Choosing the Right Knitting Needle Tips — Why Pointier Isn’t Always Better
Knitters often assume that the “best” needle is the sharpest needle. That’s what all the experienced lace knitters say, isn’t it?
“A lace tip will make everything faster, easier, and more precise.”
But a pointy tip is simply a tool, and tools are purpose-driven.
- Some projects absolutely need that precision.
- Others need gentleness.
- Most projects are best with something in between.
Before we talk about tip shapes, though, let’s look at materials.
Blocking matters -- why linen and cotton block differently
Finishing is super important for sweaters that look great, and a big part of finishing is the blocking. If you’ve been with me a while, you’ve heard me say more than once that I’m not a fan of wet-blocking sweaters, especially wool sweaters. Wool is springy and elastic, but it’s also surprisingly fragile when it’s wet. That’s why, when I’m working with wool, I’m all about steam and gentle shaping. But when it comes to plant-based fibers like linen and cotton, the rules change—and that’s exactly what I want to dig into today.
Mastering Needle Choice: How the Right Knitting Needle Can Transform Your Stitching Experience
There really is no one perfect all-purpose needle. I wish there were. It would be so wonderful to say, “Buy this set and you will never need anything else.”
I had a real eye-opening moment knitting with Rowan Four Season’s Cotton. I found it to be a little splitty, and my sharp needles were going in between the plies. When I switched to my Addi Turbos, it was smooth sailing.
Knitting a gauge swatch
Swatching. At the very mention of the topic, most knitters close their eyes, put their fingers in their ears, and say "La la la la, I'm not listening." I get it, but I promise post will be fun and not boring.
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Gauge in knitting - an easy to understand explanation - Gumballs and Gauge
Gauge is confusing. It doesn’t work the way we think it should. Large needles and thick yarn should have a large gauge, right? Seems logical, but it’s wrong. Gauge is counter-intuitive. It has what’s called an inverse relationship with the size of the stitches. The larger the yarn and needles, the smaller the gauge. The smaller the yarn and needles, the larger the gauge.
Here’s a visual that often helps. Picture a gumball machine. Just one of those old-fashioned round jobs with a red base and a clear globe on the top. Okay? Right, So we can put any size gumballs we want in our machine.
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Here’s a visual that often helps. Picture a gumball machine. Just one of those old-fashioned round jobs with a red base and a clear globe on the top. Okay? Right, So we can put any size gumballs we want in our machine.
Why sweaters don't fit - and what to do about it
“I’m afraid it won’t fit”. When I asked you to tell me your biggest fear when it comes to making a sweater, that’s what you told me. Not at all surprising. We are all afraid that our sweaters won’t fit. Spending the time, money, and effort going on choosing the garments, buying the yarn, and making the garment, only to have it not fit -- I don’t think there’s a more disheartening moment.
There are lots of reasons a sweater might not fit, in order of least likely to most likely.
Knitting, cooking, and those pesky ends
Cooking and knitting have a lot in common – and I don’t just mean that they’ve both literally saved my sanity during these tough times. They are both constructive, creative outlets that help me focus and create a calm headspace from which I can better view the world. Both cooking and knitting are things we do for ourselves and also for others, enjoying both the process of creation and the joy of sharing the product of our efforts. There are many other ways cooking is like knitting, perhaps that’s why so many knitters are also really excellent cooks, and people who hate to cook often eschew the fiber arts as well
But there is one really important difference between cooking and knitting that bears mentioning. I will get to that, but first, let share with you a conversation
Five reasons to knit a swatch
At the shop, I say “You’ll have to swatch it and see,“ at least fifty times a day. That guidance is always met with a groan or at least a heavy sigh. Knitters hate to swatch. I get it. We want get started NOW, because the project is going to take a while, and swatching feels like a waste of precious knitting time.
Casting on a big project without swatching is like marrying someone we met at the bar last night. It might work out great, but maybe not, and it could be a while before we figure out that it was a horrible mistake. By then, we’ve already invested so much time and energy that we’re tempted to just soldier on and hope it gets better and turns out okay. It doesn’t. As painful as it is, just cut your losses and head to the frog pond – Rip it, rip it, rip it.Love it or hate it, swatching is important, and here are five things more
A change in knitting gauge - a change in perspective
It's amazing how dramatically a change in yarn can affect the look of a sweater. Take a look at Petra by CocoKnits. Originally designed for a bulky yarn, Petra has a gauge of 3 stitches per inch on a US size 11 needle. I knit it in Noro Transitions several years ago, and it remains one of my favorite winter sweaters.
Designer Julie Weisenberger has since reknit Petra in a much finer yarn for a
Summer sweaters and curling stockinette
Stockinette fabric curls. It's a fact of life knitters learn early on. All stockinette curls, but not to the same degree. Lots of factors govern how much your fabric will curl, but two of the main factors are the bounciness of the yarn and the knitted gauge.
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