Uploaded October 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 purchased yarn in August while on vacation from a LYS to make a shawl. I have always finished every project I've started and I tend to be a one-project sort of gal -- knit until completed. However, the pattern is so poorly organized and I've already ripped it back to begin anew. I'm well on my way, but it feels like a slog. When I am knitting it and I'm doing the cable and lace work, it's enjoyable, but in my heart I dread working on it. I know most would advise me to give up and move on, but I really see this as an exercise in persistence and resilience.
Am I crazy to keep on going? OR, would I feel better if I shared my knitting time with another project, and that might be the key to making this one shawl knit less tension-inducing? Again, it is not a hard pattern, it's just so disorganized that I spend as much of my knitting time strategizing and making my own notes as I do with the actual knitting process.
Any insight you may have to offer would be appreciated. Surely others have experienced similar situations . . . .
2. Hi! I’m a novice knitter and like to watch knitting podcasts while I knit. I see several people taking a pattern written for one weight of yarn, but knitting it by holding a lighter weight of yarn double. For instance, I saw one person knitting a sweater that was written for DK with 2 strands of fingering weight. How do they figure out if they have the right gauge? If the pattern using DK calls for 20 stitches and 30 rows for 4 inch swatch, would they have 40 stitches and 60 rows if holding 2 fingering weights? I have lots of fingering weight yarn that I would love to use in some DK patterns, but I want to make sure I make something that fits. Thanks!
3. Do you have any tips for a large circumference tubular bind-off? It seems so daunting for an entire sweater hem!
Kitchener Stitch on one needle: youtu.be/UNVNaKhxV4o
4. Where can we access the pics taken of meetup on the hill?
5. My question is a follow up to something you talked about in episode 239), about purling and combination knitting.
This is how I purl when ribbing or cabling, but until I saw yesterday's episode, I didn't realize that's what combination knitting was!
My question is, though, as it uses less yarn purling this way, do you find that throughout a project with a lot of ribbing, your fabric ends up being less stretchy?
I'm currently knitting a pair of all over 1x1 rib socks that are meant to be slouchy on the leg and even though I used bigger needles than I would normally use for socks, and more stitches, my socks are not slouchy at all, in fact they're on the tight side!
I can't think of any other reason than the way I purl to account for this, so I was wondering if this is something you take into account when writing a pattern and choosing a needle size, if there's a lot of ribbing? (DRK everyday socks, for instance)..
And also if, as knitters, we should allow for this by going up a (or several?) needle sizes when following a pattern if we choose to purl this way?
Today I am wearing the The Weekender Crew:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-weekender-crew
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/the-weekender-crew
And Traveler Hood
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-traveler-hood
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/the-traveler-hood
And Harlow Flip
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/harlow-flip
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/harlow-flip
Ooey Gooey Cowl KAL:
Ravelry Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4374174
Instagram Hashtag: #ooeygooeycowlkal
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 purchased yarn in August while on vacation from a LYS to make a shawl. I have always finished every project I've started and I tend to be a one-project sort of gal -- knit until completed. However, the pattern is so poorly organized and I've already ripped it back to begin anew. I'm well on my way, but it feels like a slog. When I am knitting it and I'm doing the cable and lace work, it's enjoyable, but in my heart I dread working on it. I know most would advise me to give up and move on, but I really see this as an exercise in persistence and resilience.
Am I crazy to keep on going? OR, would I feel better if I shared my knitting time with another project, and that might be the key to making this one shawl knit less tension-inducing? Again, it is not a hard pattern, it's just so disorganized that I spend as much of my knitting time strategizing and making my own notes as I do with the actual knitting process.
Any insight you may have to offer would be appreciated. Surely others have experienced similar situations . . . .
2. Hi! I’m a novice knitter and like to watch knitting podcasts while I knit. I see several people taking a pattern written for one weight of yarn, but knitting it by holding a lighter weight of yarn double. For instance, I saw one person knitting a sweater that was written for DK with 2 strands of fingering weight. How do they figure out if they have the right gauge? If the pattern using DK calls for 20 stitches and 30 rows for 4 inch swatch, would they have 40 stitches and 60 rows if holding 2 fingering weights? I have lots of fingering weight yarn that I would love to use in some DK patterns, but I want to make sure I make something that fits. Thanks!
3. Do you have any tips for a large circumference tubular bind-off? It seems so daunting for an entire sweater hem!
Kitchener Stitch on one needle: youtu.be/UNVNaKhxV4o
4. Where can we access the pics taken of meetup on the hill?
5. My question is a follow up to something you talked about in episode 239), about purling and combination knitting.
This is how I purl when ribbing or cabling, but until I saw yesterday's episode, I didn't realize that's what combination knitting was!
My question is, though, as it uses less yarn purling this way, do you find that throughout a project with a lot of ribbing, your fabric ends up being less stretchy?
I'm currently knitting a pair of all over 1x1 rib socks that are meant to be slouchy on the leg and even though I used bigger needles than I would normally use for socks, and more stitches, my socks are not slouchy at all, in fact they're on the tight side!
I can't think of any other reason than the way I purl to account for this, so I was wondering if this is something you take into account when writing a pattern and choosing a needle size, if there's a lot of ribbing? (DRK everyday socks, for instance)..
And also if, as knitters, we should allow for this by going up a (or several?) needle sizes when following a pattern if we choose to purl this way?
Today I am wearing the The Weekender Crew:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-weekender-crew
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/the-weekender-crew
And Traveler Hood
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-traveler-hood
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/the-traveler-hood
And Harlow Flip
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/harlow-flip
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/harlow-flip
Ooey Gooey Cowl KAL:
Ravelry Forum: ravelry.com/discuss/dreareneeknits/4374174
Instagram Hashtag: #ooeygooeycowlkal
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A:
https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
