I always find your videos so informative. I found that I was kind of doing what you did at the beginning. I buy the yarn I like, especially if it's on sale and then decide what to make with it. I've been wanting to make a sweater for a long time but I'm chicken. I have crochet a sweater for my grandson when he was a baby. The sleeves did not turn out so well. I have bought a couple of what I think will be enough to make a sweater and then started to look for patterns of sweaters to make with it. Usually after I find the pattern I then chicken out and start on another project. I also have a lot of yarn that I have bought one or two skeins because I think it's beautiful and have no idea what I'm going to make with it. I usually say I'll make a shawl or a hat and then it just sits there on a shelf or in a tote. I live in South Florida I don't need that many winter hats and I don't need that many shawls either. Another thing is that I knit and crochet slowly and I really don't have the time to knit and crochet. Maybe when I retire I'll finally use up all that yarn. Sorry for the long vent. All I wanted to say is that I found your video very helpful and I'm going to try to stop buying yarn without a pattern in mind.
Don’t feel bad- I have an entire closet full of yarn - and now that know what I am doing- my yarn preferences have changed. I donated some of it and destashed (sold) some on Ravelry. Sometimes I invite my daughter or a friend to “shop’” my stash ( for free of course) and take what they need for a project. You can make a sweater- find an easy pattern for the first one and just do it. It doesn’t need to be perfect and you’ll learn a ton!
It's been 8 years this week since my Schacht Ladybug arrived at my front door. Sight unseen, never touched a spinning wheel. The learning curve was worth giving myself permission to "take the time it takes". (About 6 months before there was yarn that didn't hurt my hands to knit with! :) ) I am now processing wool from fleece to (current knit project) and it was the BEST impulse purchase I ever made. ♥ (Finding someone spinning to watch from behind - and watch their hands - was my turning point in learning to spin.) And I HATE toe up socks. I did love a Sock Madness pattern that had a toe and sole of sock in garter stitch that was so cushy to walk it. I do enjoy the podcast mentioned for just relaxing/listening while knitting. And yours as well!
I find it inspiring to watch people knit without instruction. There are very few channels that do it. I love learning about how you approach projects, and watch them unfold over time.
I love the old, plain sweaters! The history is fascinating. Women carry more weight nowadays, and I spent many years frustrated that I could only fit a man's sweater. That was a hundred pounds ago, and now, I actually have an equal problem- some of the women's sweaters are too big! But I love that there are worsted weight ladies' sweaters to be knit, because I love the layers. Thank you for going into all the fun details!
about plying from 1 bobbin : I wind the yarn on a ballwinder and ply then from the inside and the outside. this works very well for me, it is best if you can let the yarn a couple of hours (a night) on the ballwinder, it makes the plying a bit easier if you have a nice hole in the middle.
I'm a bit late to the game and it may have been said before but I "cake" my singles using a ball winder and then take one end from the centre and one from the edge and ply those together. It works very well as long as you keep the cake fairly loose when you're winding it.
I'm sure you know/ someone else has mentioned it but knitpicks recently(ish) brought in a Germantown wool! they also have a usa grown, spun and dyed single bread(Shaniko, which I have never heard of lol) yarn that came out earlier this year I believe
Have you ever made a sock using the Fleegle heel? I just discovered it and am hooked. I don't like making socks, but someone gave me two bags of sock yarn that she didn't want anymore. I have made 7 pairs of socks using the Fleegle heel so far.
I've used the Strong Heel, which is essentially the same process worked cuff down, and have never been happy with it (it produces extra length on the instep). I haven't yet tried it toe up (I've worked so few socks toe up) to see if that excess fabric would be less of an issue on the leg, than on the foot.
I know this video is old and you've probably worked out a solution to Kate Atherly's sock. But that's the exact heel I use. Her book Custom Socks Knit To Fit Your Feet gives instructions on how to make many different kinds of modifications.
I love Kelbourne Woolens! Germantown is fabulous and so is Scout. Personally, I never did like overpriced, over processed, superwash wool. I’d much rather knit with some of these wonderful old woolly yarns. Like you, I am looking for warmth. I am very intrigued by spinning and also feel overwhelmed by learning to do it.
Ditto! I prefer the old fashioned wools. I'm not hung up on whether my fiber is machine washable. Some of us don't mind pampering our hand knits with careful laundering. Germantown wools are my workhouse. Beautiful colors and very hard wearing.
Thank you for really interesting casual Friday. A great watch which I saved until Sunday evening when I knew my husband would be watching England play Italy in the final of the European cup.
I love the Petty Harbor socks!!!! I’ve knit several pairs because it’s interesting enough to keep me entertained, but not too complicated that I have to concentrate. It looks good in red!!!
For your breed study, try to felt a small amount of the yarn and see what happens. Then knit a small square and try to felt that and see what happens. I'm finding the results very interesting, some yarns change completely when I rub them in my hands with soapy water - some get fluffier, some get coarser or.. Just different. Your cheviot may not felt at all, mine doesn't. Naturally machine-washable!
Interestingly, I received my copy of Montse Stanley's Knitter's Handbook today, and when I was looking through it earlier she wrote that Germantown yarn was DK weight. I haven't looked much into it, but I know Knitpicks recently made a Germantown yarn line, though their's is worsted weight.
I wonder if Montse Stanley was indicating a yarn weight that was closest to UK weights, given that she lived in the UK? Everything I had read before indicated that a yarn like Cascade 220 would be a good sub for whatever it was that Germantown wool was, and Cascade 220 is a worsted weight that is often subbed for DK. As the 20th c progressed the labels for common yarns remained, while the yarns themselves changed, e.g. "Zephyr" became an indicator that a yarn was soft, for example, and not that it was merino wool. "Germantown" used to indicate that the yarn was actually milled in Germantown, which was known for its quality yarns, so "Germantown" began to be used as a label, regardless of where the yarn was manufactured. I have some mid-century "Germantown" yarn that was manufactured in Germany, is a sport or fingering weight, and has some synthetic fiber in the mix! Kelbourne was trying to match a yarn produced in the late 20th c, so the fact that it's on the heavier end of the worsted weight scale may be because that's what the yarn they were trying to replicate was.
@@RoxanneRichardson I'm so glad! I use this method all the time because you get the most yardage and you're not left with little mini bits. Happy spinning!
That's really funny that you dislike toe-up socks. I absolutely despise knitting sock cuff down. Like, even on my sock knitting machine. To each their own, I suppose.
Thanks for another catchup episode. Always love "visiting " with you and seeing what's happening in your world, Roxanne. Wanted to let you know about a shepherdess I've recently discovered on UA-cam. She's not a spinner, sadly, but her channel is interesting to watch ua-cam.com/users/SandiBrock Also, when I want to Andean ply, i wind the yarn around a smaller book, or a dvd case. Then i can slip it over my hand, and ply. The conventional method doesn't work for me at all. Hope you get those singles plied up nicely. What fibre will you be spinning next? Keep well, lovely Roxanne! Regards from Tracy
![10 viral knitting techniques [you've never seen before!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2HYMU39bMA8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for the link to the Salish knitting documentary. I love the history behind different cultures’ knitting traditions!
I always find your videos so informative. I found that I was kind of doing what you did at the beginning. I buy the yarn I like, especially if it's on sale and then decide what to make with it. I've been wanting to make a sweater for a long time but I'm chicken. I have crochet a sweater for my grandson when he was a baby. The sleeves did not turn out so well. I have bought a couple of what I think will be enough to make a sweater and then started to look for patterns of sweaters to make with it. Usually after I find the pattern I then chicken out and start on another project. I also have a lot of yarn that I have bought one or two skeins because I think it's beautiful and have no idea what I'm going to make with it. I usually say I'll make a shawl or a hat and then it just sits there on a shelf or in a tote. I live in South Florida I don't need that many winter hats and I don't need that many shawls either. Another thing is that I knit and crochet slowly and I really don't have the time to knit and crochet. Maybe when I retire I'll finally use up all that yarn. Sorry for the long vent. All I wanted to say is that I found your video very helpful and I'm going to try to stop buying yarn without a pattern in mind.
Don’t feel bad- I have an entire closet full of yarn - and now that know what I am doing- my yarn preferences have changed. I donated some of it and destashed (sold) some on Ravelry. Sometimes I invite my daughter or a friend to “shop’” my stash ( for free of course) and take what they need for a project. You can make a sweater- find an easy pattern for the first one and just do it. It doesn’t need to be perfect and you’ll learn a ton!
So much progress on your 1950’s sweater already! Looking forward to the next update
It's been 8 years this week since my Schacht Ladybug arrived at my front door. Sight unseen, never touched a spinning wheel. The learning curve was worth giving myself permission to "take the time it takes". (About 6 months before there was yarn that didn't hurt my hands to knit with! :) ) I am now processing wool from fleece to (current knit project) and it was the BEST impulse purchase I ever made. ♥ (Finding someone spinning to watch from behind - and watch their hands - was my turning point in learning to spin.)
And I HATE toe up socks. I did love a Sock Madness pattern that had a toe and sole of sock in garter stitch that was so cushy to walk it. I do enjoy the podcast mentioned for just relaxing/listening while knitting. And yours as well!
Thank you Roxanne, I always learn something watching your podcasts. I don't like toe-up either, but love the sock you showed!
Thank you SO much for the link to the documentary about Cowichan sweaters and knitters. Spectacular. I really enjoyed it!
Thank you for the link to the Coast Salish knitters video. It was really interesting. I’m from England and had never heard of them.
I find it inspiring to watch people knit without instruction. There are very few channels that do it. I love learning about how you approach projects, and watch them unfold over time.
Really enjoyed the video about the Salish women. The Small Loom video was very mesmerizing.
Love, love, love the color of the '50s jacket. I hope there will be stunning buttons to match.
I love the old, plain sweaters! The history is fascinating. Women carry more weight nowadays, and I spent many years frustrated that I could only fit a man's sweater. That was a hundred pounds ago, and now, I actually have an equal problem- some of the women's sweaters are too big! But I love that there are worsted weight ladies' sweaters to be knit, because I love the layers. Thank you for going into all the fun details!
about plying from 1 bobbin : I wind the yarn on a ballwinder and ply then from the inside and the outside. this works very well for me, it is best if you can let the yarn a couple of hours (a night) on the ballwinder, it makes the plying a bit easier if you have a nice hole in the middle.
Thank you for posting the link to the documentary on to Cowichan knitters it was wonderful!
Loved getting a glimpse of that white little fluff ball of a wool dog puppy in the Coast Salish knitters link - thank you :-)
I'm a bit late to the game and it may have been said before but I "cake" my singles using a ball winder and then take one end from the centre and one from the edge and ply those together. It works very well as long as you keep the cake fairly loose when you're winding it.
Love the documentary on the CowichN Sweaters. Tks for the link.
Wow ! I just love the color of your new vintage sweater project. Thanks for all the information you share with us so generously.
I'm sure you know/ someone else has mentioned it but knitpicks recently(ish) brought in a Germantown wool! they also have a usa grown, spun and dyed single bread(Shaniko, which I have never heard of lol) yarn that came out earlier this year I believe
Have you ever made a sock using the Fleegle heel? I just discovered it and am hooked. I don't like making socks, but someone gave me two bags of sock yarn that she didn't want anymore. I have made 7 pairs of socks using the Fleegle heel so far.
I've used the Strong Heel, which is essentially the same process worked cuff down, and have never been happy with it (it produces extra length on the instep). I haven't yet tried it toe up (I've worked so few socks toe up) to see if that excess fabric would be less of an issue on the leg, than on the foot.
Thank you so much for sharing this link. This was fascinating!!!
I know this video is old and you've probably worked out a solution to Kate Atherly's sock. But that's the exact heel I use. Her book Custom Socks Knit To Fit Your Feet gives instructions on how to make many different kinds of modifications.
I love Kelbourne Woolens! Germantown is fabulous and so is Scout. Personally, I never did like overpriced, over processed, superwash wool. I’d much rather knit with some of these wonderful old woolly yarns. Like you, I am looking for warmth. I am very intrigued by spinning and also feel overwhelmed by learning to do it.
Ditto! I prefer the old fashioned wools. I'm not hung up on whether my fiber is machine washable. Some of us don't mind pampering our hand knits with careful laundering. Germantown wools are my workhouse. Beautiful colors and very hard wearing.
Thank you for really interesting casual Friday. A great watch which I saved until Sunday evening when I knew my husband would be watching England play Italy in the final of the European cup.
I love the Petty Harbor socks!!!! I’ve knit several pairs because it’s interesting enough to keep me entertained, but not too complicated that I have to concentrate. It looks good in red!!!
Always interested in your sock info. Oh the 50’s!!! 🧶💕🧶
For your breed study, try to felt a small amount of the yarn and see what happens. Then knit a small square and try to felt that and see what happens. I'm finding the results very interesting, some yarns change completely when I rub them in my hands with soapy water - some get fluffier, some get coarser or.. Just different. Your cheviot may not felt at all, mine doesn't. Naturally machine-washable!
Thanks for sharing the link to the Coast Salish knitters.
Turkey Hand plying works pretty well for one ounce.
Interestingly, I received my copy of Montse Stanley's Knitter's Handbook today, and when I was looking through it earlier she wrote that Germantown yarn was DK weight. I haven't looked much into it, but I know Knitpicks recently made a Germantown yarn line, though their's is worsted weight.
I wonder if Montse Stanley was indicating a yarn weight that was closest to UK weights, given that she lived in the UK? Everything I had read before indicated that a yarn like Cascade 220 would be a good sub for whatever it was that Germantown wool was, and Cascade 220 is a worsted weight that is often subbed for DK. As the 20th c progressed the labels for common yarns remained, while the yarns themselves changed, e.g. "Zephyr" became an indicator that a yarn was soft, for example, and not that it was merino wool. "Germantown" used to indicate that the yarn was actually milled in Germantown, which was known for its quality yarns, so "Germantown" began to be used as a label, regardless of where the yarn was manufactured. I have some mid-century "Germantown" yarn that was manufactured in Germany, is a sport or fingering weight, and has some synthetic fiber in the mix! Kelbourne was trying to match a yarn produced in the late 20th c, so the fact that it's on the heavier end of the worsted weight scale may be because that's what the yarn they were trying to replicate was.
I do center pull ball plying with my ball winder. Makes it easy.
What a great idea! I tried it and it worked really well. Thanks!
@@RoxanneRichardson I'm so glad! I use this method all the time because you get the most yardage and you're not left with little mini bits. Happy spinning!
Lol, I've always pronounced the town as "Shevvy-ott" so I think there is variation even here in NZ
"Yarn Chicken" ROFL!!
My husband is from the area….. it’s pronounced “Ch - ev - iot” (ch as in church; ev as in ever; iot as in idiot - Cheviot)
That's really funny that you dislike toe-up socks. I absolutely despise knitting sock cuff down. Like, even on my sock knitting machine. To each their own, I suppose.
Thanks for another catchup episode. Always love "visiting " with you and seeing what's happening in your world, Roxanne.
Wanted to let you know about a shepherdess I've recently discovered on UA-cam. She's not a spinner, sadly, but her channel is interesting to watch ua-cam.com/users/SandiBrock
Also, when I want to Andean ply, i wind the yarn around a smaller book, or a dvd case. Then i can slip it over my hand, and ply. The conventional method doesn't work for me at all. Hope you get those singles plied up nicely. What fibre will you be spinning next?
Keep well, lovely Roxanne! Regards from Tracy
Knit one single gigantic blanket with all the leftover yarns you hoarded over the years lol