The type of stitch can also have be an important factor in shape support. If you really want to use a "saggy" yarn in a seamless garment, something like seed stitch, linen stitch, moss stitch or cables can add considerable structure, especially in the shoulder and hem areas.
You did a great job explaining the spinning! When I learned to spin, I was taught to remember the difference between "woolen" and "worsted" spinning by fiber prep. Worsted fiber are prepped like you would a little kids hair, combing and smoothing. (Worsted has the letter S in it, I remember the word Smooth). Woolen is lofty (Woolen has the letter L in it, I remember the word Lofty) and it's prepped to trap air and be lofty. As always, I appreciate your offerings each week and look forward to them. Keep up the great work!
I’m so happy 😂. I hadn’t seen this and I had picked up Drops Air for the sand cardigan. Felt like I’d won the lottery after hearing you saying about blown yarn. Thank you ❤
I knit a colorwork bottom-up raglan using a wool/cotton blend yarn (the exact yarn used in the pattern) and was very disappointed. The colorwork turned out lovely but it made the sweater so heavy because of the stranding of the yarn that it has stretched out all over. The yarn was quite pricey which kind of adds insult to injury. One of my favorite sweater yarns is WoolPop (wool and bamboo). I worked it together with mohair and it is gorgeous. Thank you for all the info.
OMGosh this has been the most imformative video I have ever seen! Thankyou so much for explaining in basic terms, this explains why some garnments turn to rubbish after one wear/wash, Sending you big HUGS from way down under in New Zealand.
I've been knitting for 18 years and this is the first time I've heard of blow yarn. I realize now that I've seen yarn like that before but had no idea how it was made!
This is helpful. I struggle a bit due to being sensitive to any prickly yarn (like wool). And I don’t like the feel of acrylic. I am going to try a non-superwash merino yarn and see how I tolerate that. It’s so hard to be a knitter with sensitive skin!😢
Just starting to watch your video but I understand what you are saying. Sweaters I knit (mostly in the past) that are seamed, seem to have a lot more structure to them. Seaming isn’t hard, just time consuming. I think my next few cardigans will be seamed.🙂
Nordic seamless colourwork sweater designs often have folded over crew necklines. I guess this is a double-duty feature - provides warmth and supports the weight of the stranded yoke.
Thank you so much for explaining all this for me! I have learned a lot.😊 When I first started making clothing, I made a tank top crocheted with cotton yarn. The finished project was lovely. At first. It kept growing longer on me over time and I had no idea why. Now this cute tank top can be worn as a mini dress! (Yikes!) Then I made another top with acrylic yarn… same thing!!!!! Very discouraging when you put your all into creating something beautiful. But I didn’t know what I didn’t know!!❤
I have found that it’s possible to substitute a wool/cotton blend for a pattern designed for 100% wool especially if the pattern is for DK weight or thinner yarn. Also, adding a ribbon to the back neckline helps with structure
With a seamless, cast on 1 extra on each "side". Mark them and keep marking every little bit, so you see the "seam". When finished take a crochet hook and crochet the extra stitch to the selected stitch and create a "seam".
Great topic. I just finished a short sleeved top-down cardi with a wool cotton blend. I'm contemplating a tee with the same yarn but I haven't checked the new pattern. I also want to see how the cardi stands up to washing and wearing.
Oh My Goddess! I just finished a beautiful lacy short sleeve summer sweater (Top-Down). I used fingering wt, camel & silk fiber with size 3 needles. I washed & set the garment. It lost all its shape. And became very very long. 😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫 i haven't wore it just yet.... but I'm pretty sure it will look odd. 😭😭😭😭😭
When I first started knitting I designed and knit a wonderful cable patterned sweater. I didn’t swatch and I knit it in cotton. Luckily it was seamed and somewhat kept its shape but I still cringe at that combo 😅
Thank you, I’m learning so much from you! I have two questions: Can you point me to the pattern of the Wonderfluff cardigan you are knitting? Love those lace details! Second: is your Sweaters that fit workshop only about sweaters/pullovers, or is knitting cardigans in there as well? I find that since menopause hit I only wear cardigan type clothes- I need to be able to take it off easily when a “powersurge” (aka hot flash 😂) hits 😅
I'm thinking of knitting my dad a sweater, but he insists it has to be cotton because he runs so hot, and I want to do the Nordic style of yoked sweater (with Star Trek motifs that I'm going to chart up myself). Is there a way of doing a yoke motif WITH some seaming of the shoulders, or am I thinking up something that doesn't exist? If I'm doing color work I want it to be worn, and I'm a newbie to sweater making. I've made a couple of yoked tshirts out of lion brand cotton and they seem to be holding up ok but I don't know if they're chainette construction or not. Any help would be appreciated! And I absolutely love your podcast, I can't wait for each new episode!
I have a question. Does yarn weight make a difference? Could you use fingering weight cotton rather than DK or worsted? Would lighter weight yarn help with stretching? This was a very helpful video. Thank you.
@nerdyknitting Tonia, a bit off topic but during your ‘knit & chats’ could you angle your camera so we can watch you knit while we listen to you? Watching someone knit is so relaxing!
I've tried but I have to put the camera further away and my recording space is just too small to move the tripod back far enough. Maybe when I get a bigger space!
This was very helpful. I was wondering if I have a fairy large stash of fingering weight sw merino and nylon blend (sock yarn) and I want to make a striped raglan or yoke style sweater would it help to have every other strip in a non SW merino or I am making the sweater even more wonky by combing these 2 very different yarns. Would it be better to knit a drop shoulder top down sweater with all SW merino? I'm looking for ways to use my SW indie died yarn that I have collected in a sweater or cardigan, but I am a beginner and don't want to piece or do color work or difficult stitch patterns yet. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thank you.
I can't really tell you how it would work by striping with another yarn - but swatching will give you all the information you need! Make a large swatch using the yarns you'd like to use, take some measurements, then wash and block like you're going to care for the finished sweater, and then measure it again to see if it changes or grows in size.
Thank you for making this video! I am just about to cast on a raglan using Knit Pick's Stroll and now I'm concerned about it losing its shape (probably making a XL or 2XL). Would I be better off pairing it with a lace weight suri/silk or mohair? That almost sounds like I would be adding more drape. Maybe switch to a drop shoulder? I would love your recommendations, thank you!
If I wanted to use a superwash yarn I would knit it at a tighter gauge (and pairing it with a second yarn can help). I'd also knit a large swatch, take some measurements before washing it, and then measure it again after washing it to see how it changes/grows.
Knit Picks Stroll is 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon, so maybe the nylon adds some elasticity and durability that will help keep the shape better than a 100% superwash merino yarn. I would still recommend knitting a bigger swatch, washing and blocking it to get a better, more quantifiable idea of how much it will grow from the superwash treatment.
If I hold superwash DK wt wool with a mohair silk, will that help the sweater maintain its shape? I need to frog a SEAMED 😲 sweater made with superwash that grew to an unwearable size and am looking for a solution.
It CAN help but I also like to knit superwash at a tighter gauge. But the best thing you can do is knit a large swatch, take some measurements before washing it, and then measure it again after washing it to see how it changes/grows.
@@NerdyKnitting just bought Fingering SW 100% Merino wool, and mohair/silk to hold with it. Do you think Fingering wt will help? If I knit it 'tighter' I need to add cast on stitches, right? Will need to knit a swatch, too.
