Perhaps knitting a pair of socks with that yarn would be a good use for it. You could still enjoy the colours without them having an impact on your wardrobe that you aren't comfortable with. 😊
OMG, that Caribbean blue skein of yarn is so beatiful! It would have been hard for me to resist because I love teal colors. I think I would find a Stephen West pattern and pair it with other skeins of yarn.
This was a very helpful video. I sometimes have been very sad when I bought yarn that was beautiful in the skein but didn't knit as nice, now I only buy that type of yarn when there is either a sample knitted or a photo of how the yarn looks when knitted..
I agree with your selections of wasted money on unnecessary items. Thanks for the tip on Hobbii. I almost made a full-price purchase this week. I'll wait to see if it goes on sale soon.
I have a suggestion for your hank of ‘kingfisher’ dyed yarn. In Ravelry, free pattern, called The Age of Steam and Brass Kerchief, a loose very easy knit small shawl. I have made this 3 times in small quantities of dyed fibres which I have spun. I just wrap the small shawl around my neck like a cowl. When I have only a small quantity of yarn left I start weighing the yarn to see how much each row takes so that I can plan when to do the edging. I think this quick knit would be ideal for the hank you don't know what to do with. Cynthia in UK
I have made the very same mistakes as yourself but I have surely learn't from them. I would say my worst 2 were the novelty yarn purchase aswell as the very same wooden needles you brought. I too never use wood but i tried them out and they were horrendous!😂
My wasted money was on cheap plastic needles, or bamboo needles narrower than 2.75 mm, or resin coated wood needle tips on circulars. They have all snapped and broken too easily. Also stitch holders were a waste for me because they were more cumbersome than just using waste yarn.
Beware that it's sometimes the other way around too! There is a lot of stuff where the design was stolen from a designer/creator and sold in chinese wholesale like aliexpress/alibaba, where it ends up in the 'not dropshipping but kinda scammy' amazon and etsy stores.
I was browsing through my usual online store yarn that offered free shipping for a particular wool & cotton blend yarn. Later I found the yarn brand that I was about to buy to be nearly 50% cheaper than the "free shipping" store. I did have to pay for shipping, still it worked out way cheaper than the free shipping one.
For beginners I suggest investing in a $30-$40 interchangeable needle set. I was able to find a metal set on Amazon in that range and I have actually really liked them. That way you aren't having to buy a new needle every time you need a new size or length of chord and you don't need to feel overwhelmed that you bought the wrong size. While many set go for way over and are nicer quality, I did my research and found a cheap one that has held up really well, especially if you don't mind starting out on metal needles
I bought fixed cable needles when I was restarted knitting. They where cheap and they were stiff and have gotten stiffer with time. Those were complete waste of time and money. I wish I had saved the money from some of those purchases and instead bought full set of Signature interchangeable needle set and more fixed soft cables from Signature Needles and some Knitpro ones. I am going forward look for second hand Signature Needles and I am going to buy some Birch or bamboo needles to have on have for flight travel. Yarn therapy is nice to do...
I’ve done the same with cheap bamboo dpn’s for in the plane, my hands were not happy at all. I’m in love with the sweater you are wearing, did you knit it yourself and if so would you mind sharing the pattern name?
I boight thw plastic/wood cirxulara. I use them as stitch holders for things like sleeves. I know the atitches arent falling off bc they stick to the plastic. Or i can just tie the needles together with an elastic and the atitches will keep their shape.
Many years ago before I realised what a greedy retail giant anazon is, I sent for some wooden DPNs They were dreadful also. Very rough and totally useless. I found they had been manufactured and sent from China. I compalned and they refunded the money without a return needed. Nowadays I refuse to neither buy from Amazon ( many othe reasons) nor buy anything that comes from China. I check the source of everyting I buy.
The knitpicks interchangeable sets are actually great and they're about half the price of Addie sets, just as another option for people to look at. Definitely always read reviews extremely critically and research the hell out of a set of needles on UA-cam before you buy. I'm willing to bet the good reviews on those cheap Amazon needles were either botted or paid reviews.
@ well, what is WILD is that I just had a chiaogoo break on me today!!! My 2mm interchangeable! (Maybe it’s a me problem!) I had to run to the yarn shop, 45 minutes before they closed!
Back in 2012 or something, I bought 10 skeins of 1 colour of sock yarn bc it was discontinued. They were STILL selling this yarn last year (2024). I don't mind so much bc I've made socks and a hat and can really think of what I want to make with the rest. And it's in colours I love ( neon yellow and grey). However I may not have bought 10 skeins but 6 if I had known.
When I started knitting again, I bought many individual balls of yarn just because I liked the colour or because it was on sale and now I don't know what to do with them. So that is a waste of money and it is stressing me out because they just stay in a box and take up space. I am not much of a scrappy person so I really don't know what to do with them. Other mistake on the beginning was to buy a lot of knitting needles in different sizes just because, but I never use most of them because I like knitting in a smaller gauge, so size 6 ,7 and 8 needles are just never going to get used. Funny and cute stitch markers are totally unnecessary, but I get it, I also am a sucker for them :D So I bought really nice charms /out of aliexpress, yes, there you can find really nice ones as well/ and 12 mm. rings and I made them myself. But to be honest I use such a stitch marker just to mark the beginning of a round, for chart repeats I use the thin pear-shaped ones, they are much better for the job I find. Variegated yarns- I totally agree, just gorgeous in a skein, but not a great use of it except for socks and all stockinette garments. And they tend to be really pricey. All in all the things I learnt so far after 4 years of constant knitting- I would rather invest a bit more in a better yarn so that the garment holds up better with time. The same goes for needles. And the most important- I never buy yarn if I don't have a project in mind for it, except I stumble upon a sale of good yarn somewhere, then I buy a sweater quantity, NOT individual skeins that I know are going to lay around for ages.
I've definitely made the "single skein of yarn that looked pretty" mistake, so now people in my family tend to get hats or shawlettes - perfect one skein projects :)
I think the cheaper tools and yarn are good if you are new to knitting or crochet. You can decide if you like the art without a huge financial investment.
I used to love Etsy, but there are so many shops that do this resale thing now. And it’s hard to tell who actually makes their products. What a shame…
I've found the same thing, so now I mostly order from the few shops that I've had really great experiences with before.
Perhaps knitting a pair of socks with that yarn would be a good use for it. You could still enjoy the colours without them having an impact on your wardrobe that you aren't comfortable with. 😊
That's a really good suggestion, thank you!
@@downtheforestpath A Musselburgh hat would also be wonderful knit with that beautiful skein!
OMG, that Caribbean blue skein of yarn is so beatiful! It would have been hard for me to resist because I love teal colors. I think I would find a Stephen West pattern and pair it with other skeins of yarn.
This was a very helpful video. I sometimes have been very sad when I bought yarn that was beautiful in the skein but didn't knit as nice, now I only buy that type of yarn when there is either a sample knitted or a photo of how the yarn looks when knitted..
That's a really good tip, I also like to look on Ravelry how certain colourways look knit up, it's so much more reliable than guessing!
@@downtheforestpath Another great idea ! Thanks !
I agree with your selections of wasted money on unnecessary items. Thanks for the tip on Hobbii. I almost made a full-price purchase this week. I'll wait to see if it goes on sale soon.
I have a suggestion for your hank of ‘kingfisher’ dyed yarn. In Ravelry, free pattern, called The Age of Steam and Brass Kerchief, a loose very easy knit small shawl. I have made this 3 times in small quantities of dyed fibres which I have spun. I just wrap the small shawl around my neck like a cowl. When I have only a small quantity of yarn left I start weighing the yarn to see how much each row takes so that I can plan when to do the edging. I think this quick knit would be ideal for the hank you don't know what to do with. Cynthia in UK
The thing I like best about this video is the story about receeiving your grandmother's supplies and restarting your knitting journey!
I have made the very same mistakes as yourself but I have surely learn't from them. I would say my worst 2 were the novelty yarn purchase aswell as the very same wooden needles you brought. I too never use wood but i tried them out and they were horrendous!😂
So many victims of these exact wooden needles in the comments! 😂
My wasted money was on cheap plastic needles, or bamboo needles narrower than 2.75 mm, or resin coated wood needle tips on circulars. They have all snapped and broken too easily. Also stitch holders were a waste for me because they were more cumbersome than just using waste yarn.
Beware that it's sometimes the other way around too! There is a lot of stuff where the design was stolen from a designer/creator and sold in chinese wholesale like aliexpress/alibaba, where it ends up in the 'not dropshipping but kinda scammy' amazon and etsy stores.
Sigh…. You’ve hit the nail for sure! Many of us can relate!
I was browsing through my usual online store yarn that offered free shipping for a particular wool & cotton blend yarn. Later I found the yarn brand that I was about to buy to be nearly 50% cheaper than the "free shipping" store. I did have to pay for shipping, still it worked out way cheaper than the free shipping one.
For beginners I suggest investing in a $30-$40 interchangeable needle set. I was able to find a metal set on Amazon in that range and I have actually really liked them. That way you aren't having to buy a new needle every time you need a new size or length of chord and you don't need to feel overwhelmed that you bought the wrong size. While many set go for way over and are nicer quality, I did my research and found a cheap one that has held up really well, especially if you don't mind starting out on metal needles
Have you looked at the Musselburgh hat pattern for that yarn? It's a wonderful easy pattern.
The rip-off can also be on the amazon side ripping off the handcrafters. amazon is a marketplace used by different sellers.
I bought fixed cable needles when I was restarted knitting. They where cheap and they were stiff and have gotten stiffer with time. Those were complete waste of time and money.
I wish I had saved the money from some of those purchases and instead bought full set of Signature interchangeable needle set and more fixed soft cables from Signature Needles and some Knitpro ones. I am going forward look for second hand Signature Needles and I am going to buy some Birch or bamboo needles to have on have for flight travel.
Yarn therapy is nice to do...
I’ve done the same with cheap bamboo dpn’s for in the plane, my hands were not happy at all. I’m in love with the sweater you are wearing, did you knit it yourself and if so would you mind sharing the pattern name?
Thanks for complimenting the sweater! It's the Kuutar tee by Sari Nordlund, knit in pure linen yarn (Camarose Lovetand) - hope that helps!
Gorgeous lace. Top.
Good job girls ❤❤❤❤
I boight thw plastic/wood cirxulara.
I use them as stitch holders for things like sleeves. I know the atitches arent falling off bc they stick to the plastic. Or i can just tie the needles together with an elastic and the atitches will keep their shape.
When traveling by plane, i bring wooden needles, those have no issues
Many years ago before I realised what a greedy retail giant anazon is, I sent for some wooden DPNs They were dreadful also. Very rough and totally useless. I found they had been manufactured and sent from China. I compalned and they refunded the money without a return needed.
Nowadays I refuse to neither buy from Amazon ( many othe reasons) nor buy anything that comes from China.
I check the source of everyting I buy.
Glad to hear you got your money back!
The knitpicks interchangeable sets are actually great and they're about half the price of Addie sets, just as another option for people to look at.
Definitely always read reviews extremely critically and research the hell out of a set of needles on UA-cam before you buy.
I'm willing to bet the good reviews on those cheap Amazon needles were either botted or paid reviews.
Thank you for the recommendation, I've been thinking about getting interchangeable needles for a while!
I bought a very similar set of circular needles for the same reason, mine broke at the join halfway though the project!
Oh no, that's even worse!
@ 🤷♀️ lesson learned. (That plastic tubing ripped right at the join.)
@ well, what is WILD is that I just had a chiaogoo break on me today!!! My 2mm interchangeable! (Maybe it’s a me problem!) I had to run to the yarn shop, 45 minutes before they closed!
I wasted so much money buying doscontinued yarns in colors i dont wear because they were on sale and "ill find a pattern for them later"
Back in 2012 or something, I bought 10 skeins of 1 colour of sock yarn bc it was discontinued.
They were STILL selling this yarn last year (2024).
I don't mind so much bc I've made socks and a hat and can really think of what I want to make with the rest. And it's in colours I love ( neon yellow and grey).
However I may not have bought 10 skeins but 6 if I had known.
When I started knitting again, I bought many individual balls of yarn just because I liked the colour or because it was on sale and now I don't know what to do with them. So that is a waste of money and it is stressing me out because they just stay in a box and take up space. I am not much of a scrappy person so I really don't know what to do with them. Other mistake on the beginning was to buy a lot of knitting needles in different sizes just because, but I never use most of them because I like knitting in a smaller gauge, so size 6 ,7 and 8 needles are just never going to get used.
Funny and cute stitch markers are totally unnecessary, but I get it, I also am a sucker for them :D So I bought really nice charms /out of aliexpress, yes, there you can find really nice ones as well/ and 12 mm. rings and I made them myself. But to be honest I use such a stitch marker just to mark the beginning of a round, for chart repeats I use the thin pear-shaped ones, they are much better for the job I find.
Variegated yarns- I totally agree, just gorgeous in a skein, but not a great use of it except for socks and all stockinette garments. And they tend to be really pricey.
All in all the things I learnt so far after 4 years of constant knitting- I would rather invest a bit more in a better yarn so that the garment holds up better with time. The same goes for needles. And the most important- I never buy yarn if I don't have a project in mind for it, except I stumble upon a sale of good yarn somewhere, then I buy a sweater quantity, NOT individual skeins that I know are going to lay around for ages.
I've definitely made the "single skein of yarn that looked pretty" mistake, so now people in my family tend to get hats or shawlettes - perfect one skein projects :)
I think the cheaper tools and yarn are good if you are new to knitting or crochet. You can decide if you like the art without a huge financial investment.
Fingering weight is great for socks. Why not socks for that skein that you dunno what to do with