really missed you. I also missed you saying all things beautiful and useful 🤭 i love this catchphrase ❤ Can’t wait for more tips!
Lovely to see you back making videos Anushka. Sorry you've been poorly but glad you're better. A really interesting and thoughtful video. Also, a shout out to your designs. Last year I knitted the Sisymbrium sweater and the Hawthorn Tincture shawl, both of which have had a lot of wear and a lot of compliments. Bernadette x
Thank you Bernadette, this is lovely feedback to receive! I'm glad you're enjoying wearing my designs :)
Looking forward to seeing your new video after all this time. Very sorry to hear of your ill health. It’s wonderful that you are so much better now. I hope knitting was a good distraction and helped you during convalescence. My very best wishes going forward ❤
Thank you very much 😊
I have this problem too! I pretty much just accepted I will usually have to use a needle a few sizes bigger than in the pattern, better to do that than to try and knit looser and risk the project coming out too small! Definitely agree with the stress thing though, I have returned to projects in the past that I was making during times of stress and ended up with e.g. two noticably different sized socks 😂
Also lovely to see a new video from you! I hope you are doing well 😊
That's so funny! Thanks Emery 😊
Lovely channel. I just swatched for gauge in the round for first time ever. Learnt a method whereby the yarn is uncut so it can be reused. Which got me thinking… is it important to make a physical collection (aka Swatch Mtn 🗻) for future ref or is it good enough to simply make cracking notes and take a few pics so I can frog said swatch and save space/waste less yarn. All thoughts and opinions will be gracious received. ❤ Do you love and look back fondly at your swatches? Will I regret frogging mine? Maybe… thanks! The knitting newbie.
I'm also quite keen on unravelling swatches to save yarn. You make some good points! Please do feel welcome to submit a query via the submissions form (linked in the video description) ☺️