I really enjoy this format and always learn so much. Also, thanks so much for including the questions in the description bar so we can go back and hear the answer to a specific question! That is so helpful! God bless
When my son was little, he snuck off with a couple of my gauge swatches. He gave them names and would play with them as though they were his pets! I think he just really liked petting the yarns. 🤣 It was so cute!! I gave him all my swatches after that. He’s outgrown the swatches…now he sneaks off with the finished items for his wardrobe. If I can’t find my boxy sweaters, I need look no further than his room.
Gauge swatch needles sizes: I knit eyelets for mm as well, and use a bit of spacing to indicate the ‘.5 mm’. So for a 4.5 mm needle, I’ll do 4 eyelets, then leave a bit if space, and add 1 more. Hope this helps! Or I’ll use a piece of paper and pin it or tie it to the swatch.
You are just lovely! Thank you so much for having us into your ‘creative space’ and explaining/answering some of our pressing questions!! You are a bright light to keep us all motivated!
Bits of leftover bobbin yarn are usually wound off into a ball and sit in a decorative bowl near my wheel. Sometimes I pull some out for a new leader plus the cat likes to play with them! It's also really pretty with the random colors.
Great video: so informative. I’ve been wondering how to wash wool after it’s been frogged. I would recommend the loose knitter tries Norwegian style as per Arne & Carlos. The index finger isn’t raised at all. Easier to learn than English style if she is already a continental knitter.
I have tighter tension but love the fabric I get so I often end up using different weights of yarn than what's recommended. Frequently when a pattern needs DK and has a gauge of 22sts per 4 I frequently end up using worsted. I get the same gauge with the same needles.
I had the same problem with being a super loose knitter. I did two things that fixed it. I've started using metal needles. I also started paying attention to my right pointer finger (continental knitting). I was pulling the just created stitch down the needle creating extra yarn between stitches. Stephanie Pearl McFree has a great video on this topic on her Patreon.
When spinning, when I run out of a single, I will put a knot so that I know my plies have changed. So 4 strand, 3 strand, 2 strand, when I get to the last bobbin I will chain ply it. This way I get practice with all of them. I can also hold them together for extra yardage, hold it with a different yarn or keep as samples, other projects or for repairs.
That yummy autumn colorway is BEGGING to be colorwork with a lovely oatmeal base color and a beautiful cowl or wrap or something. It definitely has to be near the face. Its lovely colors for you.
Leftover single on a bobbin??....not here. I use my andean plyer and make a 2 ply yarn. I am not concerned that it will not "match" my existing spin as I can always find a use for that lonely skein.....as some weft in weaving, as stripes in a project, or in a miniature sweater or sock for decoration. Thanks for yet another great Podcast!
I knit English style since the 1950s, I learnt continental via You Tube to help my arthritis, and it works, no idea about gauge, but why not? Thanks Andrea for another interesting and informative vlog. I also spin using left and right hands to lead.
I used to knit Continental and had the same problem as the person who asked the question in this video. I did learn English and as you said, that solved my problem. I would like to suggest also that doing knit rows Continental and Purl rows English also works for me when I am knitting flat. It is also a great way to vary hand movement to avoid hand strain. Thank you for these videos. I love them all and always learn something new. I love your designs.
Leftover bobbin yarn generally gets bracelet plied for me, I also have a few balls I made of left over singles that will eventually get plied into a frankenskein. Also a very unpopular option but totally viable is to just toss it. If it’s negligible and not really useful ( waste yarn, felting projects, scrappy projects, etc).
For leftover singles on the bobbin; I either wrap it on my hand and Andean ply (or could Center pull ball but those tend to tangle for me) or if it’s a significant amount left then I weigh and split it onto 2 bobbins (1 on the original, one onto a storage bobbin). That did require me to weigh and mark all my bobbins empty first- I now have a little piece of tape on the end of each bobbin with its weight. I do use empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls for storage bobbins as I can never seem to find empty bobbins when I need them ;). Can stick them over the end of an electric whisk (from kitchen) to wind them on (SLOW SPEED). As for it messing up the colour sequences, I usually then use that end for swatching :)
Thanks for sharing your contagious enthusiasm for spinning! I don't leave anything on my bobbins. I tend to make a plying bracelet and continue the second, or third, ply using the other end. That said, I love to see the wildly colorful skeins made by spinners who save those little ends for a year or so after they ply them together madly and with abandon. Happy knitting and spinning!
I think many of your patterns are suitable to knit for men. I knitted The Throwover for my husband and it is one of his favourites. I find that generally the only modifications I need to make when using a pattern designed for a woman is that I need to reduce stitches or change to a small needle to suit his hip width. Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for sharing Anita! Since I don't add waist shaping, I do think they are pretty easy to modify! I do have some plans going forward to add some "mens" sizes for those who are intimidated by modifications :)
For the too loose knitting in continental, I came across a video that Patty Lyons did with Kristy Glass Knits that she talked about how a lot of continental knitters end up inadvertently stretching all their stitches. It comes down to folks not sizing the stitch to the needle. I can't post links in a youtube comment, but there's a blog post if you search for "Ask Patty: Let the Tool Do the Work" (on moderndailyknitting website) that has a really great write-up about it. A lot of loose continental knitters do the "grab and go" technique, which really stretches the stitch on the needle and also doesn't size the new stitch being created. Others end up sizing the stitch on the taper instead of the body of the needle, which results in ultra tight stitches. It took some focus at first, almost like learning a new style of knitting, but I quickly built the muscle memory and now my gauge is SO much improved. I'm a tighter knitter without being too tight. I really didn't like knitting socks because I had to use a size 0 and now that I've improved my gauge, I was able recently to size up to a 1.5 which is just so much more comfortable in my hands and made me really enjoy knitting a sock. I still struggle a bit on purls, but my knit stitches are on point. I definitely recommend if people struggle with gauge to check out that blog post.
Spinning leftovers are always tough. Sometimes I just go ahead and make a center pull ball and 2-ply or sometimes chain ply them. Then they go in with my sock leftover bowl.
I am a fairly new subscriber. I absolutely love watching your videos and look forward to each new episode. I feel like I learn something new each time I watch.You always put a smile in my heart! Thank you!😊
I love the new Metamorphic pattern and am going to cast it on with handspun that my favorite aunt gifted me years ago. This is just the perfect pattern it has been waiting for. 🌸
Hello, I just saw the clip about you & your company on the Today Show. Being a beginner (?) knitted I thought your site would be quite interesting & informative to watch. Looking forward to a great time.
I ball up the last little amount from a bobbin. I either ply from both ends or with another ball of left overs. These little odds and ends make great minis for sock or color work. I tend to spin fine so mine go mostly to design funky socks.
I knit very tight English but I learnt how to knit Portuguese style it's very simple to learn you tension the yarn with either a pin on your left shoulder or around your neck and you make stitches by just flicking your thumb, it's very good for your hands very pink knits has a few tutorials but this definitely helped with tension/gauge etc.
@@dreareneeknits I would definitely recommend it and it's not such a learning curve definitely easier than learning continental from English or the other way around, maybe one day there will be a picture of a Swatch you have tried. 😊
What I do with my left overs from plying? When that happens and it does all the time Im using my nostepinne winding the rest on that. When finished I linking the ends to my ends on the wheel using both ends from the inside and outside of that ball. I hope you can understand what Im trying to say. Your new sweater is stunning! Have a nice and creative weekend! Bianka
I sympathise with the loose knitter in your questions . I am a loose english style knitter so the sock KAL on my handspun .... new spinner may end up being swatched on a mouses eyelash :) may at some point try continental with your tip or the left finger position
For sock washing - I will wait until I have 10-15 pairs to wash then will toss them in my washer and use Eucalan no rinse with the wool setting on my washer and then hang them all on a drying rack to dry. Most of my socks are superwash.
I save all my leftover singles on storage bobbins and when I'm in the mood I ply them together. I end up with very interesting small skeins that I think someday will be fun for colorwork.
Many thanks for all your videos! Have you addressed hand pain, hand stretches? I have recently developed a raised tendon in my left hand. Wondering if there are tricks and secrets to keep hands healthy with lots of knitting.????
Hi Donna! I think taking frequent breaks and stretching hands and wrists is a great practice to get in to. I actually found one of the biggest helps for me was learning another style of knitting (I started with English, but learned Continental as well). You might also be interested in Carson Demers book on Knitting Ergonomics!
I have knit the So Faded Pint size pullovers for all of my grandkids. I use change it up. Sometimes I do the garter sleeve and sometimes I just knit it as a regular raglan. It is the best fitting sweater.
For my leftovers on a bobbin I either two ply or chain ply to use up every last bit. I've started a Jelly Roll Blanket that I'm making all out of handspun. It's a great use for leftovers or small sample spins and it's very forgiving to slightly different yarn weights.
Wow, you did finish up a lot of spins🙌🏾🙌🏾 When I have left over singles from a two ply I start close to where the one single ended and I warp for bracelet plying for the left over. Once you get to the end you tuck it better the finished end or felt it to it. The bracelet unwraps and becomes part of that skein. This makes it so I never have left over singles. Three plays are more tricky. On my last fractal spin I split the roving so poorly that I ended up with 3skeins. I fractal, a two ply from two of the left over singles, and then another two ply from the one left over singles. This had never happened to me before but next time I’ll just weight the roving🤦🏾♀️
I can totally relate to question 5 and knitting loosely! I had the exact same issue and I actually switched from English to continental and found that that fixed everything! Good luck!! :) rooting for ya!
I love your squish yarn smile. I just got the wheel I ordered last year two days ago. I have already spun up 4oz of BFL. Working on Malibrigo fiber now. I am so in love with spinning already. Now I have to make more money for fiber.
From Ysolda Teague’s Little Red in the City I learned to do an eyelet for each whole mm and to do a purl in my stocinette swatch for each additional .25 mm.
I always do a garter strip for the start & end of my swatch, so at the start I count garter bump rows for whole mm, then on the next row I do a k/p combo to indicate the partial - eg for a 3.75mm needle, I'd have 3 garter bumps (ie 6 rows) then on the next RS row I'd do K1 P3 to indicate the .75 If I change needle size during the swatch for any reason, I do this again with the new needle size.
When I have a small amount of yarn on my bobbin I wind it around a toilet paper roll, because it keeps it from tangling. I then squash the roll to make it easier to unwind (leaving the yarn in place) and use it as a center-pull ball. This lets me finish the two-ply without changing the color. I am currently crocheting granny squares from the leftover handspun yarns from knitted projects. I don’t know if I’ll ever have enough to make something from the squares, but it’s a good record of the yarns.
I have a theori of the yarn tension. I use both English and Continental style and having the through that it is the yarns way to loop that make the tension. With English style the yarn goes backward from the way your knitting. Continental style the yarn follows the same way the knitting goes. I think this is the thing that makes the difference in tention
Patty Lyons has a lot of great information on how to get better tension that actually use the needle as the gauge measure vs your individual way of tensioning or holding the yarn. It has a lot to do with where your sts are placed on your needles and keeping your needles very close and at a constant angle.
I was about to comment this! Her blog post is called "Let the Tool Do the Work." I was a loose continental knitter that thought I couldn't knit socks until I read that post.
I have heard of lots of people just spinning a white or a black then plying it with whatever is left over on their bobbins. That’s what I’m going to try🥰
just to add to the discussion about loose/tight knitting with continental vs english knitting.....I am a continental knitter and started using a knitting ring....and my knitting is much tighter and much more comfortable - and faster. I found a great ring on Vera...it's wider and much more comfortable then others that I have tried that are thinner. not to put a plug in for vera but it completely helped my tension and my awkwardness with holding the yarn. hope this helps....just my two cents.. thank you
For my leftover singles, I've been adding them all together onto a spare bobbin. Once full, I'm going to spin a single of a solid colour, and ply it with the leftover singles.
Oh my goodness, I HAVE to know what is on those blocking mats in the background! Also, would you be willing to do a 'studio tour' in one of your videos? Your space is the things that crafter's dreams are made of! Thank you as always for the wonderful videos. :)
I’m a continental knitter, and I do fine getting gauge at larger needle sizes, but I end up knitting really loosely on anything below a US 4 or so. Maybe I should try English style on my socks and other small needle projects.
I am a bit late watching. Sometimes I will practice chain plying if there is enough. If not, I wind it into a ball with any bits of fiber that didn't make it onto the bobbin and use it to make dryer balls.
I ply my leftover singles into a multicolor yarn, just ply it all together. My favorite hat is made from this kind of yarn. I wanted to upload a pic but can't figure out how.
I use a toilet paper roll to wind those bits. I put pbly 3 on a roll. Then write what fiber it is, colorway name and maybe name of project. Nice to have it needing to make a repair etc. they can also be flattened to store
I use millimeters and more often than not I use purl stitches to mark my needle size instead of eyelets, and usually I'll mark partial millimeters on the next row. So I'll have for example the 3 purl stitches indicating 3 mm needles, and on the next (or previous, depends on which end of the fabric I do it) row I'll make 1 purl stitch if it's actually 3.5 mm. Now, I am kind of a newish knitter, so I have not tested this system much but I did run into trouble once when I swatched with 3 mm, then 3.5, then I decided I wanted to try 3.75... yeah. So for now, in case it isn't something I am going to cast on right away and I feel like I will need this information after some time, I mark quarters of millimeters instead of halves to accommodate those x.25 and x.75 needle sizes, so it will be 1 purl stitch for x.25, 2 purl stitches for x.5 and 3 purl stitches for x.75.
I was a tighter english-style knitter as well! I would knit so close to to the tips that it was horrible. Continental just works for my hands and I don't have tension issues anymore :)
I'm one of the weird loose English style knitters! For example, I have just cast on a pair of socks 4 different times because my gauge is SO loose, the ribbing on the cuff looked awful. 😔 I always have to go down needles sizes.
I ply miscellaneous ends of bobbins against each other and get yarn surprise. Then I can use it to knit up a night shift using yarn surprises that contrast.
Lovely handspun! If I really need the yardage, I wind off the leftover to make another bobbin of about equal size to the original leftover. This requires winding off twice so I don't mess with the twist direction. I also have 5-10 yards of leftovers that I don't do anything with and they're wrapped around empty toilet rolls in a big bag or I store them with the handspun they created. Maybe one day I'll ply them all together into a franken-skein or use them as singles in a crazy granny square blanket - I probably have enough for a blanket! About the Hansen, would it help to put the pedal on the floor and then you don't have to move your hands? I do that but my Daedelus Sparrow cable isn't long enough so I have to use my hand. I have the turn off speed set to a slower stop speed so it feels like a wheel.
Have you tried Andean plying? It’s great for when you’re plying a two-ply yarn and run out of one single. Also, the twist direction doesn’t change, you can start with whichever end you want.
Hi Andrea, I am rather new to your podcast and thoroughly enjoy all the information you share regarding knitting. You are a fabulous designer and knitter. I am learning so much from you. I was just wondering if you could return your podcast to just knitting. I really don’t have any desire to spin and find the spinning part to be quite annoying. I just want to hear about knitting. Is it possible to split the video into two parts - knitting and then spinning. I don’t like to end before it’s totally finished because sometimes you go back and forth - like today. I hope I don’t offend you and I understand your excitement for spinning, it does look interesting but at 74 I don’t want to take up another hobby. Anyway, thanks for all you do - love it 😍
My spinning teachers and fellow guild members absolutely think I am insane but I make a center-pull ball from my singles and ply from there so I never have little bits left-unless I have something special going on with my plans for color. I have been warned and warned that I will regret plying like this, but I’ve been doing it for years and it’s never turned into the tangled nightmare I’ve been warned about. I only spin from bobbins if I am doing a 3 or 4 ply or something specialized. Even then, when I have leftover singles, I’ll make a center pull ball and ply from that until I have no more to use. I’m STINGY. I bought the fiber AND I spent all that time spinning the single, I’m not wasting any of it if I don’t have to.
Hi Anne! They are above the comments. Depending on what device you are using to watch, it may look different. If you can find the title of the show, you should see a "show more" or an arrow pointing down that you can tap!
Thanks for answering my question (and so soon!) (I am the dude with the last question. I want to clarify that I did not mean my question in ANY way as a criticism! (the way you read parts of it made me realize that you might have understood it this way)) I guess I was trying to communicate two things at once in my question: (a) It would be great if more of your patterns were sized for men, because they are so awesome! (but not pressure!) and (b) General question/just wondering: Why is it that there are so few patterns out there targeted for male bodies? (At first glance, this seems to be mainly true for independent designers, but really, it is the same for "collections" or magazines, etc.: Very often, it seems like these just tag on one or two oversized "male" garments, without any shaping or interesting details, just to have "male" covered.) Thank you for your thoughts on my question! I totally agree that clothing has no gender, and that everyone should wear what they want. And also that your designs are generally quite easy to adapt to the male figure - maybe that is part of the reason I like your designs so much. And I had missed the Oxbow cardigan somehow until now, it looks great! I'll try that one soon! As for the gauge swatches: I tend to think in mm needle sizes, and what I usually do is doing eyelets for the whole mm on one side, and then doing eyelets for .25 mm on the other side. So for a US 2 = 2.75m, I'll do two eyelets at the beginning of a (right-side) row, and three at the end. Might be overkill, but it has worked for me so far ...
Not at all saying that this is Andrea's reason why, but I've chatted with one of those larger knitting pattern companies and for them, men's and children's patterns just aren't as profitable. I agree with you, but the facts are that there are just more women who knit for themselves than men or men who knit for themselves. We just gotta fill that gap and there are a select few who are doing great things! Also, I've been told companies are starting to lean toward a more gender neutral sweater designing, and as Andrea mentioned, adjusting a few standard measurements. Hope we see more of this!
I noticed that too, a lack of men's focused patterns when I was making a cardigan for my dad. Something not too old grandpa, and not too young fitted etc. I'm going to be knitting a sweater for my brother in law and I think I might just take a stab at designing it myself.
@@sosewnknits Interesting! I guess I suspected something like that (men's patterns not selling as well), which is why I include the "I guess not?" bit in my original question. Thinking more about it, maybe it is not so surprising after all - knitting for oneself is not just for the "selfish" knitter, knitting (and designing!) is also just EASIER for yourself (you always can do a fitting/measurement, and you also know the intended wearer will really like it ...). Plus, it is probably a a vicious cycle of sorts: If there are few(er) awesome "designed for men" / "modeled on men" patterns on Ravelry or wherever, fewer women knitters will be inspired to knit for the men in their lives. And the handful of us male knitters probably cannot make it worth the designers worth their while, financially (which is true even more for indie designers, I imagine, who are more dependent on every pattern selling than bigger companies). So let's hope the more gender neutral designing (or designing-with-options) trend continues. I agree that sometimes it is quite easy to "convert" a design - adding a bit of length maybe, taking out waist-shaping if any, broadening the shoulder, and then decreasing further down (or not *pats belly*) ... but increasing the armhole depth can already be challenging, depending on the style of armhole. For my own knitting, I've been getting quite confident in how to do these things (also frequently swapping out armhole styles, etc.), but it is definitely more difficult for newer knitters.
@@tarastump Yes! "Designing it yourself" can, as Andrea says, be quite easy if you take a pattern that almost works and adjusting a few things, rather than designing it "from the ground up". Of course, it will likely be more difficult to get the Beknitted's input early on - for a woman, it often is enough to pull up Ravelry, type in some search terms, and then see what she likes. For a man, this is going to be more difficult, as it is not so easy for the "customer" to imagine what a sweater modeled on a female body will look on them. Good luck!
@@svenlauer4963 this fall I designed VA sweater for myself from scratch, pieced, inset sleeves ... The whole 9 yards so to speak. I am far from the "average" shape with narrow shoulders compared to bust and I'm short. So to most designs end up not fitting right in a couple places. The sweat I designed to fit me 👌. The math was a pain, probably the fist time in 25 years I had to calculate a hypotenuse 🤣 I have never knit my husband a sweater because I just can't find a design I think he would remotely like. He's not much of a sweater guy anyway lol. But his brother wants one and is a lot less fussy so I'm going to give it a go. I do have a few of my hubby's clothes that I could measure to confirm some of the fit. But I feel like I might regret the idea when I get to sleeve island on his 19" arm length compared to my 16" 😆
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When I gauge swatch, I use the eyelets for each whole mm and purl bumps for each .25mm. And then I tie knots in the tail for the US size.
Brilliant!!
Very nice way to do it.
Great idea!
I really enjoy this format and always learn so much. Also, thanks so much for including the questions in the description bar so we can go back and hear the answer to a specific question! That is so helpful! God bless
Hello 👋 how're you doing today?
Glad you like them!
Omg.. the eyelets in the swatch to indicate the size of the needle.... what an amazing idea!
When my son was little, he snuck off with a couple of my gauge swatches. He gave them names and would play with them as though they were his pets! I think he just really liked petting the yarns. 🤣 It was so cute!! I gave him all my swatches after that. He’s outgrown the swatches…now he sneaks off with the finished items for his wardrobe. If I can’t find my boxy sweaters, I need look no further than his room.
That is just about the most adorable little story I have ever heard ;) ♥
That’s such a wonderful memory 🥰😇
Aw - I love this!
Gauge swatch needles sizes: I knit eyelets for mm as well, and use a bit of spacing to indicate the ‘.5 mm’. So for a 4.5 mm needle, I’ll do 4 eyelets, then leave a bit if space, and add 1 more. Hope this helps! Or I’ll use a piece of paper and pin it or tie it to the swatch.
That’s exactly what I do!! 😁
I do that too
I do the same thing. :)
For leftover bobbin yarn I either chain ply it or Andean ply from my hand for a two ply to finish it.
You are just lovely! Thank you so much for having us into your ‘creative space’ and explaining/answering some of our pressing questions!! You are a bright light to keep us all motivated!
Thank you so much!
Bits of leftover bobbin yarn are usually wound off into a ball and sit in a decorative bowl near my wheel. Sometimes I pull some out for a new leader plus the cat likes to play with them! It's also really pretty with the random colors.
Another vote for more patterns in kids' sizes! I've knit myself 2 of your sweaters, but my big knitting love is making sweaters for my kids.
Great video: so informative. I’ve been wondering how to wash wool after it’s been frogged. I would recommend the loose knitter tries Norwegian style as per Arne & Carlos. The index finger isn’t raised at all. Easier to learn than English style if she is already a continental knitter.
I loved seeing your swatch wall! I’d love to see more of your studio in another episode.
I have tighter tension but love the fabric I get so I often end up using different weights of yarn than what's recommended. Frequently when a pattern needs DK and has a gauge of 22sts per 4 I frequently end up using worsted. I get the same gauge with the same needles.
Hi there “Dr. Drea” I love the Metamorphic sweater! It’s beautiful! I bought the pattern and getting ready to buy the yarn! Yeah!
I hope you love knitting it!
Andean Ply (bracelet) for leftovers on the bobbin. Really kind of fun. I think that’s what it’s called.
With left over singles I will either chain ply or Andean ply if I want a 2 ply.
Gorgeous blue yarn you spun!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful information. I’m in love with your selfish knitting. It’s so beneficial for all us knitters🥰
Hehehe thanks Denise!
I had the same problem with being a super loose knitter. I did two things that fixed it. I've started using metal needles. I also started paying attention to my right pointer finger (continental knitting). I was pulling the just created stitch down the needle creating extra yarn between stitches. Stephanie Pearl McFree has a great video on this topic on her Patreon.
When spinning, when I run out of a single, I will put a knot so that I know my plies have changed. So 4 strand, 3 strand, 2 strand, when I get to the last bobbin I will chain ply it. This way I get practice with all of them. I can also hold them together for extra yardage, hold it with a different yarn or keep as samples, other projects or for repairs.
That yummy autumn colorway is BEGGING to be colorwork with a lovely oatmeal base color and a beautiful cowl or wrap or something. It definitely has to be near the face. Its lovely colors for you.
I bracelet ply leftovers and either felt and cut them up for neps in a batt or as figure 8 ties. No waste!
Leftover single on a bobbin??....not here. I use my andean plyer and make a 2 ply yarn. I am not concerned that it will not "match" my existing spin as I can always find a use for that lonely skein.....as some weft in weaving, as stripes in a project, or in a miniature sweater or sock for decoration. Thanks for yet another great Podcast!
Your swatch wall is beautiful! What material is and where did you get the lovely wooden pins?
I haven't received the Last newsletter ! And I am still in your database. Thank you so much for sharing Andrea 🥰
Hi Jennifer! I recommend checking your spam folder and making sure my email address is added to your contacts!
I knit English style since the 1950s, I learnt continental via You Tube to help my arthritis, and it works, no idea about gauge, but why not? Thanks Andrea for another interesting and informative vlog. I also spin using left and right hands to lead.
I used to knit Continental and had the same problem as the person who asked the question in this video. I did learn English and as you said, that solved my problem. I would like to suggest also that doing knit rows Continental and Purl rows English also works for me when I am knitting flat. It is also a great way to vary hand movement to avoid hand strain. Thank you for these videos. I love them all and always learn something new. I love your designs.
Thanks for sharing!
Leftover bobbin yarn generally gets bracelet plied for me, I also have a few balls I made of left over singles that will eventually get plied into a frankenskein. Also a very unpopular option but totally viable is to just toss it. If it’s negligible and not really useful ( waste yarn, felting projects, scrappy projects, etc).
For leftover singles on the bobbin; I either wrap it on my hand and Andean ply (or could Center pull ball but those tend to tangle for me) or if it’s a significant amount left then I weigh and split it onto 2 bobbins (1 on the original, one onto a storage bobbin). That did require me to weigh and mark all my bobbins empty first- I now have a little piece of tape on the end of each bobbin with its weight. I do use empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls for storage bobbins as I can never seem to find empty bobbins when I need them ;). Can stick them over the end of an electric whisk (from kitchen) to wind them on (SLOW SPEED). As for it messing up the colour sequences, I usually then use that end for swatching :)
That swatch trick is brilliant!! Blew my mind
Yay!
Thanks for sharing your contagious enthusiasm for spinning! I don't leave anything on my bobbins. I tend to make a plying bracelet and continue the second, or third, ply using the other end. That said, I love to see the wildly colorful skeins made by spinners who save those little ends for a year or so after they ply them together madly and with abandon. Happy knitting and spinning!
Thanks for sharing!
I think many of your patterns are suitable to knit for men. I knitted The Throwover for my husband and it is one of his favourites. I find that generally the only modifications I need to make when using a pattern designed for a woman is that I need to reduce stitches or change to a small needle to suit his hip width. Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for sharing Anita! Since I don't add waist shaping, I do think they are pretty easy to modify! I do have some plans going forward to add some "mens" sizes for those who are intimidated by modifications :)
I love your video's and You! You are one talented person!!
Thank you so much!
I would love to see more patterns for kids and men, too! I've already knit So Faded Pint Size and Olive & Bean and my kids love wearing them.
For the too loose knitting in continental, I came across a video that Patty Lyons did with Kristy Glass Knits that she talked about how a lot of continental knitters end up inadvertently stretching all their stitches. It comes down to folks not sizing the stitch to the needle. I can't post links in a youtube comment, but there's a blog post if you search for "Ask Patty: Let the Tool Do the Work" (on moderndailyknitting website) that has a really great write-up about it. A lot of loose continental knitters do the "grab and go" technique, which really stretches the stitch on the needle and also doesn't size the new stitch being created. Others end up sizing the stitch on the taper instead of the body of the needle, which results in ultra tight stitches. It took some focus at first, almost like learning a new style of knitting, but I quickly built the muscle memory and now my gauge is SO much improved. I'm a tighter knitter without being too tight. I really didn't like knitting socks because I had to use a size 0 and now that I've improved my gauge, I was able recently to size up to a 1.5 which is just so much more comfortable in my hands and made me really enjoy knitting a sock. I still struggle a bit on purls, but my knit stitches are on point. I definitely recommend if people struggle with gauge to check out that blog post.
Thanks for sharing Sara! Here is the article for anyone interested: www.moderndailyknitting.com/2020/07/20/ask-patty-let-the-tool-do-the-work/
Spinning leftovers are always tough. Sometimes I just go ahead and make a center pull ball and 2-ply or sometimes chain ply them. Then they go in with my sock leftover bowl.
I have one of those little looms and it is great for using up the bits and leftovers.
Great idea!
I am a fairly new subscriber. I absolutely love watching your videos and look forward to each new episode. I feel like I learn something new each time I watch.You always put a smile in my heart! Thank you!😊
So happy you are enjoying them Valerie!
I love the new Metamorphic pattern and am going to cast it on with handspun that my favorite aunt gifted me years ago. This is just the perfect pattern it has been waiting for. 🌸
It will be soooo lovely in handspun!
A swatch Afghan is a brilliant idea. Thank you
Hello, I just saw the clip about you & your company on the Today Show. Being a beginner (?) knitted I thought your site would be quite interesting & informative to watch. Looking forward to a great time.
Hi Anne - I think that might have been someone else?
I ball up the last little amount from a bobbin. I either ply from both ends or with another ball of left overs. These little odds and ends make great minis for sock or color work. I tend to spin fine so mine go mostly to design funky socks.
I knit very tight English but I learnt how to knit Portuguese style it's very simple to learn you tension the yarn with either a pin on your left shoulder or around your neck and you make stitches by just flicking your thumb, it's very good for your hands very pink knits has a few tutorials but this definitely helped with tension/gauge etc.
I would like to learn this style as well! I hear such great things about it :)
@@dreareneeknits I would definitely recommend it and it's not such a learning curve definitely easier than learning continental from English or the other way around, maybe one day there will be a picture of a Swatch you have tried. 😊
Thanks for sharing, very helpful info 🌹🌹🌹
Your studio is fabulous. If I had a room like that in my house I would probably spend most of my time there 😊😊😊
It's definitely one of my favorite places to be!
What I do with my left overs from plying? When that happens and it does all the time Im using my nostepinne winding the rest on that. When finished I linking the ends to my ends on the wheel using both ends from the inside and outside of that ball. I hope you can understand what Im trying to say. Your new sweater is stunning! Have a nice and creative weekend! Bianka
I sympathise with the loose knitter in your questions . I am a loose english style knitter so the sock KAL on my handspun .... new spinner may end up being swatched on a mouses eyelash :) may at some point try continental with your tip or the left finger position
For sock washing - I will wait until I have 10-15 pairs to wash then will toss them in my washer and use Eucalan no rinse with the wool setting on my washer and then hang them all on a drying rack to dry. Most of my socks are superwash.
I save all my leftover singles on storage bobbins and when I'm in the mood I ply them together. I end up with very interesting small skeins that I think someday will be fun for colorwork.
Fun!
Many thanks for all your videos! Have you addressed hand pain, hand stretches? I have recently developed a raised tendon in my left hand. Wondering if there are tricks and secrets to keep hands healthy with lots of knitting.????
Hi Donna! I think taking frequent breaks and stretching hands and wrists is a great practice to get in to. I actually found one of the biggest helps for me was learning another style of knitting (I started with English, but learned Continental as well). You might also be interested in Carson Demers book on Knitting Ergonomics!
I plan to use all my gauge swatches eventually by sewing them together in a scrappy quilt like way 😀
Super fun!
I have knit the So Faded Pint size pullovers for all of my grandkids. I use change it up. Sometimes I do the garter sleeve and sometimes I just knit it as a regular raglan. It is the best fitting sweater.
I usually do not fade it. I use some of my beautiful speckled yarn. I did do one that was a fade. It used all my left over yarn from my faded shawl.
So happy to hear that! What lucky grandkids :)
For my leftovers on a bobbin I either two ply or chain ply to use up every last bit. I've started a Jelly Roll Blanket that I'm making all out of handspun. It's a great use for leftovers or small sample spins and it's very forgiving to slightly different yarn weights.
A Panda spinner is a very nice thing to have for yarn lovers.
Wow, you did finish up a lot of spins🙌🏾🙌🏾 When I have left over singles from a two ply I start close to where the one single ended and I warp for bracelet plying for the left over. Once you get to the end you tuck it better the finished end or felt it to it. The bracelet unwraps and becomes part of that skein. This makes it so I never have left over singles. Three plays are more tricky. On my last fractal spin I split the roving so poorly that I ended up with 3skeins. I fractal, a two ply from two of the left over singles, and then another two ply from the one left over singles. This had never happened to me before but next time I’ll just weight the roving🤦🏾♀️
When I have leftovers on my bobbin, I use it to tie up skeins.
I can totally relate to question 5 and knitting loosely! I had the exact same issue and I actually switched from English to continental and found that that fixed everything! Good luck!! :) rooting for ya!
Glad to hear that worked well for you!
Spinner here response with left over on a bobbin... make a center pull ball. Use a yarn winder to help with the control. :)
I love your squish yarn smile. I just got the wheel I ordered last year two days ago. I have already spun up 4oz of BFL. Working on Malibrigo fiber now. I am so in love with spinning already. Now I have to make more money for fiber.
Wahoo! How fun! Enjoy your wheel :)
From Ysolda Teague’s Little Red in the City I learned to do an eyelet for each whole mm and to do a purl in my stocinette swatch for each additional .25 mm.
Oh what a great idea!
I always do a garter strip for the start & end of my swatch, so at the start I count garter bump rows for whole mm, then on the next row I do a k/p combo to indicate the partial - eg for a 3.75mm needle, I'd have 3 garter bumps (ie 6 rows) then on the next RS row I'd do K1 P3 to indicate the .75
If I change needle size during the swatch for any reason, I do this again with the new needle size.
I always enjoy your podcasts 😊
Thank you!
When I gauge swatch, I use purl stitches - if
Thanks for sharing!
When I have a small amount of yarn on my bobbin I wind it around a toilet paper roll, because it keeps it from tangling. I then squash the roll to make it easier to unwind (leaving the yarn in place) and use it as a center-pull ball. This lets me finish the two-ply without changing the color. I am currently crocheting granny squares from the leftover handspun yarns from knitted projects. I don’t know if I’ll ever have enough to make something from the squares, but it’s a good record of the yarns.
Thank you for sharing!
I have a theori of the yarn tension. I use both English and Continental style and having the through that it is the yarns way to loop that make the tension. With English style the yarn goes backward from the way your knitting. Continental style the yarn follows the same way the knitting goes. I think this is the thing that makes the difference in tention
Have a nice weekend girl
Patty Lyons has a lot of great information on how to get better tension that actually use the needle as the gauge measure vs your individual way of tensioning or holding the yarn. It has a lot to do with where your sts are placed on your needles and keeping your needles very close and at a constant angle.
I was about to comment this! Her blog post is called "Let the Tool Do the Work." I was a loose continental knitter that thought I couldn't knit socks until I read that post.
@@themezcla3560 she's such a wealth of information!!!!
I found the article: www.moderndailyknitting.com/2020/07/20/ask-patty-let-the-tool-do-the-work/ Thanks for sharing!
I love your patterns and I just purchased Metamorphic and I cannot wait to cast it on!!
Thank you so much!! I hope you love knitting (and wearing!) Metamorphic :)
I have heard of lots of people just spinning a white or a black then plying it with whatever is left over on their bobbins. That’s what I’m going to try🥰
Great idea!
just to add to the discussion about loose/tight knitting with continental vs english knitting.....I am a continental knitter and started using a knitting ring....and my knitting is much tighter and much more comfortable - and faster. I found a great ring on Vera...it's wider and much more comfortable then others that I have tried that are thinner. not to put a plug in for vera but it completely helped my tension and my awkwardness with holding the yarn. hope this helps....just my two cents..
thank you
Thanks for sharing! I have never heard of that and it sounds like it could be really helpful for some folks!
For my leftover singles, I've been adding them all together onto a spare bobbin. Once full, I'm going to spin a single of a solid colour, and ply it with the leftover singles.
Sounds super fun! Great idea!
With the remnants left on my bobbins I roll them into balls and crochet them into squares. These squares can be used for alsorts of projects.
Great idea!
Your yarn you spun is GORGEOUS!!!!! I'm a selfish knitter too hahaha- Kimberly
Thank you Kimberlyl!
Oh my goodness, I HAVE to know what is on those blocking mats in the background! Also, would you be willing to do a 'studio tour' in one of your videos? Your space is the things that crafter's dreams are made of! Thank you as always for the wonderful videos. :)
Hehehe you noticed! I actually meant to point out there was a sneak peek back there, and then totally forgot!
I tag a strip of paper to the swatch with a bulb marker. I can note on that details of needle size and how it was blocked
I’m a continental knitter, and I do fine getting gauge at larger needle sizes, but I end up knitting really loosely on anything below a US 4 or so. Maybe I should try English style on my socks and other small needle projects.
It wouldn't hurt to try!
Your yarns are gorgeous!
Thank you!
I am a bit late watching. Sometimes I will practice chain plying if there is enough. If not, I wind it into a ball with any bits of fiber that didn't make it onto the bobbin and use it to make dryer balls.
I ply my leftover singles into a multicolor yarn, just ply it all together. My favorite hat is made from this kind of yarn. I wanted to upload a pic but can't figure out how.
Sounds so fun!
I use a toilet paper roll to wind those bits. I put pbly 3 on a roll. Then write what fiber it is, colorway name and maybe name of project. Nice to have it needing to make a repair etc. they can also be flattened to store
Great idea!
I use millimeters and more often than not I use purl stitches to mark my needle size instead of eyelets, and usually I'll mark partial millimeters on the next row. So I'll have for example the 3 purl stitches indicating 3 mm needles, and on the next (or previous, depends on which end of the fabric I do it) row I'll make 1 purl stitch if it's actually 3.5 mm. Now, I am kind of a newish knitter, so I have not tested this system much but I did run into trouble once when I swatched with 3 mm, then 3.5, then I decided I wanted to try 3.75... yeah. So for now, in case it isn't something I am going to cast on right away and I feel like I will need this information after some time, I mark quarters of millimeters instead of halves to accommodate those x.25 and x.75 needle sizes, so it will be 1 purl stitch for x.25, 2 purl stitches for x.5 and 3 purl stitches for x.75.
Great idea!
I was a tighter english-style knitter as well! I would knit so close to to the tips that it was horrible. Continental just works for my hands and I don't have tension issues anymore :)
So happy you found the way that feels the best for you!
I'm one of the weird loose English style knitters! For example, I have just cast on a pair of socks 4 different times because my gauge is SO loose, the ribbing on the cuff looked awful. 😔 I always have to go down needles sizes.
Thanks so much❣️❣️❣️
Ply leftovers from a centre pull ball and try not to wrap a ball to tight so you don’t stretch the yarn out✂️🧶
What is the fibre colourway you used for your chain ply example? It’s beautiful!
Hi Joslyn! I believe that was from Hello Yarn!
@@dreareneeknits thank you!
For my metric sizes I do knots in the wool...4mm = 4 knots. If it's a 1/2 size, like 4.5 mm, I do another knot a bit further away
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you
I rarely swatch😱 but for mm I would leave a bigger gap between the knot/eyelet to represent a 1/2mm x
Nice idea!
I ply miscellaneous ends of bobbins against each other and get yarn surprise. Then I can use it to knit up a night shift using yarn surprises that contrast.
So fun!
Lovely handspun! If I really need the yardage, I wind off the leftover to make another bobbin of about equal size to the original leftover. This requires winding off twice so I don't mess with the twist direction. I also have 5-10 yards of leftovers that I don't do anything with and they're wrapped around empty toilet rolls in a big bag or I store them with the handspun they created. Maybe one day I'll ply them all together into a franken-skein or use them as singles in a crazy granny square blanket - I probably have enough for a blanket! About the Hansen, would it help to put the pedal on the floor and then you don't have to move your hands? I do that but my Daedelus Sparrow cable isn't long enough so I have to use my hand. I have the turn off speed set to a slower stop speed so it feels like a wheel.
Have you tried Andean plying? It’s great for when you’re plying a two-ply yarn and run out of one single. Also, the twist direction doesn’t change, you can start with whichever end you want.
@@MarenM4085 Thanks - sounds interesting!
Thanks for sharing! I do have my foot pedal on the floor - but that only starts and stops the motor. I wish I could adjust the speed with it!
Hi Andrea,
I am rather new to your podcast and thoroughly enjoy all the information you share regarding knitting. You are a fabulous designer and knitter. I am learning so much from you. I was just wondering if you could return your podcast to just knitting. I really don’t have any desire to spin and find the spinning part to be quite annoying. I just want to hear about knitting. Is it possible to split the video into two parts - knitting and then spinning. I don’t like to end before it’s totally finished because sometimes you go back and forth - like today. I hope I don’t offend you and I understand your excitement for spinning, it does look interesting but at 74 I don’t want to take up another hobby. Anyway, thanks for all you do - love it 😍
My spinning teachers and fellow guild members absolutely think I am insane but I make a center-pull ball from my singles and ply from there so I never have little bits left-unless I have something special going on with my plans for color. I have been warned and warned that I will regret plying like this, but I’ve been doing it for years and it’s never turned into the tangled nightmare I’ve been warned about. I only spin from bobbins if I am doing a 3 or 4 ply or something specialized. Even then, when I have leftover singles, I’ll make a center pull ball and ply from that until I have no more to use. I’m STINGY. I bought the fiber AND I spent all that time spinning the single, I’m not wasting any of it if I don’t have to.
Can I use woolite to wash my handknits
I haven't tried it myself! I prefer to use a no-rinse wool wash to save on water and reduce agitation of my handknits!
I have turned my swatches into afghans
I don’t know where all the links you mention are listed. Maybe someone can help me. I’m only seeing the comments.
Hi Anne! They are above the comments. Depending on what device you are using to watch, it may look different. If you can find the title of the show, you should see a "show more" or an arrow pointing down that you can tap!
Thanks for answering my question (and so soon!) (I am the dude with the last question. I want to clarify that I did not mean my question in ANY way as a criticism! (the way you read parts of it made me realize that you might have understood it this way))
I guess I was trying to communicate two things at once in my question: (a) It would be great if more of your patterns were sized for men, because they are so awesome! (but not pressure!) and (b) General question/just wondering: Why is it that there are so few patterns out there targeted for male bodies? (At first glance, this seems to be mainly true for independent designers, but really, it is the same for "collections" or magazines, etc.: Very often, it seems like these just tag on one or two oversized "male" garments, without any shaping or interesting details, just to have "male" covered.)
Thank you for your thoughts on my question! I totally agree that clothing has no gender, and that everyone should wear what they want. And also that your designs are generally quite easy to adapt to the male figure - maybe that is part of the reason I like your designs so much.
And I had missed the Oxbow cardigan somehow until now, it looks great! I'll try that one soon!
As for the gauge swatches: I tend to think in mm needle sizes, and what I usually do is doing eyelets for the whole mm on one side, and then doing eyelets for .25 mm on the other side. So for a US 2 = 2.75m, I'll do two eyelets at the beginning of a (right-side) row, and three at the end. Might be overkill, but it has worked for me so far ...
Not at all saying that this is Andrea's reason why, but I've chatted with one of those larger knitting pattern companies and for them, men's and children's patterns just aren't as profitable. I agree with you, but the facts are that there are just more women who knit for themselves than men or men who knit for themselves. We just gotta fill that gap and there are a select few who are doing great things!
Also, I've been told companies are starting to lean toward a more gender neutral sweater designing, and as Andrea mentioned, adjusting a few standard measurements. Hope we see more of this!
I noticed that too, a lack of men's focused patterns when I was making a cardigan for my dad. Something not too old grandpa, and not too young fitted etc. I'm going to be knitting a sweater for my brother in law and I think I might just take a stab at designing it myself.
@@sosewnknits Interesting! I guess I suspected something like that (men's patterns not selling as well), which is why I include the "I guess not?" bit in my original question. Thinking more about it, maybe it is not so surprising after all - knitting for oneself is not just for the "selfish" knitter, knitting (and designing!) is also just EASIER for yourself (you always can do a fitting/measurement, and you also know the intended wearer will really like it ...). Plus, it is probably a a vicious cycle of sorts: If there are few(er) awesome "designed for men" / "modeled on men" patterns on Ravelry or wherever, fewer women knitters will be inspired to knit for the men in their lives. And the handful of us male knitters probably cannot make it worth the designers worth their while, financially (which is true even more for indie designers, I imagine, who are more dependent on every pattern selling than bigger companies).
So let's hope the more gender neutral designing (or designing-with-options) trend continues. I agree that sometimes it is quite easy to "convert" a design - adding a bit of length maybe, taking out waist-shaping if any, broadening the shoulder, and then decreasing further down (or not *pats belly*) ... but increasing the armhole depth can already be challenging, depending on the style of armhole. For my own knitting, I've been getting quite confident in how to do these things (also frequently swapping out armhole styles, etc.), but it is definitely more difficult for newer knitters.
@@tarastump Yes! "Designing it yourself" can, as Andrea says, be quite easy if you take a pattern that almost works and adjusting a few things, rather than designing it "from the ground up".
Of course, it will likely be more difficult to get the Beknitted's input early on - for a woman, it often is enough to pull up Ravelry, type in some search terms, and then see what she likes. For a man, this is going to be more difficult, as it is not so easy for the "customer" to imagine what a sweater modeled on a female body will look on them. Good luck!
@@svenlauer4963 this fall I designed VA sweater for myself from scratch, pieced, inset sleeves ... The whole 9 yards so to speak. I am far from the "average" shape with narrow shoulders compared to bust and I'm short. So to most designs end up not fitting right in a couple places. The sweat I designed to fit me 👌. The math was a pain, probably the fist time in 25 years I had to calculate a hypotenuse 🤣
I have never knit my husband a sweater because I just can't find a design I think he would remotely like. He's not much of a sweater guy anyway lol. But his brother wants one and is a lot less fussy so I'm going to give it a go. I do have a few of my hubby's clothes that I could measure to confirm some of the fit. But I feel like I might regret the idea when I get to sleeve island on his 19" arm length compared to my 16" 😆
Hello 👋 friend