I’ll Knit If I Want To: Episode 228 @dreareneeknits

Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

ENDS at MIDNIGHT EST: BIRTHDAY SALE!! Save 30% off of all of my independently published patterns (with the exception of Ooey Gooey and any patterns that were published thru 3rd parties) with the discount code DREA30 thru 8/8/25 at midnight EST! (Please note - don’t forget to enter the code before finishing your purchase, as discounts cannot be applied retroactively!)

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 love your knitting patterns and love your style! I also love to sew, and I enjoy seeing how you’re combining your knit patterns with your hand sewn garments. Would you mind sharing some of your favorite sewing patterns?

Donny Shirt: fridaypatterncompany.com/products/donny-shirt-pdf-pattern
Barry Pants: stylearc.com/shop/pdf-sewing-patterns/barry-woven-pant-pdf

2. I have sweater quantity of some beautiful non-superwash 3-ply Corriedale (undyed) that is classified as a heavy DK (about 200 yards per 100 grams). I want to take advantage of your Birthday sale, but I’m struggling to figure out if I should be looking at DK or Worsted weight patterns. I am a novice knitter and it seems like I am a loose knitter as lately I seem to have to drop down a needle size or two to make gauge. Any help in directing me in what to look for in a pattern would be greatly appreciated.

3. I knit a *beautiful* cardigan for my husband, making up the pattern as I went. The button band is K1P1 and was knit along with the rest of the sweater -- so it is not picked up and knit horizontally like many are, the button band stitches are vertical just like those on the sweater body. The trouble is, he would like another button hole added to the top so that he can cinch it closed further up. I am struggling with how to add a horizontal button hole after the fact on a K1P1 buttonband. I've done several practice swatches, and they're OK, but the approach feels rather made up every time as opposed to having a clear approach. I know there must be someone with more knitting experience than me that knows better and I am hoping you might be that person, or could point me in the right direction!

Afterthought Buttonhole: lovecrafts.com/en-us/c/article/afterthought-buttonhole

4. I'm knitting your traveler shell but I want to have long sleeves. I bought the traveler pattern in your pattern sale (happy birthday!) and it looks like the stitch count is so similar I could just follow traveler directions. But am I missing something? Anything I should be considering before I just combine your patterns like that?

5. Hello! I just was curious about your preference for mohair vs suri alpaca? I’m hoping to hold one with another yarn for an upcoming project, but I haven’t used either one. I’ve heard mohair can be scratchy, but the one I’m looking at is the “mighty mo” from The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers and they say it’s quite soft, and the colors are fantastic. However, I’m dying to try alpaca (also from TFDF). Suggestions?????

Today I am wearing Tessellated Cardigan
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/tessellated-cardigan
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/tessellated-cardigan

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

Thanks, I Made It! Birch pullover + Jaunty Shawl + Arthur Pants

$I’ll Knit If I Want To: Episode 227 BIRTHDAY SALE!! Save 30% off of all of my independently published patterns (with the exception of Ooey Gooey and any patterns that were published thru 3rd parties) with the discount code DREA30 thru 8/8/25 at midnight EST! (Please note - don’t forget to enter the code before finishing your purchase, as discounts cannot be applied retroactively!) 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: http://eepurl.com/diPxsr In this week’s episode we cover: 1. Im making the Tessellated vest and just have the ribbing to go. Have loved knitting the vest so am looking forward to finishing it and wearing it. The challenge I have is picking up the stitches for the armholes. Youve mentioned in the past that you use a ratio of 5 in 7 but do you vary this for armholes? Do you use 5 in 7 when working top half of armholes and over the shoulder, but pick up more stitches on the slanting edge towards bottom of armhole. Any advice would be appreciated. 2. Im just starting out as a designer and have a question about gauge patterns. Does the gauge pattern have to match the stitch pattern used in the item? Or would a stockinette gauge sample, for example, be suitable for a brioche or cable pattern, if both the gauge sample and the item are worked flat (but no stockinette is used in the pattern)? Would your answer change if its a two color brioche pattern? Thanks for all your advice over the years - Ive learned a lot from listening! 3. My question is about spinning. Like so many others, I’ve been inspired by you to pick up spinning. I took a couple drop spindle classes a little over a year ago and fell in love. I don’t currently have the financial or spatial budget for a wheel (though I’m hoping for an e-spinner for my upcoming birthday ), so my question is specific to your experience with spindle spinning. And particularly about plying. Since most spindles can hold less spun fiber than a wheel bobbin, my plied skeins tend to be fairly small. But yours always look much larger. Do you use a felted join on your singles to add more when one spindle runs out? Or perhaps a felted join on the plied yarn to combine smaller lengths into a larger skein? A combination of both? Would either affect the integrity of the finished yarn? Or is there something else I’m missing? Also, when doing a fractal spin with half a braid spun end to end and the other half divided into smaller strips, what considerations do you take into account when deciding which singles to ply together? I imagine you end up with some parts that have two plies of the first half of the braid and one ply with the smaller strips, and vice versa. How do you decide which to combine? Or do you just choose at random? 4. Ive been knitting for years, but am newish to sock knitting. I have two questions - The first sock I ever knit was perfect, then I had a few duds after that. My tension seemed to tighten significantly to the point I have to knit the size up from my frist sock - why would that be? My tension for other types of projects havent been affected in the same way. I also notice on the last couple socks Ive knit there is a slight ridge on the inside of my sock where I grafted the toe. I can feel it on the inside of the foot and I cant determine why the ridge is there. I have watched a lot of tutorials and know I have done the Kitchener stitch correctly. Could that also be a tensioning issue? 5. I know how important swatching is however there is one aspect that has me curious. One of the reasons for swatching is to see if the fabric grows and by how much. My question is, if the swatch does grow, how does the knitter determine what pattern size to follow? It seems like it would be challenging to translate the amount of growth seen in a swatch to a larger garment such a sweater. If I normally knit a size 36 bust should I drop down to a smaller bust size? If the pattern states to knit until piece measures 10 inches, should a lesser amount be knitted? Fortunately I’ve never had any major issues with growth but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time! High Tide Set: https://matchymatchysewingclub.com/products/high-tide-set-pdf-sewing-pattern Today I am wearing Night Lights Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/night-lights-3 My Website: https://www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/night-lights 2025 Rhinebeck Ooey Gooey KAL Ravelry Forum: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/topics/4368040 Facebook Forum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1076153613959074 Instagram Hashtag: #RhinebeckOoeyGooeyKAL Ask a question for next week’s Q&A: https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7$

Thanks, I Made It! DRK Everyday Cardi + Barry Pants