The Antler hat by Tin Can Knits also has a free cabled hat. To check if a particular wool would be neck friendly for you, you can knit a swatch and wear it behind a bra strap for a day to see if it irritates.

I enjoyed hearing about the retreat! I am usually a DIY type, but there is something special about taking an in-person class once in a while. I think I learn as much from the other students as I do from the instructors.

Hi Renee Love your adventurous plans for 2025! My daughter is an ice climber and a runner and I will have to tell her about your recent trip. I am going to explore designers as my 2025 project. Happy New year! Do you have a favorite yarn shop in Pittsburgh as I live in the south of the Pittsburgh area and would like to treat myself during these cold days in our area.-Bonnie

I’m from York County PA. Love Irina and Jeri. Been a big fan since they started in Landisville. Wonderful folks and a great shop with wonderful customer service.❤❤

Great to catch up with you: Happy New Year! I still need to go back in time and catch up with your December videos 😆 That Mondim sock yarn color is spectacular! I have been meaning to try that yarn...on the list still but will add that color! I can be a bit sensitive to fibers, but Palette is good for colorwork, I used it in my Budding (cardigan by Anna Johanna) and I thought it was "soft" enough. Suri Alpaca and baby alpaca work fine for me (unless it's too hot to wear) but Mohair I find much more prickly for next to skin. Thanks for taking us along with you on your fiber explorations!

Great podcast, I too like trying and learning all the things. Cables were so much easier than I thought, colorwork was fun, but not as easy due to color dominance and floats for stranded, mosaic I took to easier, both are very engaging. I learned a lot from the book, The Colorwork Bible by Jesie Ostermiller pub in by Interweave in 2020. The mohair I can to,erase well is Knitting for Olive, I’ve tried KnitPicks Wool of the Andes and Palette, both are not “soft” but not scratchy either. I do s gauge swatch and tuck it into my shirt under a strap to test my tolerance. It’s a good day when I forget it’s there! Enjoy and embrace it all, be well ~

Hi Renee, your plans sound good to me! I want to try Drops yarn too, wool warehouse is the go for that in Australia (except with the exchange rate they aren’t cheap for us). I want to try Air and Belle. Love the Stick Season and also her upcoming colourwork pullover looks amazing. I’ve just started the stella quilt cushion which would make a beautiful wedding gift in the blanket version made with the linen quill too. Look forward to seeing your olans come to fruition in 2025.

I love how you are doing projects I’m to scared to try 😮 I have been knitting for years but do safe stuff. You have inspired me to jump into more challenging knits 🙌

Also, I buy my Drops yarn from Wool Warehouse. It's based in the UK, but the shipping cost is reasonable and is also pretty quick.

Hi Renee! KZbin just put this video in my recommendations this evening. I am a fellow knitter from the Pittsburgh area, so I wanted to take a moment and say hello. I really enjoyed this video and look forward to watching more! Take care!

I loved hearing about your plans and seeing all the patterns you are finding inspiring! The bee cardigan is especially intriguing to me... As for non itchy lace-weight options, I got some cashmere silk at a yarn swap (it was a score!) from the brand Lotus Yarns and it is so soft I can't imagine anyone would find it itchy. I don't think it is still being made but there must be something out there with a similar fibre composition. I also love the Isager alpaca lace weight but I don't know about the itchyness factor. It is soft to me but I don't have particularly sensitive skin for yarn.

I love that moon tank! I have some wool sweaters (I’m in Minnesota) and I’m very sensitive to wool, but I can wear them with a long underwear top underneath. I’m looking forward to your next Booktube video!

Hi Renee, where to begin? Happy New Year to you and yours! I'll start with Knit Picks which I love for many reasons especially that there are so many ethically sourced quality yarns to choose from at such reasonable prices. I have sensitive skin and I can wear Swish merino and Stroll sock yarn next to skin. I made the Baa- ble Hat with Wool of the Andes superwash and I think it'll be OK to wear on my forehead on cold days as it did soften up after washing. I'm not sure I could tolerate it in a sweater though. Also the yarn has thin sections which are more prominent in some of the colors. It did bloom a bit after washing but I went down a needle size with one of the colors for the hat. I tend to be a loose knitter. I'm about to see what Aloft suri alpaca lace and also Palette feel like in my order that's on its way. I was surprised at how much I love High Desert yarn. I made gloves with the sport weight and the yarn was a joy to knit with, such great stitch definition but also forgiving in stockinette. The fabric feels so classy and those gloves are warm! I'm thinking it would knit up beautifully on a sweater pattern. I just recently bought Drops Daisy DK from Wool Wearhouse. My swatch made a gorgeous fabric for knitting up a PetiteKnit Monday sweater. It's soft enough for my sensitive skin and I'll just deal with any pilling that happens. I think Swish would pill more- which I already know it does- than the Daisy. I'll have to report on that! The audiopodcast Unraveling, a Knitting Podcast, is going to do a work-along by going through Patty Lyon's new workbook for her Knitting Bag of Tricks book. You might like to join in on that to learn new knitting skills. You need both the book and the workbook to follow along. I'm highly tempted. I've been using a new to me cast off from Very Pink Knits. She has a video that shows three different bind offs and the 3rd one is the one I'm using. I look it up every time I use it but I'm hoping it'll become second nature soon. Ok! Long post! Catch you later, stay warm! .

Have not finished watching but while it is on my mind-I buy Drops yarn from Woolwarehouse.

Your plans sound great - a good mix of fun stuff to knit! Your Flax is looking awesome 🧑‍🍳 💋

I love your socks and that is my next quest- wonder on the heel, would you have been better off doing a mix for strength - that seems to be why the “nylon” in the sock blend - since I have some sock yarn and also straight wool, am trying to decide for myself --what size needle do you use, and circular>? Or DP ?? Fun video as always - !!!😊

I recently untangled a big mess of yarn, and I don’t have a cat! The alpaca is very difficult to untangle, but I do love how soft it feels.

Love your raw and honest adventure with knitting 👏👏👏

Renee you’ve done a fabulous job for a first year knitter. I’ve been knitting for 5 years and just this year made my first garment (The Tolsta Tee) then another simple tee and I’m now making another Tolsta Tee. This was so fun to see everything you made in 2024. Can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year.

Hi Happy New Year 🎉 With all the progress and items that you have knitted, you should invest in a set of circular needles. Take a look at knit picks for a good and inexpensive circular set. Also, try to find a recipe for your own sock and stick with that. I am amazed in all the items you have knitted in 2024. 😊 One word of advice please read the whole pattern before you start the project so if you get to a part of the pattern you don’t understand you can look it up and figure it out and gather all your tools ahead of time. Can’t wait to see what you do in 2025

I’m so impressed and inspired. As a new knitter, you have encouraged me to go for it🎉. Thanks for sharing all you works with the do’s and the maybe’s❤❤❤❤😊

So impressed with your early knits. I'm trying to perfect sock knitting and I must say it is a challenge! OMG! I love your emotional support chicken!!

I think the Stockholm Slipover looks great on you! It would look great with jeans for a more casual look.

Congrats on learning to knit! But you look like a “winter” to me. Blue, and reds would look so much better on you especially with your hair color. Would stay away from browns and mustards.

Have just found your channel and am starting from the beginning! I also started knitting again last year so can relate to your knitting quandary 😂 Will continue to watch all your episodes 😊

the binder is so smart!!

That Stare hat!!! Love it. May need to make it for our daughter.

I'm thinking,Renee, if you aren't too attached to your first scarf that you might want to repurpose the yarn to make something else that you'll actually wear. That's the cool thing about yarn, you can usually reuse it. That yarn will have a story to tell every time you see it!

Congratulations on your success in your first year of knitting. Something you can try to soften rustic yarns is to wash with hair conditioner. 🎉

For a possible re-do for a vest you might want to see the vest pattern called Hello Friend by Leslie Friend, it recently came out, in late December 2024. Leslie has a similar esthetic as you seem to have (you are both lovely)and she has created a full tutorial with lots of hints. I’m swatching it as we speak!

How encouraging you are ! I am a very new knitter, and have attempted the Sophie scarf so many times my cat has loads of mini bonnets, haha, but the one on my needles is going to make it. Watching your Video gave me personal drive. Your items are wonderful

You have given me encouragement -I always enjoy what you are working on, the great yarns you pick - in the beginning I thought oh no, you would soldier on with errors in a piece - I tend to be the rip it all out again piece and find not getting things done because of it - you made me say to myself, this is a small error, keep going; !!! I thank you for your talent and enthusiasm - Happy 2025🎉

I love that pink vest! Just seeing and hearing your reactions between that one and your first vest, I think you'll love it 1,000 times more if you remake the first pattern in that pink with a little waist decreases and a stretchy bind off :)

You have made amazing progress in your first year of knitting!

So many good projects!

It’s amazing (and inspiring!) to see how much progress you’ve made in such a short time! I hope you don’t frog that beautiful cowl! Maybe now that winter is here, you’ll start wearing it? It’s such a lovely pattern, and combined with that yarn, just beautiful! Happy New Year, can’t wait to see what you make in 2025.

Love your persistence with sock making. It gets easier and more fun as you go. I went through the same process. I only do heal flap and gusset. Kitchener stitch is practice.❤️🇨🇦❤️

Loved hearing about your experience ❤

With all the rave reviews about your Sophie Scarf - which weight Magpie did you use? It does look great and has some definition. I think I remember that from your first yarn event in Pa? I have some cashmere and not sure if that alone, has enough weight to do the scarf.

The vest fit and color is great!! You gotta redo the neck band tho!!… the point is the focal point!! You can do it👍

How do you find out about all these retreats? I don’t know how to get started.

The retreat sounded amazing! (--Bebe)

The retreat looked so fun! I love a good train ride 😊

I have picked up Noro through the years and was so interested in all you learned ands different items you made - you had asked about other people and retreats - sorry I went into a whole story on my different get aways - but yours sounded fabulous and a wonderful experience, including the train ride and sunset!!! Getting teachers at that level is an experience within itself!!🎉

Here we are Dec 26th - wow, time to relax and enjoy a couple of days before thinking about taking everything down. Loved this on the retreat - I do two retreats a year - March & Sept., quilting retreats , with my quilt guild, we go to a center right on the ocean, which is close by - this particular one is a bring your own projects and have fun and food with a like minded bunch of woman. I have through the years been on big retreats like Houston in the Fall and Kentucky - which I signed up for classes and it’s never fails that you learn something new, from the teacher or some of the other students. It enriches your craft, no matter what it is - I have also done knitting retreats - yearly, SC has a retreat with members of the SC knit guild., - they have classes and I have learned new techniques. My local store closed sadly and I have gotten away from that retreat. It also comes down to (if you have a husband) how many trips on your own you choose to take, - the quilting is just Sun- Wed and more local for me so, it has been easier and always fun. But I am getting back into the knitting (it is so portable )and you have been an inspiration going from thing to thing, I have seen your growth with what you are doing - it has been so much fun to watch!!!😊

I’m about to start my knitting journey so it’s nice to find someone who hasn’t been knitting long but is already making complicated projects (watched your last retreat video first lol).

Love your retreat report -

Hi Great podcast You know that you can do a 3-needle bind off. The Kitchener is a killer Thanks

Happy holidays

Have a merry Christmas trip to Santa Fe. I can’t wait to hear about your knitting experience . I think it’s just great. But please I was stressing out as you were picking up your balls that were all catted !!pick up some project bags while you’re out there😂