How to substitute yarn

So you’ve picked your pattern and you’re stuck choosing your yarn. Maybe the pattern suggests Crazy Sexy Wool from WATG or The Wool from WAK but you want to use a more affordable alternative; perhaps the project uses a DK weight yarn but you fancy using worsted or maybe the pattern asks for a wool based fibre but you’d prefer to use a vegan alternative. The tension (number of stitches and rows per 10 cm x 10 cm) varies between yarns and opting for a different yarn than asked for in the pattern can significantly affect how your project will turn out. Here, I’m going to show you how you can alter a pattern if you have a different tension than stated on the pattern and changing needle size can’t seem to sort it out or if you want to use a different yarn.

Please note: I’ve only done this for simple patterns - i.e. stitches which use only variations of knit and purl and projects which are knitted flat and seamed together.

I’ll be using the Seaside Cardigan size large as an example - you can find the pattern for free here.
This pattern uses the John Lewis Super Chunky Yarn (available here) and 12 mm needles. I’m going to adjust the pattern to use Paintbox Yarns Simply Super Chunky (available here)

Step 1 : Make you tension square with your chosen yarn. If you’re using chunky yarn, cast on around 10 stitches; if you’re using a DK weight yarn, cast on 25 stitches. For everything else do something in between. Knit 10 - 20 rows depending on yarn weight and cast off. Measure your square. For the sake of the example, I will use the tension stated on LoveCrafts - 10 cm x 10 cm = 7 stitches x 9 rows.

Step 2: You need to work out how many cm (or inches if your pattern is written in imperial) each stitch and row is.
length / stitch count = stitch cm
10 cm / 7 stitches = 1.4 cm per stitch
length / row count = row cm
10 cm / 9 rows = 1.1 cm per row

Step 3: Adjust the stitch counts in the pattern.
Seaside Cardigan size large - Length - 54 cm, width - 82 cm.
Length of cardigan / height of 1 row
54 / 1.1 = 49 rows
Width of cardigan / width of 1 stitch
82/1.4 = 58.5 stitches - Cast on 59 stitches, knit 49 rows.

Repeat this for all parts of project.

What to do for parts of the pattern where measurements aren’t given
Here, I’m thinking specifically about sleeves.
Calculate the cuff circumference - original yarn tension = 10 cm = 8 stitches
10 cm / 8 stitches = 1.25 cm per stitch
Number of stitches at the cuff - 24
24 stitches * 1.25 cm = 30 cm
30 cm of substituted yarn = 30 cm / 1.4 cm per stitch = 21 stitches
Width of the top of the arm - 45 cm
Number of stitches needed with substituted yarn - 45 cm / 1.4 cm per stitch = 32 stitches
Length of arm - 30 cm
Number of rows required in substituted yarn - 30 cm / 1.1 cm per row = 27 rows
Therefore you need to decrease 11 stitches evenly over 27 rows for the sleeve to be the same as stated in the pattern.

Hope this is at least coherent but if anything is confusing, just get in touch! As I previously said, I’ve never subbed yarn in a complicated pattern nor for a very different weight (i.e DK for super chunky) but this is useful when subbing like for like with a simple pattern.

Abbie xo

Beginners guide to becoming a knitter

The world of knitting and crocheting can be difficult to navigate as a complete beginner. There’s so much yarn out there, instructions are all written in code and how an earth do you even begin a project?

When I started knitting, I had no clue what I was doing, if the yarn was suitable for what I wanted to make and I didn’t follow a pattern for my first project simply because the maker community isn’t what it is today. It took me way longer than it should have done (and that’s ok) to figure out casting on, how to purl and to stop dropping stitches, and I had no idea what DK meant.

Now, as the UK goes into its second national lockdown, more people will be picking up needles to learn how to knit. I’ve put together a little guide on how to start knitting, what everything means and some cute project ideas to get you started!

How to get started

Knitting is essentially made of variants of two different stitches - the knit stitch and the purl stitch. There are in essence the same just that the purl is a backwards knit stitch. If you’ve never knitted before you’ll need to learn to cast on, to knit and/or purl and then you’ll be good to go,

My favourite tutorials
Wool and the Gang (here) - Wool and the Gang have tutorials on pretty much everything: casting on and off, stitch types and video tutorials on full projects. They used chunky yarn (their Crazy Sexy Wool) in their tutorials so it’s really easy to see what’s going on and there’s plenty for crocheters too.
Studio Knit (here) - a huge stitch dictionary with instructions for knitting both on flat needles and in the round. The pictures and instructions are really clear and there are charts for more experienced knitters. This is also really good for getting inspiration for projects.
Stitch and Story (here) - short and to the point video tutorials of all the basics you need to start knitting. I don’t enjoy the faff before a lot of tutorials so I really like these.

Choosing your yarn
Patterns will ask for a specific yarn weight and that’s because of tension (stitches and rows per cm) and the drape the project is designed to have. It is possible to alter a pattern if you have a yarn which is a different weight to the pattern, but as a complete beginner, I recommend finding something you like of the weight stated.

A good place to start is with a chunky yarn. It’s big enough to see the stitches but not too heavy that it’s hard to work with and your projects will knit up fairly quickly. Good yarns to start with are The Petite Wool from We Are Knitters (linked here), Paintbox Yarns Simply Super Chunky (linked here) and King Cole Comfort Chunky (linked here).

Choosing your needles
There are 3 types of needles used in knitting projects - straight needles, circular needles and double pointed needles (referred to as DPNs).
If you’re a beginner knitter, I recommend using plastic straight needles as these give enough friction to stop your stitches from slipping off the needles but not too much that it’s hard work (linked here).
Circular needles are requiredif you’re knitting a raglan sweater, a sweater in the round or a seamless hat. They’re also a great way to knit if you’re commuting with your knitting as it’s easier to store without your stitches slipping off your needles.
DPNs are useful for knitting sleeves and are used for socks. To be honest, I stay away from them but lots of knitters use them as their preferred method.
Needles also come in metal (usually aluminium) and wood so really it’s a case of playing around to see what you prefer.

The Hero Cardigan by Wool and The Gang in Pink Lemonade.

Knitting jargon abbreviations for a beginner. Made by Abbie @ Abbie Knits.

Knitting jargon guide
Knitting and crochet patterns were originally published in magazines where there was limited space so everything was given an abbreviation and it’s not really changed since despite most patterns being available on the internet. Below is everything I can currently think of that is commonly abbreviated in patterns to help with any pattern translation.

There are way more than I have included here, but for a beginner, I think these are what you are likely to see.
Accessories you actually need
1) Stitch markers (you can also use scrap yarn)
2) Pom-Pom makers if you’re making hats.
The end.

Kits and Projects I love
Kits are always a bit more expensive but if you’re looking for a complete set of instructions then they’re perfect. Great beginner kits are available from We Are Knitters (here), Wool and The Gang (here), Sincerely Louise (here), Lauren Aston Designs (here), and Stitch and Story (here). WAK and WATG have lovely garment kits whilst Sincerely Louise have really cute knitted creatures and Stitch and Story have lots of Miffy (a personal favourite!).

If you’re looking for an affordable first project, the Zero Waste Knitting Scarf is a great place to start - any wool can be used and uses only three techniques: cast on, knit stitch and cast off. It’s also an excellent way to use up your waste yarn from other projects.

Hopefully that gives you a good place to start from! If you would like any further advice or inspo, please get in touch ❤❤.

Abbie xo