Uploaded May 2025 | 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. I am just about to start your darling Comebackigan cardi and have purchased Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport for it. I now see that you specify a woolen spun yarn in the pattern, but this BT yarn is worsted spun. I love this yarn and will use it, but I’m curious about why you would select woolen spun for this particular pattern. Will worsted spun work as well? I knitted up Gib in BT Imbue worsted…so soft and shows the stitch pattern beautifully. I’m hoping the Sport weight has similar qualities and will give me a great Comebackgan’
2. Hi Andrea! I'm knitting your framed sweater with my precious handspun yarn. I measured and got gauge for a size 4 which turns out I have just enough yarn to knit.
After knitting the 2 body repeats I realized that my torso is long and this length won't be long enough. I wanted to know how I can make the body longer? I'm willing to forfeit some yarn and maybe make shorter sleeves? since there are pattern repeats I'm afraid it won't match up when I go to knit the yoke. HELP!! Thanks I look forward to your advice.
3. Hi Andrea! I'm halfway done my Harlow Flip (unfortunately did not finish in time for the KAL, I know!) and am very very happy with my hat visually/skills wise so far, first time doing brioche or a tubular cast on (let alone two colour in either skill!) However, I've had some gauge issues using a heavier worsted and have somehow ended up with a circumference even bigger than the largest size when I was going for the 16". I think I messed up swatching? Now I only have a little bit of negative ease - I have a 22.5" head and my hat is like 20 or 21". Is this a situation elastic thread would help in? Will it feel more snug once I have it on with the brim flipped? Can I shrink it or is that too risky (it's 100% Rambouillet)? Do I accept my fate? Any help appreciated, thank you for a great podcast!
4. Hi Andrea, you've mentioned several times that you can steam block a work in progress garment to see how the yarn and pattern will bloom and grow. I was wondering - how exactly do you do this? Do you hang the WIP up like a sewn garment, or lay it flat? Would hanging cause problems with gravity pulling on it, or make for a more realistic blocking guide? Thanks for all the amazing videos and patterns! PS - you inspired me to start spinning over a year ago. I now have two spinning wheels and am working on my first handspun sweater!
5. Hi Andrea, my question is about the Hey Sailor cardigan. I want to make it this summer and have my yarn all picked out! Here’s the thing: I won’t ever wear this piece open as a cardigan so I’m wondering if it’d be possible to knit it in the round and then attach a faux button band once the body is complete. Is there anything I would have to consider in making this modification? Thank you so much! I love your patterns and podcast :)
Today I am wearing the 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
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 am just about to start your darling Comebackigan cardi and have purchased Brooklyn Tweed Imbue Sport for it. I now see that you specify a woolen spun yarn in the pattern, but this BT yarn is worsted spun. I love this yarn and will use it, but I’m curious about why you would select woolen spun for this particular pattern. Will worsted spun work as well? I knitted up Gib in BT Imbue worsted…so soft and shows the stitch pattern beautifully. I’m hoping the Sport weight has similar qualities and will give me a great Comebackgan’
2. Hi Andrea! I'm knitting your framed sweater with my precious handspun yarn. I measured and got gauge for a size 4 which turns out I have just enough yarn to knit.
After knitting the 2 body repeats I realized that my torso is long and this length won't be long enough. I wanted to know how I can make the body longer? I'm willing to forfeit some yarn and maybe make shorter sleeves? since there are pattern repeats I'm afraid it won't match up when I go to knit the yoke. HELP!! Thanks I look forward to your advice.
3. Hi Andrea! I'm halfway done my Harlow Flip (unfortunately did not finish in time for the KAL, I know!) and am very very happy with my hat visually/skills wise so far, first time doing brioche or a tubular cast on (let alone two colour in either skill!) However, I've had some gauge issues using a heavier worsted and have somehow ended up with a circumference even bigger than the largest size when I was going for the 16". I think I messed up swatching? Now I only have a little bit of negative ease - I have a 22.5" head and my hat is like 20 or 21". Is this a situation elastic thread would help in? Will it feel more snug once I have it on with the brim flipped? Can I shrink it or is that too risky (it's 100% Rambouillet)? Do I accept my fate? Any help appreciated, thank you for a great podcast!
4. Hi Andrea, you've mentioned several times that you can steam block a work in progress garment to see how the yarn and pattern will bloom and grow. I was wondering - how exactly do you do this? Do you hang the WIP up like a sewn garment, or lay it flat? Would hanging cause problems with gravity pulling on it, or make for a more realistic blocking guide? Thanks for all the amazing videos and patterns! PS - you inspired me to start spinning over a year ago. I now have two spinning wheels and am working on my first handspun sweater!
5. Hi Andrea, my question is about the Hey Sailor cardigan. I want to make it this summer and have my yarn all picked out! Here’s the thing: I won’t ever wear this piece open as a cardigan so I’m wondering if it’d be possible to knit it in the round and then attach a faux button band once the body is complete. Is there anything I would have to consider in making this modification? Thank you so much! I love your patterns and podcast :)
Today I am wearing the 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
