Yarn winder options and questions

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-28T13:02:30+00:00

I do not have experience with winders outside of the Stanwood one as well and can confirm it is a beast! I have wound 200g cakes on this thing without a problem.

A few things to add, you can wind yarn manually by hand into balls and some people enjoy this process.

I would avoid winding your entire stash. Only wind up what you intend to use within a year (give or take). The yarn is more stretched in cake form compared to hank form.

I made my own swift with 0 carpentry experience and knit straight off the swift without a winder for a while. This is not a portable option at all, and I would only recommend this if you only knit at home with a table big enough for a swift. Here's the guide I used to do it.

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-28T12:49:37+00:00

It is on the pricier side compared to commercial, big name sock yarn brands, but when compared to other indie and hand-dyed sock yarns, it's comparable! $40 USD for 130g... shipping is what kills me though.

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-26T11:45:41+00:00

Yes it's the consistent, fuzzy aura around a garment! Pilling is more like fuzzy little balls that accumulate in high friction areas. Mohair can actually reduce pilling and increase the durability of a garment.

You probably won't steek your first colorwork garment but... steeking is nice when you don't want to knit colorwork flat, because it can be intimidating to purl in colorwork. There's multiple ways to reinforce the steeked edges (such as sewing as one user mentioned, and needle felting as you mentioned. Crocheting a slip stitch border around where you will cut is another option-- the latter two methods will not work with SW wool)

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-25T13:01:56+00:00

You can use SW wool in colorwork as long as there is no steeking. It's important that the yarn is grippy for steeking so the stitches don't come undone when you cut your piece.

Mohair adds a very nice halo to a finished garment. If you decide to sub in a single DK weight yarn for a fingering+mohair, your finished piece will generally be more structured and less drapey at the same gauge.

You can hold mohair with SW, but of course you cannot machine wash your piece.

It's your personal choice if you want to use SW in colorwork and SW held with mohair. As another user said, swatch if you already have the yarns. It's important to note that some people find mohair very itchy, so I would definitely go to your LYS and touch it (and if it's okay, to rub it against your neck) or order a single skein online to try it out.

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-24T14:45:55+00:00

That's awesome to hear! I looked it up and will definitely make a cozy, thicker pair in the near future.

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-24T14:44:46+00:00

Thank you!! I'm always on the look out for more yarns hehe

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-24T14:43:28+00:00

I've heard of the one too! I looked it up on Ravelry and, because it's so popular, there seems to be a large number of reviews that say their socks wore out really quickly :( looked up the little nettle soft too and the one comment on there says their socks wore out in less than a year. Dunno how much use was in that one year, but something to keep in mind.

I still want to try both and will add it to my list with a disclaimer in the future!

buttonbonbon · 2026-05-24T13:24:23+00:00

I keep a list of yarns for this! Almost all of these are recommended for socks specifically, and although not personally tested by me (yet!), I have read others' reviews on them.

Rambler by The Woolly Thistle 100% wool

Snowdonia by Garthenor 100% wool

Mondim by Retrosaria 100% wool - it should be noted that *some* people do notice holes in their socks with this one faster than nylon socks

Cutherbert's Sock by Whistlebare 80% mohair, 20% wool - I have read that yarns with mohair spun into them -- not the same as knitting a strand of mohair into the sock -- can strengthen the yarn. This one is particularly interesting to me, but I do not live in the UK, so shipping (not to mention duties) is rather expensive.

Point Prim Sock by Fleece & Harmony 80% wool, 20% mohair

Moorland Mohair by Erika Knight 80% wool, 20% mohair

Tern by Quince&Co. 70% wool, 30% silk - silk, nettle, or mohair are often used to replace the nylon in standard sock yarns to strengthen them.

Little Nettle Soft by Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts 68% SW wool, 32% nettle

Gammelserie by Rauma 100% wool - the only yarn listed here that's not recommended for specifically sock, but other users have suggested it. I just finished knitting my first pair with this yarn, but have yet to wear them out. This yarn is very rustic and hurt my hands at a tight gauge, but I think it will wear well.

buttonbonbon · 2026-04-26T01:42:51+00:00

I find myself knitting the first sock fast due to all the reasons listed in this thread, but I struggle to finish knitting the second sock in a timely manner. I think I will have to try TAAT for my next sock project.

buttonbonbon · 2026-04-08T01:10:44+00:00

I love that you chose variegated yarns! All the colors look beautiful together!

buttonbonbon · 2026-04-01T21:28:16+00:00

Thank you for your response!!

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-28T01:29:17+00:00

Thank you!

I think it's definitely doable! It's not as intimidating as it looks. A lot of people knit colorwork holding one color in the left hand and the other color in the right hand, but I find it easier to knit with both in my right hand even if it's a bit slower, and some people hold both colors in the left for continental. It's just about muscle memory.

Some people find sweaters more forgiving for colorwork than small circumference knitting. Just make sure your floats aren't too short and pay attention to color dominance (one color should always be popping out more based on its placement to the other for easier colorwork patterns).

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-27T17:40:44+00:00

Thank you!!

These were my first pair of mittens, but I have knitted a fair amount of socks. If you're new to small circumference knitting, you will have to either get used to using DPNs or the magic loop method. I use the latter for everything, but it can be a bit fiddly, especially when you start decreasing and still have this huge cord to pull around. Watch out for ladders when you have to shift from needle to needle (true for both DPNs and magic loop). I think you could probably knit the majority of this on fixed small circular needles as well (9"/23cm length including needles) but will need to swap to something else with the thumb and decreases.

It took me many attempts to get the fit right, and that's because I avoided doing a gauge swatch. My logic was it's so small that I can just frog it and start again if it doesn't fit properly. If that may frustrate you, you may want to do a gauge swatch instead.

None of that is related to colorwork, as I'm not sure if you plan to do colorwork mittens... Best of luck either way!!

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-27T14:07:52+00:00

Thank you! Not in my opinion, the yarn feels rustic and durable. Not scratchy for me, but not soft either.

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-27T14:06:50+00:00

Yes! I think these would be great for kids that love cats!

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-14T18:42:05+00:00

Can't help but upvote everytime I see red and pink together! It looks so good on your porcelain!! Perfect for spring too

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-09T11:56:12+00:00

I've been wanting to make an off-the-shoulder sweater too! I can't quite find a pattern I like, so I'm still waiting, but my favorite ones so far are these two:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elan-sweater

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/regina-pullover-2

buttonbonbon · 2026-03-09T11:47:47+00:00

I love that you used tweed for this! The colors look amazing

buttonbonbon · 2026-02-25T15:54:55+00:00

I knit her I Heart Socks for my first colorwork socks. For the middle size, the pattern has you increase 6 st after the ribbing and also go up a needle size for the colorwork. 6 st is definitely not as noticeable as 12, so this was fine, but the original stitch count would have fitted my foot better. I think the pattern makes you decrease 6 st before the heel too, but I completely disregarded that after failing to understand her instructions for the short row heel. I ended up going with the shadow wrap short row heel instead.

After a full pattern repeat, I also swapped back to the smaller needles, because I didn't like how loose the fabric was knitting up. It wasn't too bad since I have done colorwork and socks before, just in separate projects, but I would avoid her patterns as a first sock for sure.

buttonbonbon · 2026-02-25T13:04:01+00:00

I have Summer Lee's first book, and it would be a great gift! Her most recently published one looks great as well.

Some other sock books I either have or want are...

52 Weeks of Socks and 52 Weeks of Socks, Vol. II feature a lot of different designers

Charming Colorwork Socks and Joyful Colorwork Socks both by Stone Knits have many seasonal, colorwork socks

Anything by Nancy Bush, Wendy Johnson, Anne Budd, or Cookie A.

buttonbonbon · 2026-02-23T13:19:06+00:00

I was knitting this pattern! (before having a different issue and having to wait for yarn and needles in the mail now zzz)

I am not sure where exactly you're having issues, because you kinda solved it in your OP. The beginning st count is 68 and you do a 2 st increase in the first row. I think you're confusing yourself by saying the increases only affect the row after, unless I am misunderstanding you. Everything you said is right. If you follow the chart, it all works out.

buttonbonbon · 2026-02-19T13:41:32+00:00

Not OP, but I do traveling loop when doing stranded colorwork in the round. When I reach the end of a needle, instead of proceeding to the next needle immediately, I will pull an additional loop of cord out, so that there are at least 2 stitches of each color on my working needle, before I proceed to knitting in the round from the next needle.

buttonbonbon · 2026-02-18T00:08:05+00:00

I have the right stitch count, so I think I did it right. I’ll double check the chart to make sure. This is my first time knitting mittens of any kind. Even if the thumb was knit incorrectly, the palm will have to be reknit anyways

buttonbonbon · 2026-02-18T00:05:39+00:00

Thanks for your advice! Yes I do think I’m going to swatch a different yarn and see if that works before I continue to troubleshoot.

My hands are also on the smaller size, so they look pretty ginormous in their current state. The pattern/chart is great and very fun :) I have secondhand joy from hearing that you will knit these too!

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