I’ll Knit If I Want To: Episode 124

[@ryoknits]

I love your suggestion to donate to refugees. I can imagine people coming from a warm climate to a cold one would really appreciate getting warm woolly goods. I usually buy the little sample packets of wool wash and include them with a gift knit.

[@monicalyn18]

A sweet lady at a yarn shop gave me the tip to wrap paper around the shaft of the spindle and secure with a little tape, then you can slip it off and onto a lazy Kate for plying.

[@alip.9740]

I found it easier to learn how to draft on a spindle. Because the wheel can suck up what you are trying to draft if you struggle getting the brake figured out. But if you have a teacher to set all that for you, I can see getting on a wheel can be just as easy. You know your own patience scale. Take a brake but don't give up. Another example: my 5 yr old was so excited to sit and treadle, it looks so fun! So I let her and tried showing her how to draft before and after sitting and treadling but I found her seeing more of a progress on the spindle because you can park it to draft after spinning it. Hope that helps!

[@KirstyKnitsnSews]

I tried spinning once on a wheel before I tried spindle spinning and I found it SO frustrating because the uptake was too much (I also didn't understand how wheels worked). I found spindle spinning great because I could draft slower and understand wool better. Now I've gone back to a wheel I love it, but I'm so glad for the spindle spinning for helping me to learn more about fibre and drafting.

[@netty062]

Lovely podcast. I don't call it a kitchen scale, I call it a yarn scale, 🤣!

[@kchristensen73]

I love the tinsel mitts! I've made them for my son, my husband, and soon my daughter and myself.

[@katespin99]

When winding a ball I like to take the 2 ends and tie them together. That way I don’t lose an end. Great advice for new spinners.

[@mikelafiddle]

In terms of spindle spinning as a newbie - I didn't have access to a wheel but wanted to learn to spin! So my friend showed me the park and draft method on the drop spindle to start. This gives you time to focus on drafting without worrying about the spin. That is in contrast to a fully supported spin where you spin and draft simultaneously. I highly recommend Vermont Spindles! I tried a couple cheaper drop spindles and they were really heavy and not super well made. The Vermont spindles have been a dream to spin and are about $40, compared to a beginner spindle which is $15-20, so i think it's super worth it.

[@gingerdogknits]

I used to lose my center pull ends in my turtles all the time! I don't spin too much on my spindles anymore because of physical limitations, but I found that when I used a short lil leader tied in a loop to start my singles, that solved the issue of the breakage that was causing my fiber to get lost in there 😂

[@kristinahill3708]

Lovely as always!

[@sueaitkin8030]

Always enjoyable, feel so good after watching you. Thanks!

[@The-Vintage-Needlecrafter]

Oh I love those Midwest mitts!! I am from the Midwest.

[@ruthswarthout1115]

Hi andrea, I love love your new sweater and vest patterns and isn't this a great way to make and meet new people. Its such a great way to be with other knitters and learn from each other. 😊

[@allisonbyrd]

Hi, Andrea! I have been knitting the DRK Everyday Cowl and enjoying it so much! I have a question about substituting yarn. When moving from the recommended 100% Cormo DK-weight yarn to a 100% Merino DK weight yarn, I noticed that the Merino provides 230 yards in a 100 gram skein, whereas the Cormo provides 250 yards in a 100g skein. First question: Am I right that it is likely because the Merino is more dense (assuming the same wraps per inch in both yarns), or could there be other factors that cause this discrepancy in yardage? Second question: When making that substitution, or any substitution, what is more important to match - the yards recommended or the grams recommended - if I want to be sure to get the same finished size of cowl? Thanks for all the knitting (and spinning) knowledge that you share! You’ve motivated me to sign up for beginner spinning classes!❤😂

[@annettehoffmeister4144]

I always enjoy your videos. Thank you for the tip regarding chosing colors 🧶😊

[@rigelpuppy1]

I learned on a spindle and got so frustrated that I bought a wheel. I used my Ashford traditional for 40 years and recently got a dreaming robots eew 6.0 electric wheel for plying. It’s now all I use for spinning. I absolutely love it.

[@kimbryan2014]

I love spinning on my wheels...tried to use a spindle and still strggle with that ... purchased the supported spindle recently and like that better than the drop method ... love your new patterns

[@patriciapamponette9841]

What a lovely podcast, I learn so much from you I just started spinning and I am loving it. By the way yournew sweater and vest patterns are awesome. I will be making them.❤💕 happy bday have an awesome trip.

[@catreid1019]

So glad I found you!! I'm newbie and hope get good enough to make that gorgeous vest! Love your patterns

[@maryp1224]

I just bought my first drop spindle from Fibreculture and can't wait to try it. It's a handmade spindle with beautiful design, the fleece that I got with the kit is dreamy! I would love to try a wheel but figured i would start here

[@sunnyw4148]

Fun stuff. Wisdh I had lowered my expectations when starting Tour de Fleece. I am learning and it looks like it

[@phyllisburke4141]

I’m looking forward to knitting the tessalated vest. Trying to put together yarn. I do have 4 skeins of spincycle that I plan on using. I have a local person who has merino sheep that creates the most scrumptious non superwash yarn in dk weight. I need to get swatching when I figure what to use in place of the fuwa fuwa. Thanks for great patterns and podcasts.

[@allisonbyrd]

Hi, Andrea. A little off-topic, but . . . I have a question related to an earlier pattern of yours -- Junction -- that I'm about to cast on in the next couple of days. My question is actually about the pants you are wearing in the pattern photos! I just love them. Are they from a pattern you sewed yourself, or from a store? I'd love to know more about them. I'm new to sewing and have an entry-level sewing machine, but wouldn't mind trying a project to amp up my sewing skills, if those are indeed hand-sewn!

[@wavingcat5]

Oh i love this vest and the way you’re wearing it.I feel that vests go best with collared shirts and i need to get some!

[@dianegiannini8968]

I have an Nano wheel by Dreaming Robots. Love it and use if for plying too! My other wheel is a Spinolution Polowog. I have a drop spindle too which is really where I learned to draft and then I could spin on a wheel. Now I would like to add a supported spindle to my spinning tool kit!

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

I love you grey spun yarn.

[@myrtleknits3353]

Love the idea of the convertible mitt, in case our fingers need a quick warm up, whilst we are out wandering with our wips in the cooler weather 😊. Hoping to do this as an all year round activity here in England #ourwanderingwips

[@sandrabailey9340]

I'm trying to keep in the loop for when you do a different neckline on your weekender pattern. Will a notification come out via email?

[@zoeprimrose2309]

Thanks!

[@dreareneeknits]

Thank you so much for your support!!

[@pameladuncan550]

Always looking forward to Friday to watch you will having breakfast. I bought an extra kitchen scale that I keep in my craft room. Was wondering if you have a smaller scale that you have for your traveling ?

[@jamie8510]

Thanks Andrea, great video as always! Did I miss your reveal of your handspun Weekender?? I hope the delay means you are releasing an expansion pack for that pattern! 🤞🏻

[@fjellrosastrikkepodcast]

Its a Norwegian Word , Nøstepinne ( nostepinne) i spin in my youth wanna Try again, i dont have a spinner , wonder on a el or not. Love to see all your Nice knowledge abt all knitting, wool and all thank you, happy birthday on the 1 august 🌹🌞😍🤗

[@susancrosby4363]

I love spinning on a wheel but not so much on a spindle. I’ve never found spindle spinning to be anywhere near as enjoyable. I still give spindles a try from time to time but much prefer a wheel.

[@heidistanley7721]

Not knitting related, but I love your glasses. Where did you get them?

[@beepbopboop3221]

My sister made a spindle. I feel had because I gave it away. I don't spin. I just knit. But anyways that's a really budget friendly way. It was easy to make.

[@fancythatcookies]

I have queen bee wheel, it folds up to save space

[@greteklingenberg8846]

where can I find the pattern for the vest?

[@moniquem8093]

Nice vest, wish it was a top-down pattern

[@everystitchaprayer6268]

♥

[@marisadawndesigns5458]

Just got the rest of my yarn for the Tessellated Vest today! Will be casting on this weekend!

[@melissa-joy]

I don’t quite understand how to plan when Spincycle is involved if you have to order the yarn online. You quite literally have no idea what the colors in the skein will look like until it’s in your hands.

[@susanrobertson5137]

Spincycle does say that you can leave a note with your order to direct them towards what you’d prefer (a dark moody ghost ranch or a more vibrant for example). Another idea is to do a virtual shop with Farmer’s Daughters Fibers where you can see the skeins first since they carry it. Just an idea if you didn’t know about either of these options.

[@ibjessd]

I’ve always left info with what type of skeins I’m looking for and the pattern I’m using it for and they’ve always been really good about accommodating that. They definitely read them.

[@turtlewoman13]

Hi Andrea, in this video, #124, you said, "I have 10 little bumps left". What do you mean by "bumps"?

[@tree4763]

Donate yarn to 4H

[@sallythompson2635]

I have a giftable bag of knits. I take to lunch dates with girlfriends and they get to choose whatever they desire.