Thank you for the most detailed and comprehensive guide to unspun that I've seen yet! You're not kidding about needing to size down extra for ribbing - I recently knit a ribbed hat with unspun without swatching first and after washing it was HUMONGOUS lol. Looking forward to seeing your shawl design for woollentwine's Thrive - I have… a Quantity … of it so prob will still have enough when the time comes.
Thank so much Aimee for the most comprehensive video I've seen to date on unspun yarn! I'm just starting out with unspun yarn and have been scouring the internet for more tips on how to work with it. You're a lifesaver!! I so look forward to watching more of your videos on this subject.
@@AimeeSherMakes I've gotten a stockpile of Nutiden recently and am planning to make the Autumn Tales Shawl and the Some Time Alone Shawl. I'd like to also make a long, warm cardigan but plan to start with the shawls as I haven't made a cardigan before. Thanks for asking!
Thank you so much, this was fascinating! (The closest I've come to working with unspun yarn is knitting with blown fiber. Not quite the same, but I did have to learn to slow down to keep from breaking the fiber all the time.) I've been curious about working with unspun, but there really isn't much information out there about HOW to work with it. You answered questions I didn't even know I had. This was very, very helpful, Aimee!
This a good and informative video. I have been wanting to try unspun yarn. I was wondering how difficult it is if you have to tink back stitches? Thanks for all this information.
Thank you so much! Do you have to hold unspun double? Or with another fiber? I’ve just gotten a bunch of unspun and am know panicking. Okay, I’ve figured it out. Thank you ☺️
It can be yes! I usually set a timer. 🫣 it’s the only yarn I’m willing to do this for but also why I’m trying to make recommendations for the other mentioned yarns here too.
I'm glad that works well for you. But there's no need to be unkind about people who have trouble with knitting it that way who have specifically asked for this video. Please reconsider your tone when commenting here.
Hello, thank you for this informative video ! Could you tell me the name of the black and white jumper that you are wearing at the beginning of your video ? It is so beautiful :)
Thank you very much for your advice. I just finished a cartigan with 6 strands unspun. To join all parts together, should I use regular yarn with backstitch. I am afraid to use the unspun yarn since it breaks often. Thank you Diane
You can twist a few strands of the unspun together to create a spun strand! And mattress stitch is just fine. Back stitch may be very bulky in this yarn.
Aimee, I’m new to your podcast. Love love your sweaters and the shawl ❤ I truly enjoy the meditative nature of knitting with unspun yarn, particularly Nutiden. I frequently knit right from the plates and find that it’s easier to put the plate below me while I unravel from the outside. Having said that, I am currently knitting in a rib pattern with Nutiden held double and have made the balls. Thanks for the reminder to make smaller balls!
Thank you so much for this episode on unspun! I have a collection of Nutiden that I have been too anxious to knit with for like a year or more! I love it and consider it so precious that I was afraid to “mess it up.” I finally cast on a sweater a couple weeks ago and am slowly making progress on it. Your tips and wisdom will definitely help me make better progress. ❤
Enjoy your knitting! I'm definitely slower when I work with Nutiden but I find that it slows me down in a good, not bad way, as I get to focus on the fiber slipping through my fingers. I hope you find some joy in knitting yours as well.
I’d found this plate of unspun yarn in a thrift shop. Didnt know what to do with it but couldnt resist buying. Your video was dead on for me. Just need to know what to do for blocking now…I assume same as any other knitted items ???
Yep! I wind in ends before I block cos the water does kinda weaken the end of the fibers as they drift away from each other. And I don’t find that it grows particularly or anything in the block.
Thanks for the tips Aimee.. even tho I'm experienced in using Nutiden, I still got a great tip from you about twisting the yarn when doing tubular cast-off 🙌 Cheerio x Tea
Sounds like the perfect yarn for me with only one exception. I still will try unspun but I DO tend to prefer weighted/ultra heavy sweaters. What woolply would be the heaviest feeling for sweaters? Blue faced leicester?
I’d look for the opposite of unspun. Something with a high grist. You wanna look for, say, a DK weight yarn with more weight than average for the volume for that weighted feeling. Worsted spun construction yarn tends to have higher grist!
thank you for this video. I've been a fan of Nutiden for a while and glad others are discovering it through podcasts like yours. Questions: what has your experience been with pilling in areas of friction such as under the arm? If there is pilling, do you recommend pairing with mohair? Would that help?
Thank you for this video, it did help me a lot . I have ordered some Nutiden because I really love the feeling of unspunned wool. For me it is soft and cozy, but now I am afraid to use it. I will probably make a hat as a first project, do you have any recommendation pattern? Do you teach in store or in different places? We live southern, but we come once in a while in St.Louise… I would love to attend your classes.
Hi Duk-Soon! Thank you for watching and for the comment. I don't have a specific hat recommendation because I don't knit many of them. My best recommendation is definitely going for something designed for a worsted weight, and use the yarn held double for a first project. I do teach, but nothing with in person techniques at least for now. I sometimes teach on Vogue Knitting Live Online, and I have a drop shoulder modification class I'm teaching with my colleague and friend Jen Parroccini this spring.
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on this yarn! I bought this kind of yarn from Lopi last year. I had no idea how to knit with this. I have been knitting since the early 80's. I knit sweaters in Intarsia and Fair Isle. I found your tips to be really helpful!
Thank you. Great tubular bindoff tip! I've shied away from them because of this. I've also stayed away from trickier cast ons and I will try the twisting method for these as well. I never spit splice my unspun because it gets thinner where I rub them together and my fabric looks more flimsy for those few stitches. I simply lay the broken yarn on top of each other with a little overlap because as they were pulled away from each other in breaking they are a bit thin, and that gives me a perfect weight to continue. I've never had a problem with the join being weak.
Yes, I don't do a true spit splice because I lay all 4 strands together! I should have been more clear about that--it gives me a good thickness to continue and is invisible in the finish.
Thank you so much for this info!! It was very helpful. I recently made a swatch with unspun yarn and it was not pretty!! I look forward to trying again and knitting up one of your patterns!
Hi! I love your red,orange sweater you are wearing in the demonstration around 19 minutes in! Can you tell me what pattern this is and what yarn? Thank you so much!
Great timing, as I have been growing ever curious about working with unspun yarn. I think that your upcoming pattern may be for me. From what you said, working with plutolopi may be a good beginning? I know that it is already in balls: is it wise to rewind into small hand wound balls? knit with two strands still? All the questions :) x
Hi! Plotulopi definitely comes in plates just like everything I showed here. And yes, definitely re-wind into balls so that they roll rather than draft out and break. I had a few testers use Plotulopi held single for this and the cardigan that has the same gauge that I have coming in February, and so far so good! They definitely have a more drapey and airy feel, but in unspun the fiber kind of expands to fill the space. Another thing to note is that depending on humidity, temperature, and conditions in the mill on the day of milling each batch can be a little different, so it's definitely worth purchasing enough for double strand and swatching. Plotulopi is quite affordable at WEBS.
Thank you for the most detailed and comprehensive guide to unspun that I've seen yet! You're not kidding about needing to size down extra for ribbing - I recently knit a ribbed hat with unspun without swatching first and after washing it was HUMONGOUS lol. Looking forward to seeing your shawl design for woollentwine's Thrive - I have… a Quantity … of it so prob will still have enough when the time comes.
Thank you so much! And yes, that ribbing gets huuuuuge! I'm just finishing off the shawl today and I'm excited to get it into testing!
Thank so much Aimee for the most comprehensive video I've seen to date on unspun yarn! I'm just starting out with unspun yarn and have been scouring the internet for more tips on how to work with it. You're a lifesaver!! I so look forward to watching more of your videos on this subject.
Thank you! Do you have a brand or a pattern you're considering?
@@AimeeSherMakes I've gotten a stockpile of Nutiden recently and am planning to make the Autumn Tales Shawl and the Some Time Alone Shawl. I'd like to also make a long, warm cardigan but plan to start with the shawls as I haven't made a cardigan before. Thanks for asking!
Thank you so much, this was fascinating! (The closest I've come to working with unspun yarn is knitting with blown fiber. Not quite the same, but I did have to learn to slow down to keep from breaking the fiber all the time.) I've been curious about working with unspun, but there really isn't much information out there about HOW to work with it. You answered questions I didn't even know I had. This was very, very helpful, Aimee!
Thanks for watching and for the kind feedback, Liz! I'm so glad this video clarified things a little.
This a good and informative video. I have been wanting to try unspun yarn. I was wondering how difficult it is if you have to tink back stitches? Thanks for all this information.
Not hard at all to tink! Harder to frog. And once blocked I don’t try either.
Thank you, this is very helpful. I like your designs❤
Thank you so much! Do you have to hold unspun double? Or with another fiber? I’ve just gotten a bunch of unspun and am know panicking. Okay, I’ve figured it out. Thank you ☺️
I like to hold it double personally but many people knit with it single for fingering weight!
@@AimeeSherMakes thank you ☺️
What is th name of the shawl that you showed?
I think it’s called With Ease!
@@AimeeSherMakes Thank you!!
Ive been wondering how nutiden compares to manchelopis! I know nutiden is small batch.. is it hard to buy when they release it?
It can be yes! I usually set a timer. 🫣 it’s the only yarn I’m willing to do this for but also why I’m trying to make recommendations for the other mentioned yarns here too.
I always knit with my unspun yarn plates as it. I NEVER wind them into balls…waste of time
I'm glad that works well for you. But there's no need to be unkind about people who have trouble with knitting it that way who have specifically asked for this video. Please reconsider your tone when commenting here.
Thankyou so much. I have listened to several podcasters talking about unspun yarn and you are more informative than any others.😀
Hello,
thank you for this informative video ! Could you tell me the name of the black and white jumper that you are wearing at the beginning of your video ? It is so beautiful :)
It’s called the Wetherell!
What is the name of the sweater pattern you are wearing? Thanks.
Hi! It's the Wetherell Pullover by Kiyomi Burgin. I knit it in Nutiden held double, but she designed it for Plotulopi held single!
Thank you very much for your advice. I just finished a cartigan with 6 strands unspun. To join all parts together, should I use regular yarn with backstitch. I am afraid to use the unspun yarn since it breaks often. Thank you Diane
You can twist a few strands of the unspun together to create a spun strand! And mattress stitch is just fine. Back stitch may be very bulky in this yarn.
I have alpaca fiber. Do you think it would be too difficult to work with?
Hi! What do you mean work with? If it doesn't come in a pin-drafted form like this it would not be for knitting.
Aimee, I’m new to your podcast. Love love your sweaters and the shawl ❤ I truly enjoy the meditative nature of knitting with unspun yarn, particularly Nutiden. I frequently knit right from the plates and find that it’s easier to put the plate below me while I unravel from the outside. Having said that, I am currently knitting in a rib pattern with Nutiden held double and have made the balls. Thanks for the reminder to make smaller balls!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I hope you enjoy your soothing Nutiden knit! Have fun!
Thank you so much for this episode on unspun! I have a collection of Nutiden that I have been too anxious to knit with for like a year or more! I love it and consider it so precious that I was afraid to “mess it up.” I finally cast on a sweater a couple weeks ago and am slowly making progress on it. Your tips and wisdom will definitely help me make better progress. ❤
Enjoy your knitting! I'm definitely slower when I work with Nutiden but I find that it slows me down in a good, not bad way, as I get to focus on the fiber slipping through my fingers. I hope you find some joy in knitting yours as well.
I’d found this plate of unspun yarn in a thrift shop. Didnt know what to do with it but couldnt resist buying. Your video was dead on for me. Just need to know what to do for blocking now…I assume same as any other knitted items ???
Yep! I wind in ends before I block cos the water does kinda weaken the end of the fibers as they drift away from each other. And I don’t find that it grows particularly or anything in the block.
Oh so the size I knit is the size I’ll end up…thx
Wonderful vid! Can u knit from unspun tops by dividing them into rolags?
I’d imagine it’s hard to draft that cleanly as one knits! The machine pre drafting really makes a difference.
@@AimeeSherMakes thanks for warning me!!
Thank you it was very interesting!!! 😊
Thanks for the tips Aimee.. even tho I'm experienced in using Nutiden, I still got a great tip from you about twisting the yarn when doing tubular cast-off 🙌 Cheerio x Tea
excellent thank you
Sounds like the perfect yarn for me with only one exception. I still will try unspun but I DO tend to prefer weighted/ultra heavy sweaters. What woolply would be the heaviest feeling for sweaters? Blue faced leicester?
I’d look for the opposite of unspun. Something with a high grist. You wanna look for, say, a DK weight yarn with more weight than average for the volume for that weighted feeling. Worsted spun construction yarn tends to have higher grist!
thank you for this video. I've been a fan of Nutiden for a while and glad others are discovering it through podcasts like yours. Questions: what has your experience been with pilling in areas of friction such as under the arm? If there is pilling, do you recommend pairing with mohair? Would that help?
I think mohair will help, but in my experience the pilling does stop after a while. I do use Gleener periodically!
Thank you for this video, it did help me a lot .
I have ordered some Nutiden because I really love the feeling of unspunned wool.
For me it is soft and cozy, but now I am afraid to use it.
I will probably make a hat as a first project, do you have any recommendation pattern?
Do you teach in store or in different places? We live southern, but we come once in a while in St.Louise… I would love to attend your classes.
Hi Duk-Soon! Thank you for watching and for the comment. I don't have a specific hat recommendation because I don't knit many of them. My best recommendation is definitely going for something designed for a worsted weight, and use the yarn held double for a first project.
I do teach, but nothing with in person techniques at least for now. I sometimes teach on Vogue Knitting Live Online, and I have a drop shoulder modification class I'm teaching with my colleague and friend Jen Parroccini this spring.
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on this yarn! I bought this kind of yarn from Lopi last year. I had no idea how to knit with this. I have been knitting since the early 80's. I knit sweaters in Intarsia and Fair Isle. I found your tips to be really helpful!
Thank you so much!
Thank you. Great tubular bindoff tip! I've shied away from them because of this. I've also stayed away from trickier cast ons and I will try the twisting method for these as well. I never spit splice my unspun because it gets thinner where I rub them together and my fabric looks more flimsy for those few stitches. I simply lay the broken yarn on top of each other with a little overlap because as they were pulled away from each other in breaking they are a bit thin, and that gives me a perfect weight to continue. I've never had a problem with the join being weak.
Yes, I don't do a true spit splice because I lay all 4 strands together! I should have been more clear about that--it gives me a good thickness to continue and is invisible in the finish.
Thank you so much for this info!! It was very helpful. I recently made a swatch with unspun yarn and it was not pretty!! I look forward to trying again and knitting up one of your patterns!
Thank you so much! I hope you will get the hang of it and get to enjoy how light and lovely the fabric ends up being.
Hi! I love your red,orange sweater you are wearing in the demonstration around 19 minutes in! Can you tell me what pattern this is and what yarn? Thank you so much!
Hello! That is Nutiden (the shown yarn here) and my Building Blocks Drop pattern!
@@AimeeSherMakesThank you and will check it out. That color looks beautiful on you!
This was so helpful, thank you ❤
I'm so glad you found it useful! Hope you get to try an unspun sometime.
Great timing, as I have been growing ever curious about working with unspun yarn. I think that your upcoming pattern may be for me. From what you said, working with plutolopi may be a good beginning? I know that it is already in balls: is it wise to rewind into small hand wound balls? knit with two strands still? All the questions :) x
Hi! Plotulopi definitely comes in plates just like everything I showed here. And yes, definitely re-wind into balls so that they roll rather than draft out and break. I had a few testers use Plotulopi held single for this and the cardigan that has the same gauge that I have coming in February, and so far so good! They definitely have a more drapey and airy feel, but in unspun the fiber kind of expands to fill the space. Another thing to note is that depending on humidity, temperature, and conditions in the mill on the day of milling each batch can be a little different, so it's definitely worth purchasing enough for double strand and swatching. Plotulopi is quite affordable at WEBS.