I’ll Knit If I Want To: Episode 127

[@MsRockdoc]

Rhinebeck tip: bring a folding shopping cart or wagon to carry all your purchases. Those bags get heavy lugging them around.

[@gbitter1395]

Love watching you every Friday. My husband sometimes watches with me. I haven't made him a sweater in years because the first sweaters I made for us both were Lopi Icelandic sweaters with yarn I bought on our honeymoon, and while they were lovely and warm, they were super itchy. I made him another one, but didn't know about gauge swatches and the arms made him look like the Michelin man. That very oversized sweater ended up being my big comfy sweater that I'd wear when feeling awful when having terrible menstrual cramps. It was known in my house to take it easy with me when that sweater was being worn. :) After today's episode, where you talked about the itchiness of various fibers, my husband said, "you know, if you can find a yarn that isn't itchy, you can make me another sweater." YEAH! We've been married for almost 34 years, and I haven't knit for him since year two. I've got three things on the needles right now, but a sweater for him is going in my queue!

[@loribiamonte6533]

There is a lovely yarn store, The Perfect Blend, in nearby Saugerties NY that is really worth the 20 minute trip across the river. They also sell tea.

[@kristinahill3708]

Oh I just love your humility! How grounding to know that even brilliant designers like you can have ideas that don't fly. You cheerfulness is a joy and you're making me think that NY sheep and wool is something I should try to attend.

[@sleepydrJ]

KZbinr “Engineering knits” just put out a video on unraveling sweaters. She actually made a contraption to help with tricky ones, but it’s not required. She explains what to look for when you choose a sweater to unravel

[@alecsgirl]

I was just going to say that! I watched this video yesterday and it got me very excited to try thrifting a sweater to re-knit.

[@beepbopboop3221]

This was on blogs ages before you tubing became trendy. Lambs wool recycles well. Cashmere is too delicate. It rips while flogging.

[@cwanlin128]

I too love your videos and your upbeat, fun personality. It is endearing to hear you too have "goofs" in your knitting. I sure wish I could make it to Rhinebeck, but not this year. One day. It's a long trek from northern CA.

[@debcigna6732]

i thank you for the discount on your patterns as a birthday gift back to us, hope your celebration of your big day was wonderful.. thank you for your honesty about your new design, yup some things need to sit on the stove a little bit longer. stay creative and joyful about your creations!

[@The-Vintage-Needlecrafter]

Hello Andrea, I am really loving the golden color of your sweater. ❤😊

[@10amTracy]

I’m going to Rhinebeck for the first time this year, with my mom! She’s not a fiber enthusiast; she’s going just so we can have a trip together. I hope she finds it a worthwhile experience, too! ❤

[@peggydrawspictures]

the traffic leaving ny sheep + wool fest is a thing to behold. I live about an hour and a half from rhinebeck and I think my last drive home from the festival took 4 hours and the majority of that was spent trying to get back on to the highway from the fairgrounds.

[@isabelpires927]

I have knit a Mondim sweater and it has help up soooo well! Rosa's yarns don't really bobble in my experience, the sweater I knit my husband in Brusca also looks amazing. I love her yarns so nice to see them showcased here :)

[@Marielm1]

Cardiganize. I am 100% there for this brilliant word.

[@nancyistenes7643]

I wanted to comment on being frugal with your knits or clothing purchases. One thing to consider is the “cost per wearing”. Sometimes commercially made clothes that are cheaper in price or also cheaper made. So they do not last as long and you don’t get as many wearings. I find that sometimes spending more on the garment or making the garment out of good yarn, in styles that I love and will love for years means that the cost per wearing is less. I then have to buy fewer clothes and spend less on my wardrobe in the long run.

[@DguidoDesignes]

Always love your podcasts, they are my favorite to watch and spin to :) thank you so much for sharing every week. I recommend bringing water :) ❤

[@bronaobrien1661]

Thank you Andrea! Another sunny (yellow sweater ;) vlog with lots of tips and interesting creative chat. Love it.

[@bluejay5531]

This was my first podcast Andrea and I loved it so much! I have finally bought some of your lovely patterns that I have been hearing about so much, with your birthday sale, happy belated birthday! looking forward to all of them, maybe the LYS will be my first, if I find the right yarn in my stash (not buying yarn at the moment) take care Love from Italy ❤ Barbara

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

Very interesting answers to very interesting questions. Thanks !

[@sylvieouellette3136]

I am fairly new to knitting having started in 2020, just before the start of the pandemic. Since then, I have watched EVERY single episode of “I’ll knit if I want to” and am very grateful for your enthusiasm and helpful tips. Thanks to you and your patterns, I have knit my way through countless shawls, cowls, 3 sweaters, and many socks. I am now undertaking my first Brioche project (Harlow) and wonder if you have any suggestions on joining in the round while in brioche? I followed your instructions, but find that I have quite a step or jog where I joined. When I’ve done other projects in the round, I have followed the tip to cast on 1 extra stitch, which is then dropped to even out the round, but I wasn’t sure how that might have affected the brioche. Advice?

[@marjoriebahm9239]

Love your cardigan! Lovely!

[@NorthstarKnits]

Adding to your comments about knitting your own sweaters. You also get entertainment and therapy value from the cost of the yarn. Just ask my husband😂

[@amyclawson7]

Look forward to my fridays to watch your excellent podcast! Apart from knitting….what do you do for your skin! It is soooo lovely!

[@ShanaH414]

Engineering Knits just did a video on upcycling thrift store sweaters. Highly recommend!

[@annettehoffmeister4144]

Thank you for some great tips 🧶😊

[@tammycourtemanche261]

Happy Birthday, hope it was a great one

[@teripersing]

I’m excited for the spin it to knit it. I’m pretty new to spinning and this will be my first project specific spin. Thanks foe the terrific show!

[@sueaitkin8030]

Thanks again, so informative!

[@thecreativeknitrovert]

Great video Andrea! Lots of helpful tips ❤

[@evadedenbach1226]

Andrea, I'm getting to brioche knitting. I've made serveral basic brioch vheadbands using a basic brioche stitch, and I've made a few dish cloths using the pearl brioche. Next up is the honeycomb brioche on a few dish cloths.

[@The-Vintage-Needlecrafter]

Yay!! 🎉 Up cycling!! So glad you mentioned this. I have gotten quite a few unique yarns this way. Right now I'm currently working on a short sleeve cardigan I up cycled. It's a cotton acrylic blend ,and very soft.😊

[@sherrilindstrom3064]

Just a thought on budget friendly yarn, I have bought sale yarn in different colors, same weight, brand. You can also re dye them.

[@phyllisburke4141]

In the 1980’s I was given an Icelandic sweater someone knit for her husband that was too big. I took it apart and reknit another Icelandic sweater. Lopi yarn..still in perfect shape.

[@jennymiles4426]

I wonder if it was @katestangledstring you were trying to recall - she is amazing, will recycle yarn from thrifted sweaters, usually hand knitted. She uses lots of plant dyes which she forages herself, weaves baskets from grass and is a whizz at nagelbinding ( needs an umlaut) - a beautiful Viking craft , not to mention hand sewing entire authentic medieval outfits.

[@annettedeering127]

Love your podcast!

[@jamiethrogmorton2540]

ooh I love a new word: to cardiganize!!!

[@cynthiaguild61]

I Tried knitting and walking. I'm not quite coordinated! So maybe baby steps? I have started standing up while knitting and I like it! I also can go back and forth on the pathway to our front door. I'll get there eventually!

[@karendavis7278]

I’m interested to hear your commentary on double knitting. I have done double knitting potholders in the past - the kind where you do one solid color on each side of the potholder. Last week I decided to try double knitting colorwork using a free coaster pattern I found online with a coffee cup motif. My experience: double knitting colorwork is fiddly and it is so easy to make a mistake (so much carrying yarn forwards and backwards) and double knitting (for me) was slow going. After repeated times of frogging back and starting over I ended up deciding to do regular knitting with duplicate stitch (single knitting one side at a time) and then sew the two sides together to get the same thick result. If you pick up any helpful tricks along the way, please share them.

[@trixievazquez1244]

To the first questioner about short rows: I've seen a few patterns that are constructed like this (back panel knit first, shoulders picked up after) and what I've seen designers do instead of short rows to get that nice triangle shape Andrea is talking about is just increase your stitches on each side. It might involve some math to get right, but about as much math as short rows without the hassle!

[@beepbopboop3221]

It's more expensive, but even if you get budget wool, it's higher quality than ready to wear. It's knit to size.

[@lettyregan2207]

Could you list your favorite reference books on knit stitches, construction methods and finishing techniques? Thank you!

[@seasonseasthk]

I’m so curious about the pattern that didn’t work out. I hope you keep it exactly as is so you can revisit it when the time is right.

[@lauriejarboe6087]

Not only are you a talented designer but based on the level of today's questions you should congratulate yourself on inspiring knitters to adapt patterns or surgically change patterns after the fact. You should wear Yellow Brick Road more often it looks great on you!!

[@phyllisburke4141]

I purchased the the tessellated vest. I have the spincycle yarn, actually 2 different color ways. I’m trying to figure out yarn for the main color. Any suggestions? Not sure about the fuwa fuwa yarn either

[@joanmachado9063]

Great podcast thank you 🥤🧶😊

[@ShastaBree]

I do the sniff test too 😅

[@ashleyribbe4518]

i do have yarnitecture book. any can i find another book for different sytles of fibre spinning? I done spinning well with drop spindle. I wonder it name on different styles of fibre, an instance, is single woolen small or big how it worked.

[@whitneyrimel8880]

She could look for yarn at second hand stores and also maybe on Ravelry.

[@robinlibby324]

📜

[@melissa-joy]

This just popped up in my feed a few days ago. I haven’t watched it yet but it may be a place to start with unraveling sweaters to use the yarn. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqnVdK1urKuLZ8U

[@julierogers1155]

Why don't you show ALL of the sweater you are wearing?