I’ll Knit If I Want To: Episode 159

Welcome to I’ll Knit (& Spin!) If I want To! I asked y’all to send in some of your questions (from everything from fiber arts, to designing and on!) so I could put together a little video for y’all every Friday doing my best to answer your questions!
Sign up for my newsletter here: Sign up for the DRK Newsletter: eepurl.com/diPxsr
In this week’s episode we cover:
1. Hi Andrea! First off let me say I love watching you every week and enjoy your helpful tips and tricks. I just finished morning rituals! This was the very first pattern I had seen in like 2020 when I took up knitting again. And at that time there was no way I was ready for such a pattern but I have finally challenged myself to give it a try! The coziness of this sweater is what I knew I needed in my wardrobe (and I cannot wait to knit up another). Unfortunately, when I whip sewed the collar it was a little to snug and now my head won’t fit ooohhh no! I need help. I was able to undo the sew of the collar. I don’t know what I did wrong. Should I give it another try and skip a few stitches? So it isn’t so tight? Should I loosely sew the collar? Could I not sew the collar and just fold it? Your help is much needed, please help me save my mornings ritual sweater.
2. Do you ever find past projects that you don't wear because you don't like them anymore? What do you do when that happens? I got on a shawl kick a few years ago and one of them just isn't doing it for me now. I can't even remember the last time I wore it because I wanted to and not because I pressured myself into it. Is it worth hanging on to, or am I better off giving it to someone who will enjoy it?
3. Hi! I love your patterns and podcast. I have been so interested in spinning and love to hear your advice. I do have a question. Can an espinner be used as your only spinner? I have heard of people plying with the espinner but not sure about using it for everything. I ask this because I have a motor skill/coordination issue that makes it impossible to use a regular spinning wheel or drop spindle. I have tried but just doesn't work. I would love to be able to spin and wondered if I could use an espinner? And FYI I am an avid bike rider too but use a recumbent trike because of balance. I do fine with knitting. Thanks so much.
4. Hi Andrea! I had a question about steeking. Im working on a sweater design that I would love to turn into a cardigan as well. My design will be using fingering weight yarn paired with mohair, and that had me wondering! Can you even steek this kind of sweater? Im not sure If I will go ahead with this kind of process - since it is new to me, and might not fit the style and design elements im considering, but im oh so curious if you can steek any style of knitting? Id love to hear any input!
5. Hi Andrea, I love your KZbin Channel and patterns and you have inspired me to try two color brioche for the first time! I want to knit your Harlow hat but the yarn that I have my heart set on using is DK weight and it seems like your pattern calls for either fingering or worsted weight. Is there anyway I can modify the pattern to meet gauge with my beautiful Dk yarn? Thanks for your help!
Today I am wearing the Stripes pullover
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...
My website: www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/s...
With the Open Sky Shawl
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...
My website: www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/o...
DRK March to May KAL 2024
Sweaters: www.ravelry.com/discuss/drear...
Shawls: www.ravelry.com/discuss/drear...
Instagram: #DRKMARCH2MAYKAL24
DRK Spin It to Knit It KAL
Ravelry KAL Forum: www.ravelry.com/discuss/drear...
Instagram Hashtags: #DRKspinittoknitKAL2024 #DRKspinsTHETRAVELER
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7

[@akikonakahata4860]

It's nice to hear Andrea say it is ok to get the joy and fulfillment out of the making process but the finished objects not necessarily becoming your favorite things. I have made a few things that I don't get much wear and that has made me sad thinking I "failed" to pick right projects, but her comment reminded me that I did get the enjoyment out of making them. So thank you, Andrea for the reminder :)

[@dreareneeknits]

Absolutely!

[@annabellavampirella]

I am currently reading Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle by Clare Hunter. It's on Audible and I am enjoying it immensely. 😊

[@SCAdianScout]

If you want to add stretch when sewing down, try using back stitch or herringbone stitch, these stitches also work when fixing garments made of stretch fabrics (or even hand sewing them)

[@beruberu7647]

Your explanation on gauge versus size - game changer. I seem to never fit the gauge so this is amazing - try to fit the size with number of stiches. Love your voice and whistling :)

[@belindajin]

I'm working on knitting my first project with my handspun! Someone gave away a fleece at my work so I processed it with my dad last summer and now I'm using the yarn we got out of it to make him a vest. :)

[@marybethchenoweth3077]

I always look forward to knitting while listening to your podcasts! Thank you for being so consistent and doing them every week. Some books that I have listened to on audible (yes, while knitting) recently have been: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Women by Kristin Hannah. Both books have truly amazing readers and are just SO good. Hope you try them and enjoy.

[@ulrikejane6486]

Book recommendation: Eleonor Oliphant is completely fine. By Gail Honeyman. It’s about friendship, hope, and self-healing. You’ll miss her when you finish reading the book. 😊 Titel here in Germany: Ich, Eleonor Oliphant.

[@morelsonthetrail6920]

I’m a new knitter (learned in late 2023), and love your designs. I’m shopping for yarn to make your new melt shawl, rewarding myself for learning brioche. Brioche isn’t as difficult as I had imagined, a huge thanks to your continental tutorials.

[@dreareneeknits]

So happy you found them helpful!

[@katieroe2719]

For books, anything by Kristin Hannah. My fave by her is The Great Alone, but The Nightingale and The Four Winds are also very good. Pretty sure all her books are great! If you're into learning the science behind things, Deep Nutrition is a good one; it's not so dry that you can't read it, it's written very well. But I'm also a person who finds that kind of book fascinating.

[@tashahack8730]

Butter lettuce is my love, specifically buttercrunch ❤

[@theholisticinitiative]

I got a spinning wheel today, after enjoying my support spindle for a few months ❤ You’ve inspired me to spin because I see you using your handspun, and creating patterns that work with handspun, so thank you !

[@jenniferevenmelton]

Book recommendation: a dear friend and Maine author Julia Spencer Fleming! She has a great mystery series starting with “In the bleak midwinter”

[@lindaurban7331]

Thank you so much for these videos. My knitting knowledge has increased exponentially since listening to you! Would you please talk a bit about short row shaping? I'm about to start knitting a yoke sweater with cables that begin immediately after the collar ribbing. The pattern doesn't include any short rows for raising the back of the neck, which for me is a problem. I've heard of people adding short rows to the collar ribbing, but I can't figure out how that would help (especially since this is a folded and sewn-down collar). In this patter, the cables end after the sleeve split. Should I just add short rows at that point? Or will that only add to the length of the back hem and not really help with the neckline. Oh, Andrea, HELP!

[@hanacaena2904]

I really like your way of doing a podcast! I tried to manage the #100daysofspinning but ended up buring out about day 40 ish. I kept on spinning but lost track of what day , and worring about how monotone my ista became ( white wool, white wool white wool, brown wool) Right now i have a Texel fleece about 900grams that I spinn on my e-spinner. Thanks for all your advice!

[@peggiesmith1512]

Book Recommendation: Cold Vanish. I thought it was a better book about folks missing from national parks and national forests.

[@leahtimmermann2708]

I just made a batch of banana-pepita-cranberry muffins made with almond flour. GF, moist, kid approved! Yum! Snow coming here too this weekend in eastern Ontario. Thanks for your wonderful podcast! :)

[@katlady1019]

Snowing hard in Michigan’s thumb today! So beautiful!!! I just finished Happiness Falls by Angie Kim - highly recommend!!!

[@user-iy3tm9ky9s]

I am about halfway through the velvet mirror. Its absolutely beautiful!!!

[@debcigna6732]

i love baby red and green leaf lettuce and arugula , thank you for all the tech answers love your color choice andyour answer about steeking!

[@dreareneeknits]

Thanks for watching!

[@jessicalila3712]

I am knitting your DRK Everyday Sweater for the March to May KAL and it is fitting so well. I feel like I'm finally getting my fit right!

[@dreareneeknits]

That makes me so happy to hear you are liking the fit!

[@edmistoncreations]

I’ve been sewing and hunch lately! I highly recommend the Page Hoodie by Chalk and Notch-also has a free expansion pack to make a crew neck. It has a great fit and is a quick sew. Now I’m sewing Arthur Pants, then a Horizon Day Dress. Happy making! ❤

[@dianaw9829]

I am currently working on the Spark Cardi for the March to May KAL, and I’m really enjoying it! I made soda bread last week, and triangle shaped, filled pastries yesterday. As far as gifting one’s own handmade items, I recently gifted my adult daughter the second colorwork yoke sweater I ever made. It just didn’t fit me well. I learned that I need to be more careful about where the color work falls in the yoke depth for me next time. I’m just glad it’s been re-homed and that my daughter can use it for those winters in Washington DC.

[@melissatapp]

I’m loving the So Faded Sweater I’m knitting. I made one for my daughter and she loves it

[@truditrubl]

Thank you so much, as ever, Andrea! I have just discovered "Period Power." by Maisie Hill; Iusually read fiction but this is one non-fiction must read IMO so I currently recommend it all around (and I am in my 40ies...I wish this would have been around when I started my period!)

[@donnagorman8942]

HI ANDREA !!!! I LOVE YOUR OPEN SKY SHAWL!!!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT COLOR THE YARN YOU USED IS???? THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TALENT WITH US!!!! DONNA

[@laurellae]

Hi Andrea! I absolutely love butter lettuce for salads. However, lately I've been on a romaine kick, piled high with sweet corn, low sodium black beans, crispy onions, spicy chicken strips and a dressing made with bbq sauce and ranch. If I have any avocado or cheddar cheese, I'll add those on top. As for books, I just started Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan the other day and I am obsessed. I'll probably finish it today and jump to the next one in the series. Hope you had a great weekend and are enjoying the spring snow! I could have sworn that groundhog said we were going to have an early spring... 😂

[@cece_tee]

The Open Sky shawl is my favourite ever knit. I have 2 and love them both ♥️

[@juliesmith9379]

Just finished knitting ankestrick’s REBEL cardigan. It was a unique construction, which kept it interesting.

[@hundredyearhouse]

I’m knitting a gib and it’s a total joy! ❤ thanks for all you do!

[@mcoknits856]

Hello from Toronto. Another suggestion for a more flexible neckline to fit over your head, is to avoid casting off. Instead of binding off, put the yarn through each stitch of the last row while loosely stitching those stitches to the inside of the neckline.

[@janecatchpole6939]

I've just got the yarn for your Melt shawl, so looking forward to getting started. This will be my first shawl other than a very basic one decades ago. I'm in the south of England & we've got a cold weekend after warmer weather as well.

[@taylorbrooks890]

Today was our local fiber fair that is hosted my the spinners guild. I cannot make guild meetings, but I stocked up on lots of fiber and 2 new spindles. I haven’t been able to put it down! Now I need to actually learn techniques 😂

[@melissav721]

I'm making my nephews 2 of my own Amberglow ear warmers for their birthday celebration! It's a pattern I came up with myself, not published....yet. However, I made the prototype about 5 months ago for myself, & have knit about 6 so far...hope they like them!

[@cyndylee544]

Andrea, a good book (collection) to read is the Bregdan Chronicles. It's historical fiction and begins just pre Civil War and then onward from there through the Civil War times and afterwards. It has strong female characters and I learned a lot of our history through these stories. It's really good and you won't want to put these books down.

[@LeeKnits]

I would love to hear some of your book recommendations at the end of your episodes!

[@OlympiaKnitting]

I have Open Sky on my needles right now and loving it x

[@adaschenck8615]

I’m working on my metamorphic sweater using some special skeins of Dyed in the Wool I got at PortFiber last summer. I love the sweater so far!

[@lakeviewchicachicago2042]

OMG! That shawl is gorgeous! Have you ever spoken as to how you store your knit garments? Thanks!

[@littlearrowfibers2615]

Hi Andrea! I was debating casting on your Stripes sweater this week-end so you wearing it in this episode feels like a sign ;-) Now to decide which colors in which order ( I'll be using Ulysse from De rerum Natura) ! I wish you a lovely week-end.

[@daniellejohnson3364]

DRK everyday sweater for the KAL as well! ❤ I just read ‘The Throne of Glass’ … there’s multiple books in the series! Thanks for the recommendations on the hat sizing! Might have to try. I have a ton of DK weight yarn looking sad and lonely.

[@lettylettebowskie]

Your videos are such a cozy companion for knitting! I'm super curious about your next 100 day challenge, because of you I will finally start spinning and don't be too afraid. Do you know the Kalle Shirt Dress by Closet Core Patterns? This is a great dress to try in different fabrics and explore the differences in the finished garment. I have three in hemp, viscose voile and cotton lawn. Every garment is very different to the other. I could imagine you in this dress. Thank you for your videos and all the info's you share

[@oliver-p5147]

current knitting project: super basic cowl in really fun microstripe hand dyed yarn from my lys! fav gf recipe: gf jules bagels (add some salt on top, sooooo good) book recommendation: the mermaid the witch and the sea by maggie tokuda-hall (young adult, fantasy, romance, ive been loving it so far) have fun! been loving your podcast recently, sending good vibes your way!!

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

I am working on baby knits, grand-child expected in June !!!

[@loribiamonte6533]

I just listened to a book that really grabbed me. We discussed it at the library book group and everyone had a lot to say about it. More Than You’ll Ever Know by Kate Gutierrez. I am currently listening to and reading The Women by Kristen Hannah. Very good but a difficult subject matter.

[@corteofs]

I am currently knitting the Stripes! In the KAL :-)

[@dreareneeknits]

Yay! I hope you love it :)

[@barbhelpin2775]

Book recs...Remarkably Bright Creatures; "Horse"

[@gwendylady]

Girl, I'm with you - I hate spinach. Sweet lettuce all day 😂

[@delta8885]

It’s so interesting to hear this, because I was going to ask you if you could steek a plant-based yarn, or if you need the stickiness of wool/mohair.

[@dreareneeknits]

The stickiness of animal fibers does help, so I would recommend using a sewn reinforcement for plant based yarn.

[@karenmattingly362]

Love your channel-I always learn something! Curious if you are aware that IG has changed how hashtags are viewed-they only show the ‘top’ posts now 😢

[@DiannEgeland]

Book recommendation - this is a true story ' Saving my Assasin' by Virginia Prodan

[@everystitchaprayer6268]

🥰

[@mrsANGRYh]

I’m a new knitter.. as in a month! I love love love your designs. But do you have any beginner friendly patterns?

[@YolyCurls]

Nice shawl. I’m looking for a nice shawl to knit and that might be it. Is it on your Ravelry page?

[@dreareneeknits]

Yes, it is! I’ve linked it in the show notes!

[@FanieMor]

Book recommendaton: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Just lovely !❤

[@dreareneeknits]

Loved that book!

[@sharonkennedy8612]

Love your videos. Knitting hats for charity right now. Knitting a sweater for myself, just to go through the motions of knitting a sweater. Wondering who you follow for gluten free and is this working for you. Do you still eat poultry and fish ?

[@dreareneeknits]

I have Celiac disease- so going gluten free was a must. It has also helped with my Hashimotos symptoms! I do eat poultry and fish as well. :)

[@allnaturalnutknitting4272]

:)