I think one of the great parts of your podcast, or any knitting podcast, is when you come up against a roadblock and find a way to fix it - not everything can/should be fixed immediately and I think it's valuable for other knitters (like myself - never made a garment and just building up to it) to see the whole process, so we feel better about the issues we come across and potential ways to fix them. Please keep sharing the good and the bad! And if you haven't ripped out that top yet perhaps you could use it for a demo on how you rip back to a certain point safely and effectively? 🙂
Thanks so much Erin. I appreciate that you actually find it beneficial to hear the wins and the losses. Unfortunately i have already ripped out the Thea Top. But there will be more ripping in my future so next time i do it, I'll do a video and talk about how i rip back to where i need to get back to. x
Hi Tash. I've finally caught up on your podcast videos and have loved them. I really like your pattern choices too and you have given me loads of inspiration. I'd quite like to try making a dress and wondered whether you'd consider doing a maths tutorial video showing how you work out how much to increase for an A-line dress, where to put the increases, how you'd work out how much extra yarn needed and which patterns would and wouldn't work for modifying. Thanks ❤
Hi Sonya. Thanks so much for your encouraging words and for spending the time watching my previous podcasts. That's a great idea about a tutorial for converting a sweater to a dress and the info and planning involved. I can definitely do that. Thank you for asking. :)
I’ve just had three unsuccessful knits and have frogged two and the third, my first ranunculus, will be on the chopping block when I get home. I’m feeling pretty discouraged at the moment but I love knitting so I will persevere. Doing some socks now to lift my spirits. Your friend from the vault looks lovely on you.
I'm sorry to hear you are also having undesirable results from your sweater knitting. I am glad you have found a comfort knit to go to. Have you been able to figure out what went wrong? I often regret ripping back before spending a bit of time to investigate. Thank you for the lovely comment on my Navelli. I am definitely going to start wearing it more. :)
Again Tash you have been really helpful with your explanations of the frustrations you’ve been having with your swatches. I’m a beginner garment knitter and I’m going to now stay with wool till I get a little more confident. So thank you for showing us the more frustrating parts. Also I love the boat neck on your Navelli. It really is flattering on you. Blessings Gail.
Love how you're telling that swatch off,Tash🤭.. Interesting episode and good to share you hit a knitting wall occasionally.Problem solving at its finest.Think i cord edge all around the shawl would be great I loved making a Sophie scarf..first time doing i cord🤭👌Have a lovely weekend.🙏xx
Hello Tash. It was great you proved to me that overdyeing can even out un-even colours. Condolences on the splotch! I can suggest that very large stainless steel stock pots are available at Big W for about $20. Good luck 🙂
Hi Tash loving your podcasts. I’m watching from the uk. I’ve just caught up on the previous episodes, having just discovered you at the end of July! I too have 3 kids and dogs and teach- so much of what you talk about resonates. I am also quite new to garment knitting and so seeing you figure out problems is so helpful and gives me more confidence to start projects and have a bit more of an idea how to tackle problems! Can’t wait for your next episode you are doing an amazing job!!
Thanks so much Vikki. It is always so nice to hear when you connect with someone. Knitting definitely has conundrums and dead ends but it is good if we can figure out a way forward based on the information we get from our swatches and our knitting progress. Thanks for the encouragement. xx
I love the way you explain things that happen in your knitting and your thought process. I liked your choices for your half and half I think they will compliment each other. I hate a boatneck personally, I have knitted one tee with a boatneck and just don’t wear it because of that.
Thanks so much, Carol. It is funny how polarising some design features can be. Especially a boat neck. It is one that many people just cant come at. I hesitate with it. And yet I can see there is an appeal. Perhaps it is the way my body is made??
Hi Tash, Thanks for another great podcast! Love your camisole number 5, that colour will look stunning on you as will that gorgeous pink wool for your ranuncules. I finished my half and half a month or so back I only did the icord edge like you did with your little swatch. The colours will look great together, once its all wrapped up I think. To be honest I didn't know there was an icord cast on or off, It would look good. I find the linen quill quite prickly, that said I havent blocked it, so that might make a difference. I've just started knitting a tolsa tee using Kinross 4 ply, It's just lovely! If I make another half and half I will use kinross 4 ply, It's from Scotland. It's been fun watching your Carnaby skirt shenanigans...That colour is beautiful! Cant wait to see how it turns out :) Your Inlaws trip seem to be over real soon I hope they had a great time with you guys. Love all the birds on your walk, how beautiful.
Thanks so much Kaz. I am curious as to how i will find the Linen Quill next to skin as well... I may just slip the last stitch of every row to get the nice edging. I am looking forward to a big garter project where I know exactlt what i need to be doing and dont have to overthink anything and worry abotu fit. :)
Hi, first I love watching you share your knitting journey with us! I have to comment on your half/half plans. I think deep down you already know the answer. You shared with us how excited you were to get and try this yarn. You were willing to wait for your family to bring it to you. You also shared your mild disappointment with the color when you opened it. But you still tried giving it a shot. But when you said if I don't use it for this project I will probably destash it..... You know! So if this comment helps that's great..... But if your still not sure think of facing that yarn for the next few months... forcing yourself to knit on a huge swath of fabric in a color that doesn't make your heart sing, or bring a smile to your face every time you walk by it..... life's short, your knitting is there to bring you joy, peace, excitement! That color doesn't do any of that for you and that's okay....Set it free to the person who it does all those things for!
Thank you so much Nancy. I really appreciate your thoughtful comments. I think the reality is i LIKE the pairing. But i was hoping and expecting to LOVE it. And there are color combos that I get excited about. It is a lot of knitting and if i am not just busting to get to it, then it doesnt make sense to start on the journey. I feel like i know, standing in a yarn shop, i would not have picked these two together. That really should be enough information for me right there. Sometimes we need to sit on it a little bit, though... Thanks so much for sharing. :)
Thank you for another great podcast. I am still working on my first ever sweater...yay. I used your tutorial on casting on underarm stitches this week! I also used your tutorial on the pinhole cast on to start my first musselburgh :) I know what you mean about all of Petiteknits patterns looking so appealing based on her photos. I had the same thought about the December bow but know I wouldn't wear it. I was pondering if it would work on a christmas wreath.
I am so glad the tutorials are coming in handy. Sometimes i find myself going back to them to remind myself of things i dont do that often. so they are helping me too. ;) Yeah - i doubt i will wear the December bow but if i make in red, it definitely could be on a wreath. :)
You give me another reason NOT to like swatching! Love your colour choices for Alpine and can’t wait to see what that beautiful ranunculus knits up like. Very elegant I bet
Thanks so much Michelle. It is so frustrating when swatches give misleading information. But I feel that perhaps i need to be doing something different with my plant fiber swatches to be getting the correct information. Knitting them a bit larger and perhaps pulling on them more as Karen suggested. I will work on it as they are an important part of garment making. I just need to do it better. ;) x
Another interesting podcast. Many thanks. I like the look of boat necks but I don’t like wearing them. I have the same problem with my Navelli. I don’t wear it because of this. I often wonder if there is any way of altering it so I would get more wear out of it.
Thank you Lynne. I think I am going to wear it more now I have jeans to wear it with. I think that was the main reason i wasnt selecting it. I think i like boatnecks on other people but not as much on me. So they wont ever be a go-to style, but it is still nice to wear something a little different occasionally. :)
Did my Anker tee in Dan Doh cotton/silk. Turned out great. Used Bamboo Pop cotton/bamboo for the Beach Tank with great results. Enjoy your podcasts. Great insights 😊 Do you ever try changing the type of needle steel/wood/bamboo to help with getting gauge? Love my Sophie Scarf. I wear mine around my neck but also wrap it around my head when it is windy but warm. I have to walk the dog and have to watch traffic and can’t have my hair blowing in my face. I just tie it on the side of my head and it looks cute. Becoming a wise knitter takes a lot of work. So glad we have these world wide knitting communities.😊
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with non-wool fibers. That is a good idea to use wood needles. I might try the Thea Top again with my harmony needles. And maybe cast on 10% less sts. It's worth a go. It isnt a crazy amount of knitting given the largeish gauge. Thanks for sharing about the Sophie Scarf as well. It is good to know that it is a really wearable item for you. :)
The Navelie t looks great on you even the boat neck. The orange for your wrap seems a bit bright but that's just my opinion. Thanks for sharing your insights on the non animal yarns.👩🌾👩🌾👩🌾
Hi Tash - for your half and half wrap, how about adding a white mohair stand to the blue to give the icy blue you were after, and a red or chestnut strand to the orange? If you have these to hand from stash, maybe try another wee swatch to see if the combo works for you? I'm with you on the boat neck, not my fav but looove the colourwork hem, so pretty! Is it worth taking it down to try and add a curve to the front? Bit of work I know (what to do with the border). Exploration Station is looking lovely. The 80s were great but maybe not so much for fashion😂, do you remember the socks with different coloured pompoms at the top of the heel so they didn't fall down into your shoe? I had so many colours! I took our daughter (age 20) to Wicked the Musical a couple of weeks ago in Wellington and we're heading to Melbourne in April for Chicago the Musical for a 21st birthday long weekend treat. I'm sure I can find a yarn store too Can't wait! Have a lovely weekend and enjoy your holidays 😊
Oh my gosh, i remember those socks. They were hilarious. All the neon in knitting has reminded me of the 80s as well but it is being done much better now - as an accent and not highlighter in every colour all at once. The family and I would love to see Wicked. It is playing in Sydney so i must get on and book tickets. Hope you have a great week. :)
Oh Tash, we all have times when our projects don't work the way we plan them to. Or we accidentally get them mixed up in our washing, like I did with my rock it tee and now it would fit a teen girl😭 Hope things start working out for you, you deserve it. Love your skimmer socks and I'm castng on my first pair today. Could you maybe do your heels in contrast colour so you have enough of the main yarn. Just a thought. Enjoy your holidays and hope they are productive.
Thanks Cheryl. Hope you love the Skimmer Socks. Great idea for doing the heels in a different colour. I have done one row and the bind off in another colour efore. But i could definitely do the heel or the heel and toe or even just the entire ribbing in a contrast colour. That could make it quite fun. Definitely a way to make it work. Thanks so much. :)
Hi Tash , just found your podcasts and am enjoying them very much ! I’m a knitter and spinner living in the Adelaide Hills. Your projects are always beautiful, commiserations on the colours for your half and half as they weren’t what you were expecting. I think the orange is a bit overpowering for the blue. I find it almost impossible to choose yarn online, someone suggested to me to check the colours on ravelry in stash and projects it helps a bit, Bridget R
Hi Bridget Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Buying online is tricky - and even harder if picking multiple colours to go together. This orange is a hard one as it seems to show up quite differently in everyone's projects - much more red. That is a good suggestion, though. I do the same when i am feeling unsure about a colour. :)
Hi tash I’m trying the skimmer socks . There are three lengths mentioned depending on how firm you like the fit of socks. Which one did you use 3 “ 3.25 or 3.5” Ta . Sharon . Love the deep green top. Really brings your skin and eyes alive :)
Thanks for sharing your knitting struggles…. I’m currently working with Knitting for Olive silk and not loving it … now worried it too will grow. Fingers crossed!
I have to say, I absolutely love wearing my Cumulus Tee in it so i will use it again for sure. It is worth it in the long run. Just good to know how it behaves. Hope you are happy with your project in it. :)
Actually, thank you for these musings and sharing your challenges, even as an experienced knitter. As a beginner knitter, it is very discouraging having several failures in a row.
Thanks for the encouragement that there is value in hearing the challenges. It is hard to have a series of failures, though. So for me, it is beneficial to have something on the needles that I am excited about and i feel confident will bring success. That makes it easier to tackle the projects that are having difficulties.
I love a boatneck! That is a really flattering look for you, especially for school. If you are looking for tutorial topics, double knitting would certainly help me😘. Some things are classics and something’s were exaggerated and abused by fashion in the 80’s, imo.💗💗💗💗
Swatches do lie 😃 - This could happen in plant fibres. I read some where in a book that if you are swatching in a plant fibre yarn : swatch, block and let the swatch hang for a day as they tend to expand when hanging. Suggestions were to pin the swatch on a board. I tried this method and it worked for me on a 100% silk yarn. Love your podcasts. 💕
Thanks so much. That definitely will save a lot of time and frustration going forward. If i take the time to swatch, i would like it to represent the correct gauge and not give me false information. Thanks for the advice and the encouragement. x
Thanks for this podcast airing your frustration with plant based fibres. I share the same issues. I want summer tops and sadly experience similar issues with swatches lying. The garment balloons out and needs ripping back to fix and then I get annoyed and want to throw it away. I'm currently working maths with my current swatch... it's going to lie being a wool and cotton mix. Fingers crossed for achieving a positive result 🙏
Good luck. Hopefully the wool percentage will keep that plant fiber under control. My Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino swatch was a truth-teller and that is only 30% wool. So i think even just a little can be a real help in this area. x
@mostlyknitting I'm away sailing so haven't blocked the swatch yet. I'm not liking the feel of the fabric... bit hopeful as you say...the wool will help even out things
Your friend from the vault is gorgeous and really suits you! It seems you have had such a frustrating time as you are starting some new projects. I am a take the plunge person and live with the consequences or re-do. Hopefully you will feel a little more confident as you start your beautiful beautiful pink velvet or the sweet pink Ranunculus. Happy knitting !
A knitted tea towel🤣🤣🤣 Reminds me of the crazy kitschy things I crocheted during lockdowns as little jokes to post to friends such as Beverage Berets (aka wine glass covers to keep out pesky bugs🤣). Knitting conundrums can be disheartening, but when you figure it out it’s so fulfilling! I love creating colourwork charts especially for baby knits, and have had some hilarious fails but learnt a lot from each one. And I definitely agree that you need a comfort knit on the go! A dress with a colourwork band at the bottom would be gorgeous!!! Would you mind saying which site you use to destash your yarn please? Fingers crossed for your dye work - will the darker patch need less time in the dye for it to be an even spread? Thanks for another great episode! 😃🧶❤️
Thanks Susie. That's true. And i thought Cumulus was going to be a loser and it ended up being totally great and i love it. It is nice to have a balance though, so i will cast on something that has a good chance of success and have that as my comfort sweater knitting to go to when something isnt working on a trickier project. I have always used ravelry to destash yarn. In the Australian Knitters group. But i havent destashed in a long time. I am not locked into destashing it yet - i will put it aside and give myself some time to think about it. And if i do, i will go through my tubs and find other yarn that probably needs to find another home. Thanks for the encouragement with the dyeing. I think if the colour is dark enough, it will cover that patch ok. Here's hoping... x
The Sophie scarf has tended to be changed to make the middle of the scarf wider. As you say hou have hit walls with your knitting. But you aķ problem solver and eventually you work at a!solution. The Crossover cami is going to look wow when it is completed. Pity about the Thea top andand yo you will also sort that out. I love the Musselburgh hat looks great. Take care Tash ❤
The Ankar Tee ribbing…. I knit all the ribbing on the right side knitting through the back loop to twist it. I’m not quite finished with the Tee, but the ribbing looks very crisp and beautiful!
I will post to ravelry and Instagram when I’m done and tag you. I tried doing normal 1 x 1 rib, didn’t like how it looked, frogged it and changed to a 1 x 1 twisted rib.
We’re all so different, it’s not helpful to say how much I love Knitting with Olive Pure Silk and have had no problems with gauge even after wearing on very sweaty walks, it’s the same width and a little bit longer. Same with linens and cottons. I want to say don’t give up on using them but we have to knit what we love. If you do continue with the Kuutar top, Sari has a video where she makes the whole thing. Good luck finding less frustrating knitting!
Thanks so much for the heads up on the Kuutar videos. I am sure that will be a great help. I can get to love with plant fibers - once i understand them and how they behave and how i can work better with them. I will persevere - because i do enjoy wearing them and my Cumulus Tee ended up great. So i know i can get there. I just have to be willing to put in a bit of extra work in the beginning. I'm glad to hear you have found good success with plant fibers and them not stretching out too much in the wearing. :)
The Kuutar top might be beautiful in a merino cotton blend. Not that you should care about my opinion but that orange is too stark. Will you feel self conscious or confident wearing it?
Hi Tash, Now I understand why you said.."......Of course, your gauge needs to stay true to the swatch". If this helps give some hope, I just finished knitting a tolsta sample for Skein Sisters and I used Fiddlesticks cedar which was a bamboo/cotton blend. After my disappointment with knitting a cotton tegna tent with Bendigo WM cotton, where my swatch told a huge lie, I was more than a little anxious about how well it would perform, but it kept its tension well, very well. I really enjoyed knitting with it, Deb said it could be a sport to dk weight and she was right, albeit a drapey dk, and it bloomed very nicely. I cant say how it wears but I would have no concerns with knitting with it again. Im now back to knitting my own tolsta with the BWM cotton, the nerves are back, not as bad, but they are back.
PS was that your seal point siamese, they are the best cat in the world, the cats of Kings! Can you tell Ive owned these beautiful cats.... I cant have them where I am, too much traffic, but I do enjoy seeing them, just lovely.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the Fiddlesticks Cedar (and the BWM cotton). It is so helpful to hear how others find the fabric. Of course we all knit differently, but I still enjoy hearing how others find a particular yarn to knit with. Looking forward to seeing your Tolsta sample in the shop. :)
I wish that was my cat. She was gorgeous and so friendly. She just came and rubbed against me when i was out on a walk. Unfortunately my dog Gus is anti-cat so we can't have one. Such a shame. One day. But I'm not hurrying that day along because that would mean we dont have Gus anymore, and we all love him so much - despite his feral farts and his aggression towards other animals. Thankfully he is good with people. :)
So sorry you don't love your linen quill colors together. If you bought 3 skeins of each and like either of the colors separately, you should have enough to make garments. I've made The Daily pullover, the Pampas Tee, and The Sunday Tee (in progress) from that yarn and am really happy with the results. Lots of projects on Ravelry knit with Linen Quill. With 50% wool I've had no issues with growth after blocking and the linen helps keep the garments light.
Thank you so much for the suggestion. I have been thinking about that. I like the blue on its own but not the red poppy. I have been thinking about a new lighter blue colour they have at Purl Soho and wondering if that may come closer to the original look i was going for. So that could work with the red poppy and then use the other blue for a garment. Just thinking at the moment. :)
Hi Tash, it happened again...I wrote a comment but it disappeared..it's so weird..and how I notice it is because you always reply...so I was watching your latest podcast...and thought I did not remember reading from you, just like withe the previous one...not sure what is going on..off to continue watching the last one...🌷
That's so frustrating. I looked under 'Held for Review' and there werent any comments there. I had a look at the YT community guidelines. This is what it says: Note: Posting large volumes of comments in a short amount of time, repeatedly posting the same comment, sharing links, or excessively using emoji or unusual characters may be detected as spam and removed for violating UA-cam’s Community Guidelines. I love that you want to share with me and it is frustrating that they disappear and neither you, nor I can see them. I have had my comments not appear on other videos due to sharing links. But then I have also had ones not appear and I didnt share a link and I am not sure what i did 'wrong'. Thanks for persevering. I really appreciate it. x
@@mostlyknitting thanks so much for for looking into it Tash, that's so nice of you, they were normal comments and I was not posting like crazy 😂 sometimes I guess there is just a glitch! big hugs 💚
Cami no5 I followed the pattern but had another 10sts I think (size 3) as I like lots of room under my arms 😳 🍷+brioche = 🤭🤣😱 Half of half wrap, I just slipped the last stitch on each row and cost on and cost off normally. I thought about doing i-cord edge but once it’s actually done it’s quite a big thick wrap especially folded in half that I’m glad I only did the one slip stitch at the end, but that’s me. I like the two colours, especially as when you fold in half only part of the other colour is showing. Plant fibers 😬 definitely a gauge beast all of its own. When I went back to wool it was such a treat, however I do like the finished product of plant fibers so I don’t think too much about it. I will swatch until I find the fabric I like and then do what I need to do to make it work. Poor you and your swatches, taking all the fun away! I’ve been using a lot of linen which doesn’t stretch at all where your Kutaar swatch and your silk still has a bit of bounce that might be messing with your gauge 🤔 My suggestion would be when your swatches are wet don’t just put them down to dry, pull the crap out of them so that they are stretched to the maximum. When you actually knit your garment it’s going have the weight that’s going to pull it down and these fibers don’t bounce back at all, hope that makes sense? Maybe try your pink Antigone for your Kutaar top, that’s what I made mine in and when you pull the swatch hard to get a proper gauge you should be right. Love your exploration station and the colours. Yay another driver!! We had a thing we did with all five kids here, when each of them got their learners permit my husband put them in the Land Cruiser V8 and it was the first time they drove on the road! Baptism by fire 😱🤣 the first time I drove it I swore when I sat in the drivers seat, it was so big and I could drive! Happy holidays 🥰 Omg I wrote another essay!!
Thank you so much Karen. I love your comments and your thoughtfulness. I am definitely going to go harder on my swatches now and treat them mean. You are right - they are going to have all the weight of the other stitches and fabric pulling on them so i need to replicate that more using my hands. Thank you for the info on the Cami #5 and Kuutar. That is really helpful. I would be so scared if my kids were in control of a V8. I think the parking lot and a cul-de-sac is as much as my nerves could take until he has had a few lessons with a driving instructor. ;)
Tinking ,frogging and “unsewing “ are my opportunities to cultivate patience 🤪
Good point. There are lessons in everything. :)
The Navelli top is so beautiful on you! And the idea of having a dress with a band on the bottom is amazing!! I’m adding the top to my queue 😊
Thanks so much Dina. x
Your Friends from the Vault looks so pretty on you! The color work is stunning😊
Thank you so much. x
I think i wouldn't wear the bow but i heard someone talk about how they wanted to make one for their wreath and i think that would be really fun.
I think if my daughter is making a wreath this year and would like a bow to add to it, i will make it. :)
HI Tash, enjoying your podcast and will have a go at the at the cute scarf while I am traveling around the UK.
Thanks so much. It is a great travel project. :)
I think one of the great parts of your podcast, or any knitting podcast, is when you come up against a roadblock and find a way to fix it - not everything can/should be fixed immediately and I think it's valuable for other knitters (like myself - never made a garment and just building up to it) to see the whole process, so we feel better about the issues we come across and potential ways to fix them. Please keep sharing the good and the bad! And if you haven't ripped out that top yet perhaps you could use it for a demo on how you rip back to a certain point safely and effectively? 🙂
Thanks so much Erin. I appreciate that you actually find it beneficial to hear the wins and the losses.
Unfortunately i have already ripped out the Thea Top. But there will be more ripping in my future so next time i do it, I'll do a video and talk about how i rip back to where i need to get back to.
x
I like the colors on your half & half beautiful colors.
Thank you so much. I like them too. The difficult part is I really want to LOVE them...
Hi Tash. I've finally caught up on your podcast videos and have loved them. I really like your pattern choices too and you have given me loads of inspiration. I'd quite like to try making a dress and wondered whether you'd consider doing a maths tutorial video showing how you work out how much to increase for an A-line dress, where to put the increases, how you'd work out how much extra yarn needed and which patterns would and wouldn't work for modifying. Thanks ❤
Hi Sonya. Thanks so much for your encouraging words and for spending the time watching my previous podcasts. That's a great idea about a tutorial for converting a sweater to a dress and the info and planning involved. I can definitely do that. Thank you for asking. :)
Love the top you are wearing and the Sophie scarf is such a nice accessory piece.
Thanks so much!
I’ve just had three unsuccessful knits and have frogged two and the third, my first ranunculus, will be on the chopping block when I get home. I’m feeling pretty discouraged at the moment but I love knitting so I will persevere. Doing some socks now to lift my spirits. Your friend from the vault looks lovely on you.
I'm sorry to hear you are also having undesirable results from your sweater knitting. I am glad you have found a comfort knit to go to. Have you been able to figure out what went wrong? I often regret ripping back before spending a bit of time to investigate. Thank you for the lovely comment on my Navelli. I am definitely going to start wearing it more. :)
@@mostlyknitting yeah I think I know where I went wrong. Mainly gauge issues I think.
Again Tash you have been really helpful with your explanations of the frustrations you’ve been having with your swatches. I’m a beginner garment knitter and I’m going to now stay with wool till I get a little more confident. So thank you for showing us the more frustrating parts. Also I love the boat neck on your Navelli. It really is flattering on you. Blessings Gail.
Thanks so much Gail. :)
Love how you're telling that swatch off,Tash🤭.. Interesting episode and good to share you hit a knitting wall occasionally.Problem solving at its finest.Think i cord edge all around the shawl would be great I loved making a Sophie scarf..first time doing i cord🤭👌Have a lovely weekend.🙏xx
Thanks so much Annie. xx
Yes! Figuring out solutions is inspiring! Just remember not to drink and knit...😂 Love the beer noises, brewing also occurs in our household!
Yes - drinking and knitting (especially brioche) is not the best idea. ;)
Hello Tash. It was great you proved to me that overdyeing can even out un-even colours. Condolences on the splotch! I can suggest that very large stainless steel stock pots are available at Big W for about $20. Good luck 🙂
Thanks so much for the big w tip. I’ll go pick one up tomorrow. :)
Love your podcast Tash. The December bow pattern is a donation event to Save the Children that started Dec 2022-dec 2023
Oh wow - I didn’t know that. I will definitely buy the pattern then. :)
Hi Tash loving your podcasts. I’m watching from the uk. I’ve just caught up on the previous episodes, having just discovered you at the end of July! I too have 3 kids and dogs and teach- so much of what you talk about resonates. I am also quite new to garment knitting and so seeing you figure out problems is so helpful and gives me more confidence to start projects and have a bit more of an idea how to tackle problems! Can’t wait for your next episode you are doing an amazing job!!
Thanks so much Vikki. It is always so nice to hear when you connect with someone. Knitting definitely has conundrums and dead ends but it is good if we can figure out a way forward based on the information we get from our swatches and our knitting progress. Thanks for the encouragement. xx
I love the way you explain things that happen in your knitting and your thought process. I liked your choices for your half and half I think they will compliment each other. I hate a boatneck personally, I have knitted one tee with a boatneck and just don’t wear it because of that.
Thanks so much, Carol. It is funny how polarising some design features can be. Especially a boat neck. It is one that many people just cant come at. I hesitate with it. And yet I can see there is an appeal. Perhaps it is the way my body is made??
Hi Tash, Thanks for another great podcast! Love your camisole number 5, that colour will look stunning on you as will that gorgeous pink wool for your ranuncules. I finished my half and half a month or so back I only did the icord edge like you did with your little swatch. The colours will look great together, once its all wrapped up I think. To be honest I didn't know there was an icord cast on or off, It would look good. I find the linen quill quite prickly, that said I havent blocked it, so that might make a difference. I've just started knitting a tolsa tee using Kinross 4 ply, It's just lovely! If I make another half and half I will use kinross 4 ply, It's from Scotland. It's been fun watching your Carnaby skirt shenanigans...That colour is beautiful! Cant wait to see how it turns out :) Your Inlaws trip seem to be over real soon I hope they had a great time with you guys. Love all the birds on your walk, how beautiful.
Thanks so much Kaz. I am curious as to how i will find the Linen Quill next to skin as well...
I may just slip the last stitch of every row to get the nice edging. I am looking forward to a big garter project where I know exactlt what i need to be doing and dont have to overthink anything and worry abotu fit. :)
Hi, first I love watching you share your knitting journey with us! I have to comment on your half/half plans. I think deep down you already know the answer. You shared with us how excited you were to get and try this yarn. You were willing to wait for your family to bring it to you. You also shared your mild disappointment with the color when you opened it. But you still tried giving it a shot. But when you said if I don't use it for this project I will probably destash it..... You know! So if this comment helps that's great..... But if your still not sure think of facing that yarn for the next few months... forcing yourself to knit on a huge swath of fabric in a color that doesn't make your heart sing, or bring a smile to your face every time you walk by it..... life's short, your knitting is there to bring you joy, peace, excitement! That color doesn't do any of that for you and that's okay....Set it free to the person who it does all those things for!
Thank you so much Nancy. I really appreciate your thoughtful comments. I think the reality is i LIKE the pairing. But i was hoping and expecting to LOVE it. And there are color combos that I get excited about. It is a lot of knitting and if i am not just busting to get to it, then it doesnt make sense to start on the journey. I feel like i know, standing in a yarn shop, i would not have picked these two together. That really should be enough information for me right there. Sometimes we need to sit on it a little bit, though... Thanks so much for sharing. :)
Sending some better garment luck your way! I’ve had a couple hurdles in my knitting lately as well!😅
Thanks so much Melissa. Hope your difficulties ease and you have some wins! xx
Thank you for another great podcast. I am still working on my first ever sweater...yay. I used your tutorial on casting on underarm stitches this week! I also used your tutorial on the pinhole cast on to start my first musselburgh :)
I know what you mean about all of Petiteknits patterns looking so appealing based on her photos. I had the same thought about the December bow but know I wouldn't wear it. I was pondering if it would work on a christmas wreath.
I am so glad the tutorials are coming in handy. Sometimes i find myself going back to them to remind myself of things i dont do that often. so they are helping me too. ;)
Yeah - i doubt i will wear the December bow but if i make in red, it definitely could be on a wreath. :)
So enjoy your channel,I learn so much
I'm so glad! Thanks so much Sheila. :)
You give me another reason NOT to like swatching! Love your colour choices for Alpine and can’t wait to see what that beautiful ranunculus knits up like. Very elegant I bet
Thanks so much Michelle. It is so frustrating when swatches give misleading information. But I feel that perhaps i need to be doing something different with my plant fiber swatches to be getting the correct information. Knitting them a bit larger and perhaps pulling on them more as Karen suggested. I will work on it as they are an important part of garment making. I just need to do it better. ;) x
Another interesting podcast. Many thanks. I like the look of boat necks but I don’t like wearing them. I have the same problem with my Navelli. I don’t wear it because of this. I often wonder if there is any way of altering it so I would get more wear out of it.
Thank you Lynne. I think I am going to wear it more now I have jeans to wear it with. I think that was the main reason i wasnt selecting it. I think i like boatnecks on other people but not as much on me. So they wont ever be a go-to style, but it is still nice to wear something a little different occasionally. :)
Did my Anker tee in Dan Doh cotton/silk. Turned out great. Used Bamboo Pop cotton/bamboo for the Beach Tank with great results. Enjoy your podcasts. Great insights 😊 Do you ever try changing the type of needle steel/wood/bamboo to help with getting gauge? Love my Sophie Scarf. I wear mine around my neck but also wrap it around my head when it is windy but warm. I have to walk the dog and have to watch traffic and can’t have my hair blowing in my face. I just tie it on the side of my head and it looks cute. Becoming a wise knitter takes a lot of work. So glad we have these world wide knitting communities.😊
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with non-wool fibers. That is a good idea to use wood needles. I might try the Thea Top again with my harmony needles. And maybe cast on 10% less sts. It's worth a go. It isnt a crazy amount of knitting given the largeish gauge.
Thanks for sharing about the Sophie Scarf as well. It is good to know that it is a really wearable item for you. :)
The Navelie t looks great on you even the boat neck. The orange for your wrap seems a bit bright but that's just my opinion. Thanks for sharing your insights on the non animal yarns.👩🌾👩🌾👩🌾
Thanks so much Susan. :)
I’m knitting Novello at the moment, I’m really enjoying it as well.
It is a really enjoyable knit and a lovely design. I am inspired to wear it more. :)
Hi Tash - for your half and half wrap, how about adding a white mohair stand to the blue to give the icy blue you were after, and a red or chestnut strand to the orange? If you have these to hand from stash, maybe try another wee swatch to see if the combo works for you? I'm with you on the boat neck, not my fav but looove the colourwork hem, so pretty! Is it worth taking it down to try and add a curve to the front? Bit of work I know (what to do with the border). Exploration Station is looking lovely. The 80s were great but maybe not so much for fashion😂, do you remember the socks with different coloured pompoms at the top of the heel so they didn't fall down into your shoe? I had so many colours! I took our daughter (age 20) to Wicked the Musical a couple of weeks ago in Wellington and we're heading to Melbourne in April for Chicago the Musical for a 21st birthday long weekend treat. I'm sure I can find a yarn store too Can't wait! Have a lovely weekend and enjoy your holidays 😊
Oh my gosh, i remember those socks. They were hilarious. All the neon in knitting has reminded me of the 80s as well but it is being done much better now - as an accent and not highlighter in every colour all at once.
The family and I would love to see Wicked. It is playing in Sydney so i must get on and book tickets.
Hope you have a great week. :)
Oh Tash, we all have times when our projects don't work the way we plan them to. Or we accidentally get them mixed up in our washing, like I did with my rock it tee and now it would fit a teen girl😭 Hope things start working out for you, you deserve it. Love your skimmer socks and I'm castng on my first pair today. Could you maybe do your heels in contrast colour so you have enough of the main yarn. Just a thought. Enjoy your holidays and hope they are productive.
Thanks Cheryl. Hope you love the Skimmer Socks. Great idea for doing the heels in a different colour. I have done one row and the bind off in another colour efore. But i could definitely do the heel or the heel and toe or even just the entire ribbing in a contrast colour. That could make it quite fun. Definitely a way to make it work. Thanks so much. :)
Hi Tash , just found your podcasts and am enjoying them very much ! I’m a knitter and spinner living in the Adelaide Hills. Your projects are always beautiful, commiserations on the colours for your half and half as they weren’t what you were expecting. I think the orange is a bit overpowering for the blue. I find it almost impossible to choose yarn online, someone suggested to me to check the colours on ravelry in stash and projects it helps a bit, Bridget R
Hi Bridget
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Buying online is tricky - and even harder if picking multiple colours to go together. This orange is a hard one as it seems to show up quite differently in everyone's projects - much more red. That is a good suggestion, though. I do the same when i am feeling unsure about a colour. :)
Hi tash I’m trying the skimmer socks . There are three lengths mentioned depending on how firm you like the fit of socks. Which one did you use 3 “ 3.25 or 3.5” Ta . Sharon .
Love the deep green top. Really brings your skin and eyes alive :)
Thanks so much Sharon. I did the 3.25" as i just wanted a regular fit. Hope that helps. :)
Thanks for sharing your knitting struggles…. I’m currently working with Knitting for Olive silk and not loving it … now worried it too will grow. Fingers crossed!
I have to say, I absolutely love wearing my Cumulus Tee in it so i will use it again for sure. It is worth it in the long run. Just good to know how it behaves. Hope you are happy with your project in it. :)
Actually, thank you for these musings and sharing your challenges, even as an experienced knitter. As a beginner knitter, it is very discouraging having several failures in a row.
Thanks for the encouragement that there is value in hearing the challenges. It is hard to have a series of failures, though. So for me, it is beneficial to have something on the needles that I am excited about and i feel confident will bring success. That makes it easier to tackle the projects that are having difficulties.
I love a boatneck! That is a really flattering look for you, especially for school. If you are looking for tutorial topics, double knitting would certainly help me😘. Some things are classics and something’s were exaggerated and abused by fashion in the 80’s, imo.💗💗💗💗
Thanks so much Sarah. I can definitely do a video on Double Knitting. :)
I want to do some colorwork.....The Navelli top looks so classy. I'm going to do it, just have to decide when.
One nice thing about the Navelli colorwork is that you do it at the beginning and then get to look at it for the rest of the project. :)
Swatches do lie 😃 - This could happen in plant fibres. I read some where in a book that if you are swatching in a plant fibre yarn : swatch, block and let the swatch hang for a day as they tend to expand when hanging. Suggestions were to pin the swatch on a board. I tried this method and it worked for me on a 100% silk yarn. Love your podcasts. 💕
Thanks so much. That definitely will save a lot of time and frustration going forward. If i take the time to swatch, i would like it to represent the correct gauge and not give me false information. Thanks for the advice and the encouragement. x
Thanks for this podcast airing your frustration with plant based fibres. I share the same issues. I want summer tops and sadly experience similar issues with swatches lying. The garment balloons out and needs ripping back to fix and then I get annoyed and want to throw it away.
I'm currently working maths with my current swatch... it's going to lie being a wool and cotton mix.
Fingers crossed for achieving a positive result 🙏
Good luck. Hopefully the wool percentage will keep that plant fiber under control. My Knitting for Olive Cotton Merino swatch was a truth-teller and that is only 30% wool. So i think even just a little can be a real help in this area. x
@mostlyknitting I'm away sailing so haven't blocked the swatch yet. I'm not liking the feel of the fabric... bit hopeful as you say...the wool will help even out things
You always look lovely in your knitwear 😊
Thank you so much Lynn. :)
Your friend from the vault is gorgeous and really suits you! It seems you have had such a frustrating time as you are starting some new projects. I am a take the plunge person and live with the consequences or re-do. Hopefully you will feel a little more confident as you start your beautiful beautiful pink velvet or the sweet pink Ranunculus. Happy knitting !
Thanks so much. I definitely would like a win. Have a great week. :)
A knitted tea towel🤣🤣🤣 Reminds me of the crazy kitschy things I crocheted during lockdowns as little jokes to post to friends such as Beverage Berets (aka wine glass covers to keep out pesky bugs🤣).
Knitting conundrums can be disheartening, but when you figure it out it’s so fulfilling! I love creating colourwork charts especially for baby knits, and have had some hilarious fails but learnt a lot from each one. And I definitely agree that you need a comfort knit on the go!
A dress with a colourwork band at the bottom would be gorgeous!!!
Would you mind saying which site you use to destash your yarn please?
Fingers crossed for your dye work - will the darker patch need less time in the dye for it to be an even spread?
Thanks for another great episode! 😃🧶❤️
Thanks Susie. That's true. And i thought Cumulus was going to be a loser and it ended up being totally great and i love it. It is nice to have a balance though, so i will cast on something that has a good chance of success and have that as my comfort sweater knitting to go to when something isnt working on a trickier project.
I have always used ravelry to destash yarn. In the Australian Knitters group. But i havent destashed in a long time. I am not locked into destashing it yet - i will put it aside and give myself some time to think about it. And if i do, i will go through my tubs and find other yarn that probably needs to find another home.
Thanks for the encouragement with the dyeing. I think if the colour is dark enough, it will cover that patch ok. Here's hoping...
x
@@mostlyknitting and I forgot to say how sweet it was for that lady to give you a Peppermint Crisp! 😃
The Sophie scarf has tended to be changed to make the middle of the scarf wider. As you say hou have hit walls with your knitting. But you aķ problem solver and eventually you work at a!solution. The Crossover cami is going to look wow when it is completed.
Pity about the Thea top andand yo you will also sort that out. I love the Musselburgh hat looks great. Take care Tash ❤
Thanks so much Rosemary. I appreciate your confidence in me. X
The Ankar Tee ribbing…. I knit all the ribbing on the right side knitting through the back loop to twist it. I’m not quite finished with the Tee, but the ribbing looks very crisp and beautiful!
Oh - I would love to see that. Are you on ravelry or have you shared it on instagram?
I will post to ravelry and Instagram when I’m done and tag you. I tried doing normal 1 x 1 rib, didn’t like how it looked, frogged it and changed to a 1 x 1 twisted rib.
We’re all so different, it’s not helpful to say how much I love Knitting with Olive Pure Silk and have had no problems with gauge even after wearing on very sweaty walks, it’s the same width and a little bit longer. Same with linens and cottons. I want to say don’t give up on using them but we have to knit what we love. If you do continue with the Kuutar top, Sari has a video where she makes the whole thing. Good luck finding less frustrating knitting!
Thanks so much for the heads up on the Kuutar videos. I am sure that will be a great help. I can get to love with plant fibers - once i understand them and how they behave and how i can work better with them. I will persevere - because i do enjoy wearing them and my Cumulus Tee ended up great. So i know i can get there. I just have to be willing to put in a bit of extra work in the beginning. I'm glad to hear you have found good success with plant fibers and them not stretching out too much in the wearing. :)
Do you have the free patterns i was told i love Sophie scarf if not can I just buy 😂the pattèrn Sheila thank-you
Hi Sheila. The pattern is a paid-for pattern and is available to purchase on ravelry or on Petite Knits' website. :)
The Kuutar top might be beautiful in a merino cotton blend. Not that you should care about my opinion but that orange is too stark. Will you feel self conscious or confident wearing it?
That's a good point about the orange. I would be ok with it if it was just peeking through and a pop of colour rather than all over.
Hi Tash,
Now I understand why you said.."......Of course, your gauge needs to stay true to the swatch". If this helps give some hope, I just finished knitting a tolsta sample for Skein Sisters and I used Fiddlesticks cedar which was a bamboo/cotton blend. After my disappointment with knitting a cotton tegna tent with Bendigo WM cotton, where my swatch told a huge lie, I was more than a little anxious about how well it would perform, but it kept its tension well, very well. I really enjoyed knitting with it, Deb said it could be a sport to dk weight and she was right, albeit a drapey dk, and it bloomed very nicely. I cant say how it wears but I would have no concerns with knitting with it again. Im now back to knitting my own tolsta with the BWM cotton, the nerves are back, not as bad, but they are back.
PS was that your seal point siamese, they are the best cat in the world, the cats of Kings! Can you tell Ive owned these beautiful cats.... I cant have them where I am, too much traffic, but I do enjoy seeing them, just lovely.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the Fiddlesticks Cedar (and the BWM cotton). It is so helpful to hear how others find the fabric. Of course we all knit differently, but I still enjoy hearing how others find a particular yarn to knit with. Looking forward to seeing your Tolsta sample in the shop. :)
I wish that was my cat. She was gorgeous and so friendly. She just came and rubbed against me when i was out on a walk. Unfortunately my dog Gus is anti-cat so we can't have one. Such a shame. One day. But I'm not hurrying that day along because that would mean we dont have Gus anymore, and we all love him so much - despite his feral farts and his aggression towards other animals. Thankfully he is good with people. :)
So sorry you don't love your linen quill colors together. If you bought 3 skeins of each and like either of the colors separately, you should have enough to make garments. I've made The Daily pullover, the Pampas Tee, and The Sunday Tee (in progress) from that yarn and am really happy with the results. Lots of projects on Ravelry knit with Linen Quill. With 50% wool I've had no issues with growth after blocking and the linen helps keep the garments light.
Thank you so much for the suggestion. I have been thinking about that. I like the blue on its own but not the red poppy. I have been thinking about a new lighter blue colour they have at Purl Soho and wondering if that may come closer to the original look i was going for. So that could work with the red poppy and then use the other blue for a garment. Just thinking at the moment. :)
Hi Tash, it happened again...I wrote a comment but it disappeared..it's so weird..and how I notice it is because you always reply...so I was watching your latest podcast...and thought I did not remember reading from you, just like withe the previous one...not sure what is going on..off to continue watching the last one...🌷
That's so frustrating. I looked under 'Held for Review' and there werent any comments there. I had a look at the YT community guidelines.
This is what it says:
Note: Posting large volumes of comments in a short amount of time, repeatedly posting the same comment, sharing links, or excessively using emoji or unusual characters may be detected as spam and removed for violating UA-cam’s Community Guidelines.
I love that you want to share with me and it is frustrating that they disappear and neither you, nor I can see them.
I have had my comments not appear on other videos due to sharing links. But then I have also had ones not appear and I didnt share a link and I am not sure what i did 'wrong'. Thanks for persevering. I really appreciate it. x
@@mostlyknitting thanks so much for for looking into it Tash, that's so nice of you, they were normal comments and I was not posting like crazy 😂 sometimes I guess there is just a glitch! big hugs 💚
Cami no5 I followed the pattern but had another 10sts I think (size 3) as I like lots of room under my arms 😳
🍷+brioche = 🤭🤣😱
Half of half wrap, I just slipped the last stitch on each row and cost on and cost off normally. I thought about doing i-cord edge but once it’s actually done it’s quite a big thick wrap especially folded in half that I’m glad I only did the one slip stitch at the end, but that’s me. I like the two colours, especially as when you fold in half only part of the other colour is showing.
Plant fibers 😬 definitely a gauge beast all of its own. When I went back to wool it was such a treat, however I do like the finished product of plant fibers so I don’t think too much about it. I will swatch until I find the fabric I like and then do what I need to do to make it work. Poor you and your swatches, taking all the fun away! I’ve been using a lot of linen which doesn’t stretch at all where your Kutaar swatch and your silk still has a bit of bounce that might be messing with your gauge 🤔
My suggestion would be when your swatches are wet don’t just put them down to dry, pull the crap out of them so that they are stretched to the maximum. When you actually knit your garment it’s going have the weight that’s going to pull it down and these fibers don’t bounce back at all, hope that makes sense?
Maybe try your pink Antigone for your Kutaar top, that’s what I made mine in and when you pull the swatch hard to get a proper gauge you should be right.
Love your exploration station and the colours.
Yay another driver!! We had a thing we did with all five kids here, when each of them got their learners permit my husband put them in the Land Cruiser V8 and it was the first time they drove on the road! Baptism by fire 😱🤣 the first time I drove it I swore when I sat in the drivers seat, it was so big and I could drive!
Happy holidays 🥰 Omg I wrote another essay!!
Thank you so much Karen. I love your comments and your thoughtfulness. I am definitely going to go harder on my swatches now and treat them mean. You are right - they are going to have all the weight of the other stitches and fabric pulling on them so i need to replicate that more using my hands.
Thank you for the info on the Cami #5 and Kuutar. That is really helpful.
I would be so scared if my kids were in control of a V8. I think the parking lot and a cul-de-sac is as much as my nerves could take until he has had a few lessons with a driving instructor. ;)
@@mostlyknitting 🚗🤭 we hit the parking lot afterwards too
My swatches always lie. I can only use them as an estimate and whether I might like the fabric the yarn is making.
At least they have some value. ;)
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️bow all the way!
Cotton shrinks when washed and then grows A LOT when worn. I think you should knit your size and it will most certainly grow💗💗💗
Thanks Sarah. I think knitting larger would end up being a mistake...
Gorgeous navelli too. I wish I could wear wool next to skin . I really love the boat neck on you.
Thank you so much Sharon. :)
I always think that picture of West makes him look a bit psychotic.
He is very dramatic in his photos. ;)