Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Welcome to I’ll Knit (& Spin!) If I want To! I asked y’all to send in some of your questions (from everything from fiber arts, to designing and on!) so I could put together a little video for y’all every Friday doing my best to answer your questions!
Sign up for my newsletter here: Sign up for the DRK Newsletter: eepurl.com/diPxsr
In this week’s episode we cover:
1. Please help! About a year ago I pivoted careers from working in kitchens to a desk job. This means I can wear my hand knit sweaters more often (yay!), but as a result they're all getting pilly (boo!). Is there anything I can do to help prevent it from getting worse or happening to new knits? I always thought it was an agitation thing, but my job is very sedentary so there's gotta be something else contributing to it, right? Shoukd I keep using my Gleener? It just pills again and it looks bad. I’ve relegated the sweater as a substitute for my weekend sweatshirts but wonder if there is another option I’m overlooking. / Do you have any tips to prevent pilling on sweaters? I finished a sweater over the weekend and work it to my desk job on Monday, so it's not like I was being super active, but by the end of the day, the inner arms were already pilling. Is there a good way to prevent that? Are there certain fibers which resist pilling? The only pattern I've noticed is maybe the softer yarns are more prone to pills, but could that just be in my head?
2. I’m planning to knit the Bean and Olive sweater for my 3 granddaughters. However, they prefer cardigans to pullovers. I have never sleeked a sweater and the thought is a bit terrifying but I’ve convinced myself to take the plunge. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to go about steeking this pattern or would it be best to try and convince them that pullovers are the way to go?
3. Hi Andrea. Sourdough bread has made its comeback, and I’m curious with your background in baking if you have any thoughts on sourdough bread baking at home? I understand you have gut health issues (?) so maybe bread is not something you consume, but as a baker, do you have any tips/tricks/opinions for baking “at home” sourdough? My friend recently gave me a 3 year old starter, and my husband and kids are eager for me to get baking with it. Thank you!
theclevercarrot.com/cookbooks (artisan Sourdough made simple by Emilie Raffa)
Gluten Free Sourdough: arangoyoaga.com/cookbooks
4. Hi there from Australia, I am a relatively new spinner and would like some recommendations on resources for learning long draw for the 100 days - I sort of get it but would love to know yours or others top resources. Mainly for the wheel as I am awaiting my first support spindle in the post. But either would be good.
Jacey Boggs worsted to woolen: craftsy.com/class/drafting-from-worsted-to-woolen
Spinners Book of Yarn Designs: bookshop.org/p/books/the-spinner-s-book-of-yarn-designs-techniques-for-creating-80-yarns-sarah-anderson/12611717?ean=9781603427388&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn7mwBhCiARIsAGoxjaKFgXOd6UOCZ5JXdZtpvNP7BOpBE_UNTLVtPcLz5BOWx9yILAKJdIoaArTtEALw_wcB
5. I love your traveler line and have purchased multiple patterns in it but for the life of me I can’t get into that pattern texture rhythm! I don’t understand it. I’m not a new knitter, I’ve knit many of your patterns (they’re written so clearly!), and the techniques are simple! Why am I struggling with it? I can’t read the bumps for some reason and it’s not until I’m a few rows out that I see that I did too many stockinette rows. I use a row counter, have a pattern holder to help me read the correct row, etc. I feel like I’m doing all the things to help myself yet still coming up short. Do you have any tips to help me keep the pattern design straight without giving away the specifics?
Instagram: #100daysoflongdraw
Ravelry: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4306907
Instagram: #100daysofknitting2024
Ravelry: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4306908
Today I am wearing the Spark Cardi
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/spark-5
dreareneeknits.com/shop/spark
DRK March to May KAL 2024
Sweaters: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4302431
Shawls: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4302760
Instagram: #DRKMARCH2MAYKAL24
DRK Spin It to Knit It KAL
Ravelry KAL Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4300929
Instagram Hashtags: #DRKspinittoknitKAL2024 #DRKspinsTHETRAVELER
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
Welcome to I’ll Knit (& Spin!) If I want To! I asked y’all to send in some of your questions (from everything from fiber arts, to designing and on!) so I could put together a little video for y’all every Friday doing my best to answer your questions!
Sign up for my newsletter here: Sign up for the DRK Newsletter: eepurl.com/diPxsr
In this week’s episode we cover:
1. Please help! About a year ago I pivoted careers from working in kitchens to a desk job. This means I can wear my hand knit sweaters more often (yay!), but as a result they're all getting pilly (boo!). Is there anything I can do to help prevent it from getting worse or happening to new knits? I always thought it was an agitation thing, but my job is very sedentary so there's gotta be something else contributing to it, right? Shoukd I keep using my Gleener? It just pills again and it looks bad. I’ve relegated the sweater as a substitute for my weekend sweatshirts but wonder if there is another option I’m overlooking. / Do you have any tips to prevent pilling on sweaters? I finished a sweater over the weekend and work it to my desk job on Monday, so it's not like I was being super active, but by the end of the day, the inner arms were already pilling. Is there a good way to prevent that? Are there certain fibers which resist pilling? The only pattern I've noticed is maybe the softer yarns are more prone to pills, but could that just be in my head?
2. I’m planning to knit the Bean and Olive sweater for my 3 granddaughters. However, they prefer cardigans to pullovers. I have never sleeked a sweater and the thought is a bit terrifying but I’ve convinced myself to take the plunge. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to go about steeking this pattern or would it be best to try and convince them that pullovers are the way to go?
3. Hi Andrea. Sourdough bread has made its comeback, and I’m curious with your background in baking if you have any thoughts on sourdough bread baking at home? I understand you have gut health issues (?) so maybe bread is not something you consume, but as a baker, do you have any tips/tricks/opinions for baking “at home” sourdough? My friend recently gave me a 3 year old starter, and my husband and kids are eager for me to get baking with it. Thank you!
theclevercarrot.com/cookbooks (artisan Sourdough made simple by Emilie Raffa)
Gluten Free Sourdough: arangoyoaga.com/cookbooks
4. Hi there from Australia, I am a relatively new spinner and would like some recommendations on resources for learning long draw for the 100 days - I sort of get it but would love to know yours or others top resources. Mainly for the wheel as I am awaiting my first support spindle in the post. But either would be good.
Jacey Boggs worsted to woolen: craftsy.com/class/drafting-from-worsted-to-woolen
Spinners Book of Yarn Designs: bookshop.org/p/books/the-spinner-s-book-of-yarn-designs-techniques-for-creating-80-yarns-sarah-anderson/12611717?ean=9781603427388&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn7mwBhCiARIsAGoxjaKFgXOd6UOCZ5JXdZtpvNP7BOpBE_UNTLVtPcLz5BOWx9yILAKJdIoaArTtEALw_wcB
5. I love your traveler line and have purchased multiple patterns in it but for the life of me I can’t get into that pattern texture rhythm! I don’t understand it. I’m not a new knitter, I’ve knit many of your patterns (they’re written so clearly!), and the techniques are simple! Why am I struggling with it? I can’t read the bumps for some reason and it’s not until I’m a few rows out that I see that I did too many stockinette rows. I use a row counter, have a pattern holder to help me read the correct row, etc. I feel like I’m doing all the things to help myself yet still coming up short. Do you have any tips to help me keep the pattern design straight without giving away the specifics?
Instagram: #100daysoflongdraw
Ravelry: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4306907
Instagram: #100daysofknitting2024
Ravelry: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4306908
Today I am wearing the Spark Cardi
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/spark-5
dreareneeknits.com/shop/spark
DRK March to May KAL 2024
Sweaters: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4302431
Shawls: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4302760
Instagram: #DRKMARCH2MAYKAL24
DRK Spin It to Knit It KAL
Ravelry KAL Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4300929
Instagram Hashtags: #DRKspinittoknitKAL2024 #DRKspinsTHETRAVELER
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
