Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks 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. I knit the Nebula sweater and I absolutely love it. It was such a joy to knit and it was the 2nd sweater I have knitted, so I was really proud of myself! I knit it thinking that I would wear it with a dress, but I actually prefer it with jeans. I have worn it a lot over that past month and every time I wear it, I wish it was a couple inches longer. I reeeeeeally don't want to frog the whole sweater (which I knit with one strand alpaca and one strand mohair) because I know that mohair can be quite unpleasant to frog. Could I undo the cast on at the bottom of the sweater, undo the ribbing and add a couple of inches, or would that cause it to fit weird since the short rows are right above the ribbing? What would you suggest? I want to love my sweater 100% and not wish it were longer every time I wear it.
Thank you 😊
2.Hi Andrea! Just popping by to tell you that because of your content here, you've sparked a love, curiosity, and understanding of fiber and yarn content in my mom and I, and have helped inspire us to start a yarn and fiber dyeing business together. So, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us every week! My question is: how do you structure your time in a day or week? I work full time as an accountant (I'm beyond busy right now, but will have way more time once tax season ends) and my mom has her own business which has picked up in recent weeks. We both get to the end of the day and wonder where the time went. I started setting a timer for myself but find that it stresses me out and I end up rushing through things. I guess I'm wondering how you keep the joy in your work, while also getting things done and moving forward!
3. Hi Andrea! Your content is what I look forward to weekly, so thank you for continuing to make these videos! I was wondering if you could talk about any computer software you might use for designing you patterns or writing and formatting your finished patterns? I love the idea of making a pattern but I'm not sure what to use besides a word document, and published patterns always looks so beautiful. Plus, I was wondering what software was available for making knitting charts? I would love to hear your favorites! Thank you!
Adobe InDesign - pattern layout
Illustrator - Charts
Fresco (iPad) - Schematics
4. Hi Andrea! I have a question about changing needle sizes in patterns. A lot of sweater patterns will call for multiple needle sizes, and I often find I need to change the main fabric needle size to get gauge. I wonder how to determine the other needle sizes?
For example, I'm currently working on a sweater that calls for 5mm (US 8) for the main fabric and 3.5mm (US 4) for the ribbing. I got gauge with 4.5mm (US 7) so thats my main fabric needle. Should I go 1 US size down for the ribbing like I did for the main fabric and end with 3.25mm=US 3? go down 0.5mm to 3mm=US 2.5? Is there a general rule?
(I assume the "correct" answer would be to swach the ribbing, but many patterns don't give you the ribbing gauge (and also I don't always want to))
Thanks!
5. Hi Andrea! I’m finally confident enough in my spinning to spin for a specific project, and I want to make a shift cowl. Do you have any tips for spinning to knit the shift series? I’m wondering about colour - in selecting the braids and how to spin them for the best colour management. I always love seeing how you play with colour! Thank you so much.
Today I am wearing Wool & Honey:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/wool--honey
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/wool-honey
March 2 May KAL 2025
Shawl Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4351754
Sweater Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4351752
Instagram: #DRKmarch2maykal25 Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
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. I knit the Nebula sweater and I absolutely love it. It was such a joy to knit and it was the 2nd sweater I have knitted, so I was really proud of myself! I knit it thinking that I would wear it with a dress, but I actually prefer it with jeans. I have worn it a lot over that past month and every time I wear it, I wish it was a couple inches longer. I reeeeeeally don't want to frog the whole sweater (which I knit with one strand alpaca and one strand mohair) because I know that mohair can be quite unpleasant to frog. Could I undo the cast on at the bottom of the sweater, undo the ribbing and add a couple of inches, or would that cause it to fit weird since the short rows are right above the ribbing? What would you suggest? I want to love my sweater 100% and not wish it were longer every time I wear it.
Thank you 😊
2.Hi Andrea! Just popping by to tell you that because of your content here, you've sparked a love, curiosity, and understanding of fiber and yarn content in my mom and I, and have helped inspire us to start a yarn and fiber dyeing business together. So, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us every week! My question is: how do you structure your time in a day or week? I work full time as an accountant (I'm beyond busy right now, but will have way more time once tax season ends) and my mom has her own business which has picked up in recent weeks. We both get to the end of the day and wonder where the time went. I started setting a timer for myself but find that it stresses me out and I end up rushing through things. I guess I'm wondering how you keep the joy in your work, while also getting things done and moving forward!
3. Hi Andrea! Your content is what I look forward to weekly, so thank you for continuing to make these videos! I was wondering if you could talk about any computer software you might use for designing you patterns or writing and formatting your finished patterns? I love the idea of making a pattern but I'm not sure what to use besides a word document, and published patterns always looks so beautiful. Plus, I was wondering what software was available for making knitting charts? I would love to hear your favorites! Thank you!
Adobe InDesign - pattern layout
Illustrator - Charts
Fresco (iPad) - Schematics
4. Hi Andrea! I have a question about changing needle sizes in patterns. A lot of sweater patterns will call for multiple needle sizes, and I often find I need to change the main fabric needle size to get gauge. I wonder how to determine the other needle sizes?
For example, I'm currently working on a sweater that calls for 5mm (US 8) for the main fabric and 3.5mm (US 4) for the ribbing. I got gauge with 4.5mm (US 7) so thats my main fabric needle. Should I go 1 US size down for the ribbing like I did for the main fabric and end with 3.25mm=US 3? go down 0.5mm to 3mm=US 2.5? Is there a general rule?
(I assume the "correct" answer would be to swach the ribbing, but many patterns don't give you the ribbing gauge (and also I don't always want to))
Thanks!
5. Hi Andrea! I’m finally confident enough in my spinning to spin for a specific project, and I want to make a shift cowl. Do you have any tips for spinning to knit the shift series? I’m wondering about colour - in selecting the braids and how to spin them for the best colour management. I always love seeing how you play with colour! Thank you so much.
Today I am wearing Wool & Honey:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/wool--honey
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/wool-honey
March 2 May KAL 2025
Shawl Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4351754
Sweater Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4351752
Instagram: #DRKmarch2maykal25 Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
