In the Making...

Icelandic Bind-Off Tutorial

2021-05-28T09:50:00.001+01:00

The Icelandic Bind-Off is a relatively easy bind off to work and gives a stretchy edge. It creates a slightly rounded and bulky edge, so works quite well when used with garter stitch.

It closely resembles the Twisted German Cast-On, so can be paired with this, if matching edges are important in your project.

Here's a video tutorial for the Icelandic Bind-Off and for those that prefer a photo tutorial, just scroll on down.

1. Knit the first stitch.

2. Slip back to left-hand needle without rotating the stitch. You can leave the right-hand needle tip in at the front. If it comes out, then just re-insert the right-hand needle in this stitch purlwise.

3. Whilst still in that first stitch, insert the right-hand needle into the second stitch on the needle and pull it through the first stitch. There should just be one strand on the right-hand needle at this point.

4. Knit this strand.

5. Take the two stitches off the left hand needle. Repeat steps 2 - 5 until all stitches have been bound off.

6. The Icelandic Bind-Off should look something like this.

7. Not a perfect match but it does look similar to the Twisted German Cast-On. (I do have a row of garter stitch under the cast on in this photo, so that does throw it a bit).

New Pattern: Gentle Blooms

2021-04-23T08:41:00.001+01:00

Gentle Blooms is perfect for using up those special skeins of yarn. Gentle Blooms is a bandana-style cowlette, which means you get the beauty and fun of a shawl at a small scale but it’s easy to wear and will stay in position.

The design came about as I had quite a lot of yarn leftover from my Vertices Unite. The yarn was a gorgeous merino and silk blend, and I didn't want to leave it languishing in my stash.

Maybe you've got some gorgeous yarns in your stash that aren't enough for shawl. The quantities needed are -

MC: Navy - 225m [247yds]

CC1: Cream - 85m [93yds]

CC2: Pink - 97m [107yds]

As usual, I wanted the knitting to be enjoyable, so the vast majority is knit and purl. There is a handful of stranded knitting rows for the "Gentle Blooms". The positioning gives the biggest impact for quite a small section of stranded knitting. Or as they say "the biggest bang for your buck!".

Since it's all about the details on a project like this, the neckline edge is a double selvedge stitch (it's just slip stitches and knit).

The first part of the cowl is worked flat and then you move into the round. It's really easy to block too. Just lay it out in the shape below, the fold lines are at the central stitch, so makes it lovely and crisp.

There's an easy knot stitch halfway through for a little palette cleanser and even though the stitch is easy to work, there is a quick video tutorial included (just in case).

Use the introductory discount code YORKSHIREYARNFEST for a 15% discount off this and all my other self-published patterns until midnight BST Monday 26 April 2021. This will work for both Ravelry, Payhip and Etsy.

Newsletter subscribers get an exclusive (higher) discount, so if you're interested in hearing about new releases and getting this discount then please sign up to the newsletter.

Gauge Database

2021-04-14T10:00:00.001+01:00

Let's talk about gauge. I know a lot of you dislike making a gauge swatch. I, personally, have no issues with it, as it gives me an opportunity to try out my yarn and I like to knit. It may have something to do whether we lean towards process or product knitting. If you're more of a product knitter, then I can see why you perhaps feel like the gauge swatch is a waste of time.

We invest a lot of time into our knits and it's not a pleasant feeling to get to the end of the process and realise that it doesn't fit or we've run short on yarn.

I've been making swatches for a long, long time and for most of that time, I've been writing down what the measurements are. This has saved me a lot of time on swatching. Just one thing to be aware of is our tension changes, so a swatch made 5 years ago is very unlikely to be exactly the same as what we would be knitting now.

Let me give you an example of where this database comes in handy. I'm making a shawl and the gauge is 20 sts in 10cm [4"]. The size isn't the most important part for a shawl because, if it's a little larger or smaller then it's still going to work as intended. If my yardage was limited then that's another thing but if I have plenty of yarn, then I can check my database and see what I've worked before that was 20 sts in 10cm [4"]; especially, if it's something similar and I'll just use that needle. No swatching, straight on to the knitting.

There's been the odd occasion where I've used the exact same yarn again and if the swatch was done within a year or two, then I might take a punt and just cast on. For example, 2 years ago, I made a cardigan in Istex Lettlopi and the gauge was 18.5 x 26 on 4.5mm. I've just started Big Love using the same yarn and that needs a gauge of 18 x 24. It's an over-sized cardigan, so if my gauge has shifted a little in that time then it's still going to work. Incidentally, I'm saying this. I still made the swatch as this cardigan was in pattern - my gauge was 18 x 28 on 4.5mm in pattern.

Another example, I'm planning a sweater project and I want to make a swatch. I can check my database to find my closest match and make my first swatch on that needle size.

The other unintended benefit of keeping a list of your gauge is it gives you better understanding of your knitting style. I've had many conversations with knitters where they say that their gauge is, normally, the same as the pattern - that tells me that they've probably never done a gauge swatch. Even if you are an "average" knitter, the yarn will change the gauge and my gauge on the same size needles and different yarn can vary wildly and I am quite a consistent knitter.

You can discover if you're a tight or loose knitter; or, if your gauge changes depending on yarn fibre, needle type or even mood. Having a greater understanding of your gauge allows the project to have the finish that you intend.

Making your own database

You don't need to start from scratch. Spend a little time and find anything you've made that's been blocked. Get your ruler out and start measuring the gauge in your knits. You've not had to swatch and you've got a good few numbers to add to your database. Once you've done that, whenever you make a swatch, then just add it to your database. The more you add in, the more helpful it will be.

How do I store my database?

For a long time, I wrote it in a notebook; then I started to get too many to find the numbers easily, so I used an excel spreadsheet for years. Recently, I've been using Airtable, as it's easier to add on my phone and you can filter it quickly to find what you're looking for.

What information to keep?

This is going to be personal to you but I'm going to share what information that I keep and you can adjust it for you.

Yarn name
Yarn brand
Stitches in 10cm [4"]
Rows/rounds in 10cm [4"]
Needle size [mm]
Yarn weight
Was it worked in the round?
Stitch pattern
Date swatch was made
Was it a standard indie-base and which one? (this helps as a lot of inde-dyers use the same bases and you can use a swatch from one yarn brand for another, if the stats are the same)
Was the gauge loose e.g. for a shawl?

Airtable base

This is a sample of my base. I've removed most of the records because there were hundreds but left in a couple, so that you can see how it works.

If you want to use a copy of my Airtable base, just click on the button below. If you've never used Airtable before, then I'd highly recommend it as it's easy to use.

Copy Airtable base →

Substituting Yarn in a Project

2021-04-08T08:28:00.004+01:00

So you’ve chosen your pattern, but either you don’t want to use the recommended yarn or you can’t find it to buy.

This does not mean you are stuck. Many knitters, especially when they are just learning to knit, get stuck on the idea that you can only use the yarn that the pattern is written with. There are, occasionally, a few projects where it can be quite hard to find an alternative but that is very rare.

There are a few factors that you want to think about when changing yarn.

Yarn Thickness

The main one is the thickness of the yarn. This is the one factor that you absolutely have to consider. Everything else that I discuss below helps to hone your decision down but yarn thickness is at the core of a project. If you use a thicker yarn, it could make the fabric too dense and often make it impossible to match the gauge of the pattern. If you use a thinner yarn, then it will be more open and airy than intended; there’s more scope with this but some projects such as toys and blankets will not suit an open and airy fabric. Ideally, you want to use the same thickness. You can change it but it helps to know what results you will get from this.

If you come to knitting yarn with no knowledge, then you can see that one yarn is thicker than another but that doesn’t necessarily help you. Luckily, others have done the work for us and the vast majority of yarn companies or local yarn shops will tell you what the thickness of the yarn is.

In the UK, we use the following classifications for yarn thickness. Other countries have different names and systems for the thicknesses of yarns, and these alternative names are included in the table.

Should you find a yarn that doesn’t make it clear what weight it is then check the yarn label. Most commercial yarn labels will include -

composition e.g. 100% wool
recommended gauge e.g. 22 sts and 28 rows in 10cm [4”]
recommended needle or hook e.g. 4mm
total metres/yards e.g. 125m [137yds]
total weight per ball/hank e.g. 50g
washing instructions

You can use this information with the table above to work out what the weight of yarn is.

22 stitches gauge, 4mm needle and 250m per 100g indicates that the yarn is a DK weight.

If in doubt, ask your LYS or the yarn manufacturer.

Things become a little trickier if there’s no label. You can use the wrap per inch (WPI) figures in the chart. Wrap some of the yarn around an inch of a ruler. Makes sure there is no gaps between the wraps but don’t compress them together. Count how many wraps there are and see which weight this matches in the chart.

As you can see in the picture, I have 13 wpi, which indicates that it is a DK - which it was.

This gives you a starting point, you can also work out the meterage but this is a bit more complicated. Just be aware that there is no industry standard for WPI and different charts will give you different numbers.

Fibre

We’re going to assume that you’re using the same weight yarn as the pattern. The next factor that you want to consider is the fibre content. Different fibres have different properties and that’s a very long discussion for another day. If you can match the exact composition of the original yarn, then that’s great. In our previous example, we had a 100% wool yarn. If I can find an alternative 100% wool yarn, then I don't have to consider the effect of the fibre.

Consider what the project is - a garment, shawl, socks, baby clothes?

What’s the most important factor for these projects? Consider these -

drape
stitch definition
feel
durability
easy clean

Which do you consider to be the most important for each project? A lot of yarn substitution is personal choice.

Each project would be different, as the stitch pattern will effect the choice. For example, a cardigan.

If it had a textured stitch pattern, then I would want good stitch definition and a colour that showed it up.
If it was lacy, then drape would be important.
If it’s plain and going to be worn a lot, then a long-lasting fibre would be best.
If it’s for a baby, then being able to machine wash would definitely be a good idea.

If you really don’t know where to start with your choices, then trying to match fibre type would be a good start. There are 3 fibre types - animal, plant and man-made.

For example, if I had a project that called for 100% cotton, which is a plant fibre, then I’d try and match for a yarn composition that had a majority of plant fibre.

Animal Fibres

wool

alpaca

mohair

cashmere

angora

silk

Plant Fibres

cotton

linen

hemp

nettle

Man-Made Fibres

nylon

acrylic

polyester

viscose including bamboo

rayon

Length

The next factor to check is the length. As you can see from the yarn thickness chart above there’s quite a range within each yarn thickness. Compare the length from the original yarn to the one that you’d like to use. If they’re close in number then the match should be good. If they’re quite different, this doesn’t mean you can’t use it but it will change the fabric a little. It might be denser or looser.

In our example, the yarn was 125m [137yds] in 50 g. I’ve found a yarn I like which is 240m [263yds] in 100g.

Just multiply your original length by 2, to see how much is in 100g - 250m [274yds] in 100g.

That’s fairly close. It looks like the yarn I like is just slightly thicker. There are a lot of factors that effect the length e.g. fibre, construction, so this is only really useful for an extra double check.

Construction

Not all yarns are made the same. There are several different types of construction, e.g. worsted, woollen, chain, tube, tape, novelty etc.

Try and use a similar construction to get the same results as the pattern.

Making a decision

Yarn Thickness
Fibre
Length
Construction

These four factors are the main ones that help to make a decision. Yarn thickness is the most important and the other 3 help to refine your choice. Not everything is relevant to every project and it can seem like a lot to think about.

This is where your local yarn shop comes in. They have experience to advise you on your best choice and it’s something we love to do at A Good Yarn. I know I get a lot of vicarious fun from helping to choose yarn for projects.

How much yarn?

You’ve made your decision. The pattern told me I needed to buy 10 balls for my size, so I just buy 10 balls of my new choice, right? Nope. You could easily buy too much or too little.

The important factor to buying the right amount of yarn is the meterage/yardage needed for the project. Most independent patterns will have this information. The larger pattern houses will tell you how many balls you need, so you just have to find out how much length is in each ball. Occasionally, we get a really old pattern brought in by a customer and it’s not possible to find out length on the ball. You can compare similar patterns or use Stashbot to work out your total meterage.

Going back to our example. The pattern recommends 10 balls that have 125m per ball - the total meterage is 1250m. The substitute yarn has 220m per hank. If you were to buy 10 hanks, then you’d have 2200m, which would be lots more than you need. To work out how many hanks that are needed, divide the total meterage by the length in each ball/hank e.g. 1250/220 = 5.68 hanks. Obviously, you can’t buy part hanks/balls, so round it up, You need to buy 6 hanks of the substitute yarn.

If the yarn was produced in 50 g balls, then it would be 110m per ball. If I only bought 10 balls of this, then there’s a good chance that I would run out of yarn. 1250m/110m = 11.36 balls. I need to buy 12 balls to get the same meterage.

Just remember that the recommended meterage is only accurate if you have matched the gauge of the pattern. If you haven’t taken the time to make a swatch for the gauge, then the meterage you have will not be correct.

New Pattern: Jupon

2021-03-25T08:39:00.001+00:00

There's a new pattern out. I say new but for me, this is one of my oldest patterns, that I have used many times and I thought it was about time I shared it for you all to try.

I don't know about you but I love the smooshy, slipped stitch heel on a sock. Covering the whole sock in this pattern, creates extra thickness and just feels so warm and cosy. The pattern is easier to work in the round than on the heel flap, so it's quite a relaxing knit to work too.

Jupon are worked from the top down and the name, Jupon, is derived from the slipped stitches used in the sock. Jupon is a type of slip (petticoat).

As you can see from the collage below, I've worked this pattern a few times using different types of yarn. It seems to work well with all types of yarn dyeing - plain, semi-solid, speckles, self-striping, variegated.

The slipped stitch pattern covers most of the sock even down to the tips of the toes.

Use the introductory discount code JUPON for a 15% discount until midnight GMT Sunday 28 March 2021. This will work for both Ravelry and Payhip.

Newsletter subscribers get an exclusive (higher) discount, so if you're interested in hearing about new releases and getting this discount then please sign up to the newsletter.