reacting to unpopular knitting opinions | spicy knit and chat!
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- hope ya'll enjoyed this video! I wanted to reiterate that this was all in good fun and I'd love to hear some of your thoughts below. I know this is a popular trend but I also enjoy any chance to talk even a bit more seriously about this hobby that I love so much. Thanks for stopping by :)
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💕patterns mentioned💕
camisole no 5. by my favourite things knitwear
www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...
magnetic force tank by not your grandmothers knits
www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr.... - Навчання та стиль
Some people may not be able to afford non acrylic yarn but still want to craft. Also acrylic is easy to care for and some people may prefer that. We should never shame people for their choices. We should be a supportive community and lift each other up. Another alternative would be to buy sweaters from the goodwill and unravel and repurpose the yarn.
I unravel sweaters often, it is actually pretty fun!
Yes, acrylic and acrylic blends are often people's first yarns and also great for those on a budget and also easier to care for. Yes there are negatives, but there are negatives to nearly every option.
Systemically, it's a huge problem that clothing companies have shifted away from using high quality materials that will last a long time and be sustainable, and instead make everything disposable and made of plastic.
But if you're just a regular person making clothes by hand for yourself and your loved ones, that's a totally different thing, and acrylic can be great for some things.
I think making your own clothes also makes you consume less fast fashion because just by learning the basics of knitting or sewing you start seeing how things are constructed and what is poorly made (i. e. a knitted sweater that looks like it was cut and then machine sown is obviously gonna unravel unless it was felted, an expensive garment that is just a square of stockinette made of acrylic or polyester is not gonna be worth it). You just look at it and say "I know that stitch, I know how to make it" and end up taking inspiration from it instead of buying it.
My local yarn store's owner is really great at suggesting alternative yarns for patterns that she either already carries, or can ship in (or are just cheaper, because she doesn't judge lol). But I have since found out that that kind of relaxed attitude towards using yarns required in the pattern is rare and that I have a true treasure in my yarn store owner :)
I have an antipathy to patterns that don’t give enough information and are confusing. Sometimes it seems like designers just like to make things unnecessary complicated to show off. Ok, I know that will be unpopular, but I stand by it. I’m not a beginner by the way.
Patterns that say you need Our Specifc Brand Of Yarn, This Color, From This Line, but not the yarn weight in case you can't get that yarn frustrate me. Having to look up the yarn to get the weight to make sure you can find the correct kind on your own shouldn't be necessary. Listing the yarn weight and yardage along *with* the yarn the pattern requires is such a small step that goes a long way.
@@radioactiveferrets unfortunately, I have trouble getting out. I’ve started using what’s recommended on the pattern unless the price is exorbitant. I just get bad results with substitutions. In that case my dear designers, May I please recommend suggesting a second brand of yarn that is much more affordable, even going as low as referring to Lion Brand, etc?
My take on test knitting - as you said, testers are basically volunteering. Yes, you have to apply usually, but if a designer needs just 14 people to test 7 sizes and 130 people apply to test, they have to decide who they feel is best qualified to test their pattern based on questions they've asked.
As for compensation, I usually get the final copy of the pattern for which I've tested, along with either a discount code or a couple of other free patterns. So maybe not monetary compensation, but I DO end up with an item I wanted to have, handmade by me, in the materials I chose. It's also a great way to learn new techniques.
Lastly, I cannot speak for all testers, but I haven't dealt with any unpleasant designers or other testers in my groups. So far, the designers have been super friendly, very communicative, grateful for any mistakes the testers have found, and the other testers are like a little hype group. We share our yarn and color choices, progress photos, any modifications, and it actually feels like a little community while everyone is working along together.
I'm a crocheter AND a knitter, so I'm part of both communities and I've heard from each one that they're better than the other for whatever reason. MY opinion is - they're both fibre crafts and they offer different outcomes and I'm here for both of them! While I'm not personally a fan of granny square blankets/garments/etc. I get that some people really like the kitschy vibe of them. Many of the Crochet patterns I use are from Black/Latinx designers who create super cute & wearable things with fun stitch patterns. I love knitting because I can really up the cozy (except I really dislike bulky projects) and I honestly enjoy the process.
As someone who is also in both communities, I agree with you. Knitting and crocheting have their pros and cons but both are enjoyable (except granny squares, those are frustrating beyond belief). I like crocheting for summer/ spring since they are holey (open holes) while knitting is more winter/ fall is less holey (closed holes) but both make amazing socks if one has the patience.
i love both but even though knitting uses less wool (so it's cheaper) i prefer crochet because i love the summery 70s boho vibes of it
Ooh goodness…. I started with crochet and added knitting 5-6 years later, and I love both! I was never a fan of granny squares though…. Never got the attraction. In fact, I utterly refused to make one when I was learning. Put that on the list of unpopular crochet opinions! 😂
So many hot takes and I’m here for it!
I have something to add to the gatekeeping comment: I find certain designers are very clique-y and you can tell by their social media that some of their followers are part of the in crowd, but most are not. That really sours my opinions of designers like that, and even if I like their patterns, I find myself reluctant to make them because I don’t like the designer.
I agree that knitted bralettes are just a trendy item with very little use, but I think another reason why I don’t like them is because they’re a garment that is more directed towards thinner people - despite most bralette patterns being size-inclusive, bralettes as a garment work better for smaller chested people.
I TOTALLY agree with testing deadlines needing to be longer, or at least staggered deadlines for the larger sizes being tested. I’ve tested for a few different designers and I’ve had to knit like a demon to get something done on a tight deadline for a demanding designer and been able to take my time with a project and knit at my normal pace for a more relaxed designer. I always prefer the second option, but testing in general usually stresses me out so I only do one test a year usually. They’re so tempting though!
The multiple strand thing is SO common in European knitting patterns, especially holding mohair with other yarns. I think they just have much more access to multiple yarns in the same colour, and they use multiple thin yarns to make a bulky garment because it will feel much lighter than using one bulky yarn. I’m not onboard with using three strands instead of one though 😂 when it comes to hand-dyed yarn, I need to keep reminding myself that hand-dyed yarn is a luxury item, I can’t buy it as often as I would like.
Appreciate these additions Whitney! Especially the first point about designers, it really puts me off to see cliquey behavior as well. There is room for everyone here and I just cannot deal with that!
I appreciate your opinion on acrylic vs natural yarns. As a beginner in crochet and knitting and I live in spain I'm just using yarns I can buy in store in person. So far I have been purchasing mostly acrylic. As a beginner knitter I don't think it's wise to pay lots of money on shipping fancy merino wool or Drops lace yarn till I more comfortable with my skills.
I don't care what kind of yarn ppl use. However it looks like some artists make lots of one time wear statement garments, which aren't really functional as day to day wear. They can do that because acrylic is more affordable. I prefer making sustainable wear which I can use for years and years.
I’ve test knitted for free several times. I knew what I was agreeing to, and I only chose projects that I actually wanted the pattern or FO for - so I was getting paid in the form of a pattern, basically.
BUT I have seen a huge rise in ungrateful designers who don’t seem to acknowledge or appreciate that test knitters are doing THEM a favor - using their own time and yarn so the designer doesn’t actually have to pay a professional copy editor or knitter - and the designers act like they’re doing gods work giving their pattern away for free. I’ve had designers get rude with me and ice me out if I so much as said one negative thing about my experience testing their pattern. Designers can treat test knitters like unpaid interns, demanding a deadline, free promotion on social media and pristine photos on Ravelry, and still act insulted when a test knitter fails to meet their expectations.
So, if anything, I wish I could tell the designers that they’re getting SUCH A DEAL by my 50 hours of labor and $80 worth of yarn compared to me receiving their $5 digital pdf. Check yourself *severallll* times at the door, sweetheart.
I cannot wear get on the bralette train! You’re right about the nips and I get uh very cold easily…I need some padding haha. I also made the mistake of getting on the super chunky knit trend and I have a lot of yarn in my stash from it I don’t want to work with 😬 it hurts my hands while knitting, it felts sooo easily and sheds…I’m planning on probably making a Frankenstein blanket of some sort with it all at some point. One of my biggest regrets when I started knitting 😞
I've also been thinking about doing some felting projects if you have 100% chunky wool! At least when you decided to stash bust it will go by quickly haha
Also I started doing some weaving projects on a small loom and the chunky yarn additions are my favorite parts of the projects ☺️
I'm flat chested so I wouldn't make one either. Not flattering for me
I thought the bralette comment was so interesting! I’m making my first one now, and I think that there is totally a place knitted loungewear to be appreciated 😊
To be honest, I love knitted bralettes even though I'm someone who doesn't wear bralettes out of the house lol - since a lot of the makes I knit up are for outdoor wear, there's a limited window of when I can wear them. But with bralettes, I always wear them around the house and it's my most worn type of knits lol
I freaking love your take on all of these hot takes. Well done! My fave unpopular knitting opinions video yet.
❤
Tayler
Love these hot take videos and you’re great to listen to! Also that top looks awesome on you and made me add it to my favorites
I like these types of videos because I can knit/crochet while listening and I don’t feel like I miss much if you show things.
On another note I’m happy I found another local to me knit podcaster! 👋 hello from MD!
Just found your channel, that top looks phenomenal on you. It’s the first thing I noticed.
Anyway, I’ve been a crocheter for about 7 years, and dabbling into knitting. Definitely subscribing. 🌸
Test knitting- there’s higher end brands and designers that do compensate their testers, either with some pay, discounts of free yarn for the test, or discounts on other patterns and/or yarns. People who are interested in testing just need to look
I’ve done some test knitting with none of the above, purely volunteer work but I found it to be a pleasant experience. I’ve been in a few Instagram group chats with other testers and it was such a positive environment to not only share how work is going, but to be able to ask for advice or opinions from people of all skills. Another thing is I loved catching mistakes, because I usually don’t understand construction of garments and being able to test an imperfect pattern allows me to see mistakes and understand why they are mistakes (if that makes sense). It doesn’t make me a designer but it does help me begin to understand the design process and constructing garments much better. All of the designers I worked with were so sweet and they actually would push a deadline if testers are having issues completing. It’s dependent on who you work with and I’ve been so fortunate to work with such sweet people, so the compensation aspect didn’t bother me.
Also, if the project is something nice that I would have bought the pattern for after release, I did feel like the deadline helped me to finish something that otherwise would have been a WIP, and getting the pattern for free does save a few bucks. It’s not a lot saved, unless you’re like me and literally have hundreds of patterns on your wishlist!
just love your honest point of view! Thanks for brightening and enlightening1
I completely agree that people shouldn't be shamed for using acrylic. It's an individual choice and a valid one for many reasons. However, it's simply inaccurate to say that we do not know if wool yarn is more sustainable than acrylic. Yes, there are many ways in which wool can be farmed more ethically/sustainably or not, but at the end of the day, it is a 100% biodegradable fiber. When the clothes you make are unwanted (whether it be because you no longer want them or whoever outlasts you no longer wants them) they can just biodegrade. Acrylic will sit in landfills for decades. This is not to say that everyone MUST use wool or must feel bad if they do not use wool for whatever reason. But it is simply inaccurate to pretend that natural fibers (even the less sustainable/ethical ones) are not a more sustainable choice than synthetics. There is no need to implement "the perfect" choice. It's not a binary of good versus bad. But there are better or worse options and wool is better than acrylic if we are simply comparing the two. No one should be shamed for their choices and at the end of the day the actions of governments and corporations matter a lot more when it comes to sustainability and climate change than individual action so using acrylic yarn is not the worst thing you can do and as you said it is definitely better than fast fashion. However, we should avoid making inaccurate blanket statements and losing all nuance when discussing this topic.
I have just found your channel.You are so refreshing.Thoroughly enjoying your videos,thank you❤️
Here’s my unpopular opinion; Madori Hirose designs beautiful sweaters except for the Ranunculus. The Ranunculus is ugly.
I feel otherwise. I just knitted the Ranunculus and I love it!
As someone who knits and crochets, I prefer crocheting. It’s faster and I like the fact that you can only have handmade crocheted pieces. I also like the process better. My grandma who knits a lot and doesn’t crochet wanted to learn how to make crocheted amigurumi and I taught her and now she prefers crochet more but still knits most of the time. My mom refers the process of knitting because it’s slower. Liking crochet or liking knitting better is just a personal preference. There’s pros and cons for both. One is not objectively better than the other. So you are allowed to prefer whichever one you want ☺️
i like acrylic yarn, it seems to be more consistent regardless of brand. i can't tell you how many times i found cotton or bamboo that i liked by one brand, but not another brand. durable and easy to work with
I’ve been knitting on and off for 30+ years. I gave it up for a few years because of work. I decided recently to retire, and now I am obsessed!!
This vid is like half a year old, but I actually have some input about sustainability: natural wool yarn requires insane amount of water to produce. From my own experience as a dyer (mostly with natural dyes), it's several gallons of water PER SKEIN. Wool production process includes detergents and dyes that aren't the best to go back to the water cycle to say the least.
Spinner and knitter here jumping in to add that wool can absolutely be made in an unsustainable way. Most of the practices to create superwash wools or yarns is incredibly unsustainable and dangerous for the workers most closely involved in the process. There are some producers out there finding ways to tweak the superwash process to make it less chemical- and water-intensive, but it's also incredibly difficult to find out what each producer's process is without a lot of due-diligence research.
Generally I advise folks looking for more sustainable wools to buy local, handspun if possible. But totally agree on not shaming folks for buying acrylic -- nothing wrong with it if that's what you can afford and is sustainable for YOU and your own knitting practice.
Love your vid as always! Gotta say I’m all for the knitted bralette trend but I wear bralettes around my house year round because they help me to feel more confident somehow. Haha also the cami your knitting up looks great! I love the color you chose 😊
Love that they make you feel more confident, thats the power of hand made clothes
Knitted bralettes are by far my most worn handmade garment. I’m wearing one right now. I wear them as underwear, as loungewear, to yoga, layered under a buttoned shirt in summer, layered for warmth in winter, etc. You just gotta pick the right yarn for them. I have a few flops that I made with the wrong yarn and going to frog or donate those (eg the pure cotton one turned out too big but would fit someone else). Eventually I will stop buying bras and just wear knitted bralettes 😆
Also we do have data for environmental impacts of various products, it’s not easy to find but I deal with it for work sometimes / and there are indeed many unsustainable farms out there. But the microplastics are around forever. Acrylic yarn is still better than fast fashion though imo. I doubt much hand dyed yarn ends up in landfill, people tend to either use it, hoard it, or resell it, not throw it away. So unless you’re buying tons of yarn and then throwing it away, you’re probably ok, buy and make what you enjoy!
My comment was in the video thumbnail! Lol. Great video, as always. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Yes! Thank you!
Mandy, you are wise beyond your years. It’s clear you have given this a lot of thought. As a 69 YO grandmother, I have not. I love to knit. And quilt. Thank you for food for thought.
All the crochet garments I have made have been so uncomfortable. Maybe it just means I made them incorrectly? Who knows...
Omggg the fact that you put “spicy” is giving me life 🤣😂🤣🌶
we keep it hot and spicy here LOL
Ive never heard of paying for test knitting but then again Ive only ever test knit once; and I did it to get the pattern for free basically (unemployed at the time), so I thought I was fairly compensated!
I am currently making my first knitted bralette against my better judgement as I am quite well endowed. but I have a lot of small amounts of yarn and Im not wearing them out of the house so....
Mandy, did you knit the pink blanket behind you? If so, what yarn did you use? I’m a sucker for blankets lol
I did not, but I like that it looks like I did haha. It’s from IKEA
How different is test knitting from livestream modding? We don’t have all the info for all situations. If you love do it. If it isn’t fun, don’t. I appreciate your understanding about variables that can potentially affect outcomes.
Now I know how to knit/crochet clothing I refuse to purchase knitwear. For me, wearing something I made even if it's a bit poop has a feeling you can't replicate.
OMG I love videos like this like SO JUICY!! I’m pretty sure I featured twice lol I’m so controversial 😂😂 also I store my knits in wicker basket drawer and I fold them a certain way (marie kondo style). Knits are precious and so we must mind them with the storage too!! But yeah chunk knits aren’t the GOAT for me tbh 😂
Knitters should block their knit wear since natural yarns will bloom, and blocking will change the size of the garment. You may even end up adjusting the finished work.
Love knotted bras hehe. Free the girls
I know this is from 6 months ago, but I gotta put in my 2 cents about knitting vs. crochet: It's some pretty shallow thinking that makes someone say one is "better" than the other. If you want a cozy cabled sweater, you probably want to knit it. If you want a fun granny square vest or tote bag, that calls for crochet. I daresay knitting is a more skilled and sophisticated craft. On the other hand, if you want to start making some useful and delightful items pretty quickly, crochet may be for you. I think there is a lower bar for entry into the crochet world. I NEVER hear of anyone being "gatekeepy". Crocheter are generous and the number of tutorials at all levels on UA-cam is astounding. Saying one is better that the other is like saying knitting is better than sewing. Two different skill sets for two different results.
P.S. to this already too long comment: I thought about these astounding thread crochet doilies that my grandmother made. Incredibly tiny stitches and complex designs. I think crochet CAN be equally skilled and sophisticated, just in a different way.
as an acrylic yarn user due to cost, i appreciate this
Test knitting….If you are a professional test knitter, than you get paid. Other than that you are accepting the project on the terms that the “designer” has set forth. If you don’t like the terms,.don’t do the project.
I find it so interesting. 10 years ago, when I knitted a lot, it was common to knit sweaters from the bottom up and hardly ever use more than one yarn. Today, it seems very trendy to knit from the top down - which has many advantages - and to knit 2 or more yarns at a time. However, I find this questionable as a trend because it is expensive. Also, I think it has become an expensive snobbery to show hand dyed yarns on social media. They are beautiful but unnecessary expensive. And not-hand-dyed yarns are beautiful, too!
I feel like the superiority thing about wool yarn is kinda silly to me because I use non wool fibres as a vegan choice. It's funny because some vegans have such a superiority complex about their veganism. Personally i feel as long as people are being responsible with the disposal of yarn and fibre crafts to do the best they can with it. The only good point I can personally think of for acrylic is it's very cheap and therefore very accessible, allowing everyone to get started in the hobby and those on low incomes to partake.
Acrylic yarn is bad, and no one should make themselves use it. (My daughter's fiancé died of covid before finishing up their acrylic yarn because they wanted to be thrifty and wouldn't buy nice yarn until they'd used up the bad stuff. After I discovered that was why they used acrylic yarn, I bought them some beautiful hand-dyed wool yarn for Christmas, but they didn't last that long).
If kept carefully, yarn doesn't go bad. I've knit things out of yarn I bought 20+ years previously, and no one could tell it wasn't new. SABLE isn't sustainable, but having a cushion can get you through a rainy week with no power during a pandemic.
Most knitwear designers make next to nothing, or even lose money on the proposition.
Bulky knits will continue to lure new knitters in with their promise of being quick knits, but experienced knitters quickly see that they don't hold their shape and that they aren't particularly comfortable.
Knitting is better than crochet, but the right crocheted edging can beautifully finish off a knitted garment.
"Blocking" is the same thing as "washing" in my book. Sometimes you "block" it before you wear it, and sometimes you just don't wanna. Over time, it all comes out in the wash. Stitches even out as you wear items, so even if you never, ever wash an item, it will eventually relax into its proper shape.
Learn how to design your own items, then your work will look like no one else's.
So no colorwork, no intarsia, no fairisle? No projects that use dribs and drabs of leftover yarn? I don't mind working with lots of different kinds of yarn for that kind of project!
girl, your audio. please.
i eventually got a mic 😅
I came here to escape all of this political talk… And here we go. I'm out