knittingthestash Tutorial: Five Keys to Yarn Substitution

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Ever wonder about how to find the perfect yarn substitute for your pattern? Ever downloaded a pattern only to realize the yarn has been discontinued? Ever looked in your stash and wondered: will anything here work??
If so, this is the video for you! I offer five key things to consider when substituting yarn and I walk you through two examples: one for mohair yarn and one for fingering weight wool yarn. I'd love to hear about the projects you're working on and the substitutions you've tried! Please post questions and comments below :)
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Yarns Featured (*no endorsements, just stashed and loved yarn):
Hedgehog Fibers
Independence Wool
Laughing Goat Fiber Farm
Qing Fiber
Green Mountain Spinnery
Biches & Buches (mohair and lambswool)
Townhouse Yarns
Brooklyn Tweed Shelter
Lichen and Lace
Sweaters mentioned:
Jakers by Isabell Kraemer
Nacre by Emilie Luis
You can find me:
on Ravelry as knittingthestash
and via email at knittingthestash@gmail.com
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and 5 Key Considerations
06:05 Mohair Example
16:10 Fingering Weight Wool Example

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Опубликовано:

14 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 63

@kaymack5304 Год назад

Thank you for helping me learn more about yarn and how to make substitutions. What an excellent video.

@jacquelinesalem2776 2 года назад

I wish I could give you an abundance o f "thumbs up" for this tutorial! I'm more of a spinner than a knitter so it was twice as helpful. Thank you for another great explanation.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks so much, Jacqueline!

@julieknitsandspins 2 года назад

Wow! The word grist has puzzled me forever. You are wonderful at explaining everything for yarn substitutions. Thank you thank you thank you!!! I saved this tutorial 🤗

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Wonderful to hear! Thanks, Julie :)

@maryzcorner 2 года назад

I THOUROUGHLY enjoyed this. There is always little gems I learn from you along the way. Even someone who has been knitting for 42 years has something to learn. =o] I have to admit I have to pay more attention to the grist. That was not really on my radar before.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

I always appreciate your comments, Mary--especially because you have been knitting for a long time and know your stuff!

@maryzcorner 2 года назад

@@knittingthestash 💕✨ thank you

@louannhawkins4569 4 месяца назад

Long time knitter still struggle with yarn choices thank you

@debradantonio2974 2 года назад

Melissa ...thanks for the excellent explanation of how we should substitute yarns. So much to think about. :)

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Debra! I hope all is well with you :)

@abirhussein9781 2 года назад

I've been knitting for a long time. Rarely do I get to use the original yarn. On the few occasions that I did it was part of a kit. Thanks to this informative lesson I understand how to make the correct yarn choice. No more guessing now that I have a formula 😊

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Awesome! Thanks so much :)

@cathyinmt 2 года назад

Melissa…you are a “wizard”! Thank you again for such clear and concise explanations! You make it sound so easy!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thank you, Cathy :)

@sharonkairuz4222 Год назад

Brilliant explanation 💫thank you for taking the time to do this.

@Janet-ov7zx 2 года назад

I finally understand the importance of grist and how to figure it! I am constantly substituting fingering "weight" yarns to knit socks from stash. I've learned by trial and error, when my sock recipe and typical stitch count didn’t work as expected, that there is no standard size for fingering weight yarn. This is going to be very helpful to continue using stash yarns for projects instead of trying to purchase the recommended yarns. Thanks, Melissa! Janet H.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Yes, use the stash! Always a fun place to play and look for project yarn. Thanks, Janet!

@majar.8231 2 года назад

This is making a lot of projects way easier, thank you so much 😄🪄

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Maja!

@vanessajansen9921 Год назад

Thank you Melissa. That was great. Especially explaining grist. That's always confusing to me.

@khimbalee5087 Год назад

Such a helpful, clear explanation.

@CalciferFan 2 года назад

Thank you so much for that video, Melissa! I finally understand what grist is. :)

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Yay! Awesome, Annika :)

@slowstitches 2 года назад

Thanks, Melissa. I knew it was going to be good when you pulled out the white board! I really appreciate your thorough explanations. I'm finally getting the gist of grist! :-)

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

:) lol yes! the white board is the best!!

@patricialoux5193 2 года назад

This was great Melissa! It will certainly help me to make wiser yarn choices for my projects than the hit or miss method I’ve been using! Thank you!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Awesome, Patricia! Thanks for saying so :)

@zoedoodle9824 2 года назад

Thank you so much. That's very helpful as I can rarely get the yarns recommended in the patterns I like. And as someone to whom color is important, even when I can get the yarn, it isn't in a colorway that I love.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Linda, I know what you mean. Color is so important to our projects . . . if I can't get it right, sometimes I just won't make the thing!

@manicspinner1959 2 года назад

Melissa, this is a GREAT video. It will hopefully go up there as one of the best videos to watch for substitution considerations. I love how you walk us through it, and I particular love your "high tech" "power point slide". ;-)

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Jillaine! Means a lot coming from you :) And whiteboards for the win!

@manicspinner1959 10 месяцев назад

@@knittingthestash A year later, I'm watching this again, and I still REALLY REALLY love it. It continues to be at the top of my list of "what I learned the most from".

@knittingthestash 10 месяцев назад

Thanks, Jilliane! @@manicspinner1959

@vindeljay 2 года назад

Thank you this was very informative. I have found that I am beginning to do this intuitively because I am in a constant state of not being able to get the recommended yarn. Sometimes is just cost that forces me to look at a substitute. I enjoyed this example it has helped me be a little more confident in going for something else.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Awesome, Jenny! That's great to hear and I know what you mean about cost. I love finding an alternative that's just right--and cheaper!!

@teresas3528 2 года назад

Thank you for this video. I have been thinking about this for upcoming projects. The yarns listed were no longer available. Now I know what to look for. Thanks again!!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Great, Teresa! So nice go hear!

@margaretbramel9089 2 года назад

Thanks, Melissa, a most helpful video!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Margaret!

@KittenWAW 2 года назад

This is a great lesson. The more research you do, the fewer surprises you get, right? As you were comparing the "mohairs", I was thinking that one reason the boucle has less yardage is that not all the grams go into the length, a small to fair percentage of the weight is in the loops. I'd like to add one factor to consider, which is care of the final item. You may have someone who is knitworthy, as long as they can throw the item in the washer and dryer. Subbing synthetics, or easy care natural fibers, for more finicky ones can be a chore if you are still trying to achieve a similar look or feel to the fabric.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Heya~ Yes, boucle yardage/weight seems a bit bound up with the extras :) And you raise an excellent point about ease and care for the FO. I have seen gifts go so wrong when washing machines are involved. I like to think I learned my lesson, but I Spencer is a felter, I'm afraid . . . just kidding ;)

@kimdrapic379 2 года назад

I want to thank you so very much for these tutorials. I went yarn shopping today and felt so confident and knew exactly what I was looking for and how to substitute. Thanks again!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

This makes me smile! Thanks, Kim!!

@traceymaria9206 2 года назад

Very helpful. Thanks from NZ.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Tracey! Winter where you are, right?

@tinz161 6 месяцев назад

excellent episode. thanks!

@rachelraye285 2 года назад

This was a great lesson! Thank you for taking the time to throughly explaining🥰

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Rachel!

@bags-by-carol 2 года назад

Always so helpful - thank you for the ever so useful information!! Oh the pain of #5 and my lack of planning for picking discontinued yarns from my stash and having to deal with all of these every stinkin time…🎁

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Sigh, I hear you Carol! I have a few stashed projects just like that--I know I'll be playing yarn chicken, too!!

@cisaak6368 2 года назад

This was very helpful! I don’t think I understood the grist part. I also plan to try your recommendations in reverse. I have the yarn but need to find a project for it. Thanks for the tutorial!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Good idea on the reversal. Grist is a way of thinking about yarn beyond the band label. It just means yards per pound, and it's a way to compare one yarn to another even if the yarn is put up in different amounts. I hope that helps a little :)

@cisaak6368 2 года назад

@@knittingthestash Sorry, I meant I hadn't understood the grist part before watching your video. You explained it perfectly. Thanks again!

@teresaharp 2 года назад

Great info really appreciate it!

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Thanks, Teresa!

@jojorey6886 Год назад

Would one strand of lace mohair stabilize a Superwash merino from growing if used together?

@ksio5853 2 года назад

I kind of figured out grist on accident, but I didn’t know it had a name. This whole video was very helpful. I’m trying to sub yarn for the Satellite shawl, where she used la bien Aimee helix held double. The pattern said a fingering weight yarn could be substituted. I’m stumped on how to figure out which fingering grist I should be looking for. Any thoughts on that?

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Good question. Check out the specs of the Aimee helix and see if you can find a fingering weight yarn that's similar. Otherwise, you could likely sub any fingering weight yarn that would work with the design details (i.e. lace or cables often look better when worked in differently plied yarn). Shawls are less finicky about gauge :)

@crochetingknitter4751 2 года назад

Nice tutorial for those of us who rarely use the called for fiber. By the way, Qing is pronounced “Ching” not “King”.

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

Ahhh yes, and I totally mispronounced the Irish yarns as well . . . sigh. Usually I verify these things, but I was caught up in the yarn moment. Thanks for the reminder :)

@icroknit2895 2 года назад

Good lecture on yarn and finding a substitution. However, I am not fully agreeing with the way you handle grist and concluding the difference in thickness of the yarn. Because as you say, you need to compare apples to apples. So saying that the alpaca yarn is thicker because it has is less metrage than the mohair yarn, might not necessarily be the case. Alpaca might be literally heavier than mohair and thus produce less meters per gram while being the same thickness yarn. So concluding that a yarn is thicker by a difference in grist, you can only do if the composition is comparable. =)

@knittingthestash 2 года назад

I completely agree with you! That's why I included composition in the list of five. And I appreciate that you've added a nuance to the conversation here: that these characteristics impact one another in you really, truly want to compare apples to apples :) Great tip!