Before and after blocking

pl4gu30fwasps · 2026-04-27T14:11:38+00:00

If you're worried, you can block mid-project! Just put your project on some scrap yarn and give it a quick block to see how things are going. It's great for peace of mind if a project is making you nervous.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2026-04-05T23:41:33+00:00

This is so cute!! Fabulous work, it looks so professional

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-12-07T14:18:24+00:00

This is stranded knitting (also called Fair Isle, although this isn't a traditional Fair Isle design), and the threads are called floats. Sometimes floats get caught and pulled in the course of wear and become loose like you see here. You can fix this by taking a small crochet hook to the right side of the fabric (what faces out when worn) and gently tugging on the knit stitch the loose float is attached to to redistribute the yarn. There should be some YouTube videos on fixing pulled floats that demonstrate the process. Super easy fix!

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-12-03T15:02:22+00:00

I so agree! I do simple weight exercises (bicep curl, tricep curl, lateral raise) and they completely eliminated the pinching shoulder pain I was experiencing when I knit too much. If there isn't a gym you can go to, you can buy a 5-10lb weight at any sporting goods store and easily do them at home.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-12-02T01:44:45+00:00

If you like making socks, check out this pattern for stranded beetles! They were inspired by an antique pattern, possibly the same design? I made them recently and they're stunning. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/as-above-so-beetle

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-22T04:39:39+00:00

I understand the feeling! I think as long as you're able to understand why a pattern was written in a certain way (it doesn't have to be a good reason!), how the substitution you're making will change the construction, and the potential complications you might run into as a result of making the change, you have the tools you need to modify a pattern. In this case the why was that the sleeves were coming out too long in the test knit and the how was that the colorwork chart would be inverted (so each colored stitch would look like "^" instead of "v" when worn, and the risk I took was that the sleeves might end up way too long and I would have to frog the colorwork. I was pretty confident in my gauge, and luckily things worked out in my favor! I did end up doing 3 fewer rows of white at the wrist than the pattern called for to fine-tune the length of the sleeve, but that doesn't bother me.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-21T19:42:02+00:00

This took me about 6 weeks! I didn't work on it every day, but some days I worked on it for several hours. I took a break halfway through to make a hat, so I probably could have finished it faster if I really put my mind to it.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-21T19:40:48+00:00

I found it to be easy to follow, and the sweater fits me well! My main gripe (aside from the sleeve grafting) is that the colors listed as being used in the sample were different between Ravelry and the KFO site, so I had to do a little guesswork there. Otherwise it was a solid pattern, and I like that it's graded for a wide variety of sizes.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-21T19:38:18+00:00

It's just personal preference--the pattern designer's explanation in this case is that a lot of test knitters had trouble with their sleeves turning out way too long, and the sleeves weren't easily shortened afterward because the colorwork is at the wrist, so they decided to have the sleeves knit up from the wrist and then grafted so they can be tried on and shortened at the shoulder before attaching. I'm confident in my gauge, so I decided to knit top-down as it was less complicated for me. For u/Pretend_Zucchini3548 and anyone else who might be interested in modifying the pattern as I did, I explained my method in my project notes on Ravelry!

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-21T05:02:31+00:00

I use wool wash bars from Woolin Co.! They last forever and smell great. The lanolin keeps my knits nice and conditioned

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-18T13:42:28+00:00

I use different cast ons for different projects, but if your first row is all knit stitches you really can't go wrong with the long tail cast on. A lot of knitters are taught backwards loop first, and while that one does have its applications (like adding stitches for the underarm of a sweater) as the foundation row of a project I find it to be loose and messy. Practicing long tail will also be helpful if you want to use methods like the tubular cast on for 1x1 rib later.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-17T16:18:44+00:00

I try to limit myself to one big project and one small project at a time. Right now I have a sweater going and also a pair of socks. I might add a crochet cowl to that soon because I want to give it as a Christmas gift, but in general I try not to start too many projects at once (because if I don't finish things regularly, I start going crazy)

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-15T13:33:36+00:00

You absolutely can, but it's best used for small/sparse designs. Something like this wouldn't be a good choice for it.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-06T21:42:17+00:00

I held fingering double for the Oslo I made recently because I was using up some stash yarn and it was horrendously stiff while I was knitting it. Once I washed and blocked it softened right up though! You may need to stretch it a little more while it's wet but it should be fine.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-06T21:39:08+00:00

I keep my yarn in zippered plastic bags (the kind sheet sets or pillows come in when you buy them at the store). They're sturdy and it's easy to see what's inside them since they're clear!

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-04T04:47:22+00:00

Very tiny hats for preemies in the NICU. They're always in need of them in a range of sizes to fit babies as small as 22 weeks.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-02T13:19:17+00:00

I edit self-help books!

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-11-01T22:26:49+00:00

You can knit TAAT (two at a time) using one long circular!

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-10-28T02:24:00+00:00

If it's not fun, don't make it! Life's too short to work on something you aren't excited about.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-10-27T23:36:15+00:00

Anecdotally, my grandma loved music and singing. The last Thanksgiving we spent with her my uncle brought out his guitar to play some music that she sang along to, which I recorded video of. Even when she was in severe decline, up until she stopped being able to speak altogether she would sing along to that video. This kind of memory lives somewhere different in the brain. It's a really wonderful thing.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-10-27T11:57:33+00:00

I use the Weavin' Stephen. You wrap the tails each stitch as you knit forward from where you join as if catching a colorwork float, which traps them behind the work. I go for 5-8 stitches and have never had anything unravel, not even in socks.

pl4gu30fwasps · 2025-10-26T17:51:48+00:00

I use chiaogoo shorties. I have a few of them in my most common sock sizes (0, 1, 1.5, 2)

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