Finishing My Fausta Bralette Top | KNITTING PODCAST | Episode 18

[@GabrielaVazquez-jc3pi]

Fellow tight knitter. It took me forever to both appreciate how loose a cast on and bind off were supposed to be and just how tight mine was. After 20 years of knitting, it was only after I started watching KZbin videos like yours that the scales fell from my eyes. I still struggle to cast on "loosely" or bind off "loosely".

[@wordstokeep]

Lovely podcast again, I’m so excited whenever you upload! 😍 Not sure if someone already commented about the pickup for icord, but it shouldn’t matter if you pick up all the stitches first or pick up and knit the icord as you go. I prefer picking up a small section at a time and doing the icord to test the pickup rate before picking up any further. I think I learned this from a Lily Kate Makes pattern where she recommended this for double knit button bands/edgings, but it works the same way with icord and saves a lot of effort if the fabric starts stretching out or puckering ☺️

[@verylikecheryl]

Imagining the Fausta lengthened into a dress 🥰

[@AliMakesEverything]

The designer has actually mentioned she’s pondering figuring out how to maybe create a dress version of the pattern someday! 😍

[@JenDulinVT]

I just finished the Eva Cardigan and didn't want to use a standard bind off for the 2x2 rib. I love the look of a sewn bind off but don't love rearranging to 1x1. I found the Kitchener Double-Rib BO and it worked great! It's basically the same as the video you linked, but before sewing, you put all the knit stitches on one needle and all the purls on another. Then it's exactly like Kitchener stitching a toe on a sock! 💪🧦 Much more straightforward. Your Fausta top looks great, I'm super impressed with your mods!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Oh that does sound much easier to keep track of, I might have to try that next time I have a 2x2 to bind off! 😄

[@debsmeth]

Hi Ali, I love your videos! I especially enjoyed your intelligent and thoughtful chat about art and design at the end. May I give you a tip for picking up stitches for your icord? I mark even sections around with stitch markers, by folding the neckline in half, then half again, etc marking until I have around 8 sections. Then I divide the recommended no of stitches by 8 and pick up that many per section. If it’s not a whole number, just round up or down. As long as you’re even left to right, and you’ve approx the right amount around it usually works great.

[@leighhuggins5030]

Ali, you're not alone. Most of the products at Trader Joes are not the highest quality...especially their more speciality items like tea, coffee, non-dairy milk, etc. The snacks, frozen food, and prepared food are all bomb, and it's pretty inexpensive. But I loved the Numi Aged Early Grey. And for the icord - just pick up 1 stitch for every stich around the neckline. I always pick up as many stitches as I need to fill every stitch and it never steers me wrong.

[@lisagill5787]

I tried the 2x2 sewn bind off a few weeks ago from the video you mentioned and I came VERY close to crying in frustration. Good call in avoiding it entirely 😅

[@cosmically2381]

I recently saw a tip for knitting jogless stripes in the round that helped me a lot on a striped top. You knit one round of the new color (color A) and before the second round you put the right leg of the st from the last round (color B) onto the left needle and k2tog. Super easy and it looks seamless!

[@comfycozytoo]

I use this tip and it works very well.

[@AliMakesEverything]

That’s actually exactly what the Sailor Swift pattern calls for! It’s my first time doing it but it’s nice and simple 😄

[@lowkeyboldknit]

Hello, Ali. I was so excited to finally see your version of Fausta bralette! I am very impressed of how you solved every issue that you came across during this project ☺ Wanted to comment a little bit about 2by2 invisible bind off. Many people (and so do I) recommend doing it by switching stitches to 1by1 and then doing a standard sewn bind off, because that is just so much easier. Doing it this way it looks as invisible as on 1by1 rib, because when you switch up the stitches, you only switch them without knitting them, so the stitch pattern doesn't change; sewn bind off is essentially making a one final row of stockinette that connects right side knit bars with wrong side knit bars and it even can work on 3by3☺

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thanks so much! Your pattern was such a satisfying one to knit! The fit is just 🤌🏻 That’s interesting about the bindoffs, I feel like someone needs to do a comprehensive visual comparison of all the different sewn bindoffs side by side for science 😂

[@maureencapotosto9257]

When I pick up for armholes or neck I always section the area off and work to distribute the stitches evenly. Adding one here and there may be necessary to keep the pick up neat and extra stitches can be knit together on next row.

[@HauteKewture]

I would love the details of your jeans from this video but also.... Could you share your bust / waist measurements and height measurements to help understand the comparability for sizing ? This would be super super helpful on something like your Ravelry page :)

[@Breigenwijs]

Hii, absolutely love your top! If you still think you want to lengthen it, you could do some surgery! pick up one row in the body (litte below the increases for the bust will be best, and then knit the remaining yarn up and sew up the top and the bottom again, if you are up for a challenge:)

[@Practically_Inspired]

2x2 sewn bind off, I use a tutorial by Suzanne Brian, it’s one of three tutorials in one video I think. . Yes, so confusing, I’ve made a cheat sheet that I keep in my knitting bag to do the steps. It’s so pretty!!!

[@flaxandfibrefarmhouse]

I can't stand a weak Earl Grey. I need that bergamot to hit me in the face lol. I'd love to see an off the needles segment that rates your fave Earl Grey teas!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Oh my god I love this idea 😂

[@kcolpitts]

I am 100% picturing the time I got stuck in a sports bra in a store changing room when I listen to your bralette bindoff issue. I feel your pain.

[@AliMakesEverything]

😂 It’s a feeling you never forget.

[@KatarinaBarsk]

You could consider modifying Jeny's Stretchy Bind-off by doing the extra yarn over every third, fifth or tenth stitch. That would help loosen up the bind-off without being too stretchy or bulky.

[@janetjroberson2581]

Hello from Swansea, Illinois. ❤❤❤

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hello! Thanks so much for being here! 😄

[@christybray8789]

Ali, I have made two sailor swift tops (because I didn’t swatch the first one!!! So it became my sister’s bday gift 😁) and I love it. I’ll be interested to see how your icord edging does - mine tends to roll in. Any ideas on how to stop that? I have the yarn to make another but I want to figure this out first! And you are so smart to finish armholes and neck before concluding!! Thank you for teaching me that! I tend to just follow the pattern blindly instead of thinking for myself!🤦‍♀️ Next, I am very interested to hear in how your channel became monetized. I have a. Channel for camping and am considering starting a channel for knitting. So please share all! Also just bought The Eyes and the Impossible. Have you read it? Can’t wait to dive in!

[@Meredith36]

Haha! No to screens being put into the windows, that is such an artist thing to do- I love it. Also the leeks- that would drive me crazy. But it’s a beautiful home. I love your knits and the choice of bright color for the cardigan. Sorry you got hit with those extra fees! Happy knitting 💚🧶💚

[@AliMakesEverything]

Right?! I thought it was hilarious 😂

[@dreamy_knits]

My favorite way of sewn bind-offs is Elizabeth Zimmermanns Sewn Bind-Off. I find it less fuzzy than tubular bind-offs, and neat enough for what I want :)

[@AliMakesEverything]

Ooh I’ll need to look into this one, thanks! 😄

[@allysonbrownmarcolini514]

👋👋 from Ally, just outside of TO 😅

[@thatgirlstitching]

I’m in love with the look of your Fausta + Eva! Where are your jeans from?

[@wandageluk-vandervelden9597]

Hey Ali, i was watching with a big smile this time. The 2 x 2 was also a big issue for me it just looks al wrong te make it a 1 x 1 😂 Im a thight knitter too and i think that poking in your finger is blamed on how your holding your needles ( too thight). And also the thinner the yarn and needles the more holes you wil poke in your fingers 😅

[@AliMakesEverything]

Ughhh the plight of tight, picky knitters 😂

[@talitharitter3176]

It’s my first time watching your cast, and I fully expected you to tell me the Pantone code for your top. Ex printer and marketer, so my brain can’t be depantoned.

[@MoonyMcMoonykins]

You knit a busset for your gust, eh? 😂 I'm just giggling because I would totally spoonerism that, too. I hate picking up stitches too, so I feel you so hard on the icord. Also, I hate the tax and handling bs. Do you have any friends in the US that would be willing to play middle man? You could have the yarn shipped to them, then they can forward it to you and mark it as a gift, and the value on the package as like $10 or something, which will usually circumvent the extra fees. It does make it more convoluted, though 🥴 Did you ever read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? I feel like I'm probably the last person to jump on that particular bandwagon, it's not a genre I usually go for, but I finished it yesterday and man, what a ride.

[@AliMakesEverything]

I LOVE that book! It was the first Taylor Jenkins Reid book I read and now I’ve devoured so many of them 😄

[@MoonyMcMoonykins]

It was my first too! I may have to give more a go!

[@Knot_Tired_Knits]

I feel your pain, I currently have the stab wound issue but on my right pointer finger as an English knitter! So annoying! Re the 2x2 cast on, look at Ruke knit as they have a solution that looks quite nice. They call it the “Ruke Cast Off” but I’ve seen another video so I don’t think it’s exclusive to Ruke… 🤔

[@juliao9146]

I especially like this cast off also, but do it on the wrong side as I prefer the look of it that way. Veronika Lindberg uses it in the video tutorial for her Darling Cardigan for anyone that is looking for good instructions.

[@AliMakesEverything]

I’m also an English knitter so fascinating that we have this problem on opposite hands 😂 I’ll have to look into the Ruke one, thanks for the tip! 😄

[@fvidder2210]

Trader Joe's is great at branding to get that cultlike following, but a lot of their products are only okay. I have all of the same bind off issues as a tight knitter. For a standard bind off, I go up three or four needle sizes in some cases and then use my natural tension. I think you and I might just be abnormally tight knitters even compared to other tight knitters. The thing where you have to force the needle with your finger is more of a tight knitter issue than a silk issue, in my experience. Silk's lack of stretch can exacerbate it though.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Three or four sizes! What are other people doing when they knit that we aren’t, I’m so confused. 😂

[@nanettekroupa1371]

I am a Harney’s Earl Grey tea girl. Check them out.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Okay their tins are beautiful 😍

[@OceanLyre]

You only get dinged if they label the duties as fabric/textiles not wool/animal fibre because importing wool to Canada is supposed to be tax/duty free I’ll try and attach the pdf if you need to submit for reimbursement to the cba

[@AliMakesEverything]

Ahhh I wonder if because this one is a blend with a lot of plant-based fibre it doesn’t count? But that’s great to know for future wool purchases! 😄

[@slkendall85]

Brokerage fees are so enraging. I already paid you for shipping. I why did you not include this fee in the shipping instead of holding my package hostage for it?

[@AliMakesEverything]

Why, UPS, why 😭

[@junimondify]

Yep, bugs are animals, making silk an animal-based fibre.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Really just watched my brain melt in real time there 😂

[@junimondify]

@@AliMakesEverything I think it's relatable, I have frequent brain-melting episodes as well XD

[@MissyO.]

I love tea, and trader joe’s teas are not good😞 their other stuff…great! Their teas are nooooot worth it

[@AliMakesEverything]

So glad it’s not just me 😂