Oh my goodness, I really appreciate the deep dives into your thought processes combined with your knowledge / skill. This combo, along with your clear communication makes for such a great video. I find myself always leaning in as you talk. Thank you for such thoughtful and thought provoking videos!
I think I learn more from your thoughtful commentary about your knitting than just about any other knitting video. Thank you for sharing what you have learned! It’s great!
I am 71 and just learning how to knit. Now I am saying this to you because it is two-fold. This pertains to your statement to a comment by a viewer that made a blanket statement about your choice of yarn for cables. All I have to say to you is TEACH Babygirl, TEACH!!!! The older you become and continue to absorb knowledge, the more you become aware that all rules are made to be broken as long as you are not hurting anyone. You may not have said it in the way I would have responded I must commend you in not hurting the viewer's feelings in the educated way in which you put her highs handed blanket all knowing it all statement to utter shame. Knowledge is powerful and you used it in such a way that allowed her to keep her dignity. What a magnificent magnificent educator you are and what a wonderfully smart individual you are. I simply loved your response and the manner in which you educated. I have binged watch your podcasts and although a senior citizen, I know where to seek out a great teacher. As I have said before, TEACH Babygirl TEACH! Ms. Hurt.
Ms. Hurt, thank you so much for this incredible comment - you made my day! I’m so glad you are learning to knit and that you found your way to my channel ❤️
Thank you so much for this episode, Mel. It really resonated with me, and perhaps with many others. Knitting should be a place for experimenting, working with colours and fibers that speak to you, and of course, aiming for an end goal of your own personal preference. Your episodes teach me a lot, and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the projects you make. Your choices are superb, very well thought through, and greatly executed. This episode is a reminder that no matter what some people may say about our work, ultimately what matters most is continuing to do what gives us joy, and create magic the way we see fit. Thank you for your content!
Thank you for your thoughtful commentary on this subject and for sharing your expertise with us. I much prefer “softer” looking cables rather than high relief three dimensional cables. Both have their place though. We’ve all heard it countless times: swatch for the fabric you like and do your due diligence when substituting yarns for those called for in the pattern, and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful knitted item that you’ll wear and treasure for years to come.
Your comments are refreshing (and probably dangerous... for me anyway). I tend to read and listen to lots of experienced, advanced knitters and what they have to say about how things go in knitting... and then do something quite different. Sometimes with fabulous results, sometimes with major fails! But I appreciate your take on things. And I think your work is gorgeous.
Your color choices and yarn types for the Scout Shawl are terrific! I really love what you have put together for that shawl. Also, thank you for your excellent videos.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with all of this. I'm just getting into the fun of breaking "rules" with yarn choice and textures. One thing that's been helping me is that I've started adding a bit of lace and cable to all of my swatches, regardless of whether the project I'm swatching for has lace or cables in it. I just run a simple 2x2 cable up one side and I use a yarn over and 2tog motif to mark the needle size I used for the swatch. It's a quick way to see what different yarns and combinations do without committing to a full project. Also your Enamorado is gorgeous!
Mel, you really are such an inspiration. Your attitude of “i’m doing this” is amazing. Thanks for your in-depth perspective. Truly enjoyed and appreciated.
When I made the Renaissance Shawl by Kieran Foley, I put all the colours into little plastic bags and closed them. The plastic bags slipped over one another cos of the nature of plastic - and I found this method for intarsia easier than using bobbins. Thank you for your wonderfully informative videos.
thank you so much for sharing this. Such a wealth of experience behind your thoughts. It's not just the knitting world that is full of people with "Rules that must not be broken". The art world, craft, spinning. Everywhere there are people who think they are the only ones who know the ""correct"" way to do anything. I ignore them now. I love that Scout shawl pattern and I have seen one knitted all in Shetland wool. It was gorgeous and so is yours. It's just different. If I make it it will be with all sorts of yarns I have in my stash. like you I don't mind a bit of texture and I am proud to wear hand knitted garments. This video has thrown a lot of light on choosing yarn for projects. I like that you delve into the depths. I don't watch people who just show their projects and yarn and pattern. I usually can't get the yarns anyway as I am in Australia and they are usually too expensive so I mostly used Australian yarns. Thank you.
Hi Mel! Thanks for once again sharing your wealth of knowledge with us! I remember at some point over the last few years jotting down that 2-ply yarns were beter for lace and 3 & 4-ply yarns were better for cables but seeing the comparisons you showed were truly astonishing to me! I'm now currently awaiting the arrival of my new Yarnitecture book in the mail 😊 I wholeheartedly agree that there are no "rules" in knitting and we should be playful and experiment to find the look we want. Understanding how the structure and composition of a yarn influences the outcome is very helpful and nothing beats a little trial and error 🤗. Thanks so much for another fantastic episode--LOVE all your projects 😍
This was a great deep dive! I appreciated all your examples, and I am especially intrigued by using darker mohair to accent cables. Thanks for the effort you put into this. 😊
Love your makes. About 6 or 7 years ago I was at a yarn shop looking for 3 skeins for a shawl. I picked 2 skeins that were plied. When I picked up a third single ply skein for a few rows as the “pop” color one of the ladies working there told me I couldn’t use it because it was not the same as the others. She couldn’t give me a reason beyond that. I wanted it because of the color and I bought it and used it in the shawl. The shawl turned out awesome!
Thanks so much for this thoughtful episode! I love these in-depth "nerdy" (in the best way!!) discussions about yarn, knitting, fibre etc as even as a reasonably experienced knitter you always learn something new! I also couldn't love your project selection any more (even as I am currently knitting simpler things thanks to toddler-parenting-brainfog) these intricate pieces are the ones that truly steal my heart. In mhy perception there are many podcasts geared more towards beginner knitters and full of stockinette mohair raglans etc and it's just refreshing to see something different - so thanks!!
Mel, I am happy I found your channel. I love your explanation of yarn choices for cables and lace. I watch many RUclips knitting channels and everyone I watch will always modify a pattern to suit their taste and style including when they test knit. They also mention that they are not using the recommended yard for a pattern. So why can't you knit different yarns for cables and lace? Knitting to me is about personal choice. If you love a yarn or a pattern then tweek it to fit you and enjoy it. 🧶
This is one of the most informative and interesting videos I have seen here on RUclips. Thanks 🙏 a lot ❤ it saves me much swatching 😊 I will go back to it again before choosing yarn for my next sweater, which will probably be a cabled cardigan
I feel like it’s all just an experiment and you just proved it!! Of course there are traditions that may claim to dictate a good way of doing something but not the only way!! Thanks for the deep dive!
I really like listening to you analyze your knitting, a lot of food for thought. I also have short arms. I learned a measurement from a Suzanne Bryan video and it works for me. Take the measurement from the centre back of your neck down your slightly bent arm to where you want your sleeve to end. You probably already know this but thought I would mention it.
Thank you Mel, always so informative. Love the Enamorado Sweater, can't wait to see the finished garment. I enjoy working with different yarns. The Scout shawl is gorgeous. I need to checkout Webs for those bobbins. I have a Florence Spurling pattern and yarn in my stash. Thanks for sharing!!!
As a viewer, I totally support this kind of content! It's nice to see everyone's projects, but so much more enjoyable to be learning. My perspective on yarn choice with cables...I agree that it is individual preference. But also, when substituting yarns, be mindful of what the effect will be and expect that the outcome may differ from the designer's version. This is why it is so important when substituting to swatch to be sure that you like the effect you are getting. Also consider is the design all over cables or a mix of texture and cables. I think your designs look so good with your yarn choices because they are a mix of textured stitches and cables. If you really want cables to pop, there is nothing like a smooth yarn as in your Irish sample. Finally, about your heavy sweater, heavy cabling like that eats up a lot of yarn, so that adds to the weight along with the heaviness of the yarn. OK, I will stop talking now! Fun topics!
Greetings! I love your Scout shawl. The contrast between the watery colors to the bold print allows the eye to travel through the Garment. Just lovely. I cannot wait to see the finished product! Thank you for another fabulous episode. Take care and be safe. Kind regards, Stephanie from California
I agreed The Enamorado , it’s gorgeous, the light bounces off of of it, even when you leaned in, again really gorgeous. Everyone of the Sweaters are absolutely beautiful. With all your knowledge and the beautiful items you’ve made, I’d say you’re a Master Knitter. Thank you for showing them. 🧶
Firstly, I love your version of the Enamorado sweater. It’s beautifully knitted. I also like your explanation of yarns and which projects they are best suited to. Innovation comes from not blindly following rules but using the rules to your best advantage. I’m so impressed with the quality and quantity of your work. Lastly, your speech style is easy to listen to. I am grateful you have a love of the craft and are willing to share your thoughts and understanding with us. Many thanks.
Mel, I love your Enamorado sweater! The slightly softened cable pattern reminds me a bit of carved granite or limestone. I feel very grateful that I learned to knit when I was very young and got a make a lot of mistakes (bulky orange chenille tank top, yikes lol) and experiment without anyone telling me that I was doing something wrong. I think it made me a much better knitter today,
Agreed! My first ever garment was a chunky bell sleeve cardigan, all garter stitch, with natural white worsted weight held *triple* LOL!!! I must’ve looked like the Michelin Man 😂. I was maybe 10-12 at the time. So glad I got that out of my system early 😂😂😂
Thank you for another interesting episode. I absolutely love exploring different qualities of yarns and how beautifully you've demonstrated this - both in the context of the cabled pieces and in your Scout shawl - those differing amounts of contrast really add to the whole pathchwork feel of the piece to my eye - it promises to be truly stunning
Thank you for the insight you gave on combining darker mohair with a lighter base yarn. The effect on cables is so cool! I love your podcasts. It's so generous of you to share your knowledge.
You are an enabler. Love it. I have made the enamorado sweater for my mother for her birthday in April. I made it with green dk weight held with mohair. I’m Sure she will love it thank you. I love all your sweater choices. You but a lot of thought in your picking of details to yarn choices. Thanks for the share.
Wow this is so interesting! I am just starting to try cables a little bit. I've never thought about how these yarn characteristics can affect things. Also, all of your example projects are just stunning.
Every time I see you have a new episode posted I immediately smile! I love your presentations, thoughts, and demeanor while you share your working knowledge with us. Thank you so much for all the time and thought you put into your episode. Your knitting is very inspiring to me.
I love your videos I always learn so much each time. I’m the type of person that always learns the rules, usually in great depth 😬 and once I understand, I find my own way, usually breaking 90% of them! In this case swatching is your best friend, to see exactly what things are going to look like. I just cast on my Linya wrap 🥰💪🏻 thanks for sharing you naughty rule breaker 🤣🤣
LOL! Can’t wait to see your Linya, I cast mine on in the last few days too but am rethinking my yarn choice now 🤔. Feels like it needs a little more oomph somehow.
Yes to these plays with yarn! I've enjoyed witnessing and learning from your yarn choices throughout your videos. The choices that "the common wisdom" might deem "unexpected" are often the most interesting, yielding truly satisfying results. Discussions and dives into what did not work are equally intriguing and instructive. One of my first yarn-combo experiments was a few years ago with two yarns that came to me in a grab-bag type situation...I did not enjoy either on their own: a too bubble gum pink alpaca and a peach-orange-rust (and itchy) mohair. The resulting fabric had such depth and was so superior to either yarn on their own - really interesting.
Yes! I’ve had that experience too - trying to figure out what to do with a yarn that wasn’t quite the right color, and you end up finding a combo that’s just fantastic. Love that.
Hello Mel, c'était très instructif, j'adorais. Je prends beaucoup du temps pour choisir qualité de laine pour tel ou tel projet que finalement, je fini par des classiques : fine laine ou alpaca😥. Je serai ravie voir prochainement.!🖐️😀
Thanks so much for another really informative and interesting episode. I love hearing your thoughtful consideration of the different factors and conscious decision-making. Always a treat to 'participate' in these discussions with you. Best wishes from the UK!
Always, always incredibly informative. As with your earlier podcast on plant fibers, taking the time to look at a topics in depth and in the round is very helpful, and thought provoking. I often think as I watch you work on a project, no way could I do that, but then I think... maybe I can give something I want to try a go!! Slow and steady.
Informative as always! Your knitting is always really defined, and that's how I got hooked. I think it was a linen project that was similar in color to the blue cabled sweater you showed today. I really like the orangeish color you pucked for the flowers. I like the coral and blue. It's definitely my favorite section of your shawl. I haven't done any colorwork outside of stripes, just yet. Im eyeing the drawing sweater, but I need to finish my shash first. I dont keep a stash except for sock stash. Fingering mostly. I'm not liking the feeling of nylon. I got some mulbury silk to use on heels and toes. Then I'll see how it wears over time. It's current wip and the next planned one. I don't have space for a stash. I order when I'm ready to use it
I’m going to make a cardigan with a variegated in very pastel beige kind of colors in a roving merino silk blend with a complicated cable covering the entire back. I think it is going to look fantastic. But then i have been wrong before! 🧐🤔🤗
Great content, thankyou. I’m always interested to learn more about yarn choices. I’m about to knit my first cable garment and chose a purple colour, lots of people have said you won’t see the cables but I live a messy life and a light colour wouldn’t stay nice for more than 5 minutes so we will see what happens 💜
You are applying your intellectualism to knitting challenges, very thoughtful and informative. Aran jumpers were originally knitted in 4 ply and that 'aran weight' is not necessarily related to the origins of the jumper. I learnt this yesterday from another podcast from Ireland Froach Knits. She shows some beautiful examples from the Museum of Country Life if that is of interest J
Thanks so much. That was really thought-provoking and informative. I love your take on knowing the rules so you can break them intentionally. Plus all your lovely knitting! I agree about the ethereal quality of your less-defined cable projects, so it's great to have some guidance about how you achieved that. Plus the tip about holding a slightly darker mohair with your main yarn -- really cool how it highlights the pattern rather than detracting from it.
I really enjoy this episode! I love your colors, the moody “not-quite” shades of grays and purples, and pinkish browns. I really like the look of a slightly darker mohair or suri yarn as well. Brava!
When I heard your “plans” last video, I actually thought, “well, if anyone can make that work, Mel can.” I’ve seen you do magic too often w too many fibers explaining all the things in an in depth interesting way to think otherwise. I actually thought u changed ur mind about the mohair because the sweater was so striking when you held it up. Didn’t even notice the halo through the beautiful fabric! ❤
While I personally don’t love mohair (it feels like fire to me when I touch it, which is sad because I think it’s so pretty) I LOVE how it looks in the sweater you’re wearing. It’s basically acting as a shadow to highlight the main yarn and the cables. So awesome!!!
I’m just in the planning stages of a cable jumper that I chose because it looks like armour. This was brilliant inspiration on how to ramp up that effect. Thanks so much for the quality content!
Great podcast as always. I learn so much each time. I am working on the scout mini and it is also my first intarsia project, and I agree the yarn management is a royal pain but the effect is so worth it.
This is such an amazing episode. I've never considered the yarn choice, other than the fact that i always use whatever the recommended weight is. From now on,, I am going to be more mindful about the voice of yarn Thank you so mch.
That was thoroughly interesting! I am interested in using mohair and other 'fuzzy' yarns. Firstly calculating the amount to use with various projects and secondly best items/examples to really show that 'haze' look.
So interesting. I love your perspective. Would like to see an episode that looks at mohair and possible substitutions for those of us who live in a warm climate or can't wear mohair?
Impressive, as always! I love the look of mohair, but just the thought of it makes me itch, so have used suri as an alternative. I'm in the colorwork section of Vair (inspired by you) - so enjoyable. Using J&S in the called-for colors of the black version. They're more muted than the pictures, which I like. Ended up doing the stripes in the lace. Even my husband thinks this is a cool pattern!
I really, really enjoy your videos and always find them inspirational. I almost never use the recommended yarn and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't but my attitude is: so what. It's a hobby.
Thank you so much for this! I love watching your view on knitting and I always come away with so much! Your knowledge makes me grow as a knitter, so thank you for that! I especially love it when you talk in depth on topics like this one. I'm beginning to understand more about yarn choice and that's also due to your video's. I would love to hear you talk about how fibre content (merino, alpaca, BFL etc) will effect the look and feel of a garment, and if you make adjustments when you choose size. Like do you knit a smaller size when knitting with 100% alpaca for instance? Also I know what woollen spun and worsted spun means, but I do not quite understand how choosing one or the other effects a garment.
Thank you ❤️. I’m happy to talk more about fiber content in the future! To briefly answer your question here though - I don’t usually choose a different size in an instance like you described, I tend to think more about the structure of the garment and whether the yarn will give the effect I want. If a 100% alpaca is going to drape so much in the finished item that my stitch gauge will be overly distorted, I probably wouldn’t match that yarn with that particular pattern, if that makes sense.
@@melmakesstuff Thank you, that makes sense. I had another thought about a topic I would like to hear your thoughts on and that is your relationship to your stash. You often say you want to use yarn from your stash. Do you tend to buy yarn because you fall in love with the yarn and then choose a project? Or does it also happen that you purchase yarn to make a specific project? What are some of the factors that make you decide to purchase yarn? I've recently been buying yarn that I want to try without a specific project in mind and I now notice that I want to assign a project to all the sweater quantities that I have in my stash. The yarn can apparently not just lay there. Do you ever experience any anxiety over your stash or can your skeins just happily lay there until one day you find the perfect project for it?
I agree with you. Knitting for me is about my own personal journey and not about what other people think. It’s so satisfying to break the rules and see what happens. So what if it’s not conventional.
I believe you talked about the combination of round and light with a darker mohair before and I've used such a combination because of you in my seasons sweater by ozetta. It turned out great and the texture was really defined! Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Very interesting, thank you for this video! I have knitted some textured patterns and I've been picking up lessons just from the experience and I feel like you've painted a broader picture in which my picked up lessons fall and make even more sense. If, you know, this makes sense :) Weird enough, one of my textured knits was a sweater that has the same wrapped stitches as in your Enamorado. I even think the Enamorado is at least partially inspired by the pattern I knitted, it's the Bright sweater by Junko Okamoto which I fell in love with because of the textures but ended up heavily modifying the shape of it, and when I was looking for other people's experiences I saw that it was very popular in Russia. The name of the designer of Enamorado is most likely Russian, could be from one or two other Slavic countries but I got so intrigued now that I checked on Ravelry and yep, she has knitted the Bright sweater. It's a very different sweater though, just this unusual stitch combined with the twisted stitch columns got me thinking about it. Anyway. My point is, you don't need a cable needle for the wrapped stitches, you can just slip the stitches from one needle to the other and back as many times as required while holding the yarn first in back then in front etc. I used this method and I preferred it to using a cable needle, you may find the cable needle more comfortable but I thought I'd share my "discovery" just in case it turns out to be useful to you. Oh, and I completely agree with you about this texture being so bold. I didn't know much when I was choosing the yarn for my sweater and I ended up knitting it in lace weight 2-ply loosely spun yarn which I held double, the color is dark-ish and heathered, and still the texture is quite in your face. It might pill with more wear but that's a different issue.
Funny, the Bright sweater is also on my short list! I know I’ve seen something close to the wrapped stitch pattern in Hitomi Shida’s Japanese knitting stitch dictionary as well. Such a fun pattern to knit.
I also like the Scout Shawl. I have two thoughts… Have you ever knit back backwards? Wondering if that would help to mitigate the tangling? And, for the boarder…. What if one knitted the body of the shawl without the boarder. Then picked up stitches for boarder and knit it as an applied edging all the way around? I realize an applied edge could look quite different than the designer’s vision.
Yes, I have knit backwards before - I think I was trying to avoid purling in colorwork at the time, but realized it wasn’t actually that bad 😂. I’m sure you could rework this to do the border after the fact if you wanted. I’m finding that those little border edges are keeping the colorwork sections quite neat (since the intarsia join gets your yarns organized at the twisting point), so I’m enjoying it as-is!
@@melmakesstuff I’m not sure exactly how it works myself but my knitting buddy told me it cuts down the number of times you have to turn your work. Might not suit your task here but I hope it is interesting anyway. Beautiful knits and such a lucid and engaging podcast, thank you Mel.
Once again, I love your podcasts. Yours are my favourites! Are you making the small or large size of the Scout Shawl? I am intending to make it so I loved how you went over the methods. Thanks so much!
I am fairly new to the garment part of knitting and I absolutely love your videos. You are so helpful! I was wondering if you've ever substitute weight yarn, like fingering to dk or worsted to dk for exemple, and if so if you would be willing to talk about it? Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's invaluable!
I have definitely made those sorts of substitutions in the past! Not sure if I have a project planned for the near future with a major sub like fingering to dk, but will keep this in mind for future episodes if I have the opportunity ❤️
Have you tried bringing your chart into an app that lets you mark it up? I use Notability for mine and use a fat white marker setting to ‘erase’ each row when I have finished it so that I can really clearly see the row I am working on without having to scan up and down the chart. You still get the screen glow of course so not for everyone.
Thank you for educating me about different yarn choices for different projects! May I kindly inquire your opinion on combining a strand of lace weight silk mohair yarn with another heavier weighted yarn to make a garment? I see this type of combination everywhere now and I also have heard the mohair diminishes the durability of the knits. Is this option true? Also, how do you take care of the garments that have mohair in it? How do you de-bubble the garments have mohair in them? Thank you in advance!
Thank you for the video, it is as always full of interesting information. Question: How did you achieve with a darker color mohair not to have a marl effect ? Happy knitting.
At first when I was learning about it, I just used leftover mohair and swatched with other yarns I had in stash to see what effects I was getting. I still don’t always get it right 😉
I watch your videos as soon as they come out and plan to do so for a long time. Would absolutely love if you spoke more about Japanese patterns. I've come across a pattern I love and am a bit anxious to start. Would love to hear a bit more from you first. Also, a question here: you've been knitting for quite a while. Is there a reason for you choosing to knit existing patterns rather than come up with your own? I would think it's because during knitting you prefer relaxing and just following the pattern, but you make quite some changes with shoulder width and arm length, so that's not it. Would be lovely to hear a bit about why!
There’ll be more about Japanese patterns in the next episode 🥰. As to your other question - I’ve designed my own garments in the past when I couldn’t find a pattern close to what I wanted, but now that there are so many nice patterns out there, I rarely run into that situation anymore! Modifying a pattern to fit perfectly is a hobby I enjoy in itself, I think.
Hi Mel, thank you for this fantastic and inspiring podcast once again! I do have a question for you : When you knit colorwork flat, do you carry both strands to the last stitch and twist them before the next row or do you just leave the cc hanging from wherever and just use it from there when you come back? Or do you catch one last float near the edge, on a different spot every time ? That is basically what I did for parts of a Marie Wallin pattern and it worked ok but I could never find a validation for the edge treatments on flat colorwork anywhere… I am not crazy about guessing when working on a huge involved project with beautiful yarn! 😊
I get it, I was wondering about this too when I started knitting colorwork flat! I usually carry the CC to the end and then knit the last stitch of every row with both yarns. That seems to help keep the edges organized.
Oh my goodness, I really appreciate the deep dives into your thought processes combined with your knowledge / skill. This combo, along with your clear communication makes for such a great video. I find myself always leaning in as you talk. Thank you for such thoughtful and thought provoking videos!
Totally agree!
💯 agree! My thoughts exactly ❤
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE listening to you talk about the nuances of yarn!
Thank you, I always appreciate your nice comments ❤️
I think I learn more from your thoughtful commentary about your knitting than just about any other knitting video. Thank you for sharing what you have learned! It’s great!
I am 71 and just learning how to knit. Now I am saying this to you because it is two-fold. This pertains to your statement to a comment by a viewer that made a blanket statement about your choice of yarn for cables. All I have to say to you is TEACH Babygirl, TEACH!!!! The older you become and continue to absorb knowledge, the more you become aware that all rules are made to be broken as long as you are not hurting anyone. You may not have said it in the way I would have responded I must commend you in not hurting the viewer's feelings in the educated way in which you put her highs handed blanket all knowing it all statement to utter shame. Knowledge is powerful and you used it in such a way that allowed her to keep her dignity. What a magnificent magnificent educator you are and what a wonderfully smart individual you are. I simply loved your response and the manner in which you educated. I have binged watch your podcasts and although a senior citizen, I know where to seek out a great teacher. As I have said before, TEACH Babygirl TEACH! Ms. Hurt.
Ms. Hurt, thank you so much for this incredible comment - you made my day! I’m so glad you are learning to knit and that you found your way to my channel ❤️
You are dangerous for me to watch. I want to sit and knit all day with the patterns and choice of yarns you use!❤
Thank you so much for this episode, Mel. It really resonated with me, and perhaps with many others. Knitting should be a place for experimenting, working with colours and fibers that speak to you, and of course, aiming for an end goal of your own personal preference. Your episodes teach me a lot, and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the projects you make. Your choices are superb, very well thought through, and greatly executed. This episode is a reminder that no matter what some people may say about our work, ultimately what matters most is continuing to do what gives us joy, and create magic the way we see fit. Thank you for your content!
Thank you for your thoughtful commentary on this subject and for sharing your expertise with us. I much prefer “softer” looking cables rather than high relief three dimensional cables. Both have their place though. We’ve all heard it countless times: swatch for the fabric you like and do your due diligence when substituting yarns for those called for in the pattern, and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful knitted item that you’ll wear and treasure for years to come.
Wow that sawyer just blew my mind! I had no idea a slightly darker mohair (compared to the base yarn) had that kind of effect 🤯
I really appreciated your perspective on the different yarn choices, and that sometimes breaking a *rule* can bring the most interesting results.
Your comments are refreshing (and probably dangerous... for me anyway). I tend to read and listen to lots of experienced, advanced knitters and what they have to say about how things go in knitting... and then do something quite different. Sometimes with fabulous results, sometimes with major fails! But I appreciate your take on things. And I think your work is gorgeous.
Your color choices and yarn types for the Scout Shawl are terrific! I really love what you have put together for that shawl. Also, thank you for your excellent videos.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with all of this. I'm just getting into the fun of breaking "rules" with yarn choice and textures. One thing that's been helping me is that I've started adding a bit of lace and cable to all of my swatches, regardless of whether the project I'm swatching for has lace or cables in it. I just run a simple 2x2 cable up one side and I use a yarn over and 2tog motif to mark the needle size I used for the swatch. It's a quick way to see what different yarns and combinations do without committing to a full project. Also your Enamorado is gorgeous!
What a fantastic idea with the swatches - I love that!
Mel, you really are such an inspiration. Your attitude of “i’m doing this” is amazing. Thanks for your in-depth perspective. Truly enjoyed and appreciated.
When I made the Renaissance Shawl by Kieran Foley, I put all the colours into little plastic bags and closed them. The plastic bags slipped over one another cos of the nature of plastic - and I found this method for intarsia easier than using bobbins. Thank you for your wonderfully informative videos.
I love your approach to “rules”.
thank you so much for sharing this. Such a wealth of experience behind your thoughts. It's not just the knitting world that is full of people with "Rules that must not be broken". The art world, craft, spinning. Everywhere there are people who think they are the only ones who know the ""correct"" way to do anything. I ignore them now. I love that Scout shawl pattern and I have seen one knitted all in Shetland wool. It was gorgeous and so is yours. It's just different. If I make it it will be with all sorts of yarns I have in my stash. like you I don't mind a bit of texture and I am proud to wear hand knitted garments. This video has thrown a lot of light on choosing yarn for projects. I like that you delve into the depths. I don't watch people who just show their projects and yarn and pattern. I usually can't get the yarns anyway as I am in Australia and they are usually too expensive so I mostly used Australian yarns. Thank you.
Absolutely fantastic!!! Youre an amazing knitter.
Hi Mel! Thanks for once again sharing your wealth of knowledge with us! I remember at some point over the last few years jotting down that 2-ply yarns were beter for lace and 3 & 4-ply yarns were better for cables but seeing the comparisons you showed were truly astonishing to me! I'm now currently awaiting the arrival of my new Yarnitecture book in the mail 😊 I wholeheartedly agree that there are no "rules" in knitting and we should be playful and experiment to find the look we want. Understanding how the structure and composition of a yarn influences the outcome is very helpful and nothing beats a little trial and error 🤗. Thanks so much for another fantastic episode--LOVE all your projects 😍
Oh yay, thanks Nikki! I hope you like the book, that’s one of my favorites 🥰
Brilliantly informative video! Thank you so much!
This was a great deep dive! I appreciated all your examples, and I am especially intrigued by using darker mohair to accent cables. Thanks for the effort you put into this. 😊
Excellent presentation as usual!
This was really good, Mel, Thank you.
Love your makes. About 6 or 7 years ago I was at a yarn shop looking for 3 skeins for a shawl. I picked 2 skeins that were plied. When I picked up a third single ply skein for a few rows as the “pop” color one of the ladies working there told me I couldn’t use it because it was not the same as the others. She couldn’t give me a reason beyond that. I wanted it because of the color and I bought it and used it in the shawl. The shawl turned out awesome!
That’s great! Love hearing stories like that 🥰
Thanks so much for this thoughtful episode! I love these in-depth "nerdy" (in the best way!!) discussions about yarn, knitting, fibre etc as even as a reasonably experienced knitter you always learn something new!
I also couldn't love your project selection any more (even as I am currently knitting simpler things thanks to toddler-parenting-brainfog) these intricate pieces are the ones that truly steal my heart. In mhy perception there are many podcasts geared more towards beginner knitters and full of stockinette mohair raglans etc and it's just refreshing to see something different - so thanks!!
Thank you!! ❤️
Such a good exposé. Thank you!
Mel,
I am happy I found your channel. I love your explanation of yarn choices for cables and lace. I watch many RUclips knitting channels and everyone I watch will always modify a pattern to suit their taste and style including when they test knit. They also mention that they are not using the recommended yard for a pattern. So why can't you knit different yarns for cables and lace? Knitting to me is about personal choice. If you love a yarn or a pattern then tweek it to fit you and enjoy it. 🧶
This is one of the most informative and interesting videos I have seen here on RUclips. Thanks 🙏 a lot ❤ it saves me much swatching 😊 I will go back to it again before choosing yarn for my next sweater, which will probably be a cabled cardigan
I feel like it’s all just an experiment and you just proved it!! Of course there are traditions that may claim to dictate a good way of doing something but not the only way!! Thanks for the deep dive!
Absolutely! If we weren’t experimenting, things would get boring pretty quickly 😊
This was wonderful, I found it very informative, being new to knitting, this will help me wade through all the yarn information out there.
Beautiful craftsmanship and your detail descriptions are much appreciated.
I really like listening to you analyze your knitting, a lot of food for thought. I also have short arms. I learned a measurement from a Suzanne Bryan video and it works for me. Take the measurement from the centre back of your neck down your slightly bent arm to where you want your sleeve to end. You probably already know this but thought I would mention it.
I really appreciate that you share your knitting and fabric knowledge in these episodes! ❤
Thank you Mel, always so informative. Love the Enamorado Sweater, can't wait to see the finished garment. I enjoy working with different yarns. The Scout shawl is gorgeous. I need to checkout Webs for those bobbins. I have a Florence Spurling pattern and yarn in my stash. Thanks for sharing!!!
As a viewer, I totally support this kind of content! It's nice to see everyone's projects, but so much more enjoyable to be learning. My perspective on yarn choice with cables...I agree that it is individual preference. But also, when substituting yarns, be mindful of what the effect will be and expect that the outcome may differ from the designer's version. This is why it is so important when substituting to swatch to be sure that you like the effect you are getting. Also consider is the design all over cables or a mix of texture and cables. I think your designs look so good with your yarn choices because they are a mix of textured stitches and cables. If you really want cables to pop, there is nothing like a smooth yarn as in your Irish sample. Finally, about your heavy sweater, heavy cabling like that eats up a lot of yarn, so that adds to the weight along with the heaviness of the yarn. OK, I will stop talking now! Fun topics!
Wow you are a crazy sweater lady...I just love them all. I'm totally in awe. Well done..!!!
Greetings! I love your Scout shawl. The contrast between the watery colors to the bold print allows the eye to travel through the Garment. Just lovely. I cannot wait to see the finished product! Thank you for another fabulous episode. Take care and be safe. Kind regards, Stephanie from California
I agreed The Enamorado , it’s gorgeous, the light bounces off of of it, even when you leaned in, again really gorgeous. Everyone of the Sweaters are absolutely beautiful. With all your knowledge and the beautiful items you’ve made, I’d say you’re a Master Knitter. Thank you for showing them. 🧶
Thank you so much 🥰
Firstly, I love your version of the Enamorado sweater. It’s beautifully knitted. I also like your explanation of yarns and which projects they are best suited to. Innovation comes from not blindly following rules but using the rules to your best advantage. I’m so impressed with the quality and quantity of your work. Lastly, your speech style is easy to listen to. I am grateful you have a love of the craft and are willing to share your thoughts and understanding with us. Many thanks.
I love your sentence about innovation - I really agree with that sentiment 🥰
Mel, I love your Enamorado sweater! The slightly softened cable pattern reminds me a bit of carved granite or limestone.
I feel very grateful that I learned to knit when I was very young and got a make a lot of mistakes (bulky orange chenille tank top, yikes lol) and experiment without anyone telling me that I was doing something wrong. I think it made me a much better knitter today,
Agreed! My first ever garment was a chunky bell sleeve cardigan, all garter stitch, with natural white worsted weight held *triple* LOL!!! I must’ve looked like the Michelin Man 😂. I was maybe 10-12 at the time. So glad I got that out of my system early 😂😂😂
Thank you for another interesting episode. I absolutely love exploring different qualities of yarns and how beautifully you've demonstrated this - both in the context of the cabled pieces and in your Scout shawl - those differing amounts of contrast really add to the whole pathchwork feel of the piece to my eye - it promises to be truly stunning
Thank you for the insight you gave on combining darker mohair with a lighter base yarn. The effect on cables is so cool! I love your podcasts. It's so generous of you to share your knowledge.
I really like your Scout Shawl in the more diffuse, muted contrasts. It reminds me of a vintage Persian rug. Just lovely!
You are an enabler. Love it. I have made the enamorado sweater for my mother for her birthday in April. I made it with green dk weight held with mohair. I’m Sure she will love it thank you. I love all your sweater choices. You but a lot of thought in your picking of details to yarn choices. Thanks for the share.
You are helping me immensely understanding why some of my yarn choices work or don’t. Thank you for sharing and teaching.
Drooling… less than a minute in and I’m beside myself: so good! J
I’ve definitely had the thought more than once that this sweater is giving a Jackie vibe - the halo with this yarn is so dreamy 🥰
Thx Mel, I learnt a lot from your video 😁
Just excellent! Appreciate very much your intelligent, articulate, and experienced offerings - but this episode particularly stood out. Thank you.
Wow this is so interesting! I am just starting to try cables a little bit. I've never thought about how these yarn characteristics can affect things. Also, all of your example projects are just stunning.
Every time I see you have a new episode posted I immediately smile! I love your presentations, thoughts, and demeanor while you share your working knowledge with us. Thank you so much for all the time and thought you put into your episode. Your knitting is very inspiring to me.
🥰 thank you!!!
Thank you for this. I really appreciate you sharing this information on yarn choices in such a manner. 👍
Such an informative and refreshing approach! Thank you for such quality content.
As usual, very informative, and your voice is so calming.
I love your videos I always learn so much each time. I’m the type of person that always learns the rules, usually in great depth 😬 and once I understand, I find my own way, usually breaking 90% of them! In this case swatching is your best friend, to see exactly what things are going to look like. I just cast on my Linya wrap 🥰💪🏻 thanks for sharing you naughty rule breaker 🤣🤣
LOL! Can’t wait to see your Linya, I cast mine on in the last few days too but am rethinking my yarn choice now 🤔. Feels like it needs a little more oomph somehow.
Yes to these plays with yarn! I've enjoyed witnessing and learning from your yarn choices throughout your videos. The choices that "the common wisdom" might deem "unexpected" are often the most interesting, yielding truly satisfying results. Discussions and dives into what did not work are equally intriguing and instructive. One of my first yarn-combo experiments was a few years ago with two yarns that came to me in a grab-bag type situation...I did not enjoy either on their own: a too bubble gum pink alpaca and a peach-orange-rust (and itchy) mohair. The resulting fabric had such depth and was so superior to either yarn on their own - really interesting.
Yes! I’ve had that experience too - trying to figure out what to do with a yarn that wasn’t quite the right color, and you end up finding a combo that’s just fantastic. Love that.
Great discussion, beautiful knitted sweaters
Hello Mel, c'était très instructif, j'adorais. Je prends beaucoup du temps pour choisir qualité de laine pour tel ou tel projet que finalement, je fini par des classiques : fine laine ou alpaca😥. Je serai ravie voir prochainement.!🖐️😀
Thanks so much for another really informative and interesting episode. I love hearing your thoughtful consideration of the different factors and conscious decision-making. Always a treat to 'participate' in these discussions with you. Best wishes from the UK!
Thank you so much for another fantastic and informative episode. I love your deep dives on this stuff!
Thanks Mel! What a great discussion 😁thanks for sharing your knowledge. Your knitting is exquisite
Thank you Mel. That was so interesting! And your projects re beautiful
It's kind of like what Capt. Barbossa tells Miss Turner about the Pirate's code not really being rules, but merely guidelines.
Another excellent and very helpful podcast. I really appreciate your style and expertise. Thank you!
Always, always incredibly informative. As with your earlier podcast on plant fibers, taking the time to look at a topics in depth and in the round is very helpful, and thought provoking. I often think as I watch you work on a project, no way could I do that, but then I think... maybe I can give something I want to try a go!! Slow and steady.
Awww thank you!! Yes, you can do it. One stitch at a time 😊
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, I admire your work, you have been a great inspiration in my knitting journey! 💐
❤️❤️❤️
Informative as always! Your knitting is always really defined, and that's how I got hooked. I think it was a linen project that was similar in color to the blue cabled sweater you showed today. I really like the orangeish color you pucked for the flowers. I like the coral and blue. It's definitely my favorite section of your shawl. I haven't done any colorwork outside of stripes, just yet. Im eyeing the drawing sweater, but I need to finish my shash first. I dont keep a stash except for sock stash. Fingering mostly. I'm not liking the feeling of nylon. I got some mulbury silk to use on heels and toes. Then I'll see how it wears over time. It's current wip and the next planned one. I don't have space for a stash. I order when I'm ready to use it
Loved this episode. Your work is very beautiful.
I’m going to make a cardigan with a variegated in very pastel beige kind of colors in a roving merino silk blend with a complicated cable covering the entire back. I think it is going to look fantastic. But then i have been wrong before! 🧐🤔🤗
Great content, thankyou. I’m always interested to learn more about yarn choices. I’m about to knit my first cable garment and chose a purple colour, lots of people have said you won’t see the cables but I live a messy life and a light colour wouldn’t stay nice for more than 5 minutes so we will see what happens 💜
Lifestyle is definitely a factor too! As long as you love the color I’m sure it will get a lot of wear 💜💜💜
Really interesting and educational, thank you, also for the book recommendation ❤
Thank you for such an interesting and informative video. I've also just added a bunch of these lovely patterns to my queue, thanks for the inspiration
Love this video! I learned so much!
You are applying your intellectualism to knitting challenges, very thoughtful and informative. Aran jumpers were originally knitted in 4 ply and that 'aran weight' is not necessarily related to the origins of the jumper. I learnt this yesterday from another podcast from Ireland Froach Knits. She shows some beautiful examples from the Museum of Country Life if that is of interest J
Thanks so much. That was really thought-provoking and informative. I love your take on knowing the rules so you can break them intentionally. Plus all your lovely knitting! I agree about the ethereal quality of your less-defined cable projects, so it's great to have some guidance about how you achieved that. Plus the tip about holding a slightly darker mohair with your main yarn -- really cool how it highlights the pattern rather than detracting from it.
That sweater you are working on is stunning! I really enjoyed this episode.
I really enjoy this episode! I love your colors, the moody “not-quite” shades of grays and purples, and pinkish browns. I really like the look of a slightly darker mohair or suri yarn as well. Brava!
When I heard your “plans” last video, I actually thought, “well, if anyone can make that work, Mel can.” I’ve seen you do magic too often w too many fibers explaining all the things in an in depth interesting way to think otherwise. I actually thought u changed ur mind about the mohair because the sweater was so striking when you held it up. Didn’t even notice the halo through the beautiful fabric! ❤
While I personally don’t love mohair (it feels like fire to me when I touch it, which is sad because I think it’s so pretty) I LOVE how it looks in the sweater you’re wearing. It’s basically acting as a shadow to highlight the main yarn and the cables. So awesome!!!
I’m just in the planning stages of a cable jumper that I chose because it looks like armour. This was brilliant inspiration on how to ramp up that effect. Thanks so much for the quality content!
Great podcast as always. I learn so much each time. I am working on the scout mini and it is also my first intarsia project, and I agree the yarn management is a royal pain but the effect is so worth it.
This is such an amazing episode. I've never considered the yarn choice, other than the fact that i always use whatever the recommended weight is. From now on,, I am going to be more mindful about the voice of yarn Thank you so mch.
That was thoroughly interesting! I am interested in using mohair and other 'fuzzy' yarns. Firstly calculating the amount to use with various projects and secondly best items/examples to really show that 'haze' look.
Such an interesting video!! Thank you!
So interesting. I love your perspective. Would like to see an episode that looks at mohair and possible substitutions for those of us who live in a warm climate or can't wear mohair?
Hmm, mohair in a warm climate is tricky. I’ve done a few videos on warm weather knits though, if you look through my other videos.
Impressive, as always! I love the look of mohair, but just the thought of it makes me itch, so have used suri as an alternative. I'm in the colorwork section of Vair (inspired by you) - so enjoyable. Using J&S in the called-for colors of the black version. They're more muted than the pictures, which I like. Ended up doing the stripes in the lace. Even my husband thinks this is a cool pattern!
Oh yay! That is going to be stunning in the black 🖤
I really, really enjoy your videos and always find them inspirational. I almost never use the recommended yarn and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't but my attitude is: so what. It's a hobby.
Exactly! Love that attitude.
Thank you so much for this! I love watching your view on knitting and I always come away with so much! Your knowledge makes me grow as a knitter, so thank you for that! I especially love it when you talk in depth on topics like this one. I'm beginning to understand more about yarn choice and that's also due to your video's.
I would love to hear you talk about how fibre content (merino, alpaca, BFL etc) will effect the look and feel of a garment, and if you make adjustments when you choose size. Like do you knit a smaller size when knitting with 100% alpaca for instance? Also I know what woollen spun and worsted spun means, but I do not quite understand how choosing one or the other effects a garment.
Thank you ❤️. I’m happy to talk more about fiber content in the future! To briefly answer your question here though - I don’t usually choose a different size in an instance like you described, I tend to think more about the structure of the garment and whether the yarn will give the effect I want. If a 100% alpaca is going to drape so much in the finished item that my stitch gauge will be overly distorted, I probably wouldn’t match that yarn with that particular pattern, if that makes sense.
@@melmakesstuff Thank you, that makes sense.
I had another thought about a topic I would like to hear your thoughts on and that is your relationship to your stash. You often say you want to use yarn from your stash. Do you tend to buy yarn because you fall in love with the yarn and then choose a project? Or does it also happen that you purchase yarn to make a specific project? What are some of the factors that make you decide to purchase yarn?
I've recently been buying yarn that I want to try without a specific project in mind and I now notice that I want to assign a project to all the sweater quantities that I have in my stash. The yarn can apparently not just lay there. Do you ever experience any anxiety over your stash or can your skeins just happily lay there until one day you find the perfect project for it?
I agree with you. Knitting for me is about my own personal journey and not about what other people think. It’s so satisfying to break the rules and see what happens. So what if it’s not conventional.
I believe you talked about the combination of round and light with a darker mohair before and I've used such a combination because of you in my seasons sweater by ozetta. It turned out great and the texture was really defined! Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
So glad your project worked out too!
This was really helpful! I noticed that some packaged yarn does not have the number of plys but I will continue to check!
Very interesting, thank you for this video! I have knitted some textured patterns and I've been picking up lessons just from the experience and I feel like you've painted a broader picture in which my picked up lessons fall and make even more sense. If, you know, this makes sense :)
Weird enough, one of my textured knits was a sweater that has the same wrapped stitches as in your Enamorado. I even think the Enamorado is at least partially inspired by the pattern I knitted, it's the Bright sweater by Junko Okamoto which I fell in love with because of the textures but ended up heavily modifying the shape of it, and when I was looking for other people's experiences I saw that it was very popular in Russia. The name of the designer of Enamorado is most likely Russian, could be from one or two other Slavic countries but I got so intrigued now that I checked on Ravelry and yep, she has knitted the Bright sweater. It's a very different sweater though, just this unusual stitch combined with the twisted stitch columns got me thinking about it.
Anyway. My point is, you don't need a cable needle for the wrapped stitches, you can just slip the stitches from one needle to the other and back as many times as required while holding the yarn first in back then in front etc. I used this method and I preferred it to using a cable needle, you may find the cable needle more comfortable but I thought I'd share my "discovery" just in case it turns out to be useful to you.
Oh, and I completely agree with you about this texture being so bold. I didn't know much when I was choosing the yarn for my sweater and I ended up knitting it in lace weight 2-ply loosely spun yarn which I held double, the color is dark-ish and heathered, and still the texture is quite in your face. It might pill with more wear but that's a different issue.
Funny, the Bright sweater is also on my short list! I know I’ve seen something close to the wrapped stitch pattern in Hitomi Shida’s Japanese knitting stitch dictionary as well. Such a fun pattern to knit.
I also like the Scout Shawl. I have two thoughts…
Have you ever knit back backwards? Wondering if that would help to mitigate the tangling?
And, for the boarder…. What if one knitted the body of the shawl without the boarder. Then picked up stitches for boarder and knit it as an applied edging all the way around? I realize an applied edge could look quite different than the designer’s vision.
Yes, I have knit backwards before - I think I was trying to avoid purling in colorwork at the time, but realized it wasn’t actually that bad 😂. I’m sure you could rework this to do the border after the fact if you wanted. I’m finding that those little border edges are keeping the colorwork sections quite neat (since the intarsia join gets your yarns organized at the twisting point), so I’m enjoying it as-is!
Have you ever used ‘purling back’ or ‘swing knitting’ so that you don’t have to flip your work? It might help with the yarn management.
I have done backwards knitting before, but never heard of “swing knitting” - I’ll have to look into that!
@@melmakesstuff I’m not sure exactly how it works myself but my knitting buddy told me it cuts down the number of times you have to turn your work. Might not suit your task here but I hope it is interesting anyway. Beautiful knits and such a lucid and engaging podcast, thank you Mel.
Once again, I love your podcasts. Yours are my favourites! Are you making the small or large size of the Scout Shawl? I am intending to make it so I loved how you went over the methods. Thanks so much!
Aww, thank you! I’m making the large size ☺️
Валентина, приветствую вас. Очень красивые, аккуратные ваши вязанные джемпера! Удачи вам!
Спасибо большое ❤️
I am fairly new to the garment part of knitting and I absolutely love your videos. You are so helpful! I was wondering if you've ever substitute weight yarn, like fingering to dk or worsted to dk for exemple, and if so if you would be willing to talk about it? Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's invaluable!
I have definitely made those sorts of substitutions in the past! Not sure if I have a project planned for the near future with a major sub like fingering to dk, but will keep this in mind for future episodes if I have the opportunity ❤️
Have you tried bringing your chart into an app that lets you mark it up? I use Notability for mine and use a fat white marker setting to ‘erase’ each row when I have finished it so that I can really clearly see the row I am working on without having to scan up and down the chart. You still get the screen glow of course so not for everyone.
Yes, I use GoodReader and am able to mark it up from there. I don’t have any problems reading it from a tablet, I just don’t like the screen glow.
Thank you for educating me about different yarn choices for different projects! May I kindly inquire your opinion on combining a strand of lace weight silk mohair yarn with another heavier weighted yarn to make a garment? I see this type of combination everywhere now and I also have heard the mohair diminishes the durability of the knits. Is this option true? Also, how do you take care of the garments that have mohair in it? How do you de-bubble the garments have mohair in them? Thank you in advance!
Thank you for the video, it is as always full of interesting information. Question: How did you achieve with a darker color mohair not to have a marl effect ? Happy knitting.
At first when I was learning about it, I just used leftover mohair and swatched with other yarns I had in stash to see what effects I was getting. I still don’t always get it right 😉
I watch your videos as soon as they come out and plan to do so for a long time.
Would absolutely love if you spoke more about Japanese patterns. I've come across a pattern I love and am a bit anxious to start. Would love to hear a bit more from you first.
Also, a question here: you've been knitting for quite a while. Is there a reason for you choosing to knit existing patterns rather than come up with your own? I would think it's because during knitting you prefer relaxing and just following the pattern, but you make quite some changes with shoulder width and arm length, so that's not it. Would be lovely to hear a bit about why!
There’ll be more about Japanese patterns in the next episode 🥰.
As to your other question - I’ve designed my own garments in the past when I couldn’t find a pattern close to what I wanted, but now that there are so many nice patterns out there, I rarely run into that situation anymore! Modifying a pattern to fit perfectly is a hobby I enjoy in itself, I think.
Hi Mel, thank you for this fantastic and inspiring podcast once again! I do have a question for you : When you knit colorwork flat, do you carry both strands to the last stitch and twist them before the next row or do you just leave the cc hanging from wherever and just use it from there when you come back? Or do you catch one last float near the edge, on a different spot every time ? That is basically what I did for parts of a Marie Wallin pattern and it worked ok but I could never find a validation for the edge treatments on flat colorwork anywhere… I am not crazy about guessing when working on a huge involved project with beautiful yarn! 😊
I get it, I was wondering about this too when I started knitting colorwork flat! I usually carry the CC to the end and then knit the last stitch of every row with both yarns. That seems to help keep the edges organized.