After what seems like a VERY long and unnecessary game of 'find the corrupted file/effect' this video is finally going live. Phew! And there is music in the background which is intentional to keep the mood light. If you don't like background music, maybe sit this one out. 👍 Thank you for watching. Hope you enjoy this one!
My biggest pet peeve is when a pattern materials list only gives specific yarns as in " 4 skeins of (insert expensive yarn name)" rather than telling me I need 1000 yards of sport weight.
@@ApplesandPeanutButter Yes completely agree. No reason not to include total meter/yard amounts by yarn weight. Don’t know why nearly every pattern does this.
As a plus size person, I won't knit sweaters unless they are pictured on at least one larger body in the photo gallery provided by the designer. It isn't a moral thing, just a practical one. I want to have accurate expectations of what the sweater would look like on me, and only seeing the garment on one body that isn't like mine doesn't allow me to approach the sweater with correct expectations. I think this is really similar to your point about pictures of male bodies in sweaters.
As someone who has been knitting for over 70 years my question is if you don't have left over yarn, what do you mend your garment with when an elbow gets too thin or you get a hole? Nothing you purchase now will ever really match the original yarn. After all the time I've spent knitting a garment, I really like to be able to extend its life; whether the cuff needs to be replaced, or as Arne & Carlos would say "it shrunk in the closet" and I need to add some extra width or make the armcye bigger, having the left-over original yarn has been vital.
My husband got a hole in his favorite store-bought sweater. Of course, he threw away the yarn sample that came with it! Nothing in the world matches it.
@@phoener My partner recently asked me to repair a hole in a manufactured cabled cashmere sweater that he'd purchased in the UK three years ago (before we were together), and while I appreciate that he loves it and wants to make it last, and he's worn the heck out of it....I can't do a seamless repair job with no matching yarn.
As the submitter of “Test knitting is overrated ,” let me explain my opinion. I do understand the value from a designers point! However, it’s SO competitive. Maybe I am sensitive but being rejected time and again sucks. Secondly, I am a knitter, not a social media influencer. Having to post professional quality pictures and/or videos is too much to ask when I signed up to knit. Third, many (not all) designers don’t really want your opinions and when you give one you are either ignored or made to feel ignorant. Not everyone is kind especially if they feel you are questioning their project. And finally, sometimes you are left with a garment you don’t really like. So hours of work and $$ for yarn can feel a bit wasted. If someone really enjoys test knitting, I applaud and thank you. For me, I want to keep knitting as a relaxing hobby.
Thank you for clarifying Martha! I feel sort of obtuse for missing this other perspective, but I completely understand what you mean. I feel like now that you bring it up (or that now that I see this other angle 🤦♀️) this is one I could hash out in its own video.
Kind of the flip side to that…paying for a pattern that has a pretty major error that you discover along the way, thinking you’re going crazy…then when you finally contact the designer, they say only “You’re correct, thanks for catching that!” They then put out an erratum (errata?) I was quite resentful over having to pay to essentially be a test knitter. I felt the least she could have done was refund my money.
I test for mostly crochet. Totally get where you are coming from. I only apply for things I would really want to make. If I don’t get chosen, I make a note of what it is so I can go back and get the pattern. I have purchased patterns that I know were tested and yet had a horrendous error in them. I emailed the designer on ravelry who was rude in her explanations, took a long time to update the pattern ( months after I completed the project after sorting out how to fix it myself), and had sizing issues to her patterns. I had applied to test things for her before and not been accepted but after that interaction, I was glad I didn’t. I don’t even buy her patterns now as I’m afraid the sizing issue is across the board ( I’m an avg bust size and she seems to write like we all have a very large bust size). I’ve tested for great designers and not so great. So if I don’t enjoy testing for the designer, I don’t sign up again. It is a lot of work for a free $5-10 pattern.
@@MarthaKeith-s2x I agree with you. Test knitting is not easy because you are working with a pattern that is not ready, this means sometimes guessing what to do next or spotting some errors that might mean frogging back. Yes you do get the pattern but it's not the same when it has been through the trials and errors...
I think the issue of test knitting being overrated is about the clout of being a test knitter. When designers run test knitter selections like competitions and then people boast about test knitting for a specific designer. - that grinds my gears
As a male knitter, knitting for myself, I get overwhelmed looking for garment patterns designed to be worn by men on Ravelry. Most of the time, I just find a yarn I like, pick a stitch pattern (thank you Barbara Walker), a generic sweater/vest pattern (thank you Ann Budd), and maybe throw in an interesting technique (thank you Elizabeth Zimmerman). Sometimes, I’ll just find a colorwork pattern that appeals to me (thank you Melissa Leapman) and rework it on a classic men’s shape. Then again, I come from an era where the patterns in the magazines were only about 3 paragraphs and a chart, and you learned all those nuances that are explained in modern patterns through knitting technique books and the experience of knitting way more sweaters than you can wear in a single winter. After 3 years of watching for it, I was able to pick up some yarn at a recent fiber fest by an indy dyer in a colorway that always sells out (they can’t even keep it stocked on their website). I’m specifically going to try your filtering technique to see if I can find a pattern as special as this yarn. Thank you!
I've just recommended that to another commenter! A vintage knitting book is a fabulous aid when working with vintage patterns. I also like the challenge in working with a plain pattern that I like the shape of and then altering it with colour or stitch style. But then I'm also always working with flat pieces that I seam up - I much prefer the neater more tailored look you get that way. Happy knitting!
Pet peeve for me is when I hear knitters talk about being sustainable but then they knit so many garments/accessories that I can’t imagine them being able to wear them all. So they end up unused and materials wasted.
My biggest knitting pet peeve is yarn skeins with knots. Some skeins can have up to seven. I once used a self striping sock yarn with a knot that totally ruined the sequence in one sock.
Re: test knitting. I feel like there are knitting accounts on social media (usually more of the influencer type with lots of followers) that use their test knitting participation as a popularity contest. My hot take? Testers should not make any modifications. Or at least without those modifications being very clearly advertised 🤷🏻♀️
Regarding pictures of men wearing the garments, I feel the same way about having pics of plus size models wearing a garment. Just because a pattern is written in multiple sizes doesn't mean it is going to look good in all those sizes.
As a plus size person I wanted to offer my opinion on the "fat tax/anti fat tax" thing. Im a 4x. And there are companies who charge more for larger sizes of clothing (ive noticed it from companies such as LLBean among others). But... A 4X shirt require nearly twice the fabric yardage as a small does. So i can understand companies charging more for plus sizes, within reason. But when it comes to knitting (or sewing/fabric) its no one elses responsibility or problem that my body requires more yardage to cover up. and while a bulk discount is nice i dont feel like anyone (especially small businesses) should have to cut their profit margin just so i can feel better about something that is still going to be absurdly expensive to make. At the end of the day if i can afford 10 skeins of hand dyed yarn at $30/skein i can afford to pay full price for them . Getting one skein free isn't really making the project suddenly affordable.
I completely agree with regard to lack of photos with more male figures (larger, longer torso, more square or wider chest overall) modeling sweater samples. Even if a pattern designer does not have a male partner, friend, or family member I’d think you could buy a tailor’s fit model if you’re designing a unisex pattern.
I am also a 4x. I'm also 6' tall, with appropriate length arms. Even if I were model thin, I'd have to buy an extra skein of yarn to make sure the sleeves are long enough. If a company wants to offer a volume discount, more power to them. I've never run into one that differentiates between buying six skeins of one color or one skein of six different colors.
My hot take…sock patterns should not have 64 stitches as the default and should accommodate a larger number of sizes. If it’s not a free pattern, give me the circumferences on the pattern page. I don’t want to pay for a pattern that assumes everyone has the same foot circumference and end up grading it myself.
I agree. I've test knit, and I felt that I had to make the pattern as written, instead of making it fit my body. And now I have an item that needs to be frogged.
I interpreted the hot take about test knitting being from the perspective of a test knitter. I feel like there are constantly calls for test knitters being posted on instagram, and other knitters talking about how fun it is to test knit that it really hypes up the experience. I applied to about a dozen tester calls until I got my first one, and I did not have a good time at all. The pattern was lovely and the designer was really nice, but I felt so much pressure to finish by the deadline, and to make sure I followed every direction perfectly, and to send amazing pictures, that it was kind of miserable. I would agree that being a test knitter is overrated
As someone new to sweater knitting, I'd also appreciate it if designers had more pictures of men wearing the patterns they're marketing as unisex and male. That's one thing I really like about Tin Can Knits. They have tons of pictures of men, women, kids, in their patterns and lots of different body types. A quick note on yarn leftovers, I just knit an Autumn Leaves Shawl by Susanne Visch (free pattern!), and it was great for this. The pattern basically said, "Knit till you're just shy of half-way through your yarn, then start the decrease section." It took almost my whole skein of fingering-weight yarn and it's lovely.
I'm baffled by the anti-project-bags opinion. Project bags don't *cause* disorganisation, they prevent it. If one's project bag is a disorganised mess after one has finished the project, that is not the fault of the project bag; that is directly because the knitter *chose* not to clear up the project bag when the project was done. They *chose* to be disorganised, they chose not to wind up the project properly. It is utterly silly to blame the project bag for the disorganisation of the person using it. This looks like a case of "the bad workman blames his tools".
My hot take lately is getting a bit frustrated by designers who design under their own name/business that keep everything SUPER SECRET but constantly say things like they wish they could show what they are working on or they can't wait to tell you what they are working on. This leads a little to the test knitter peeve also, where people say they are working on a secret test knit and they can't wait for people to see it. Both of these things just makes me feel like I'm left out of the cool kid's club. More and more I really appreciate designers who are open with what they are working on and talk you through their process. It's nice to see some behind the scenes of where the idea came from, what worked while they were designing and where they had to go back to the drawing board to get to something they were ready for other people to make.
I thought that the test knitting is overrated could have meant it from the test knitters perspective. Like sometimes test knitting is really hyped up, but in reality it's just another pattern. I feel like especially in TH-cam it's sometimes painted as something really special "I was honored to be chosen for the test knit", when the person might still have to buy the yarn as normal and knit it as usual. It probably might feel special to be chosen but it's still just a knitting project.
And a knitting pattern on a deadline. I'm fine with self-imposed deadlines but don't tell me when I need to finish my project. Lol test knitting is not for me
As a trans guy knitter, I couldnt agree more about how difficult it is to find masculine patterns featured on masculine body types on Ravelry. I totally appreciate designers tagging any pattern as "mens" because a man *could* wear it. But it is not helpful when the pattern is clearly shaped for a more feminine body shape. As much as i love breaking down the gender binary system, fashion is a very binary space. Yes, anyone can wear any style, but when a garment is shaped for a traditionally feminine body type, its more helpful to only mark it as "womens" knowing anyone else could wear it if they so choose, and if they can make it adapt to their body type. Many people want to find traditionally masculine patterns and fits and in this case, designers trying to be inclusive saying their pattern (that clearly fits in traditinal womens fashion style and sizing) is for men kind of does more harm than good. I think Ravelry should change the gender category to "fit" and say "masculine" or "feminine" so its more representative of how it is intended to fit a persons body, rather than who is"allowed" or expected to wear it. Anyone can wear a womens pattern, but they might not want to because of the sizing, bust shaping, etc. I appreciate designers trying to be inclusive, but if the goal with the Ravelry tags is to help people find patterns, this current system isn't useful, especially for masculine patterns
Thank you for voicing it! I went onto Ravelry a few days ago in search for a pattern for my husband and was shocked at how difficult it is to find it, especially if he wants something tailored but his shape is quite different to mine and I would love patterns to be designed for a masculine shape as well!
I quite enjoy a big messy yarn barf. It's quite relaxing to slowly unknot it and I feel a burst of achievement afterwards. This helps with the long slog of a garment as I am a slow knitter. Great video 😊
First time hearing “anti-fat tax”, that’s just a bulk order discount! Whether I buy 12 skeins for a large sweater or 12 skeins for an afghan it’s the same bulk order cost.
I'm making a jumper for my boyfriend. I saw it and knew he'd love it but when i showed him the picture he wasnt sure. Months later i saw someone made it for a man, and uploaded the picture of his wearing it. I showed this picture to my boyfriend and he was suddenly very excited about it. He just couldnt picture it on his body before. I feel the same way and am more likely to knit something i have seen looking good on a larger body like mine.
If you buy a big house, you'll pay more than someone who buys a small one. Similarly, yarn and fabric are body covering real estate. When it comes to ready-to-wear clothes, we are sometimes shielded from the economics behind the selling price. Setting a recommended retail price factors in lots of variables: what the most popular sizes might be; how the pattern pieces can be laid out on fabric to maximise the amount that can be cut from the cloth; if the fabric is patterned, the pattern piece placement will change to accommodate the repeats of the design and may result in more waste; bigger sizes may need bigger zips, more elastic, more buttons etc etc etc. When knitters buy yarn for a sweater, the simple economics are that larger bodies require more yarn. As someone who has gained (more than) several kilos since the pandemic, I've had to accept that that's life and life isn't always 'fair'.
This is definitely a tricky subject. I get and appreciate the sentiment of the anti-fat tax, but as someone who sews, the bigger I've gotten, the more I have to spend on materials. Same goes for yarn. I do feel like a true volume discount is great if it works for that vendors business. But I recently saw a discount specifically for anti-fat tax that was clearly stipulated could only be used if it was for a singular garment of a larger size, and that this discount was on the honor system and they wouldn't be able to offer it anymore if they found out it was being abused. So one person could get a discount for 7 skeins of yarn, but another couldn't, based on how it was being used. I'm still sort of working through how I feel about that. I know it's well-intentioned, and the goal is more equitable access, but I wrestle with whether or not it's truly equitable.
@@myndolin I find it unfair. It mays be well intended, but it will clearly push people to lie. Yarn is expensive for everyone, not only large people. Someone buying 7 skeins to make 1 sweater, or someone buying 7 skeins to make 2 sweaters should pay for the same amount
@myndolin I think the argument of the tax ban is that the cost of extra materials/time can average itself out. For example, if it costs $40, $70, and $100 to make a SM, M, and L sweater then the average cost of the sweater should be $70 for all sizes. Essentially, the smaller sizes take on the added cost in materials for the larger sizes. This can be a deterrent for customers in the smaller size range though since $40 is more affordable and appealing than $70. But, it makes it more affordable for the larger sizes since $70 is more affordable than $100. From a maker pov, I knit clothing on both ends (small/xs for me and xl for my two kids and husband). I know their sweaters will be more expensive and time consuming while mine will be quicker and cheaper. I mean, if I knit 1 sweater for each of them that’s like the equivalent of 6 sweaters for me. It’s just how the math works. I don’t know what the right answer is since I can understand both the ethical and financial dilemma. I do believe large fast fashion companies have the ability to balance out the costs better without needing that extra tax. Small makers, not so much.
This is a very real consideration in handmade businesses when it comes to equitable pricing. Within the context of selling handmade items, splitting the difference between the cost of each item variant/size and charging that to your customers makes the prices equal and seemingly more equitable while still bringing in the same overall profit, should you sell the items in an equal volume. However what happens here, and to suggest one reason why small businesses hesitate to do this (sell handmade items for the same price regardless of size), is because there is no guarantee that all of the items will sell and if the only items to sell are the ones that are reduced in price (because of the averaging out of production costs across the size variants), the maker is making less on the overall sales. Profit and loss is a huge factor in whether a business stays afloat and these sorts of equitable pricing measures where production cost is averaged out between product variants can have a big impact on a small business if the items don't sell equally well. Charging the customer based on the production cost of each item ensures that you make back your production costs plus the profit you need to keep going. It's a difficult one as it relates to small business, but definitely one that, like you mention, may be easier in the larger markets.
Re test knitting. My peeve with it is when designers use their test knitters instead of working with a tech editor. They are two different roles. Test knitters should be checking the usability of the pattetn, not the accuracy of the maths.
I agree with your number 10 but also for plus size. There are so many patterns that include plus size, but it would be nice to see those on a plus size body so I can see what it would look like on someone like me.
That is where Ravelry project pages come in for me...and the notes can be so helpful if other knitters found the arms too skinny or waist shaping too abrupt, for example.
I think the commentary "test knitting is overrated" might have been misunderstood? I thought it might be someone who DID a test knit or several and realized how much work they signed up for (especially if the creator is asking for a lot) and realized it wasnt what they thought it would be like. Seeing how many people say "I wish I could test knit and get the pattern for free" etc - I think this person meant actually DOING the test knitting was overrated 😂
That’s what I was thinking as well! Any time something is offered for “free”, people get really excited about it - but test knitting is definitely volunteer WORK and not for everyone. Especially when a lot of us are over purchasing patterns that we’re never going to knit 🫣
Same so many social media folks talk about test knitting making it seem really glamorous but it's a lot of work often in a very limited time. That's what I thought they were referring to.
Yep, that was my thought as well! I did a few earlier in my knitting days (I’ve only been knitting two years, so just last year lol), because I heard so much hype around being a test knitter. It was fun to challenge myself (I taught myself to do cables for one), but there was also pressure involved that, in retrospect, I don’t want in my knitting :)
I understand the leftovers issue. But I get so stressed out about running out of yarn. If something called for exactly 2 balls of yarn I would have to buy 3 to manage my anxiety. So I like the 1.5. I’m a huge problem on the yarn weight. I don’t even like garments using worsted weight yarn. It’s just so heavy…
My pet peeve is extreme consumerism by some knitfluencers. Huge hauls of yarn and notions they’re never going to use. Or having ten advents or more, not even finding the time to open them all up. It’s just sad and makes me unfollow them.
I agree completely. Some are just so unrealistic… I want to watch a podcast of someone who I can relate to. If I want to pretend I’ll watch greys anatomy and I’ll pretend MCDreamy is mine!!
Same. I’ll dispute anyone needing a whole pile of project bags. Nobody is traveling around daily with sweaters and blankets in tow. As a totally non-monogamous knitter, I have one project bag because I used to knit to-from work and school, find knitting from a backpack awkward (though I’ve done it more than once), and the idea of a yarn ball escaping on the DC metro in rush hour is just horrific. Otherwise, I have plenty of things to stash projects in that serve multiple purposes, from reusable grocery bags to a handmade ceramic covered casserole that is currently housing a Buddleia Blouse in progress. I totally de-stash knitting channels that want to show me hauls constantly* or frequently have a new large ticket “must have” (or a stack of them) that serves the same purpose as the one they showed a few months prior. Quite frankly, anyone who promotes consumerism is getting the heave-ho. * I get some ”hauls” when people find hard to find (or not available in their country) colorways of their favorite sock yarn and buy 10 balls because that’s 5 pairs of socks, which they knit all the time. That, to me, is in the same vein as showing a sweater quantity for the pattern they’re planning to knit.
Taylor I stopped the video halfway thru to let you know once again outstanding job and thank you. Giving two sides of an issue is always beneficial even if some don't want to hear. The links to experienced designers lending their advice is very very helpful and thank you. I have mistakeningly started several crochet projects that hadn't been tested and it was a mess. It took awhile for me to realize that those creators weren't testing their work other than their one time making the piece. Measurements and sizes were way off. Wasted time and money is never good and now I'm stuck with yarn I won't use. Funny how I assumed every designer did it and everyone appreciates it. Learn something new everyday. Btw I love the music, its part of the vibe that I love so much with your site. Please continue presenting your style of info and vibe and I will cont to follow. Thank you 😄
I think that calling volume discounts an "anti-fat tax" is what makes it controversial. As long as there have been sellers, there have been discounts offered for higher volume sales. Calling it something else makes it sound like virtue signaling.
I hear you. My local yarn shop does not often carry enough skeins of a single color lot to make a sweater. I guess that is why I have made a lot of colorwork circular yokes.
hi! i'm fat too. things can have multiple meanings and in this case, "fat tax" also means paying more for the same or worse quality as other people, which is the reference. It's a common term in fat liberation and HAES discussions, and a real issue people face especially when it comes to clothes. That being said, the name "anti-fat tax" is stupid.
Higher tax on junk food isn't fat tax. it's a health investment for everyone. The tax on cigarettes, alcohol, chocolate, ice cream, soft drinks, chips, all of that shoul be heavens high if only there were tax free (or alltogether free, paid from those high taxes) apples and carrots and milk and eggs...
Such a good point about men's sweater patterns. Can you imagine if sweaters for women were only shown on male models? Sounds ridiculous, and the lack of male models is the same thing.
I agree, if a design is intended to fit a designated category of human, designers should show at least one photo of that type of human for fit. Personally, my husband would never agree to a pattern if he could only see what it looks like on a woman. As women we would demand that to be the case for us, so why not also men? Or children if they are included in the category.
I wonder if you are interpreting #3 differently than how the commenter intended. I think most of us can agree that test knitting is an important part of the designer making sure the pattern works for all sizes. But there seems to be a bit of a craze over test knitting. I watch a lot of content creators and many of them are taking on multiple test knits at once but then seem to be always stressed about getting them done in time. Or they just aren't enjoying the process. It seems like many are motivated by early access to patterns, having the pattern for free or simply the excitement of being chosen by a designer. All of those seem like silly reasons to get involved in what can turn into a stressful thing. I think THAT is overrated. But it's still important that someone does the test knitting.
Agree. I believe this is what the person meant by overrated. The experience of test knitting is overrated. I also think the same. It feels more like a status symbol to be chosen, people feel bad when they are not, and I hear complaints that they don’t have enough time, etc. I don’t see the big deal. So much drama over doing volunteer work.
Late to the party, but my pet peeve is that sweater patterns have gone dramatically top-down lately, and sock patterns have gone dramatically toe-up. I (personally) strongly prefer the opposite. I like to knit my sleeves first and block them and THEN knit the body. It helps me understand what happens to my row gauge on a piece bigger than a swatch, and it ensures that my sleeves will fit my arms perfectly. For socks, I just love a classic flap-and-gusset construction for my high instep foot. Luckily, I'm a fairly seasoned knitter and can alter the pattern to meet my needs, but it's annoying to have to adjust 90% of the new patterns out there.
I understand the person who said they don't want leftovers. I don't like having a half ball or similar just sitting around. But on the other hand I imagine that it is incredibly difficult to accurately predict how much yarn anyone is going to use. Yes, we will get close to the numbers of the designer, but even if your gauge is the same, we all knit slightly differently which causes a difference in yarn usage. Personally, I'll rather take a bit yarn left over than losing yarn chicken.
Don't want leftovers? Find a friend who uses yarn for embroidery. My sister will take and use pieces even just a few feet long. Toe-up socks are also a good option. Less yarn chicken too.
Susan Ashcroft is a designer with loads of accessory patterns that can be made as big or as small as you like depending on the amount of yarn you have.
She’s the first designer I thought of when that comment came up. I love the concept of having at least x yds/meters of yarn, finding a needle size that works, and knitting until you run out of yarn! If you like a general recipe to follow, instead of specific instructions, check out her patterns.
I am not big on expensive project bags myself. If I had the resources, maybe that would change. I currently use camping dry bags to store my projects. I found some inexpensive ones on Amazon and love the fact that I can clip them to my belt loops and knit as I move around. These are my go to especially for wool yarns to keep moths and other things away.
As far as pattern length goes, I think each designer has their own style of pattern writing, and each knitter has preferences on how a pattern is presented. So it may just take some trial and error to see which designers patterns are easiest for you to follow. Just like some of us work better from charts, and some of us work better from written instructions.
I don't like pattern photos that are more like a photo shoot with fancy poses that don't focus on the pattern. I don't want to see a zoom-in of your duck pout. I want to see the lacework or cables in the scarf or sweater. A lot of photos on Ravelry you can't even see the project! Why would I make a sweater when I don't even know what it looks like!? But I guess your hair looks fine? My husband also won't help me pick a sweater pattern for him (he's picky) if he can't see it on a man first, so I need to sort through photos to find male models or at least androgynous women.
Lol, your comment made me think of a popular Podcaster who seems to do alot of test-knitting....when she shows pics of her modeling the items, often times her very long hair is totally covering the garment. I just want to shout "move your hair behind your shoulders"!!!
Laine is notorious for "artsy photos" the knits are usually beautiful, but often photographed in silly ways, or use dark yarn so you can't see the patterning! So stupid!!
I believe it's because then lots of people don't need the pattern at all. We can easily freehanded it from photo, especially if it's not some revolution shaping. It's morally wrong of course. But happens regularly. I've just watched another video where designers was catch Etsy seller to sell pretty similar of her's amigurumi after freehanded them from photo.
1000% agree on the gender tags on ravelry. as a trans guy finding patterns that work for my body is already tough, but when the filters don't even help it's SUPER frustrating. i often rule out patterns because i can only see photos of them on women's bodies so it makes me feel like the garment will make me look feminine. maybe it wouldn't, but i usually can't see it on a body like mine.
I feel like there can be a very happy medium when it comes to project bags and other knitting accessories. I have found some really inexpensive bags, as compared to the typical "project bags" as are advertised. Usually the more affordable ones I find are made to be lunch bags which work perfectly for my projects. They feel elevated still as they have their pockets and lend a certain vibe to my overall project and transporting of such. The same can be said with stitch markers. Yes there are some that are expensive and some that are much less so. Overall, I feel that if these items are helping add joy to my life and my craft then it's nobody's business if I splurged or over indulged. To each of us, let's allow ourselves joy in this world that tends to try to suck it out of everything.
I publish patterns as well. So I can give a different perspective on the first opinion. You would be surprised which questions you get via pattern support by people you didn’t think people would ask or don’t understand. Writing long and detailed patterns is away to get these questions out of the way so designers don’t have to answer tons of e-Mails with questions regarding the pattern.
about your pet peeve at the end: I have the same issue when I can't see photos of the larger sizes. I was knitting a cable vest for my mom, and I was getting so confused because all the photos I saw did not have a whole cable column the chart pattern was telling me to do!
I agree with you. I am a 3X or even a 4X size and the pattern is sized for me, but there are no photos of how it looks on someone of that size. Even if the designer had test knitters for that size, in most cases they show the garment but not on a person. 9 times out of 10 I am not going to buy that pattern.
My pet peeve is when there are no pictures of the wrong side of an item! It's so helpful to see that when you're starting out to see if you're doing it right. I love yarn leftovers. Much better than running out! Do they really want the shawl to be bigger just so they don't have yarn leftovers? You could give them away if they stress you out.
I definitely see your point about “unisex/male” patterns and photos. I personally think that if a designer labels their pattern unisex, it should’ve been test knit for both men and women and include pictures of both. It’s easy to slap a unisex label on a sweater/cardigan pattern because essentially all sweaters are genderless, but how does it really fit on a man’s body? At the very least a designer can kindly ask test knitters to maybe ask a friend or family member to try on the sweater as well to show the versatility. I have done this with a test knit before and had pictures of both myself and my teenage son in the sweater. It was oversized on me and more fitted on him, but it gives knitters an idea of how the design looks as a unisex option.
Thoughts: when I’m nearing the end of my garment and I’m running low on yarn, I’m panicked 😱!!!! However if I have leftovers, I knitting along peacefully. On the other hand, having a bunch of leftovers sitting taking up space, causes me anxiety BUT when I make something with them, I’m on a higher high than when I knit the original garments!
I finally bought my first project bag earlier this year. Having my second grandson being mobile and waaay more into things than his 3 year older brother it’s easier keeping little fingers out of my treasures. Beside that easier transporting around. I have now 🤔5 in different sizes.
I’m guessing the person who said test knitting is overrated meant one of 2 things. Perhaps they were a test knitter and had difficulty doing the test knit. I’ve heard good and bad stories about test knitting. Or maybe the person feels test knitters sometimes brag about it, which may make it feel “overrated”.
People act like they’ve won the lottery by being chosen to test knit. It isn’t a prize, you aren’t getting knighted or anything, you have signed up to do a bunch of work and have given up the freedom of knitting when and how you want. Add to that the additional social media work that is usually included. If people enjoy that - that’s wonderful because we all benefit. It isn’t some kind of holy grail of knitting and that attitude is quite prevalent on social media and newer knitters might get a skewed idea of what it means.
The third road is that the 25 test knitters knit in the smallest three pattern sizes and so are completely useless to at least half the people interesting in knitting the pattern. It doesn’t matter how many people test knit if there’s only one size represented.
So I have a personal take on size inclusivity that I haven’t seen anyone talk about and I have been kind of scared to mention because I do not want to come across as I am playing the victim as someone who isn’t facing the same challenges in society as someone on the other end of the spectrum. While bigger sizes face more problems with non inclusivity and hate about their bodies, a lot of patterns aren’t for petite people either. I have a smaller frame (29 or so inches full bust) and am also a very loose knitter. I wish I had the option to have a tight fitting sweater or to go down a size if my gauge is too big. A sweater that has a smallest finished measurement of 37,5 inches would fit me (making my problem not as bad as if I were bigger than the size range given), but often look and feel way too loose. I do not always want an oversized look and even with my math it often ends up disproportionate (too big in the neck, too broad over the shoulders etc). I do not want to knit a child’s sweater for myself to fit some measurements better because I have adult proportions. So my hot take is: size inclusivity should include all bodies, including both smaller and bigger ones.
Yes! THANK YOU! I feel the same way, I'm always knitting the smallest size of patterns and getting more ease than suggested because the sizes don't go small enough to choose a different size. Totally understand the need for larger sizes too, I feel their pain on a different level.
This resonates with me as well. I am also a very loose knitter and have a bigger bust 34 in, but my waist is only 28 in, so the smallest sweaters always end up oversized on me. I wish more patterns had XS and XXS options. A sweater with a finished circumference of 38 in may be only 4 in of positive ease on my chest, but it’s almost a foot of ease on my waist. 😔
Yes. Absolutely. And you are not alone in this opinion. Finding "adult" patterns that still fit very small adults is difficult for many of the same reasons larger knitters experience. And typically, where a pattern may have three or four sizes beyond the L size, there will only be one size below the S. And as you can attest to here, fully grown adults come in sizes far smaller than your average small.
You could perhaps try Japanese and Spanish patterns as they typically are fitted to smaller bodies than English/North American and Northern European patterns.
I think suggesting these types of patterns is great because Japanese and Spanish patterns are gorgeous, and you're right, some regions "specialize" in smaller sizes, however this commenter (Linnea) may be American or Northern European and it would be nice for her to feel as if her size is represented to some extent in the same way larger sizes are represented or encouraged to be represented within the context of size-inclusivity. All of this though definitely strengthens my resolve and opinion that we need to, as makers, invest some of our time into learning how to modify patterns to fit our size/shape. There are so many sizes and so many shape factors to consider that at the end of the day, some sizes or shapes will be left out, something will miss the mark in terms of fit, and it will come down to us (the maker) to make up for that. Circling back though, maybe the suggestion of seeking out patterns from regions that are known for a particular range of sizes is really a good jumping off point. Good food for thought.
Sadly, you have never experienced the deep flavor of leftover chili lol! The flavors of dishes like chili and goulash blend into the dish so well after a day or two in the fridge - or even the freezer- are a joy to your taste buds. As far as leftover yarn, I like to picture what I will do with little balls to make interesting things. I am, however, proud to say that I have actually thrown away some tiny balls that I determined were too small to bother with - lol - it has taken many years for me to get to that point!
I agree with letting some of it go. If there was sone place to donate left over yarn bits, I'd be happy to do so (as long as they weren't sock yarn, that i'll happily use). This is something I learned as a quilter. There is always some amount of waste. Do your best to make use of what you can as efficiently as possible, but keeping a bunch of bits and bobbles because you might use it later creates stress and mess.
We had a Knitters' Fair in town this month and I noted that there were no deals to be held. All the merchandise (at least what I saw) was regularly priced. I did see, however, a discount offered by one vendor and it was similar to what showed as an example of the anti-fat tax (e.g. buy 7 skeins get $x off, buy 8 skeins, get $y off, buy 9 skeins get $z off etc.). It was not labeled as anything and I was not (then) familiar with the 'anti-fat tax' term. If I knew that's what it was I would have specifically thanked the vendor for providing the discount. Yarn (expecially quality yarn) is really expensive and this makes it just a bit more affordable.
I'm guessing the "test knitting is overrated" comment meant that it's overrated for the test knitter. e.g. it might be stressful to knit to a deadline, or maybe the pattern designer is being unreasonable in some way, or it's not worth the stress to save a few dollars by not having to buy the pattern. I haven't test knit myself but definitely agree it's valuable to have people confirming your pattern is easy to follow! I'm not sure I'd want to follow a pattern that hasn't been tested ++1 re leftover yarn! I've had whole skeins left over from sweaters 😭 and it's very annoying. I recently made Jennifer Tipton's Confetti Shawl, which is designed for exactly 1 skein. It was extremely satisfying to have only ~4 yards left-the perfect amount to give to the person I'd made it for, in case the shawl ever needs mending!
That was my interpretation on test knitting as well. I think its very clearly needed for the designer but for the knitter it seems over rated. Admittedly, I've only been knitting for a year so I'm new to the community but it does seem like getting picked for a test knit is somewhat competitive sometimes. And to me, I'm like why would I want the stress of knitting on a deadline and potential troubleshooting? Let me get the pattern when it's already been perfected, thank you.
Hi Tayler! I would like to express my opinion regarding some patterns that I have come across. Sometimes designers have a tendency to use an overwhelming amount of pictures of their project. I love to print out my patterns to have an easier experience following each step and being able to add my own notes etc. So the average pattern can be from 15 to 20 pages and in them you have up to 5 pages of photos that are eating up your printer ink! That can be really frustrating. I love to see some images relating to the finished design, but I think that there should be minimal photos in the actual pattern. Good design photos can be linked to the design on Ravelry, Instagram and designers websites. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts... ❤
I agree. I'm printing at the library and I don't want to pay 25¢ for each full page photo that I don't need .. and I especially don't want to pay to print the "about the designer" page. Like... I already bought their pattern....if I wanted to read about their home life I'd look at their website.
I find a very good compromise with one amigurumi designer ; she make a loong pattern with lot of pictures first ; and at the end, you have the condense version with no pictures. So you go from 50-ish pages with pictures, to only 18 with full text. And I think it's a fair compromise if as a pattern designer, you like to include a lot of picture
The person who said test knitting is over-rated may be referring to the fact that there are always errors in "final" documents. Yes, BUT, there would be so many more if it weren't tested. As a former editor for hire (my nickname was the Editpterodactyl! 😂) I know that few people understand the kind of work that goes into making a document coherent and effective.
Not related to yarn, but the anti-fax reminds me of the volume discount in grocery stores, which I call the anti-single person tax, because I generally don't need 4 of something.
Thanks for the thoughts on bulky clothing. I’ve always steered clear. I get so annoyed with every pattern seemingly needing a strand of mohair alongside the main yarn. As a fairly new knitter, is this a trend or standard ?
@@Lisa-vb3gn I am all for luxury wool if we can afford it. I’m very blessed with a husband who supports this but I draw the line at excessive expense that just feels like a cash grab.
RE: anti fat tax I think you entirely missed the point, instead repeating the word “volume discount” at least twenty times. The premise was not incentive based but rather accessibility based that larger makes require more yarn and that isn’t always accessibly price-wise to makers. But that it shouldn’t cost literally 2X in cost - especially in the hand dyed world - to knit the same sweater, hence the concept. Cesium Yarns says it nicely: “ALL bodies deserve clothing that fits and feels good. Unfortunately, knit and crochet patterns in bigger sizes require more yarn, which means clothes cost more for fat folks. In an effort to make up for this, we have implemented a discount on large sweater quantities of yarn.” While, yes, this is somewhat of a volume discount it isn’t intended as incentive but compensation.
I was thinking of Cesium Yarn, too! I wanted to add my understanding of the fat tax is that larger people may have to go to specialty stores to find clothes their size, may have to pay extra for sturdy beach chairs, buy specialty bicycles, etc. These extra costs are considered to be fat taxes.
It also speaks to the experience that brings many plus size persons to fiber arts, trying to make clothes that fit them well and not be forced to pay 3x as much or more when that is higher then the cost of the extra fabric their garmets use, because of the inconvenience of being plus size. Some creators want us to know they appreciate how hard that is and why that drives us to make our own clothes and they are willing to support us by offering a discount for that very reason, hence why they call it such because it is aimed at giving a discount to "those who have experienced fat tax in their lives" to say...here it won't happen and in fact I support you and want to help you afford clothes that fit you well! ❤ I hope you understand better now, if you've never experienced such a thing. ❤ It's such a kind lovely gesture and should be celebrated 🎉
I understand what you're saying here, however I will argue that I completely understand the point of the discount as a means to make larger yarn purchases more accessible to "fat" knitters (I know folks who would not appreciate me referring to them as fat, so you'll pardon my apprehension in freely throwing that term around). In fact, I say as much here. What I'm doing here in my emphasis on "volume discounts" is drawing a comparison, because I feel like you really can't introduce this form of discount (no matter the intention) within this context and discussion without acknowledging that it is indeed a volume discount by definition and would ultimately apply to everyone. I mention that a volume discount is typically used in business to promote sales or incentivize larger purchases because this is true. However, whatever a business calls it, whether they say that the discount is intended to make up for clothes costing more for larger people (which is a worthy consideration) or whether they are trying to make larger projects more accessible, financially speaking, other than signaling to folks the virtue in the intention, these labels are neither here nor there, especially considering that no one is asking why the person is purchasing this larger amount of yarn (nor should they) and the labels may actually serve to in some way undermine businesses that do not offer this sort of discount in the name of accessibility (which is why I included the articles discussing why a business may or may not introduce a volume discount structure into their model). All of this is coming from a business perspective. I understand that it can be frustrating for folks to have to pay significantly more for the same project as someone else. If I wanted to knit a sweater for my husband, I'd be paying twice as much for the yarn. If an average-sized man (whatever that is) wanted to knit the same sweater as an average-sized woman, he'd have to pay a good deal more. A discount on those larger purchases would be nice, but the suggestion that they be given solely because "it shouldn’t cost literally 2X in cost - especially in the hand dyed world - to knit the same sweater" just isn't something I'm entirely behind.
@@WOOLNEEDLESHANDS Totally get what you’re saying but the volume discount doesn’t really apply to everyone. Most dyers I know who have it (totally can be outliers) require 7 or more skeins in the same colorway so that it’s somewhat exclusive to larger garment maker. Could you buy that much for another need and apply the discount? Sure, but the makers I see who have it really ask for their community to use it with the right intention. Explorer Knits is someone I often see post this reminder before updates. I haven’t seen any dyer (again, totally can still be happening!) who is applying an auto-discount on certain volumes of yarn purchases but instead requiring either a code use (and a plea for best intentions) or an email to apply the discount.
I understand how this sort of discount works. What I mean by "applying to everyone" is that whoever chooses to use the discount (whether it's a code or an automatic discount once a volume threshold is met), anyone can use it who fits the criteria for the size of order. Unless of course dyers are creating very specific promo codes that exclude certain people or only include certain people (pardon the example, but for instance a code that suggests that the user is "fat" or larger or plus size), which I can't imagine happening, as that is criteria that is difficult to qualify, for obvious reasons. Here's a hypothetical situation that may demonstrate why this doesn't sit right with me: Imagine one person, say a man who is 6'5'', 210 lbs, yet not considered "plus sized" needs 12 skeins of yarn A for Sweater XYZ and another person, say a woman who is considered "plus sized" needs 12 skeins of yarn A for the same XYZ sweater. Based on the notion that these discounts only be used with the "right" intention, (and within the context of an anti-fat tax) only one of these people is "right" to use the volume discount because only one of them fit the targeted customer profile (plus sized knitter knitting a garment), even if both of these people are knitting the same sweater, have similar financial situations, and may benefit from the volume discount. How do we justify asking customers to use the discount for the right intention when the right intention is not easy to qualify? The point I made in the video (th-cam.com/video/xBeSvHeGH1k/w-d-xo.html) is to emphasize that you begin to venture into some pretty murky territory when you suggest discounts be exclusionary based on criteria that is subjective and difficult to qualify. By offering a general volume discount to all of your customers (which is what I believe most of the business on the list from the site I linked are doing), a business is communicating that larger orders are appreciated, regardless of their intended purpose and that for those who feel that knitting garments is rather cost prohibitive (for whatever reason--maybe they're tall, a man who prefers to knit women's sweaters, a plus-sized person), they are welcome to take advantage of this discount as a way to alleviate some of that financial strain, no questions asked. Nothing assumed.
Have to agree with being annoyed with the lack of good neck shaping in many current patterns. I don't want to have to wear a tank under my sweater so bra straps don't show. I don't like buying a pattern that would fit 10 different sizes but not one size has a properly shaped (IMO) neck.
There is a difference in the general shape of a sweater for a man. The shoulders are broader and the hips narrower. While that may work for oversized sweaters, a sweater like the Field sweater is definitely fitted for a female form. It is close enough fitting that it would make a difference. I like your idea of showing all unisex rated patterns on both sexes. While anyone can and should wear anything they want, the time and money involved in knitting a sweater is such that a visual representation helps immensely.
Re: the handbag thing - maybe it’s getting at people who do TH-cam knitting videos and literally have to tell you about every project bag and link those people. I personally can’t watch some TH-camrs (more than I’d like to admit) because they are always talking too much about the project bag and not enough about knitting!
Volume discounts aren’t just for making a large size, they are great if you are making more than one of the same thing. Matching hats for the family, sweaters for the grandkids, etc.
I both love and hate historical patterns they skip a lot of details but if I have no base for the knowledge it’s very intimidating. I had a sock pattern say insert heal and close toe as normal. Like what!? I had never made socks before.
I knit mainly historical and vintage patterns and the best bit of advice I was given was to buy a copy of a knitting book from era of the patterns (same with sewing). The British Practcal Knitting books published during the war are excellent for vintage patterns and can be found secondhand online quite easily (techniques and patterns in each book). I'm sure similar can be found in other countries. These should answer all your questions when the pattern says, for example - finish in the usual way! 😂 also some of the garment patterns are hilarious!
I also think test knitting can help get a pattern seen more on ravelry. If there is only one completed project I'm much less likely to be confident in the pattern. Being able to see more colors or yarns used makes a pattern more accessible, and the test knit patterns kick that off.
The opinion with the project bags? I understand it like the mess that is left behind in the project bag after the project is done. Confession time: I have so many of those messy project bags, and currently am searching for my 3,5 mm DPNs that I must have left in one of the project bags. Or maybe three, since I own three sets and none of them are where they should be 🙈
I totally agree with your pet peeve. One would think that designers would understand that. I think they would sell more patterns if they had pictures of all genders that it is designed for. The man in Rebecca‘s picture is her stepdad. As for the folks who don’t want leftovers, I think they’re the same folks who get pissed off when they run out of yarn. I guess they must enjoy playing yarn chicken. Good luck with that. I must say I really enjoy your podcast. I used to not like it very much but somehow I kept on watching and grew on me.Thank you. Y
Also, the picture thing applies to plus sizes, too. If you've graded it and had it tested, surely there's a picture of someone wearing that size that could be on the pattern page
I would argue that a tax is something that is imposed on an individual (the pink tax is simply a concept to explain the relatively high price tag of items marketed to women, and not a tax by definition). A skein of yarn costs the same for any person purchasing it (before sales tax and shipping, etc), regardless of their size. Nothing is imposed on the larger person, skein for skein so I find that using the term fat tax in this context (purchasing yarn for a knitting project) is misleading. The experience may be cost prohibitive due to greater material needs, but the experience is not imposed on the individual, it is simply the reality based on cost per unit. A cost prohibitive experience and a tax are not the same thing.
@@WOOLNEEDLESHANDS I don't disagree. I do think using the term is a way to acknowledge the different lived experiences of people in larger bodies. They could use more neutral language, but it would also lose the act of seeing and acknowledging a group of people that are often ignored or treated badly
My dad always says that if you ask one thousand people a question, you'll get one thousand different answers, and I think that's true here. I also think that opinions change over time, and your situation changes. Take project bags as an example. I've never been anti bags, but have never really needed them. I keep my current project in a basket by my chair, and when I take my knitting to-go, I pick up my basket and walk out the door. Recently, though, I was sitting with my husband in a small hospital room. The nurse bumped the corner of my smallish basket (even though it was under my chair), and my dpns went rolling all over the room and into the hall, and I imagined all of those sitcom scenarios as I tried to collect them all. I now use project bags, which I toss in my basket 🤭 My opinion changed as my needs changed.
Yes, the sweaters are often listed as bulky weight yarn, but several listed that they have used Sandes Garn yarn. That yarn is less weight as other bulky weight yarns. The same goes for worsted yarn. Living in a warm climate, I would possibly make more of the worsted weight yarn in Sandes Garn for that very reason. (It is harder to get is U.S., though.) Ido agree on showing the male figure in the sweaters that are listed as unisex. I had attempted to find male Christmas vests a couple of years ago and had a difficult time visualizing also. Thanks for this podcast and an insider look on how to fine tune Raverly.
Fun fact-a goad(goat)is a prod used in herding. So when someone gets your goad, they prod you where they want you to go(trolling). Of course, in fiber crafts, it is your goat.
Yeah, it’s totally goad that has transformed to “goat” like the popular spelling “definately.” Also, while I’m on this particular tear 😉, when something inspires an obvious lead-on query, it RAISES the question. “Begging” the question is an error of formal logic.
When I purchase a book with patterns in it or borrow one from the library, I really hate that they don't tell me what size the yarn is. It will say something Lion Brand Vanna's Choice. But fail to say what weight the yarn is. Like can you tell me if it DK, worsted, weight 2, weight 5. Something so I can make the pattern and it comes out the correct size!
@@lightworker221Yes! This would be optimal. I have a spreadsheet of all the yarns I’ve purchased, and as we all know, within a given category (say DK), there can be dramatic differences. In my spreadsheet I’ve currently got them sorted by that trait, because most other traits are easier to compare visually.
As a trans-guy knitter, I don't tend to mind the male/female model issue as much. IMO, if a top is being marked as wearable by a man, it's gonna be pretty boxy anyway. If it was fitted to a woman's chest or waist, the maker just wouldn't mark it as for men anyways. To me, it's also a little useless since myself, (and I've heard this from other people in the same situation!) I've had top surgery, so I have more "feminine" proportions through my ribs, waist, tummy, hips, but a completely flat or (for some) even concave chest. The one that REALLY pisses me off is when I filter for ADULT FITTED GARMENTS and the only model is a seven year old. If the pattern comes in adult and children's sizes, you should have tester photos of the adult sizes? Or even have made at least one adult one for yourself?? THAT'S wild to me.
I understand what you’re saying here. I think for me, the issue is less about what is or isn’t wearable by a certain person, but rather more about the visual representation of the wearability of the design. It’s hard to relate to a pattern when it only represents (visually) one gender. My husband is 6’5” 210 lbs with broad shoulders and a long torso. The Cozy Classic Ragaln may be wearable for a male, as per the designer’s filter options, but there’s nothing there to emphasize that visually. For example, if I were to ask my husband if XYZ sweater would be something he likes and the only visual he had to go on was a series of photos of female figures wearing said sweater, I think he’d be at a loss. The photos are our first point of relatability so when that isn’t relatable, you just skim over it. When the result pool is flooded with options like this, it makes searching frustrating.
@@WOOLNEEDLESHANDS I get it. I think in general more model variety is helpful, since what you're saying can apply to large height or weight differences, body type, proportions, etc. Even things like how a garment lays while sitting down, for wheelchair users. It's one thing if it's a smaller designer with only one model, but when you see a pattern that has a handful of models, but all with similar bodies, it can be frustrating.
I’ve been collecting vintage patterns for many years and one of the reasons I love them is because they don’t repeat things 10 times and don’t have 10 pages of instructions. Most of them are one and a half pages and that’s it.
Love these videos, especially the way you do it, it actually inspires discussion rather than just complaining. 😊 As far as knitting patterns being too long, I think it depends on the knitter. Some knitters need more hand holding than others so I think a lot of pattern designers try and accommodate. Testing knitting? I honestly have no comment on this. lol Leftover yarn? I don't mind it. I do use a lot of scrap yarn for projects...all sorts of weights and lengths...so I am in the minority here. I agree with you here, I don't have an issue with bulky yarn...I love a good bulky hat, but super bulky yarn isn't for me. I have a couple skeins of extremely bulky yarn here in my stash that I really have no use for. Center pull vs outside pull...I keep my yarn in bags because I have dogs...dogs that shed a whole dogs worth of fur...and have always done center pull to keep things neat. A couple times I have pulled from both the center and the outside when I was doubling up yarn. Project bags? I have quite a few. Most are vintage from thrifting...others are handmade, but I use a lot of bags for things other than knitting. And I do agree, if I am knitting a sweater for my husband, I would like to see the sweater modeled on a man.
I wonder if the person who said "test knitting is overrated" was speaking from the perspective of a test knitter. I.e. they felt that test knitting wasn't their cup of tea?
Great post ! The Franky sweater you stumbled on, from Sandness, offer patterns with or without a following mohair yarn. Great to be given the option🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Calling a bulk discount an "anti-fat tax" feels really disingenuous. Someone buying fewer skeins is not paying more for their yarn - no additional cost is being added to them. Even with a bulk discount, you are still paying more for a project if you have a larger body. 🤔
I agree. I feel like a bulk discount is a bulk discount and if it serves as some kind of incentive to buy more or makes a purchase more accessible then great (if that’s the goal). Calling it anything other than what it is in order to shine light on some kind of virtue is just not necessary. In terms of what you’re paying with a bulk discount, the customer is paying less per skein for more skeins. Seems like a deal, and for all intents and purposes (since the person needs X number of skeins, regardless) it is. However, like you mention here, more yarn means more money, no matter the discount. A person knitting a blanket will always pay more for their project than a person making a scarf. I think it just stings when a person making XYZ cardigan pays $300 for the yarn while another person making the same cardigan pays $120. That’s just an unavoidable reality and if a bulk discount alleviates some of that, and it works for the business, then it’s all good. Just…no need to label it anything other than what it is-a bulk/volume discount.
I agree! We need more pictures of men wearing these designs to see how the garment fits. We complained that we needed different body sizes, that we need to be age inclusive, and show racial diversity so why have we forgotten men????
As a man who knits and wears jeans a a T-shirt almost every day I appreciate and agree with your pet peve about ravelry search and photos. If you put "men" in your patterns tags or description please include a photo of it on a man or in more neutral colors at least. Men like me or women like Tayler (knitting for a man) will just pass over your pattern of we can't picture it on said man so including that photo is a win win. We get another option and you get another potential buyer.
Testing knitting can not feel worth it as a test knitter. Logically I know the importance of patterns being test, however some of the requirements/requests from pattern designers to their test knitters are insane considering most aren’t getting paid to do it and in fact paying to test knit (their time and yarn.)
Your comment on project bags had me put down my knitting, and actually count my bags........ drum roll...12!!!! And those are the ones within my immediate line of sight! I love a project bag. I have my favourites, for sure. But I love me a good project bag!!!
I have quite a few project bags because I enjoy having seasonal bags. So I’m using my fall and pumpkin themed bags now. The fact I don’t always empty them when I finish a project is a different issue! 😂
And I can’t figure out why ppl Complain about left over yarn 🤦♀️ lol omg. I use it to make matching socks or even some color work in a matching hat. And too many project bags? If I go to a show or a shop on travels I buy one so I am supporting the vendor. If not in use they look really cute lining a shelf along the top of my craft room till needed. Usually with a project bagged and ready to go so when I am ready I can grab and start. The bottom line is I do what works for me. Others get to do what works for them. Don’t want a bag, don’t buy it. Don’t want left over yarn, gift it to a kids camp that teaches. And pattern a too much or too 36:57 little? Oh plz not everyone has the same skill level. Ones gotta learn technique somewhere. But why on earth is one’s peeve something that works for others? Why do ppl find it ok to complain about what others do? Says the girl with a lot of bags lol 😆
Same about the leftovers. I know of multiple knitting groups that use donated leftovers to make scarves, beanies, socks and blankets for people in need. I find it incredibly entitled for people to complain about leftovers. Personally, I love them, and use them to make all sorts of things.
I also think pulling from the center of the yarn cake works better for me. I am really really particular about the tension as I cake up my yarn, and making sure the yarn doesn’t slip down the winder as I go. I’ll unwind and redo to get it laying just right. If I don’t I have had yarn barf issues. So I think the prep of the cake might be the cause of this frustration. The one exception I think is mohair, I noticed on my last project that pulling from the center seems to strip some of the fluff off, I had a dust bunny sized puff of fluff lest over and it did tangle the yarn a bit before I extracted it from the cake. Hope this helps.
I'm knitting a pattern that gives a check box for every single row. Very kind to give 7 pages to check off - except it's a 6 row repeat over 151 rows.... So I've gotten down to an A5 page for the pattern total in my notebook lol.
My pet peeve is when an instructor shows or discusses in detail how NOT to do something. I find that only reinforces the incorrect method. Just show the correct method or show another CORRECT method. I already have practiced the wrong method and do not need to be reminded. :-| (this is also a pet peeve in sports or cooking... so not just a knitting pet peeve) Another pet peeve is when the action being shown is slowly moved off the frame. It makes me move the scroll bar but to no avail.
Agreed with the male pattern hunting "hot take." I do not think my husband would pick a sweater (hand knitted or otherwise) if the only model is a female because then he would assume it is a female sweater, despite it being unisex. He would want to pick a sweater that shows someone with his similar body type for, as you say, relatability. It's similar to how I usually choose sweater patterns for females since that is the way I can see how the sweater fits on my similar body type. I don't see this as a hot take, but moreso as common sense lol
Same! Though the fact that I can sew keeps me from buying lots of project bags because "I can/will make that myself." That said, when it comes to hobbies, I'm just not monogamous. I always have several books going at once (one audio, one print, one digital - at minimum). And I always have several knitting projects going at once, usually in various stages. And I don't like to start with a project bag that will fit the project as it grows or that holds everything I need for the entire project. I cake up as I go. If it's single strand and a large project, I *might* cake up two skeins. The caked up skeins and the tools I need go in a project bag with a bit of room for growth, but I expect to have to size up bags as the project grows. And I knit everything from socks to blankets, so a variety of bag sizes is what works for me. I don't need 40 bags, and there is definitely a stage where I have too many projects on at once (I'm nearly there to be honest), but I think the average knitter likely has a long way to go before they'd be "hoarding" project bags. Also, like Tayler, I find using cute (and functional bags) is motivating and adds even more joy to what I'm doing. Plus, I can look at a project bag and immediately know what project is in it because no two are the same. :)
After what seems like a VERY long and unnecessary game of 'find the corrupted file/effect' this video is finally going live. Phew! And there is music in the background which is intentional to keep the mood light. If you don't like background music, maybe sit this one out. 👍
Thank you for watching. Hope you enjoy this one!
My biggest pet peeve is when a pattern materials list only gives specific yarns as in " 4 skeins of (insert expensive yarn name)" rather than telling me I need 1000 yards of sport weight.
Yes. Calls for math and I do not like math.
THIS
YES 👏🏻
You are so right!!!
@@ApplesandPeanutButter Yes completely agree. No reason not to include total meter/yard amounts by yarn weight. Don’t know why nearly every pattern does this.
As a plus size person, I won't knit sweaters unless they are pictured on at least one larger body in the photo gallery provided by the designer. It isn't a moral thing, just a practical one. I want to have accurate expectations of what the sweater would look like on me, and only seeing the garment on one body that isn't like mine doesn't allow me to approach the sweater with correct expectations. I think this is really similar to your point about pictures of male bodies in sweaters.
Yes. 100% understand and agree with your thoughts here. If you market your product based on XYZ criteria, represent that criteria.
As someone who has been knitting for over 70 years my question is if you don't have left over yarn, what do you mend your garment with when an elbow gets too thin or you get a hole? Nothing you purchase now will ever really match the original yarn. After all the time I've spent knitting a garment, I really like to be able to extend its life; whether the cuff needs to be replaced, or as Arne & Carlos would say "it shrunk in the closet" and I need to add some extra width or make the armcye bigger, having the left-over original yarn has been vital.
My husband got a hole in his favorite store-bought sweater. Of course, he threw away the yarn sample that came with it! Nothing in the world matches it.
@@phoener My partner recently asked me to repair a hole in a manufactured cabled cashmere sweater that he'd purchased in the UK three years ago (before we were together), and while I appreciate that he loves it and wants to make it last, and he's worn the heck out of it....I can't do a seamless repair job with no matching yarn.
As the submitter of “Test knitting is overrated ,” let me explain my opinion. I do understand the value from a designers point! However, it’s SO competitive. Maybe I am sensitive but being rejected time and again sucks. Secondly, I am a knitter, not a social media influencer. Having to post professional quality pictures and/or videos is too much to ask when I signed up to knit. Third, many (not all) designers don’t really want your opinions and when you give one you are either ignored or made to feel ignorant. Not everyone is kind especially if they feel you are questioning their project. And finally, sometimes you are left with a garment you don’t really like. So hours of work and $$ for yarn can feel a bit wasted. If someone really enjoys test knitting, I applaud and thank you. For me, I want to keep knitting as a relaxing hobby.
Thank you for clarifying Martha! I feel sort of obtuse for missing this other perspective, but I completely understand what you mean. I feel like now that you bring it up (or that now that I see this other angle 🤦♀️) this is one I could hash out in its own video.
Kind of the flip side to that…paying for a pattern that has a pretty major error that you discover along the way, thinking you’re going crazy…then when you finally contact the designer, they say only “You’re correct, thanks for catching that!” They then put out an erratum (errata?) I was quite resentful over having to pay to essentially be a test knitter. I felt the least she could have done was refund my money.
I test for mostly crochet. Totally get where you are coming from. I only apply for things I would really want to make. If I don’t get chosen, I make a note of what it is so I can go back and get the pattern. I have purchased patterns that I know were tested and yet had a horrendous error in them. I emailed the designer on ravelry who was rude in her explanations, took a long time to update the pattern ( months after I completed the project after sorting out how to fix it myself), and had sizing issues to her patterns. I had applied to test things for her before and not been accepted but after that interaction, I was glad I didn’t. I don’t even buy her patterns now as I’m afraid the sizing issue is across the board ( I’m an avg bust size and she seems to write like we all have a very large bust size). I’ve tested for great designers and not so great. So if I don’t enjoy testing for the designer, I don’t sign up again. It is a lot of work for a free $5-10 pattern.
@@MarthaKeith-s2x I had a feeling that this is what you were getting at. Shame on those designers who did not appreciate you.
@@MarthaKeith-s2x I agree with you. Test knitting is not easy because you are working with a pattern that is not ready, this means sometimes guessing what to do next or spotting some errors that might mean frogging back. Yes you do get the pattern but it's not the same when it has been through the trials and errors...
I think the issue of test knitting being overrated is about the clout of being a test knitter. When designers run test knitter selections like competitions and then people boast about test knitting for a specific designer. - that grinds my gears
That’s how I understood it. The pet peeve was test knitting as a cool kids club, not that test knitting needs to be done to properly test a pattern
As a male knitter, knitting for myself, I get overwhelmed looking for garment patterns designed to be worn by men on Ravelry. Most of the time, I just find a yarn I like, pick a stitch pattern (thank you Barbara Walker), a generic sweater/vest pattern (thank you Ann Budd), and maybe throw in an interesting technique (thank you Elizabeth Zimmerman). Sometimes, I’ll just find a colorwork pattern that appeals to me (thank you Melissa Leapman) and rework it on a classic men’s shape. Then again, I come from an era where the patterns in the magazines were only about 3 paragraphs and a chart, and you learned all those nuances that are explained in modern patterns through knitting technique books and the experience of knitting way more sweaters than you can wear in a single winter. After 3 years of watching for it, I was able to pick up some yarn at a recent fiber fest by an indy dyer in a colorway that always sells out (they can’t even keep it stocked on their website). I’m specifically going to try your filtering technique to see if I can find a pattern as special as this yarn. Thank you!
I've just recommended that to another commenter! A vintage knitting book is a fabulous aid when working with vintage patterns. I also like the challenge in working with a plain pattern that I like the shape of and then altering it with colour or stitch style. But then I'm also always working with flat pieces that I seam up - I much prefer the neater more tailored look you get that way. Happy knitting!
Pet peeve for me is when I hear knitters talk about being sustainable but then they knit so many garments/accessories that I can’t imagine them being able to wear them all. So they end up unused and materials wasted.
My biggest knitting pet peeve is yarn skeins with knots. Some skeins can have up to seven. I once used a self striping sock yarn with a knot that totally ruined the sequence in one sock.
Re: test knitting. I feel like there are knitting accounts on social media (usually more of the influencer type with lots of followers) that use their test knitting participation as a popularity contest. My hot take? Testers should not make any modifications. Or at least without those modifications being very clearly advertised 🤷🏻♀️
Regarding pictures of men wearing the garments, I feel the same way about having pics of plus size models wearing a garment. Just because a pattern is written in multiple sizes doesn't mean it is going to look good in all those sizes.
As a plus size person I wanted to offer my opinion on the "fat tax/anti fat tax" thing. Im a 4x. And there are companies who charge more for larger sizes of clothing (ive noticed it from companies such as LLBean among others). But... A 4X shirt require nearly twice the fabric yardage as a small does. So i can understand companies charging more for plus sizes, within reason.
But when it comes to knitting (or sewing/fabric) its no one elses responsibility or problem that my body requires more yardage to cover up. and while a bulk discount is nice i dont feel like anyone (especially small businesses) should have to cut their profit margin just so i can feel better about something that is still going to be absurdly expensive to make. At the end of the day if i can afford 10 skeins of hand dyed yarn at $30/skein i can afford to pay full price for them . Getting one skein free isn't really making the project suddenly affordable.
I completely agree with regard to lack of photos with more male figures (larger, longer torso, more square or wider chest overall) modeling sweater samples.
Even if a pattern designer does not have a male partner, friend, or family member I’d think you could buy a tailor’s fit model if you’re designing a unisex pattern.
I am also a 4x. I'm also 6' tall, with appropriate length arms. Even if I were model thin, I'd have to buy an extra skein of yarn to make sure the sleeves are long enough. If a company wants to offer a volume discount, more power to them. I've never run into one that differentiates between buying six skeins of one color or one skein of six different colors.
My hot take…sock patterns should not have 64 stitches as the default and should accommodate a larger number of sizes. If it’s not a free pattern, give me the circumferences on the pattern page. I don’t want to pay for a pattern that assumes everyone has the same foot circumference and end up grading it myself.
I feel like the "Test knitting is overrated" comment was more about being a test knitter, not the general importance of having a pattern test knit.
I was thinking the same thing.
I agree. I've test knit, and I felt that I had to make the pattern as written, instead of making it fit my body. And now I have an item that needs to be frogged.
I interpreted the hot take about test knitting being from the perspective of a test knitter. I feel like there are constantly calls for test knitters being posted on instagram, and other knitters talking about how fun it is to test knit that it really hypes up the experience. I applied to about a dozen tester calls until I got my first one, and I did not have a good time at all. The pattern was lovely and the designer was really nice, but I felt so much pressure to finish by the deadline, and to make sure I followed every direction perfectly, and to send amazing pictures, that it was kind of miserable. I would agree that being a test knitter is overrated
This is exactly what I thought too!!
As someone new to sweater knitting, I'd also appreciate it if designers had more pictures of men wearing the patterns they're marketing as unisex and male. That's one thing I really like about Tin Can Knits. They have tons of pictures of men, women, kids, in their patterns and lots of different body types.
A quick note on yarn leftovers, I just knit an Autumn Leaves Shawl by Susanne Visch (free pattern!), and it was great for this. The pattern basically said, "Knit till you're just shy of half-way through your yarn, then start the decrease section." It took almost my whole skein of fingering-weight yarn and it's lovely.
I'm baffled by the anti-project-bags opinion. Project bags don't *cause* disorganisation, they prevent it. If one's project bag is a disorganised mess after one has finished the project, that is not the fault of the project bag; that is directly because the knitter *chose* not to clear up the project bag when the project was done. They *chose* to be disorganised, they chose not to wind up the project properly. It is utterly silly to blame the project bag for the disorganisation of the person using it. This looks like a case of "the bad workman blames his tools".
My hot take lately is getting a bit frustrated by designers who design under their own name/business that keep everything SUPER SECRET but constantly say things like they wish they could show what they are working on or they can't wait to tell you what they are working on. This leads a little to the test knitter peeve also, where people say they are working on a secret test knit and they can't wait for people to see it. Both of these things just makes me feel like I'm left out of the cool kid's club. More and more I really appreciate designers who are open with what they are working on and talk you through their process. It's nice to see some behind the scenes of where the idea came from, what worked while they were designing and where they had to go back to the drawing board to get to something they were ready for other people to make.
I thought that the test knitting is overrated could have meant it from the test knitters perspective. Like sometimes test knitting is really hyped up, but in reality it's just another pattern. I feel like especially in TH-cam it's sometimes painted as something really special "I was honored to be chosen for the test knit", when the person might still have to buy the yarn as normal and knit it as usual. It probably might feel special to be chosen but it's still just a knitting project.
And a knitting pattern on a deadline. I'm fine with self-imposed deadlines but don't tell me when I need to finish my project. Lol test knitting is not for me
As a trans guy knitter, I couldnt agree more about how difficult it is to find masculine patterns featured on masculine body types on Ravelry. I totally appreciate designers tagging any pattern as "mens" because a man *could* wear it. But it is not helpful when the pattern is clearly shaped for a more feminine body shape. As much as i love breaking down the gender binary system, fashion is a very binary space. Yes, anyone can wear any style, but when a garment is shaped for a traditionally feminine body type, its more helpful to only mark it as "womens" knowing anyone else could wear it if they so choose, and if they can make it adapt to their body type. Many people want to find traditionally masculine patterns and fits and in this case, designers trying to be inclusive saying their pattern (that clearly fits in traditinal womens fashion style and sizing) is for men kind of does more harm than good. I think Ravelry should change the gender category to "fit" and say "masculine" or "feminine" so its more representative of how it is intended to fit a persons body, rather than who is"allowed" or expected to wear it. Anyone can wear a womens pattern, but they might not want to because of the sizing, bust shaping, etc. I appreciate designers trying to be inclusive, but if the goal with the Ravelry tags is to help people find patterns, this current system isn't useful, especially for masculine patterns
Yes. Perfectly expressed. I totally agree.
Thank you for voicing it! I went onto Ravelry a few days ago in search for a pattern for my husband and was shocked at how difficult it is to find it, especially if he wants something tailored but his shape is quite different to mine and I would love patterns to be designed for a masculine shape as well!
I quite enjoy a big messy yarn barf. It's quite relaxing to slowly unknot it and I feel a burst of achievement afterwards. This helps with the long slog of a garment as I am a slow knitter. Great video 😊
lol I just go in full force and crochet from it 😂😂😂
First time hearing “anti-fat tax”, that’s just a bulk order discount! Whether I buy 12 skeins for a large sweater or 12 skeins for an afghan it’s the same bulk order cost.
I'm making a jumper for my boyfriend. I saw it and knew he'd love it but when i showed him the picture he wasnt sure. Months later i saw someone made it for a man, and uploaded the picture of his wearing it. I showed this picture to my boyfriend and he was suddenly very excited about it. He just couldnt picture it on his body before. I feel the same way and am more likely to knit something i have seen looking good on a larger body like mine.
I much rather have leftover yarn than run out and having to try to find the same yarn/ dye lot.
If you buy a big house, you'll pay more than someone who buys a small one. Similarly, yarn and fabric are body covering real estate. When it comes to ready-to-wear clothes, we are sometimes shielded from the economics behind the selling price. Setting a recommended retail price factors in lots of variables: what the most popular sizes might be; how the pattern pieces can be laid out on fabric to maximise the amount that can be cut from the cloth; if the fabric is patterned, the pattern piece placement will change to accommodate the repeats of the design and may result in more waste; bigger sizes may need bigger zips, more elastic, more buttons etc etc etc. When knitters buy yarn for a sweater, the simple economics are that larger bodies require more yarn. As someone who has gained (more than) several kilos since the pandemic, I've had to accept that that's life and life isn't always 'fair'.
This is definitely a tricky subject. I get and appreciate the sentiment of the anti-fat tax, but as someone who sews, the bigger I've gotten, the more I have to spend on materials. Same goes for yarn. I do feel like a true volume discount is great if it works for that vendors business. But I recently saw a discount specifically for anti-fat tax that was clearly stipulated could only be used if it was for a singular garment of a larger size, and that this discount was on the honor system and they wouldn't be able to offer it anymore if they found out it was being abused. So one person could get a discount for 7 skeins of yarn, but another couldn't, based on how it was being used. I'm still sort of working through how I feel about that. I know it's well-intentioned, and the goal is more equitable access, but I wrestle with whether or not it's truly equitable.
@@myndolin I find it unfair. It mays be well intended, but it will clearly push people to lie. Yarn is expensive for everyone, not only large people. Someone buying 7 skeins to make 1 sweater, or someone buying 7 skeins to make 2 sweaters should pay for the same amount
@myndolin I think the argument of the tax ban is that the cost of extra materials/time can average itself out. For example, if it costs $40, $70, and $100 to make a SM, M, and L sweater then the average cost of the sweater should be $70 for all sizes. Essentially, the smaller sizes take on the added cost in materials for the larger sizes. This can be a deterrent for customers in the smaller size range though since $40 is more affordable and appealing than $70. But, it makes it more affordable for the larger sizes since $70 is more affordable than $100.
From a maker pov, I knit clothing on both ends (small/xs for me and xl for my two kids and husband). I know their sweaters will be more expensive and time consuming while mine will be quicker and cheaper. I mean, if I knit 1 sweater for each of them that’s like the equivalent of 6 sweaters for me. It’s just how the math works.
I don’t know what the right answer is since I can understand both the ethical and financial dilemma. I do believe large fast fashion companies have the ability to balance out the costs better without needing that extra tax. Small makers, not so much.
This is a very real consideration in handmade businesses when it comes to equitable pricing. Within the context of selling handmade items, splitting the difference between the cost of each item variant/size and charging that to your customers makes the prices equal and seemingly more equitable while still bringing in the same overall profit, should you sell the items in an equal volume. However what happens here, and to suggest one reason why small businesses hesitate to do this (sell handmade items for the same price regardless of size), is because there is no guarantee that all of the items will sell and if the only items to sell are the ones that are reduced in price (because of the averaging out of production costs across the size variants), the maker is making less on the overall sales. Profit and loss is a huge factor in whether a business stays afloat and these sorts of equitable pricing measures where production cost is averaged out between product variants can have a big impact on a small business if the items don't sell equally well. Charging the customer based on the production cost of each item ensures that you make back your production costs plus the profit you need to keep going. It's a difficult one as it relates to small business, but definitely one that, like you mention, may be easier in the larger markets.
Re test knitting. My peeve with it is when designers use their test knitters instead of working with a tech editor. They are two different roles. Test knitters should be checking the usability of the pattetn, not the accuracy of the maths.
I agree with your number 10 but also for plus size. There are so many patterns that include plus size, but it would be nice to see those on a plus size body so I can see what it would look like on someone like me.
Yes. 100%.
That is where Ravelry project pages come in for me...and the notes can be so helpful if other knitters found the arms too skinny or waist shaping too abrupt, for example.
I think the commentary "test knitting is overrated" might have been misunderstood? I thought it might be someone who DID a test knit or several and realized how much work they signed up for (especially if the creator is asking for a lot) and realized it wasnt what they thought it would be like. Seeing how many people say "I wish I could test knit and get the pattern for free" etc - I think this person meant actually DOING the test knitting was overrated 😂
I thought the same thing.
That’s what I was thinking as well! Any time something is offered for “free”, people get really excited about it - but test knitting is definitely volunteer WORK and not for everyone. Especially when a lot of us are over purchasing patterns that we’re never going to knit 🫣
Same so many social media folks talk about test knitting making it seem really glamorous but it's a lot of work often in a very limited time. That's what I thought they were referring to.
Yep, that was my thought as well! I did a few earlier in my knitting days (I’ve only been knitting two years, so just last year lol), because I heard so much hype around being a test knitter. It was fun to challenge myself (I taught myself to do cables for one), but there was also pressure involved that, in retrospect, I don’t want in my knitting :)
Yep! Turns out it was. The person who left that one commented letting me know. So glad she did! I didn’t even consider… 🤦♀️
I understand the leftovers issue. But I get so stressed out about running out of yarn. If something called for exactly 2 balls of yarn I would have to buy 3 to manage my anxiety. So I like the 1.5.
I’m a huge problem on the yarn weight. I don’t even like garments using worsted weight yarn. It’s just so heavy…
My pet peeve is extreme consumerism by some knitfluencers. Huge hauls of yarn and notions they’re never going to use. Or having ten advents or more, not even finding the time to open them all up. It’s just sad and makes me unfollow them.
I agree completely. Some are just so unrealistic… I want to watch a podcast of someone who I can relate to. If I want to pretend I’ll watch greys anatomy and I’ll pretend MCDreamy is mine!!
Same. I’ll dispute anyone needing a whole pile of project bags. Nobody is traveling around daily with sweaters and blankets in tow. As a totally non-monogamous knitter, I have one project bag because I used to knit to-from work and school, find knitting from a backpack awkward (though I’ve done it more than once), and the idea of a yarn ball escaping on the DC metro in rush hour is just horrific. Otherwise, I have plenty of things to stash projects in that serve multiple purposes, from reusable grocery bags to a handmade ceramic covered casserole that is currently housing a Buddleia Blouse in progress.
I totally de-stash knitting channels that want to show me hauls constantly* or frequently have a new large ticket “must have” (or a stack of them) that serves the same purpose as the one they showed a few months prior. Quite frankly, anyone who promotes consumerism is getting the heave-ho.
* I get some ”hauls” when people find hard to find (or not available in their country) colorways of their favorite sock yarn and buy 10 balls because that’s 5 pairs of socks, which they knit all the time. That, to me, is in the same vein as showing a sweater quantity for the pattern they’re planning to knit.
Taylor I stopped the video halfway thru to let you know once again outstanding job and thank you. Giving two sides of an issue is always beneficial even if some don't want to hear. The links to experienced designers lending their advice is very very helpful and thank you. I have mistakeningly started several crochet projects that hadn't been tested and it was a mess. It took awhile for me to realize that those creators weren't testing their work other than their one time making the piece. Measurements and sizes were way off. Wasted time and money is never good and now I'm stuck with yarn I won't use. Funny how I assumed every designer did it and everyone appreciates it. Learn something new everyday.
Btw I love the music, its part of the vibe that I love so much with your site. Please continue presenting your style of info and vibe and I will cont to follow. Thank you 😄
I think that calling volume discounts an "anti-fat tax" is what makes it controversial. As long as there have been sellers, there have been discounts offered for higher volume sales. Calling it something else makes it sound like virtue signaling.
I agree 💯% , and I’m totally over virtue signalling 🤮
This!
Yes. Totally agree. I find that this is my main issue with this.
Sweaters absolutely need to be person shaped. Never met a person with a front that was exactly the same shape as their back.
I am fat. Paying tax on sugary products or junk food = fat tax. Paying more to buy more yarn because I need a bigger size = reality.
Yep. I just don’t love the names. 🤷♀️
Girl same 😂 though if a company offers the volume discount I’ll take definitely take advantage
I hear you. My local yarn shop does not often carry enough skeins of a single color lot to make a sweater. I guess that is why I have made a lot of colorwork circular yokes.
hi! i'm fat too. things can have multiple meanings and in this case, "fat tax" also means paying more for the same or worse quality as other people, which is the reference. It's a common term in fat liberation and HAES discussions, and a real issue people face especially when it comes to clothes. That being said, the name "anti-fat tax" is stupid.
Higher tax on junk food isn't fat tax. it's a health investment for everyone. The tax on cigarettes, alcohol, chocolate, ice cream, soft drinks, chips, all of that shoul be heavens high if only there were tax free (or alltogether free, paid from those high taxes) apples and carrots and milk and eggs...
Such a good point about men's sweater patterns. Can you imagine if sweaters for women were only shown on male models? Sounds ridiculous, and the lack of male models is the same thing.
I agree, if a design is intended to fit a designated category of human, designers should show at least one photo of that type of human for fit. Personally, my husband would never agree to a pattern if he could only see what it looks like on a woman. As women we would demand that to be the case for us, so why not also men? Or children if they are included in the category.
I wonder if you are interpreting #3 differently than how the commenter intended.
I think most of us can agree that test knitting is an important part of the designer making sure the pattern works for all sizes.
But there seems to be a bit of a craze over test knitting. I watch a lot of content creators and many of them are taking on multiple test knits at once but then seem to be always stressed about getting them done in time. Or they just aren't enjoying the process. It seems like many are motivated by early access to patterns, having the pattern for free or simply the excitement of being chosen by a designer. All of those seem like silly reasons to get involved in what can turn into a stressful thing. I think THAT is overrated. But it's still important that someone does the test knitting.
Agreed! I feel that test knitting is somehow seen as a status symbol...
Agree. I believe this is what the person meant by overrated. The experience of test knitting is overrated. I also think the same. It feels more like a status symbol to be chosen, people feel bad when they are not, and I hear complaints that they don’t have enough time, etc. I don’t see the big deal. So much drama over doing volunteer work.
Agreed!
Yep! Turns out I was! 🤦♀️ I feel like now that I understand this other POV I’m interested in diving a bit deeper into it.
Late to the party, but my pet peeve is that sweater patterns have gone dramatically top-down lately, and sock patterns have gone dramatically toe-up. I (personally) strongly prefer the opposite. I like to knit my sleeves first and block them and THEN knit the body. It helps me understand what happens to my row gauge on a piece bigger than a swatch, and it ensures that my sleeves will fit my arms perfectly. For socks, I just love a classic flap-and-gusset construction for my high instep foot. Luckily, I'm a fairly seasoned knitter and can alter the pattern to meet my needs, but it's annoying to have to adjust 90% of the new patterns out there.
Anti fat tax? That is a really bizarre concept. I see it as a discount for buying more yarn🤷🏻♀️
I understand the person who said they don't want leftovers. I don't like having a half ball or similar just sitting around. But on the other hand I imagine that it is incredibly difficult to accurately predict how much yarn anyone is going to use. Yes, we will get close to the numbers of the designer, but even if your gauge is the same, we all knit slightly differently which causes a difference in yarn usage. Personally, I'll rather take a bit yarn left over than losing yarn chicken.
Don't want leftovers? Find a friend who uses yarn for embroidery. My sister will take and use pieces even just a few feet long.
Toe-up socks are also a good option. Less yarn chicken too.
Susan Ashcroft is a designer with loads of accessory patterns that can be made as big or as small as you like depending on the amount of yarn you have.
She’s the first designer I thought of when that comment came up. I love the concept of having at least x yds/meters of yarn, finding a needle size that works, and knitting until you run out of yarn! If you like a general recipe to follow, instead of specific instructions, check out her patterns.
I am not big on expensive project bags myself. If I had the resources, maybe that would change. I currently use camping dry bags to store my projects. I found some inexpensive ones on Amazon and love the fact that I can clip them to my belt loops and knit as I move around. These are my go to especially for wool yarns to keep moths and other things away.
As far as pattern length goes, I think each designer has their own style of pattern writing, and each knitter has preferences on how a pattern is presented. So it may just take some trial and error to see which designers patterns are easiest for you to follow. Just like some of us work better from charts, and some of us work better from written instructions.
Agree that neck shaping is important - makes me comfortable in the sweater as I don't fiddle with the neck to keep it in place.
I don't like pattern photos that are more like a photo shoot with fancy poses that don't focus on the pattern. I don't want to see a zoom-in of your duck pout. I want to see the lacework or cables in the scarf or sweater. A lot of photos on Ravelry you can't even see the project! Why would I make a sweater when I don't even know what it looks like!? But I guess your hair looks fine?
My husband also won't help me pick a sweater pattern for him (he's picky) if he can't see it on a man first, so I need to sort through photos to find male models or at least androgynous women.
Lol, your comment made me think of a popular Podcaster who seems to do alot of test-knitting....when she shows pics of her modeling the items, often times her very long hair is totally covering the garment. I just want to shout "move your hair behind your shoulders"!!!
Laine is notorious for "artsy photos" the knits are usually beautiful, but often photographed in silly ways, or use dark yarn so you can't see the patterning! So stupid!!
I believe it's because then lots of people don't need the pattern at all. We can easily freehanded it from photo, especially if it's not some revolution shaping. It's morally wrong of course. But happens regularly. I've just watched another video where designers was catch Etsy seller to sell pretty similar of her's amigurumi after freehanded them from photo.
1000% agree on the gender tags on ravelry. as a trans guy finding patterns that work for my body is already tough, but when the filters don't even help it's SUPER frustrating. i often rule out patterns because i can only see photos of them on women's bodies so it makes me feel like the garment will make me look feminine. maybe it wouldn't, but i usually can't see it on a body like mine.
I feel like there can be a very happy medium when it comes to project bags and other knitting accessories. I have found some really inexpensive bags, as compared to the typical "project bags" as are advertised. Usually the more affordable ones I find are made to be lunch bags which work perfectly for my projects. They feel elevated still as they have their pockets and lend a certain vibe to my overall project and transporting of such. The same can be said with stitch markers. Yes there are some that are expensive and some that are much less so. Overall, I feel that if these items are helping add joy to my life and my craft then it's nobody's business if I splurged or over indulged. To each of us, let's allow ourselves joy in this world that tends to try to suck it out of everything.
I publish patterns as well. So I can give a different perspective on the first opinion. You would be surprised which questions you get via pattern support by people you didn’t think people would ask or don’t understand.
Writing long and detailed patterns is away to get these questions out of the way so designers don’t have to answer tons of e-Mails with questions regarding the pattern.
I TOTALLY get that. Makes so much sense. ❤️
What a lovely surprise to hear you talking about my website, Taylor! Thank you ❤ I'm so glad it's been a useful resource.
It’s my pleasure! Your posts are so thorough and thoughtful. Such great information. Thank YOU. ❤️
about your pet peeve at the end: I have the same issue when I can't see photos of the larger sizes. I was knitting a cable vest for my mom, and I was getting so confused because all the photos I saw did not have a whole cable column the chart pattern was telling me to do!
I agree with you. I am a 3X or even a 4X size and the pattern is sized for me, but there are no photos of how it looks on someone of that size. Even if the designer had test knitters for that size, in most cases they show the garment but not on a person. 9 times out of 10 I am not going to buy that pattern.
My pet peeve is when there are no pictures of the wrong side of an item! It's so helpful to see that when you're starting out to see if you're doing it right.
I love yarn leftovers. Much better than running out! Do they really want the shawl to be bigger just so they don't have yarn leftovers? You could give them away if they stress you out.
I definitely see your point about “unisex/male” patterns and photos. I personally think that if a designer labels their pattern unisex, it should’ve been test knit for both men and women and include pictures of both. It’s easy to slap a unisex label on a sweater/cardigan pattern because essentially all sweaters are genderless, but how does it really fit on a man’s body? At the very least a designer can kindly ask test knitters to maybe ask a friend or family member to try on the sweater as well to show the versatility. I have done this with a test knit before and had pictures of both myself and my teenage son in the sweater. It was oversized on me and more fitted on him, but it gives knitters an idea of how the design looks as a unisex option.
I think a lot of the pattern pictures are taken after test knitting. Maybe we need more male test knitters!
I agree! And I think that if the pattern is going to be marketed for men and women, that needs to be a part of the test knitting selection.
Thoughts: when I’m nearing the end of my garment and I’m running low on yarn, I’m panicked 😱!!!! However if I have leftovers, I knitting along peacefully.
On the other hand, having a bunch of leftovers sitting taking up space, causes me anxiety BUT when I make something with them, I’m on a higher high than when I knit the original garments!
I finally bought my first project bag earlier this year. Having my second grandson being mobile and waaay more into things than his 3 year older brother it’s easier keeping little fingers out of my treasures. Beside that easier transporting around. I have now 🤔5 in different sizes.
I’m guessing the person who said test knitting is overrated meant one of 2 things. Perhaps they were a test knitter and had difficulty doing the test knit. I’ve heard good and bad stories about test knitting. Or maybe the person feels test knitters sometimes brag about it, which may make it feel “overrated”.
People act like they’ve won the lottery by being chosen to test knit. It isn’t a prize, you aren’t getting knighted or anything, you have signed up to do a bunch of work and have given up the freedom of knitting when and how you want. Add to that the additional social media work that is usually included. If people enjoy that - that’s wonderful because we all benefit. It isn’t some kind of holy grail of knitting and that attitude is quite prevalent on social media and newer knitters might get a skewed idea of what it means.
The third road is that the 25 test knitters knit in the smallest three pattern sizes and so are completely useless to at least half the people interesting in knitting the pattern. It doesn’t matter how many people test knit if there’s only one size represented.
So I have a personal take on size inclusivity that I haven’t seen anyone talk about and I have been kind of scared to mention because I do not want to come across as I am playing the victim as someone who isn’t facing the same challenges in society as someone on the other end of the spectrum.
While bigger sizes face more problems with non inclusivity and hate about their bodies, a lot of patterns aren’t for petite people either. I have a smaller frame (29 or so inches full bust) and am also a very loose knitter. I wish I had the option to have a tight fitting sweater or to go down a size if my gauge is too big.
A sweater that has a smallest finished measurement of 37,5 inches would fit me (making my problem not as bad as if I were bigger than the size range given), but often look and feel way too loose. I do not always want an oversized look and even with my math it often ends up disproportionate (too big in the neck, too broad over the shoulders etc). I do not want to knit a child’s sweater for myself to fit some measurements better because I have adult proportions.
So my hot take is: size inclusivity should include all bodies, including both smaller and bigger ones.
Yes! THANK YOU! I feel the same way, I'm always knitting the smallest size of patterns and getting more ease than suggested because the sizes don't go small enough to choose a different size. Totally understand the need for larger sizes too, I feel their pain on a different level.
This resonates with me as well. I am also a very loose knitter and have a bigger bust 34 in, but my waist is only 28 in, so the smallest sweaters always end up oversized on me. I wish more patterns had XS and XXS options. A sweater with a finished circumference of 38 in may be only 4 in of positive ease on my chest, but it’s almost a foot of ease on my waist. 😔
Yes. Absolutely. And you are not alone in this opinion. Finding "adult" patterns that still fit very small adults is difficult for many of the same reasons larger knitters experience. And typically, where a pattern may have three or four sizes beyond the L size, there will only be one size below the S. And as you can attest to here, fully grown adults come in sizes far smaller than your average small.
You could perhaps try Japanese and Spanish patterns as they typically are fitted to smaller bodies than English/North American and Northern European patterns.
I think suggesting these types of patterns is great because Japanese and Spanish patterns are gorgeous, and you're right, some regions "specialize" in smaller sizes, however this commenter (Linnea) may be American or Northern European and it would be nice for her to feel as if her size is represented to some extent in the same way larger sizes are represented or encouraged to be represented within the context of size-inclusivity. All of this though definitely strengthens my resolve and opinion that we need to, as makers, invest some of our time into learning how to modify patterns to fit our size/shape. There are so many sizes and so many shape factors to consider that at the end of the day, some sizes or shapes will be left out, something will miss the mark in terms of fit, and it will come down to us (the maker) to make up for that. Circling back though, maybe the suggestion of seeking out patterns from regions that are known for a particular range of sizes is really a good jumping off point. Good food for thought.
Sadly, you have never experienced the deep flavor of leftover chili lol! The flavors of dishes like chili and goulash blend into the dish so well after a day or two in the fridge - or even the freezer- are a joy to your taste buds. As far as leftover yarn, I like to picture what I will do with little balls to make interesting things. I am, however, proud to say that I have actually thrown away some tiny balls that I determined were too small to bother with - lol - it has taken many years for me to get to that point!
Oh trust me. The flavor delights of a good leftover chili, pozole, spaghetti isn’t lost on me. 😉
I agree with letting some of it go. If there was sone place to donate left over yarn bits, I'd be happy to do so (as long as they weren't sock yarn, that i'll happily use). This is something I learned as a quilter. There is always some amount of waste. Do your best to make use of what you can as efficiently as possible, but keeping a bunch of bits and bobbles because you might use it later creates stress and mess.
Please don’t throw those out - take them to a thrift store if you can - I am on a budget and love finding yarn - any type any length
We had a Knitters' Fair in town this month and I noted that there were no deals to be held. All the merchandise (at least what I saw) was regularly priced. I did see, however, a discount offered by one vendor and it was similar to what showed as an example of the anti-fat tax (e.g. buy 7 skeins get $x off, buy 8 skeins, get $y off, buy 9 skeins get $z off etc.). It was not labeled as anything and I was not (then) familiar with the 'anti-fat tax' term. If I knew that's what it was I would have specifically thanked the vendor for providing the discount. Yarn (expecially quality yarn) is really expensive and this makes it just a bit more affordable.
And I totally get that as well.
I'm guessing the "test knitting is overrated" comment meant that it's overrated for the test knitter. e.g. it might be stressful to knit to a deadline, or maybe the pattern designer is being unreasonable in some way, or it's not worth the stress to save a few dollars by not having to buy the pattern. I haven't test knit myself but definitely agree it's valuable to have people confirming your pattern is easy to follow! I'm not sure I'd want to follow a pattern that hasn't been tested
++1 re leftover yarn! I've had whole skeins left over from sweaters 😭 and it's very annoying.
I recently made Jennifer Tipton's Confetti Shawl, which is designed for exactly 1 skein. It was extremely satisfying to have only ~4 yards left-the perfect amount to give to the person I'd made it for, in case the shawl ever needs mending!
That was my interpretation on test knitting as well. I think its very clearly needed for the designer but for the knitter it seems over rated. Admittedly, I've only been knitting for a year so I'm new to the community but it does seem like getting picked for a test knit is somewhat competitive sometimes. And to me, I'm like why would I want the stress of knitting on a deadline and potential troubleshooting? Let me get the pattern when it's already been perfected, thank you.
Yep! That’s exactly what she was referring to. The poster commented here and now I feel like this could be a whole discussion all on its own. 😅
Hi Tayler!
I would like to express my opinion regarding some patterns that I have come across. Sometimes designers have a tendency to use an overwhelming amount of pictures of their project. I love to print out my patterns to have an easier experience following each step and being able to add my own notes etc. So the average pattern can be from 15 to 20 pages and in them you have up to 5 pages of photos that are eating up your printer ink! That can be really frustrating.
I love to see some images relating to the finished design, but I think that there should be minimal photos in the actual pattern.
Good design photos can be linked to the design on Ravelry, Instagram and designers websites.
Thank you for letting me share my thoughts... ❤
I agree. I'm printing at the library and I don't want to pay 25¢ for each full page photo that I don't need .. and I especially don't want to pay to print the "about the designer" page. Like... I already bought their pattern....if I wanted to read about their home life I'd look at their website.
I find a very good compromise with one amigurumi designer ; she make a loong pattern with lot of pictures first ; and at the end, you have the condense version with no pictures. So you go from 50-ish pages with pictures, to only 18 with full text. And I think it's a fair compromise if as a pattern designer, you like to include a lot of picture
The person who said test knitting is over-rated may be referring to the fact that there are always errors in "final" documents. Yes, BUT, there would be so many more if it weren't tested. As a former editor for hire (my nickname was the Editpterodactyl! 😂) I know that few people understand the kind of work that goes into making a document coherent and effective.
Not related to yarn, but the anti-fax reminds me of the volume discount in grocery stores, which I call the anti-single person tax, because I generally don't need 4 of something.
YES.
Your editing of that light bulb going off over your head while you were describing the yarn spike was impeccable
🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for the thoughts on bulky clothing. I’ve always steered clear.
I get so annoyed with every pattern seemingly needing a strand of mohair alongside the main yarn. As a fairly new knitter, is this a trend or standard ?
Totally a trend. I ignore it because I am allergic to mohair and I can’t stand the shedding fluff.
@@Lisa-vb3gn I am all for luxury wool if we can afford it. I’m very blessed with a husband who supports this but I draw the line at excessive expense that just feels like a cash grab.
RE: anti fat tax I think you entirely missed the point, instead repeating the word “volume discount” at least twenty times. The premise was not incentive based but rather accessibility based that larger makes require more yarn and that isn’t always accessibly price-wise to makers. But that it shouldn’t cost literally 2X in cost - especially in the hand dyed world - to knit the same sweater, hence the concept. Cesium Yarns says it nicely: “ALL bodies deserve clothing that fits and feels good. Unfortunately, knit and crochet patterns in bigger sizes require more yarn, which means clothes cost more for fat folks. In an effort to make up for this, we have implemented a discount on large sweater quantities of yarn.” While, yes, this is somewhat of a volume discount it isn’t intended as incentive but compensation.
I was thinking of Cesium Yarn, too! I wanted to add my understanding of the fat tax is that larger people may have to go to specialty stores to find clothes their size, may have to pay extra for sturdy beach chairs, buy specialty bicycles, etc. These extra costs are considered to be fat taxes.
It also speaks to the experience that brings many plus size persons to fiber arts, trying to make clothes that fit them well and not be forced to pay 3x as much or more when that is higher then the cost of the extra fabric their garmets use, because of the inconvenience of being plus size. Some creators want us to know they appreciate how hard that is and why that drives us to make our own clothes and they are willing to support us by offering a discount for that very reason, hence why they call it such because it is aimed at giving a discount to "those who have experienced fat tax in their lives" to say...here it won't happen and in fact I support you and want to help you afford clothes that fit you well! ❤ I hope you understand better now, if you've never experienced such a thing. ❤ It's such a kind lovely gesture and should be celebrated 🎉
I understand what you're saying here, however I will argue that I completely understand the point of the discount as a means to make larger yarn purchases more accessible to "fat" knitters (I know folks who would not appreciate me referring to them as fat, so you'll pardon my apprehension in freely throwing that term around). In fact, I say as much here. What I'm doing here in my emphasis on "volume discounts" is drawing a comparison, because I feel like you really can't introduce this form of discount (no matter the intention) within this context and discussion without acknowledging that it is indeed a volume discount by definition and would ultimately apply to everyone. I mention that a volume discount is typically used in business to promote sales or incentivize larger purchases because this is true. However, whatever a business calls it, whether they say that the discount is intended to make up for clothes costing more for larger people (which is a worthy consideration) or whether they are trying to make larger projects more accessible, financially speaking, other than signaling to folks the virtue in the intention, these labels are neither here nor there, especially considering that no one is asking why the person is purchasing this larger amount of yarn (nor should they) and the labels may actually serve to in some way undermine businesses that do not offer this sort of discount in the name of accessibility (which is why I included the articles discussing why a business may or may not introduce a volume discount structure into their model).
All of this is coming from a business perspective. I understand that it can be frustrating for folks to have to pay significantly more for the same project as someone else. If I wanted to knit a sweater for my husband, I'd be paying twice as much for the yarn. If an average-sized man (whatever that is) wanted to knit the same sweater as an average-sized woman, he'd have to pay a good deal more. A discount on those larger purchases would be nice, but the suggestion that they be given solely because "it shouldn’t cost literally 2X in cost - especially in the hand dyed world - to knit the same sweater" just isn't something I'm entirely behind.
@@WOOLNEEDLESHANDS Totally get what you’re saying but the volume discount doesn’t really apply to everyone. Most dyers I know who have it (totally can be outliers) require 7 or more skeins in the same colorway so that it’s somewhat exclusive to larger garment maker. Could you buy that much for another need and apply the discount? Sure, but the makers I see who have it really ask for their community to use it with the right intention. Explorer Knits is someone I often see post this reminder before updates. I haven’t seen any dyer (again, totally can still be happening!) who is applying an auto-discount on certain volumes of yarn purchases but instead requiring either a code use (and a plea for best intentions) or an email to apply the discount.
I understand how this sort of discount works. What I mean by "applying to everyone" is that whoever chooses to use the discount (whether it's a code or an automatic discount once a volume threshold is met), anyone can use it who fits the criteria for the size of order. Unless of course dyers are creating very specific promo codes that exclude certain people or only include certain people (pardon the example, but for instance a code that suggests that the user is "fat" or larger or plus size), which I can't imagine happening, as that is criteria that is difficult to qualify, for obvious reasons. Here's a hypothetical situation that may demonstrate why this doesn't sit right with me: Imagine one person, say a man who is 6'5'', 210 lbs, yet not considered "plus sized" needs 12 skeins of yarn A for Sweater XYZ and another person, say a woman who is considered "plus sized" needs 12 skeins of yarn A for the same XYZ sweater. Based on the notion that these discounts only be used with the "right" intention, (and within the context of an anti-fat tax) only one of these people is "right" to use the volume discount because only one of them fit the targeted customer profile (plus sized knitter knitting a garment), even if both of these people are knitting the same sweater, have similar financial situations, and may benefit from the volume discount. How do we justify asking customers to use the discount for the right intention when the right intention is not easy to qualify? The point I made in the video (th-cam.com/video/xBeSvHeGH1k/w-d-xo.html) is to emphasize that you begin to venture into some pretty murky territory when you suggest discounts be exclusionary based on criteria that is subjective and difficult to qualify. By offering a general volume discount to all of your customers (which is what I believe most of the business on the list from the site I linked are doing), a business is communicating that larger orders are appreciated, regardless of their intended purpose and that for those who feel that knitting garments is rather cost prohibitive (for whatever reason--maybe they're tall, a man who prefers to knit women's sweaters, a plus-sized person), they are welcome to take advantage of this discount as a way to alleviate some of that financial strain, no questions asked. Nothing assumed.
Have to agree with being annoyed with the lack of good neck shaping in many current patterns. I don't want to have to wear a tank under my sweater so bra straps don't show. I don't like buying a pattern that would fit 10 different sizes but not one size has a properly shaped (IMO) neck.
There is a difference in the general shape of a sweater for a man. The shoulders are broader and the hips narrower. While that may work for oversized sweaters, a sweater like the Field sweater is definitely fitted for a female form. It is close enough fitting that it would make a difference. I like your idea of showing all unisex rated patterns on both sexes. While anyone can and should wear anything they want, the time and money involved in knitting a sweater is such that a visual representation helps immensely.
Re: the handbag thing - maybe it’s getting at people who do TH-cam knitting videos and literally have to tell you about every project bag and link those people. I personally can’t watch some TH-camrs (more than I’d like to admit) because they are always talking too much about the project bag and not enough about knitting!
I know what you mean. It gets old for sure.
Volume discounts aren’t just for making a large size, they are great if you are making more than one of the same thing. Matching hats for the family, sweaters for the grandkids, etc.
I both love and hate historical patterns they skip a lot of details but if I have no base for the knowledge it’s very intimidating. I had a sock pattern say insert heal and close toe as normal. Like what!? I had never made socks before.
I knit mainly historical and vintage patterns and the best bit of advice I was given was to buy a copy of a knitting book from era of the patterns (same with sewing). The British Practcal Knitting books published during the war are excellent for vintage patterns and can be found secondhand online quite easily (techniques and patterns in each book). I'm sure similar can be found in other countries. These should answer all your questions when the pattern says, for example - finish in the usual way! 😂 also some of the garment patterns are hilarious!
@@petapendlebury9024 I do 1860’s I just put a modern heel and toe in it because who’s going to see the foot of my socks.
I also think test knitting can help get a pattern seen more on ravelry. If there is only one completed project I'm much less likely to be confident in the pattern. Being able to see more colors or yarns used makes a pattern more accessible, and the test knit patterns kick that off.
The opinion with the project bags? I understand it like the mess that is left behind in the project bag after the project is done. Confession time: I have so many of those messy project bags, and currently am searching for my 3,5 mm DPNs that I must have left in one of the project bags. Or maybe three, since I own three sets and none of them are where they should be 🙈
That designer who has no male models for a male represented design, misses out on sales !
Agree! If a garment has been test knit, I'm sure one of those sweaters should be able to find a male model....
I totally agree with your pet peeve. One would think that designers would understand that. I think they would sell more patterns if they had pictures of all genders that it is designed for. The man in Rebecca‘s picture is her stepdad.
As for the folks who don’t want leftovers, I think they’re the same folks who get pissed off when they run out of yarn. I guess they must enjoy playing yarn chicken. Good luck with that. I must say I really enjoy your podcast. I used to not like it very much but somehow I kept on watching and grew on me.Thank you.
Y
One podcaster I watch has around 60 projects in tote bags. It would be extremely traumatizing to me.
Think of fat tax like pink tax. It's when living in a larger body just costs more
Also, the picture thing applies to plus sizes, too. If you've graded it and had it tested, surely there's a picture of someone wearing that size that could be on the pattern page
I would argue that a tax is something that is imposed on an individual (the pink tax is simply a concept to explain the relatively high price tag of items marketed to women, and not a tax by definition). A skein of yarn costs the same for any person purchasing it (before sales tax and shipping, etc), regardless of their size. Nothing is imposed on the larger person, skein for skein so I find that using the term fat tax in this context (purchasing yarn for a knitting project) is misleading. The experience may be cost prohibitive due to greater material needs, but the experience is not imposed on the individual, it is simply the reality based on cost per unit. A cost prohibitive experience and a tax are not the same thing.
@@WOOLNEEDLESHANDS I don't disagree. I do think using the term is a way to acknowledge the different lived experiences of people in larger bodies. They could use more neutral language, but it would also lose the act of seeing and acknowledging a group of people that are often ignored or treated badly
My dad always says that if you ask one thousand people a question, you'll get one thousand different answers, and I think that's true here. I also think that opinions change over time, and your situation changes. Take project bags as an example. I've never been anti bags, but have never really needed them. I keep my current project in a basket by my chair, and when I take my knitting to-go, I pick up my basket and walk out the door. Recently, though, I was sitting with my husband in a small hospital room. The nurse bumped the corner of my smallish basket (even though it was under my chair), and my dpns went rolling all over the room and into the hall, and I imagined all of those sitcom scenarios as I tried to collect them all. I now use project bags, which I toss in my basket 🤭 My opinion changed as my needs changed.
Yes, the sweaters are often listed as bulky weight yarn, but several listed that they have used Sandes Garn yarn. That yarn is less weight as other bulky weight yarns. The same goes for worsted yarn. Living in a warm climate, I would possibly make more of the worsted weight yarn in Sandes Garn for that very reason. (It is harder to get is U.S., though.) Ido agree on showing the male figure in the sweaters that are listed as unisex. I had attempted to find male Christmas vests a couple of years ago and had a difficult time visualizing also. Thanks for this podcast and an insider look on how to fine tune Raverly.
Fun fact-a goad(goat)is a prod used in herding. So when someone gets your goad, they prod you where they want you to go(trolling).
Of course, in fiber crafts, it is your goat.
Interesting. I’ve only ever heard of it originating from horse racing and using goats to calm anxious racehorses. 🤷♀️ Who knows?
Yeah, it’s totally goad that has transformed to “goat” like the popular spelling “definately.” Also, while I’m on this particular tear 😉, when something inspires an obvious lead-on query, it RAISES the question. “Begging” the question is an error of formal logic.
When I purchase a book with patterns in it or borrow one from the library, I really hate that they don't tell me what size the yarn is.
It will say something Lion Brand Vanna's Choice. But fail to say what weight the yarn is. Like can you tell me if it DK, worsted, weight 2, weight 5. Something so I can make the pattern and it comes out the correct size!
Agree 100%. I will also take a description of the g/m or oz/yd with the fiber type. Something that lets me find a suitable substitute.
@@lightworker221Yes! This would be optimal. I have a spreadsheet of all the yarns I’ve purchased, and as we all know, within a given category (say DK), there can be dramatic differences.
In my spreadsheet I’ve currently got them sorted by that trait, because most other traits are easier to compare visually.
That may be because it’s so easy to look things up online.
As a trans-guy knitter, I don't tend to mind the male/female model issue as much. IMO, if a top is being marked as wearable by a man, it's gonna be pretty boxy anyway. If it was fitted to a woman's chest or waist, the maker just wouldn't mark it as for men anyways. To me, it's also a little useless since myself, (and I've heard this from other people in the same situation!) I've had top surgery, so I have more "feminine" proportions through my ribs, waist, tummy, hips, but a completely flat or (for some) even concave chest.
The one that REALLY pisses me off is when I filter for ADULT FITTED GARMENTS and the only model is a seven year old. If the pattern comes in adult and children's sizes, you should have tester photos of the adult sizes? Or even have made at least one adult one for yourself?? THAT'S wild to me.
I understand what you’re saying here. I think for me, the issue is less about what is or isn’t wearable by a certain person, but rather more about the visual representation of the wearability of the design. It’s hard to relate to a pattern when it only represents (visually) one gender. My husband is 6’5” 210 lbs with broad shoulders and a long torso. The Cozy Classic Ragaln may be wearable for a male, as per the designer’s filter options, but there’s nothing there to emphasize that visually. For example, if I were to ask my husband if XYZ sweater would be something he likes and the only visual he had to go on was a series of photos of female figures wearing said sweater, I think he’d be at a loss. The photos are our first point of relatability so when that isn’t relatable, you just skim over it. When the result pool is flooded with options like this, it makes searching frustrating.
@@WOOLNEEDLESHANDS I get it. I think in general more model variety is helpful, since what you're saying can apply to large height or weight differences, body type, proportions, etc. Even things like how a garment lays while sitting down, for wheelchair users. It's one thing if it's a smaller designer with only one model, but when you see a pattern that has a handful of models, but all with similar bodies, it can be frustrating.
@@cecilross2848yes. 100%. ❤
I’ve been collecting vintage patterns for many years and one of the reasons I love them is because they don’t repeat things 10 times and don’t have 10 pages of instructions. Most of them are one and a half pages and that’s it.
Love these videos, especially the way you do it, it actually inspires discussion rather than just complaining. 😊 As far as knitting patterns being too long, I think it depends on the knitter. Some knitters need more hand holding than others so I think a lot of pattern designers try and accommodate. Testing knitting? I honestly have no comment on this. lol Leftover yarn? I don't mind it. I do use a lot of scrap yarn for projects...all sorts of weights and lengths...so I am in the minority here. I agree with you here, I don't have an issue with bulky yarn...I love a good bulky hat, but super bulky yarn isn't for me. I have a couple skeins of extremely bulky yarn here in my stash that I really have no use for. Center pull vs outside pull...I keep my yarn in bags because I have dogs...dogs that shed a whole dogs worth of fur...and have always done center pull to keep things neat. A couple times I have pulled from both the center and the outside when I was doubling up yarn. Project bags? I have quite a few. Most are vintage from thrifting...others are handmade, but I use a lot of bags for things other than knitting. And I do agree, if I am knitting a sweater for my husband, I would like to see the sweater modeled on a man.
I wonder if the person who said "test knitting is overrated" was speaking from the perspective of a test knitter. I.e. they felt that test knitting wasn't their cup of tea?
Oh maybe! They totally could have been.
Great post ! The Franky sweater you stumbled on, from Sandness, offer patterns with or without a following mohair yarn. Great to be given the option🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Calling a bulk discount an "anti-fat tax" feels really disingenuous. Someone buying fewer skeins is not paying more for their yarn - no additional cost is being added to them. Even with a bulk discount, you are still paying more for a project if you have a larger body. 🤔
I agree. I feel like a bulk discount is a bulk discount and if it serves as some kind of incentive to buy more or makes a purchase more accessible then great (if that’s the goal). Calling it anything other than what it is in order to shine light on some kind of virtue is just not necessary.
In terms of what you’re paying with a bulk discount, the customer is paying less per skein for more skeins. Seems like a deal, and for all intents and purposes (since the person needs X number of skeins, regardless) it is. However, like you mention here, more yarn means more money, no matter the discount. A person knitting a blanket will always pay more for their project than a person making a scarf. I think it just stings when a person making XYZ cardigan pays $300 for the yarn while another person making the same cardigan pays $120. That’s just an unavoidable reality and if a bulk discount alleviates some of that, and it works for the business, then it’s all good. Just…no need to label it anything other than what it is-a bulk/volume discount.
I agree! We need more pictures of men wearing these designs to see how the garment fits. We complained that we needed different body sizes, that we need to be age inclusive, and show racial diversity so why have we forgotten men????
As a man who knits and wears jeans a a T-shirt almost every day I appreciate and agree with your pet peve about ravelry search and photos. If you put "men" in your patterns tags or description please include a photo of it on a man or in more neutral colors at least. Men like me or women like Tayler (knitting for a man) will just pass over your pattern of we can't picture it on said man so including that photo is a win win. We get another option and you get another potential buyer.
100%. Very well-said.
Testing knitting can not feel worth it as a test knitter. Logically I know the importance of patterns being test, however some of the requirements/requests from pattern designers to their test knitters are insane considering most aren’t getting paid to do it and in fact paying to test knit (their time and yarn.)
Your comment on project bags had me put down my knitting, and actually count my bags........ drum roll...12!!!! And those are the ones within my immediate line of sight! I love a project bag. I have my favourites, for sure. But I love me a good project bag!!!
I have quite a few project bags because I enjoy having seasonal bags. So I’m using my fall and pumpkin themed bags now. The fact I don’t always empty them when I finish a project is a different issue! 😂
And I can’t figure out why ppl
Complain about left over yarn 🤦♀️ lol omg. I use it to make matching socks or even some color work in a matching hat.
And too many project bags?
If I go to a show or a shop on travels I buy one so I am supporting the vendor. If not in use they look really cute lining a shelf along the top of my craft room till needed. Usually with a project bagged and ready to go so when I am ready I can grab and start.
The bottom line is I do what works for me. Others get to do what works for them. Don’t want a bag, don’t buy it. Don’t want left over yarn, gift it to a kids camp that teaches.
And pattern a too much or too 36:57 little? Oh plz not everyone has the same skill level. Ones gotta learn technique somewhere.
But why on earth is one’s peeve something that works for others?
Why do ppl find it ok to complain about what others do? Says the girl with a lot of bags lol 😆
Same about the leftovers. I know of multiple knitting groups that use donated leftovers to make scarves, beanies, socks and blankets for people in need. I find it incredibly entitled for people to complain about leftovers. Personally, I love them, and use them to make all sorts of things.
I also think pulling from the center of the yarn cake works better for me. I am really really particular about the tension as I cake up my yarn, and making sure the yarn doesn’t slip down the winder as I go. I’ll unwind and redo to get it laying just right. If I don’t I have had yarn barf issues. So I think the prep of the cake might be the cause of this frustration. The one exception I think is mohair, I noticed on my last project that pulling from the center seems to strip some of the fluff off, I had a dust bunny sized puff of fluff lest over and it did tangle the yarn a bit before I extracted it from the cake. Hope this helps.
I'm knitting a pattern that gives a check box for every single row. Very kind to give 7 pages to check off - except it's a 6 row repeat over 151 rows.... So I've gotten down to an A5 page for the pattern total in my notebook lol.
Oh my goodness you made me giggle! Loved the video and was pleasantly impressed with how you handled the controversial topics of our hobby.
I totally agree with the Ravelry search peeve!! But then, there is so much I don’t like about Ravelry, this is just on the list!
My pet peeve is when an instructor shows or discusses in detail how NOT to do something. I find that only reinforces the incorrect method. Just show the correct method or show another CORRECT method. I already have practiced the wrong method and do not need to be reminded. :-| (this is also a pet peeve in sports or cooking... so not just a knitting pet peeve)
Another pet peeve is when the action being shown is slowly moved off the frame. It makes me move the scroll bar but to no avail.
Agreed with the male pattern hunting "hot take." I do not think my husband would pick a sweater (hand knitted or otherwise) if the only model is a female because then he would assume it is a female sweater, despite it being unisex. He would want to pick a sweater that shows someone with his similar body type for, as you say, relatability. It's similar to how I usually choose sweater patterns for females since that is the way I can see how the sweater fits on my similar body type. I don't see this as a hot take, but moreso as common sense lol
I love project bags - but I also love to sew. There are awesome bag patterns on Etsy
Same! Though the fact that I can sew keeps me from buying lots of project bags because "I can/will make that myself."
That said, when it comes to hobbies, I'm just not monogamous. I always have several books going at once (one audio, one print, one digital - at minimum). And I always have several knitting projects going at once, usually in various stages. And I don't like to start with a project bag that will fit the project as it grows or that holds everything I need for the entire project.
I cake up as I go. If it's single strand and a large project, I *might* cake up two skeins. The caked up skeins and the tools I need go in a project bag with a bit of room for growth, but I expect to have to size up bags as the project grows. And I knit everything from socks to blankets, so a variety of bag sizes is what works for me.
I don't need 40 bags, and there is definitely a stage where I have too many projects on at once (I'm nearly there to be honest), but I think the average knitter likely has a long way to go before they'd be "hoarding" project bags.
Also, like Tayler, I find using cute (and functional bags) is motivating and adds even more joy to what I'm doing. Plus, I can look at a project bag and immediately know what project is in it because no two are the same. :)