Uploaded July 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 really want to make ooey gooey, live your patterns! I am in Australia so have issues sourcing your recommended yarns. The gauge looks like it would work with a 4 ply, would that be too light and too drapery? I was in Europe recently and got some hedgehog fibres sock yarn and the colours would be fabulous in ooey gooey. My question is can I use 4 ply sock yarn if I get gauge?
yarnsub.com
2. I love your tubular cast ons and bind-offs -- such a tidy finished edge! Here's what I don't understand: what is the purpose of the K1, slwyif two rows? I like how it looks, but I don't understand structurally what it's doing. Thanks! Love your patterns and videos.
3. Your patterns are amazing, many of them I know multiple times! Timeless chic - thank you so much for those. But I have a question, maybe a very stupid one ...
For allergy reasons, I cannot use/wear any animal fibres so generally I revert to pure cotton yarns. This works decently well apart from it shrinks lengthwise by about 10% or so. In many of your patterns - doing Weekender Lite now - you ask us to knit to a certain length, like for instance before separating for sleeves or before starting the shoulder ribbing in the Weekender series. Is this length supposed to be the length of that section in the blocked/washed sweater? Or do you include growth in there (like in the Traveller - my favourite knit ever I think)? So far I've taken the dimension for face value but now I'm rethinking.
I know you mentioned cotton yarns are though on your hands but have wondered in the past how they work out. My experience is that your patterns can be worked in pure cotton yarns, with the caveat that I personally don't do colour work so can't speak of that. I would advise people to check their gauge as my Traveller didn't grow at all (pattern growth and yarn shrinking cancelling out I suppose). For washing, I use delicate bags in my washing machine and use a regular cycle shared with other clothes. I dry my knits flat. Hopefully this will help some others.
4. The Ooey Gooey pattern uses superwash wool but if I use non-superwash wool would any adjustments need to be made to the pattern? Thank you in advance.
5. I made your traveler hoodie when it came out and absolutely love it! However since then my weight has changed and want to make it in a size that fits me better. Would it be better to knit the whole thing from scratch, or would it be possible to do some sweater surgery, such as re-knitting the body, but attaching the arms and hood? Is that too ambitious? I'm an experienced knitter but have never grafted pieces together, is it even possible? It would only be 2 sizes different so I'm thinking it would be OK since the sleeves and hood are already knit. what are your thoughts??
6. Sewing question- You've inspired me to try sewing my own clothes. Since it's been many years since home ec I took a class with a sewist and wound up with a really cute dress but she provided a serger for class use. I'm planning on making the Estuary skirt by sew liberated. I'm a little stumped as everyone seems to be using a serger for seams but that's not an investment I want to make. I guess I can use french seams but was wondering how you handled the seaming issue-do you use pinking shears and a zigzag? French seams? do you have a serger or have you found another way to keep your seams from fraying? Thanks so much! Love your podcast.
7. Would you ever detail your skincare routine or share favorite products? I love your knitting patterns, of course. I've made 3 Weekenders and 1 Framed. I really enjoy your podcast, but every time I watch I find myself thinking "good gracious, her skin! is gorgeous! How does she do it?" Many thanks.
- ISDN Sunscreen: isdin.com/us/p/ageless-34-fl-oz/3431
- Skin Better: mlaesthetics.com/collections/skinbetter-science
- MLaesthetics: instagram.com/mlaesthetics
Instagram Live: Tomorrow 7/26 at noon EST!
Today I am wearing the Marley Shawl:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/marley-4
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/marley
2025 Rhinebeck Ooey Gooey KAL
Ravelry Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4368040
Facebook Forum: facebook.com/groups/1076153613959074
Instagram Hashtag: #RhinebeckOoeyGooeyKAL
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 really want to make ooey gooey, live your patterns! I am in Australia so have issues sourcing your recommended yarns. The gauge looks like it would work with a 4 ply, would that be too light and too drapery? I was in Europe recently and got some hedgehog fibres sock yarn and the colours would be fabulous in ooey gooey. My question is can I use 4 ply sock yarn if I get gauge?
yarnsub.com
2. I love your tubular cast ons and bind-offs -- such a tidy finished edge! Here's what I don't understand: what is the purpose of the K1, slwyif two rows? I like how it looks, but I don't understand structurally what it's doing. Thanks! Love your patterns and videos.
3. Your patterns are amazing, many of them I know multiple times! Timeless chic - thank you so much for those. But I have a question, maybe a very stupid one ...
For allergy reasons, I cannot use/wear any animal fibres so generally I revert to pure cotton yarns. This works decently well apart from it shrinks lengthwise by about 10% or so. In many of your patterns - doing Weekender Lite now - you ask us to knit to a certain length, like for instance before separating for sleeves or before starting the shoulder ribbing in the Weekender series. Is this length supposed to be the length of that section in the blocked/washed sweater? Or do you include growth in there (like in the Traveller - my favourite knit ever I think)? So far I've taken the dimension for face value but now I'm rethinking.
I know you mentioned cotton yarns are though on your hands but have wondered in the past how they work out. My experience is that your patterns can be worked in pure cotton yarns, with the caveat that I personally don't do colour work so can't speak of that. I would advise people to check their gauge as my Traveller didn't grow at all (pattern growth and yarn shrinking cancelling out I suppose). For washing, I use delicate bags in my washing machine and use a regular cycle shared with other clothes. I dry my knits flat. Hopefully this will help some others.
4. The Ooey Gooey pattern uses superwash wool but if I use non-superwash wool would any adjustments need to be made to the pattern? Thank you in advance.
5. I made your traveler hoodie when it came out and absolutely love it! However since then my weight has changed and want to make it in a size that fits me better. Would it be better to knit the whole thing from scratch, or would it be possible to do some sweater surgery, such as re-knitting the body, but attaching the arms and hood? Is that too ambitious? I'm an experienced knitter but have never grafted pieces together, is it even possible? It would only be 2 sizes different so I'm thinking it would be OK since the sleeves and hood are already knit. what are your thoughts??
6. Sewing question- You've inspired me to try sewing my own clothes. Since it's been many years since home ec I took a class with a sewist and wound up with a really cute dress but she provided a serger for class use. I'm planning on making the Estuary skirt by sew liberated. I'm a little stumped as everyone seems to be using a serger for seams but that's not an investment I want to make. I guess I can use french seams but was wondering how you handled the seaming issue-do you use pinking shears and a zigzag? French seams? do you have a serger or have you found another way to keep your seams from fraying? Thanks so much! Love your podcast.
7. Would you ever detail your skincare routine or share favorite products? I love your knitting patterns, of course. I've made 3 Weekenders and 1 Framed. I really enjoy your podcast, but every time I watch I find myself thinking "good gracious, her skin! is gorgeous! How does she do it?" Many thanks.
- ISDN Sunscreen: isdin.com/us/p/ageless-34-fl-oz/3431
- Skin Better: mlaesthetics.com/collections/skinbetter-science
- MLaesthetics: instagram.com/mlaesthetics
Instagram Live: Tomorrow 7/26 at noon EST!
Today I am wearing the Marley Shawl:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/marley-4
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/marley
2025 Rhinebeck Ooey Gooey KAL
Ravelry Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4368040
Facebook Forum: facebook.com/groups/1076153613959074
Instagram Hashtag: #RhinebeckOoeyGooeyKAL
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A:
https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
