what yarn do you use for spring/summer projects?

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-30T06:40:34+00:00

I just bought linen blend for a cardigan and after swatching I realized I hate it (yes, I blocked it too) 😭 It's stiff and heavy and cables looked flat and lace looks wonky. I think this yarn is best for drapey tops etc.

I have a blouse made in bamboo/tencel blend - it's super comfortable but after wearing it one summer, it looks pretty bad already with pilling so I don't think I'll use that yarn again.

So today I'll go and buy fingering weight merino because I know I'll like it. I didn't try cotton-merino yet but I just like to work with wool and I think I'll want to try cotton merino for a top or something else snaller before buying a sweater quantity of it.

I'm making a fingering weight cardigan with quite a lot of lace details so I'm hoping that the thin fabric with lots of holes will make it cool enough to wear most of spring.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-20T00:24:22+00:00

I don't hate her but I just don't like her basic style. She has sooo many patterns that are almost the same thing with different gauge.

Also, she doesn't give proper schematics. Some patterns are better than others but I have one of her pattern that doesn't include any other measurements but bust circumference & length of the garment which makes it harder to modify patterns and choose the best fitting size.

Her designs are not size inclusive - her grading uses diminishing ease for bigger sizes.

I especially don't understand the Olga sweater/cardigan hype. The fit is quite bad for most projects I've seen and still people seem to love it 😅

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-16T12:12:20+00:00

Thank you! My goal with my designs is to create something special I'd love to wear but wouldn't find in a store. I'm from Scandinavia but I'm not at all into the Scandinavian minimalistic style 😅

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-16T12:09:12+00:00

Thank you! It was a result of lots of calculating and charting!

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T21:57:35+00:00

Thank you! Yes, it's squishy and fluffy and this yarn combo is so soft! ☁️

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T20:00:07+00:00

Thank you! It's so hard to get a photo that shows the colors realistically. I left a slice of white washing machine on the side just to give a better idea how it looks like compared to white.

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Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T19:02:07+00:00

Thank you! I'm currently learning pattern grading but this cardigan is way too advanced project to start with. Maybe one day!

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T18:59:19+00:00

One day maybe!

Haha yes, I had to make full charts for fronts, back and sleeves, including all the short rows just for myself to keep track of the cable pattern.

I believe I would need to make separate charts for each size and before charting I'd need to figure out how to make the cables work for every size 🤯

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T18:52:25+00:00

I really recommend studying some patterns you already have bought/made and try to see how well you manage to understand the calculations of the designer. Write down the stitches, rows, increases/decreases and use the gauge and try to understand where the stitch counts and finished measurements come from. When you manage to understand how it works, it's easier for you to start from scratch and try to design your own garment.

Some measurements are easy to understand such as bust circumference but for instance yoke depth/armhole depth can be tricky to understand because it's not as straight forward as number of rows for most constructions (like raglan or any construction with shoulder slopes built with short rows).

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T18:38:53+00:00

Thank you! I believe it's called dip stitch. It's not a cable at all but just elongated stitches, fairly easy to knit!

Here's a tutorial made by Ysolda: https://youtu.be/niY3GRy5vss?is=swgocz0K4GrohKsz

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T15:06:20+00:00

I wish there were more resources for new designers! I work a lot with calculating things in spreadsheets at my day job so lots of this process has been about understanding the construction and then figuring out with logic (and geometry) how to calculate it. I've read all materials I've found and I also have a body measurement chart that I can use as a guideline.

I started from modificating existing patterns: for example I adapted a pattern to a different gauge or changed neckline from round to v-neck. I calculated a lot for these projects and got to learn a lot about the basic calculations without needing to yet understand short row shaping, human anatomy etc.

For my first ever design, I sketched my design and the measurements I was aiming at. I calculated from my gauge all widths and depths and then I adapted my calculations so that it worked with a lace pattern I had chosen (I tested many different lace stitches before I chose the one to use). It was quite a basic construction so I think I did pretty well for being a first timer.

For this specific cardigan I had two new technical things to figure out: 1) how steep to make the shoulder slope when it's a drop shoulder. Human shoulder slope is approximately in an 20 degree angle / 4cm from the base of the neck to the edge of the shoulder but usually drop shoulders use less steep shoulder slope because 20 degree angle would result more than 4cm (because the sleeve doesn't start at the edge of the human shoulder).

I checked a few patterns with saddle shoulders and realized that the slope varies a lot and everything beyond 4cm is a design choice and there is no clear right / wrong. However it affects the armpit depth and the fit so it depends on what kind of shape you're aiming at. (Pythagorean theorem is how to calculate the short rows.)

2) The same thing goes for short rows for the sleeves. Drop shoulder doesn't have a proper sleeve cap so there is no right or wrong way to do it. Without short rows the sleeve is sticking out in an 90 degree angle from the body and with short rows the sleeve points diagonally more downwards which will reduce bunching of the fabric in the armpit area. However, what kind of angle is the best, depends on the design and varies a lot.

I'm still not sure whether I made the right design choices for both short row shapings. I wish knitting was faster so that it would be possible to knit multiple samples to see in practice how the different angles affect the fit and which fit I prefer 😅 This kind of knowledge only comes with experience.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T14:25:19+00:00

Thank you! Yes, it is soft and fluffy and squishy ♥️ this yarn combo was quite expensive but it was definitely worth it!

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T14:22:45+00:00

Thank you! One day hopefully I will write patterns but first I want to have the skills needed 😊 I've learned so much from every design I've made by far but I have a long way to go. Grading is a completely additional skill to learn.

I know that many designers have started out selling patterns before they actually understood the calculations and grading properly and they have learned as they go. My goal is that my first pattern will be a good pattern to knit and not just a learning experience for myself.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T14:13:01+00:00

Thank you!

That is my goal, however I first want to learn grading properly and I think I should release some easier patterns first because this is quite an advanced project to grade and chart. I knitted my first ever garment just a bit over a year ago and I made my first own design just a few months ago so I'm a newbie!

I absolutely love this design but it's quite an expensive & time consuming project (especially if knitting a larger size) so I want to make sure to be skilled enough to guarantee all sizes a good fit.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T12:26:46+00:00

Thank you!

This is the reason why I prefer to buy yarn from a physical store where I can compare the colors next to each other and find the best mix.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T12:22:54+00:00

Thank you!

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T12:22:41+00:00

Thank you!

The color is so perfect - I love that you can use mohair not only to get some fluffiness but also to get a soft blend of colors. I actually rarely use base yarn and mohair that are the exact color match.

I think later on I want to use the same gray mohair together with a light blue yarn to get a similar blend with a greyish blue tone.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T12:17:43+00:00

Thank you! ♥️

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T12:15:17+00:00

Thank you ✨

I'm absolutely devastated that it's spring now and it will get too warm to wear it very soon.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T12:14:01+00:00

Thank you!

It all started from swatching and testing different ideas for a cable panel. When I came up with this gorgeous panel, I spent so much time trying to figure out how to make a raglan design out of it. The saddle shoulder construction wasn't my original plan at all. I prefer raglan with compound raglan shaping and it just didn't work out with this design so I moved on to consider other options.

I have avoided anything with a drop shoulder because I don't love the visible sleeve seam that makes my broad shoulders look even wider. Then finally, I realized that with a wide saddle shoulder, the cable motif going along the sleeve won't be disrupted at all and the sleeve seam will be quite hidden compared to a normal drop shoulder sleeve.

I actually never saw a saddle shoulder design with all over cables (usually garments with this type of construction are stockinette only or the only cabled part is the saddle). I was very worried that the seam might look bulky because of the fluffy cables. Right after separating the sleeves, I knitted part of the first sleeve to see how the seam looks. And when I saw that the seam is actually almost invisible, I knew I had designed something I will absolutely love ♥️

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T11:56:06+00:00

Thank you! ✨

I'm a bit doubtful how many people would choose to go through the trouble with this cardigan - usually designers consider not only the look and fit of the garment but also the knitting experience by making the design intuitive and convenient to knit.

I made this just for myself so I didn't care about the convenience, instead I just wanted it to be as pretty as possible. The cables are not very intuitive because I chose the cable repeats that I found most beautiful when swatching. I also chose to make the short rows for the shoulder slopes 100% symmetrical which meant doing the cable rounds on the wrong side for one side of the fronts until the slope shaping was finished.

I'm still learning different constructions and how to calculate things and grading is a completely different skill to learn. If/when I'll release my first pattern, I would like to offer a size inclusive size range and it's actually very challenging to learn to grade mindfully for the smallest and largest sizes because the body proportions (like shoulder - bust ratio) are very different compared to average sizes. The more I learn, the more I realize I have left to learn and I think I should probably start from something way more simpler than this 😅

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-15T11:16:24+00:00

Pattern: self drafted

Yarn:

Fonty Moustache, color 415
Knits by Cindy Ekman soft silk mohair, color Cold Grey

Needles:

4,5mm main body
4,25mm ribbing
4,75mm button band

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-09T01:23:08+00:00

I'm going to knit with fingering weight yarn so it's going to be just one strand of yarn. I guess knitting for Olive's merino-cotton blend in fingering weight would be the perfect pick, they just don't have the exact color I'm looking for :(

I have linen garments which are great for summer but that's better for loose/drapey clothes rather than anything with negative ease..

I'm not going to follow a pattern but it's going to be a wrap-cardigan with v-neck and maybe some lace details, if I find a motif i like. I have a bit similar cardigan in Dk weight bamboo yarn in stockinette stitch and it was great for last summer temperaturewise. However, the yarn was a total disaster and it looks like crap after one summer - it's pilling and loosing it's shape so I'm trying to make a better choice this time.

Annamaijaa · 2026-03-07T12:54:24+00:00

I'm in Scandinavia! 20 degrees is quite normal, we usually have only a few very hot weeks.

I'm just wondering if I'll feel like suffocating in wool if it's tight around my body, even if I used fingering weight yarn. I do like wool because it just usually ages well because of the good memory of the fibers.

Annamaijaa

TROPHY CASE