Hi everyone! Thank you for joining me for today’s episode. Here’s the link for the show notes: www.woolneedleshands.com/show-links/march12 Enjoy the episode and drop me a line in the comments! ❤ #knitting #knittingpodcast
I’m so happy I helped. My little Yorkshire heart has been blessed from Nevada! I love your chart. And that you are modelling how to grab hold of a project by the scruff of its neck and make yourself a way of seeing that works and is fun to do. I will definitely use colour coded stitch marking next time I knit from a chart. Don’t you just love the reciprocal learning in this space? Vygotsky would be proud! 😊🎉
Well done, Cheryl! Eagle eye viewer!!! I think that the mistake made here was extremely useful (for me anyway) as I am only now starting to look at charts and trying to learn how to read them so I can use them. They are still rather difficult for me, but I'm picking things up.... and Tayler's mistake and her solution? Fabulous lesson. I am so thankful for all I am learning from the knitting (handwork) community.
Taylor, your color-coded charting is BRILLIANT! How many of us have you saved from completely giving up because of a misunderstanding in a knitting chart. Thank you.
Thank you! And it’s my pleasure. I love knowing that sharing my mishaps help to remind others that it happens and it is ok to rethink our process. ❤️❤️
I find that the yarn will “tell” you what it is meant to be. I can’t tell you how many projects wouldn’t cooperate with what I had in mind. I also think your husband will really appreciate that you are making a sweater especially planned for him. It’s a real labor of love.
I recently knit an ENTIRE lace shawl incorrectly and only noticed when blocking and comparing photos to mine. I did the same thing. I always knit in the round and was not 'reversing' the wrong side rows. It is it's own unique shawl now, but I've certainly learned the correct way!!!
Yesterday at my church this lady (same as last week) handed me another tote bag full of mostly sock/fingering weight wool & merino yarns. My jaw dropped with the quantity of these amazing fibers since I'm just getting into more natural fibers and getting bags handed to me. My dad went through these bags since I was about to donate some of it, but he saw the Caron Simply Soft yarn in the color "off white" and asked me to knit him a vest. So, I began last night then worked on it in the car ride back to school. My dad isn't really the type of person to wear sweaters or vests so I'm willing to knit this for him since he really wants one with this color. In the past week, I knitted up these really adorable pink baby socks for a couple at my church who has an 8-month-old girl, so I wanted to try out knitting socks for them. They turned out amazing and was surprised how well they came out, especially after blocking them. I also decided to crochet a little ruffled dress for one of my teddy bears to use up some yarn and that was really fun. I got to chat with someone I don't know that well and we talked about knitting & crocheting. Now my spring break is over sadly but learned and accomplished a bunch of FOs and have a couple of WIPs now.
I just love how you face problems head on. Thank you for laughing at your mistakes and sharing them with us. Knitting from a printed pattern works best for me too. And, I'm with you on the colour coding. Let's make it easy to keep track of the chart and enjoy the process even more. I look forward to your next episode.
"Behold my neuroses" actually cracked me up. Awesome episode as always. Your enthusiasm for knitting and color is so inspiring and now I need to buy some Mandala to make that exact blanket. SO beautiful.
When you showed the hand written color coded pattern my heart just begun to scream “sorella!!!!” I color coded the cables mittens I am knitting TAAT to distinguish left from write and front from back.. glad to know i’m not alone!! Hugs from Italy, thank you very much for your videos!!!
Oooh, Tayler! What a great podcast! Love the Knitphabet, the projects and the changeup on the Break The Curse Sweater! I've not used Mandala yarn, but it is fascinating and that throw is to die for! This was fun and welcome back. Looking forward to Wednesday's podcast. Thanks for sharing!
OMG, I laughed when I saw your cut-and-paste charts and color coded stitch markers. That is so me. It's refreshing to see someone else who gets so flustered and nervous about certain patterns, as I do. I just can't work from a digital pattern, I have to have the printed copy in front of me. Thanks for sharing.
I love the knitphabet!! Note cards would be so fun if they were feasible. I love finding knitting note cards to send with gifts or to just write a note to my knit friends
O Tayler - you are such a hoot. I feel like you knew in your heart that wool wasn’t right for your hubby right from the get go. Can’t wait to see your progress (and I have girded my loins in preparation for Frankensweater 2.0). PS: love the pattern for the Mandala wool. I saw that in my wool shop and thought it was so interesting but had no idea what I would use it for. Well, now I know. 😊❤
having to stop and flip papers around and translate symbols was making it impossible for me to make any progress on my projects. for years I thought I just couldn't read charts. it took me a really long time to find a system for keeping track of charts that works for me, but now I just work with pdfs on my laptop or iPad. I cut and paste the key to the charts on every page and then I color code my charts to correspond with my stitch markers, use text boxes to note any changes I've made, and I keep track of where I am in the chart with a big highlighted box that I can move after every row. finding a method that works for you is such a game changer.
I have done this in crochet too. And now this last year I write down and make chart’s and I use paper and color code. It helps me so much to keep my place.
Tayler this turned out to be just the episode I needed 😅 listened while I had to rip out ALL the progress I'd made on a beautiful cabled sweater I'm making as a gift, almost crying with frustration after trying to salvage it multiple times (the cables weren't the problem! I actually love doing cables - the problem was related to knitting held stitches from multiple pieces onto the same needles) and it was encouraging to hear about even a super experienced knitter like yourself dealing with mistakes/changing projects
Thank you so much for showing the detailed steps that are often needed to work cable's. Since I lose my place so a lot that I am often unable to get very far and usually quit. My second son is also named Angus and I have never met another child with that same name.
I have only been watching for a short period of time and most often don't comment. I just realized today that you are located 2 hours away from me. I live near Laughlin Nevada, close to Bullhead city. I also apparently missed the yarn episode, ad I had no idea that there was a wool from Nevada. I think your next sweater will be easier to make, you have a reasonable game plan and yarn you love, it will definitely go together easier and you will enjoy it. Have a great week , will be looking forward to the next installment of the sweater and you next show.
I am so happy you found a method that works for you reading a chart. I do a lot of work for charts as well. I color code things. I use wire bound index cards and I use color tabs to make flipping between sections. And I use a 📎 to keep track of which row I'm on. The last project I had to take it to the next level and I used a a dot grid sketch journal. Thank you for sharing.
I feel your cable pain. I just did a pair of socks where the cables went down into the heel flap. It hurt my brain so much and I've been knitting for years.
I’ve been watching your podcast a while and I enjoy listening to your tips and thoughts, I always “get” something new from every episode. Now, this one, I enjoyed a lot cause you talk about socks, I want to like knitting socks alltho I don’t know when to wear socks cause I always go barefoot inside. The sock yarn you showed made me wanna try it again. Anyways, thank you!
Thank you so much Anna-Klara! And I know what you mean about socks. I go barefoot inside most of the time as well and only really wear socks when it’s cold. However once you start knitting them, you start to sort “make room for them” in your life-as cheesy and that reads. 🤣 ❤️
Hi Tayler, thanks for the podcast. Currently I am working on a Frankensweater myself. But I am using an App, that has calculated a top down raglan pattern for my measurements and my gauge. On this basic pattern I can choose whatever ribbing I like, the raglan decreases I want and do as many stripes as I want. A raglan calculator is a good tool to have for those Frankensweaters.
Those colors in the Mandala yarn are totally greater than the sum of their parts!! I would NEVER choose those colors on their own, but together -- gorgeous!!
I would have busted that PDF open in inkscape and spent far too long redoing the charts when I should have just printed it. My dyslexia hits hard on cabling charts, so I'll often just write in "f" or "b" in the symbols to help read them, or color code them. I'm working on an origami knit scarf now and he had a charted and a written version. The written version makes complete sense but honestly I keep looking back at the charted and can't make any sense of it! for your raglan, Tin Can Knits Flax sweater is a top down raglan and I've seen people do beautiful stripes in it. Also a free pattern. I recently just did the best spin of my life on some local hand dyed alpaca fiber, but it came out too thin for the project I had in mind. So now I need to play with it and see where that fabric wants to go. So frustrating when you try to go into stuff with a project in mind!
It is just so refreshing and freeing to watch a knitter let go of a project that just doesn't seem right. Even though you have invested (sometimes heavily) in the yarn, pattern, and effort it's ok to rethink it now rather than regret it later. Excellent decision and I am sure your husband will get much more enjoyment out of whatever you end up with! I live in a similar climate in the high desert of California and know I cannot buy or ever wear some of those beautiful yarns. Oh well, there are plenty of choices out there!
"Sorry digital age!" I felt that in my soul. I'm such a pen and paper person. I'm working on my first project with cables, too (albeit super simple ones), and I have a sticky note to write down what my next stitch is. And I've written the pattern in my knitting notebook to help make it easy and straightforward to follow. Thanks for another great episode! And thank you to Sheryl for sharing how to knit charts flat. I had no idea! That'll be great to know for any future flat projects I might knit up.
*love “color therapy” *love handwritten notes and such. Please consider graph paper or dotted graph inside your notebook offerings? And some half sized and smaller (knit-baggable) *kudos for feeling okay about putting a project in time-out and showing us it’s okay to have some projects that go progress-less until they don’t. And changing the yarn to suit your pattern choice for your man sweater *”Behold my neuroses”- laughed out loud! Thank you for so much entertaining content.
As a newbie knitter (knitting now for the past yr), I haven't done any cables. I tried a blanket but it was wrong and after you explaining the switch it makes sense. But, I don't really know how to correct it. It sounds easy enough but I just can't wrap my head around it. Could you do a walk through how to correct the switch in a pattern? I just found you through my Google news feed!!! Love your stuff 😊
You can definitely tell you were a teacher. I love the tips and tricks you did to make your knitting easier for you. I really enjoy your podcast and can’t wait for the next one.
I loved this episode. And the tool you designed to work that chart and those cables is brilliant! Use those teacher skills! Whatever you need to do to make it make sense in your mind when learning a new technique, like cables, do it! And the switch you made for your hubby's sweater is great. Those colors, divine. Such a fun episode!
Newer follower here-love the striped blanket! Drooling over the project bags and that is for sure some beautiful yarn for the new sweater…Very partial to Rambouillet yarn 😊can’t wait to see the “improvgress”!
TAYLER!!! I love this episode! Your knitphabet is sooooo adorable! I have a feeling that is going to blow up and that stuff will be FLYING out of our merch shop! I love the stripped socks and as always, your sweaters are going to be amazing.
girl i hope you know i DID laugh out loud when you whipped out that macgyver'd chart 😂 mad respect though. also... i've been a victim of the curse before so i don't mess with that anymore but it sounds like a fun KAL!
Tayler I do something very similar with my charts. Sometimes I’ll write little k’s and p’s in the squares or I’ll use colored pencils to color code specific stitches so eventually I associate certain colors with those stitches (it works with lace charts too). That sweater will be beautiful when it’s finished!
Just can’t wait to see what you have for us! Well it’s the next day and I just finished watching! Thank you for your fantastic chart idea! I am planning on making the Dornie sweater for me! With this being said, I have only made 2 items with cables ever and have never worked off of a chart. Thank you for giving me the courage to dive into the deep end with abandon!
How cool is that! You made your own charts and all so that it is understandable to you! That's awesome! Some of my patterns have writing all over them, trying to simplify what the pattern is saying, so I understand it. I got that cable pattern after you showed it and I'm thinking of trying to make it. I'm 70 years old and I use to knit all my sweaters flat. It wasn't until like 5 years ago I tried top up, in the round knitting. Your sweater looks really good. The new wool for your husbands sweater is gorgeous. I will look forward seeing it's progress.
terrific alphabet chart! could "i" be intarsia? and i might have to 'steal' your idea for cutting up charts; i also love color-coding 🙂, but haven't matched stitch markers to a chart--clever! 🙂
I’m so glad to see you so happy! I love the energy that you bring to video. I had a thought for about the raglan increase part of your sweater for your DH: check out Roxanne Richardson’s Technique Tuesday video about raglan sweaters. If my memory serves, it covers how to calculate the raglan increase, & I love her clear diagrams that make it easy to follow. Good luck!
I color code them too, especially if there's something difficult coming up... also it was a good idea to frog the pullover for your husband, there's nothing more uncomfortable to wear than knitwear that is stiff...maybe latex beats that though🙂 Your socks are soo pretty😍 and i love the t you're wearing and the poster is just great👍👍👍👍Go Taylor😁
So I completely get where you’re coming from. I cringed a little at that as well. But honestly, it’s not bad. Hook a marker on every 20th chain. It helps keep the count. 👍❤️
Oh my god I am so very glad someone else breaks down and self charts cables and lace like that! My grandmother, she taught me to knit, looks at me like I’m crazy but I kind of enjoy it? And when I’m done I never forget how the cables are “built.” My mom is a quilter and is a retired teacher and she teases me that it’s clearly the genetics I got from her coming through. I’m going to send this video to her. Hurray for teachers!
Hi Taylor, I am currently working on the Same honeycomb Aran sweater. I had to laugh because I too have totally cut, pasted and even rewrote the pattern out to make it easier. Its nice to know I'm not alone in my knitting insanity. Just remember, wrong side, knit the knits and purl the purls. Thank you so much for sharing.
I've just returned to knitting with the New Year and I've never done anything too complicated...but I feel confident that--with the right preparation--I can. I'm doing a Japanese Chart Reading KAL, so there ARE cables coming up, along with other nifty things that, once done, will ramp up my knitting skills quickly. I'm also a VERY visual person/learner, so how you set up your charts with the color-coding and stitch markers is PERFECT and makes so much sense to me!!! Should I decide to take on a cabled sweater, I now know how to set it up confidently!!! Thanks!!!
Tayler! Your reworking of the Cable pattern is awesome!!! The teacher in me applauds your perseverance and creativity!! And the tactile person in me loves the non-digital tool you created!🤗
i love your chart! it makes me feel like i'm not alone.😄 what i tend to do is: i draw a chart of how the pattern looks from the right side. next to it, i draw a chart with every odd line looking the same and every even line reversed. this way, i have precisely the pattern i need for knitting but i also know what it will look like in the end. i use strong double-sided tape and stick some velum paper over my charts. then use a washi tape to mark the line i'm currently knitting for my mix chart. i find washi tape much better than any sticky note. they last longer and i can mark the whole row (which i consider necessary with astigmatism).
I think you may be making it more complicated than it has to be. In my experience with cable patterns, on the wrong side you copy the stitch you see. Actually that is generally the case with knitting in the round as well (my preference whenever possible) - every other row is a copy of the stitch you see on the needle. Hopefully that will make the process more relaxing.
Perhaps you’re right Sue. However, as one who has limited experience with this sort of pattern, I’d rather overcomplicate things and realize later that I can simplify things as opposed to oversimplifying things only to realize that my inexperience requires that I have more…scaffolding. If that makes sense. 👍❤️
Mandala is not self striping and no two skeins start in the same place (Ref: the monster cardigan I just finished last month) Just wanted to let you know that if you need more than one ball-skein- 500 yd thingie of it. Edit: By that I mean, yes, it makes stripes, but if you need more than one repeat, you need to match a new skein to the old one to get stripes that go in series.
I understand what you’re saying here however for what I’m using it for, it’s self-stripping nature in terms of how each skein is dyed is what appeals to me for this project. I don’t necessarily need each skein to match up. 👍❤
A lot of cable patterns will have no cable crossings and you just knit the knits and purl the purls on the wrong side, so you don’t need to worry about reading the chart on the wrong side rows. Definitely worth looking for if you want an easy life!
I’m so glad that you feel like it’s a long time since you recorded~ that’s what breaks are for! Your chart making skills are amazing🥳 Also, I improvise sweaters all the time using several patterns at once. It’s incredibly satisfying to end up with just the right fit and characteristics and something that fits your wardrobe and style.
I’m so ready for Season 2 of the Sweater Saga. I love where you’re going with it. I’ve been looking for a raglan for my husband too. I’m going to knit the Gib. Can’t wait to see how your sweater comes along. 😊
I'm also using Lion Brand Mandala @4 2 small and 2 large cakes for Standed knitting. Excited to see final project. I'm finding it splitty too and sticky, keeping cakes aprt while knitting as they knot easily.
So not laughing at your DIY! This is exactly what I do for complicated charted projects. Except, I did all of that in KnitCompanion (because I’m geeky like that and love carrying my “DIY”s on my phone when traveling around). Also not laughing at your markers, because yeah, I’m bad at counting and also do that for complicated charts with sections…
I knit a chunky baby blanket with Lion's Mandala (held 3 strands together). The blanket has held up great through many washes and many adventures. The baby and family I gifted it to LOVE it.
Awesome video as always Tayler! To avoid the pricked finger phenomenon, I picked up some rubber/silicone thimbles from $Tree. Haven't used them yet as I've been on a crocheting doll kick but they fit great. Also the last time I was at IKEA, I bought a couple of the RENSARE waterproof bags thinking they'd make great on the go project bags. During a recent trip, I took it along with me and it was perfect...clipped it to my personal item and crocheted away while waiting at the gate for boarding. It kept my project ultra secure, snag free, and soooo accessible even on the plane.
Hi Missus Earl, the volume seems to be lower than normal; I had to turn my volume nearly all the way up. Since you aren't sure about the sock's durability as socks, maybe you can convert them to complementary, multicolored firepit mitts and use them for a #sendoff. 🤷♀️ Those needles sound very sharp. The alphabet thing seems cute. It sucks that the sweater wasn't working for you, but I hope that the Stripe-igan/Stripelan is more adaptable to fit your needs. I myself just finished the prototype design hat I've been planning and knitting for two years. I ran into lots of issues. I need to mail it. So glad it's done, but I'll need to knit a few more hats and figure out the wraps per inch so it'll be easily replicable, since the pattern is very involved, and I want to eventually sell the pattern on Ravelry. What steps did you take to become a pattern saleslady on there? Oh yeah! And I FINALLY finished my #socksbyChristmas for my step-sis! Ran out of yarn, and when I bought a different colorway of the same type of yarn (I thought) the texture was completely different! Ugh. So there was that issue, but I did it anyway, because I expect it won't make much difference, and I really hope she likes them. Shall I send the photos to you?
Note about reading charts right to left - I'm a lefty, so I read charts Row 1- left to right, Row 2- right to left. Charts help also with leaning increases and decreases - I also use a KEY - lefty (mirror-knitting) decreases and increases lean opposite too. I'm working on a shawl that I put into excel. I am using color coded markers too!!! Love it!
Great video. Re. Rookie mistakes. So good. LOVE. I would do the exact same thing to clarify a pattern while knitting. You’re so relatable. Look forward to the next episode. ❤ Q. Not a knitting question. Can you recommend a tea warmer? I see you with your tea during the videos. Thank you!
The chart you made for your Honeycomb sweater is amazing!! I’ve been trying to put together something similar. Would you be willing to share a picture of the RS and WS please? My RS looks to be done very similar to yours. Thank you.
Just a little question/suggestion. Would it be possible with the alphabet as a pdf? East to download from the other side of the Atlantic 😊 Wouldn’t that be great!?! ❤️🇸🇪🇺🇸❤️
Funny how habit is conditioning. I learned to knit flat, on straight needles, with the Irish lever method that is practically extinct. Then I turned to crochet for many many years. Only now in my 60's have I started knitting again, and oh boy, internet has a lot to say! Continental, circulars, top downs... totally alien stuff! I have recently knit my first top down colourwork circular yoke and it was HARD. When I knit flat in pieces, I can look at that back panel and 'see' the whole sweater. I can 'see' if the measurements are good or not. All things people say is the reason top down sweaters are easier, but I couldn't for the life of me 'see' what was developing. Good thing it was a great pattern, lol. I'm SO slow on circulars, they just float around while I'm used to a fixed needle under my arm, but I will get there; loving the new stuff to learn 😍
OMG I thought I wad the only one. Always when I knit socks for my partners shortly after we broke up. Very different reasons, so I stopped knitting for a partner. Now... yesterday my partner asked for a hat. We're together for 6 years and now I am afraid to knot him one... I still have the last socks here from my last relationship 🙈🙈🙈 Greetings from Belgium
I'm glad someone helped you out with the cabled jumper. I think your solution is excellent but I'm impressed that you're knitting the cables from a chart in the first place. I just....can't. I have even tried to colour in the different cable crosses on a chart with different highlighters but it's like I just can't *see* the difference in the symbols to be sure I'm doing it correctly. So I only knit cables when there's a written text to tell me what to do. It doesn't have to be a row by row for every single row version; even a short text to say what each row of a repeat is *once* will do, but if the pattern only has a legend which says this symbol=this cable, I just move on.
Hey, your "knitting aid" is a great idea. I've been making such aids for decade. I usually print on cardstock so that it's sturdy through the project. Enjoy!
I've got a small collection of the mandala yarn, wish lion brand still made the wool ease mandala cakes, I like to crochet mosaic rugs with them with a contrasting black. So pretty. Love the new Sundance throw and I love, love that project bag. Got to get me one of those. Back to knitting I go.
Have yet to tackle a cabled sweater however I feel your pain with instructions. What makes total sense to some people drives some one else over the edge. I write all over my patterns so I could never read one from a computer screen etc. Are you now going to call them Frankenpatterns? As a newish knitter, I'm amazed at the details a viewer could pick up from your video. Those self striping yarns like mandala are great for mosaic crochet blankets if you ever want to go in that direction. Since the coloured rows alternate with a neutral it is not so overwhelming. White, cream and black are great for blankets as I've made several.
