Uploaded December 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. Hi Andrea, I bought some yarn over the summer and I'm struggling to figure out what to make with it. I have 4 hanks of sport weight Cascade Heritage 6 (superwash/nylon blend). I'm trying to decide if I should make the Stripes! Sweater (without stripes) or the DRK Everyday Sweater. I know that the yarn I have won't create a fabric or garment that's as structured as the yarn that you used. Which pattern would work better with this type of yarn?
2. Hi there! I have been knitting a couple years and am very comfortable with pretty much everything I have tried, I’m not afraid to modify patterns, I know how to modify stitch counts based on my gauge swatches and even rework lace, cable and colorwork charts to make everything work! I’m even fine subbing yarns from the recommended yarns and changing weights of yarn and adjusting the pattern accordingly. I am, however, so nervous to mix yarns of differing fiber contents! I will only use yarns with almost identical fiber content and am positively terrified to mix superwash and non superwash yarn in a project. Logically I know they can be spun together and the resulting yarn is fine, but I have nightmares of one part of the project shrinking, or growing like crazy while the non-superwash colorwork stays small. Are there tips for how to know which yarns can be used together in a project? I would think holding double would probably be safer, but what if I’m wanting to do colorwork with one yarn and use a different fiber content for the main color? Or have different bands of a shawl be different typers of fiber? I don’t want the project to wind up hanging all wonky! I have a beautiful yarn stash and I often want to use specific yarns together but this worry stops me every time.
3. I love your patterns and this podcast - I have learned a lot about knitting construction from you! I'm curious about the construction of the Comebackagain cardigan - why did you choose to write it as a bottom-up pattern? Was it the stitch pattern, the woolen spun yarn, something else? I'm curious about the *why* of this particular construction!
4. Hello Andrea! Question for people with (bigger) boobs! I have recently finished your Tessellated Pullover and it is one of my favourite knits so far. I have been wearing it quite a lot and I have notice something on the bust situation that you might have an answer for. I knitted a size 4 and I have a big bust for my size, so the front of my sweater pulls up. My Traveler's Hoodie does the same. I don't really mind, but it gives me a more cropped look than intended in the pattern. When I want a boxy fit, what modification should I make? Knit the front panel longer? When separating for sleeve, have more stitches at the front than the back? Many thanks from Montreal :)
Little Red in the City by Ysolda
ysolda.com/blogs/journal/bust-darts-in-sweaters-with-all-over-stitch-patterns
5. I am currently slooooowly working on my lovely Ooey Gooey sweater, and my yoke seems less deep and the neck seems smaller than others I've seen online. I'm currently at the point where I split for sleeves, but am knitting an extra inch (10" from cast on edge instead of 9") to make sure it will fit under my arms. When I started I made the decision to do a long tail cast on instead of a tubular cast on. Could this be the reason my neck seems small and yoke "shallow"? I'm new to sweater knitting, so any thoughts would be appreciated. I hope a long tail cast on wasn't a fatal mistake! Thank you in advance! I love your work and am grateful for what you're putting out into the world! You're creating more joy than you'll ever know!
Cotton & Ochre: cottonandochre.com
Rue Quilt Coat: spaghettiwesternsewing.com/products/rue-quilt-coat
Today I am wearing the Ochre Moss:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/ochre-moss
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/ochre-mos
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. Hi Andrea, I bought some yarn over the summer and I'm struggling to figure out what to make with it. I have 4 hanks of sport weight Cascade Heritage 6 (superwash/nylon blend). I'm trying to decide if I should make the Stripes! Sweater (without stripes) or the DRK Everyday Sweater. I know that the yarn I have won't create a fabric or garment that's as structured as the yarn that you used. Which pattern would work better with this type of yarn?
2. Hi there! I have been knitting a couple years and am very comfortable with pretty much everything I have tried, I’m not afraid to modify patterns, I know how to modify stitch counts based on my gauge swatches and even rework lace, cable and colorwork charts to make everything work! I’m even fine subbing yarns from the recommended yarns and changing weights of yarn and adjusting the pattern accordingly. I am, however, so nervous to mix yarns of differing fiber contents! I will only use yarns with almost identical fiber content and am positively terrified to mix superwash and non superwash yarn in a project. Logically I know they can be spun together and the resulting yarn is fine, but I have nightmares of one part of the project shrinking, or growing like crazy while the non-superwash colorwork stays small. Are there tips for how to know which yarns can be used together in a project? I would think holding double would probably be safer, but what if I’m wanting to do colorwork with one yarn and use a different fiber content for the main color? Or have different bands of a shawl be different typers of fiber? I don’t want the project to wind up hanging all wonky! I have a beautiful yarn stash and I often want to use specific yarns together but this worry stops me every time.
3. I love your patterns and this podcast - I have learned a lot about knitting construction from you! I'm curious about the construction of the Comebackagain cardigan - why did you choose to write it as a bottom-up pattern? Was it the stitch pattern, the woolen spun yarn, something else? I'm curious about the *why* of this particular construction!
4. Hello Andrea! Question for people with (bigger) boobs! I have recently finished your Tessellated Pullover and it is one of my favourite knits so far. I have been wearing it quite a lot and I have notice something on the bust situation that you might have an answer for. I knitted a size 4 and I have a big bust for my size, so the front of my sweater pulls up. My Traveler's Hoodie does the same. I don't really mind, but it gives me a more cropped look than intended in the pattern. When I want a boxy fit, what modification should I make? Knit the front panel longer? When separating for sleeve, have more stitches at the front than the back? Many thanks from Montreal :)
Little Red in the City by Ysolda
ysolda.com/blogs/journal/bust-darts-in-sweaters-with-all-over-stitch-patterns
5. I am currently slooooowly working on my lovely Ooey Gooey sweater, and my yoke seems less deep and the neck seems smaller than others I've seen online. I'm currently at the point where I split for sleeves, but am knitting an extra inch (10" from cast on edge instead of 9") to make sure it will fit under my arms. When I started I made the decision to do a long tail cast on instead of a tubular cast on. Could this be the reason my neck seems small and yoke "shallow"? I'm new to sweater knitting, so any thoughts would be appreciated. I hope a long tail cast on wasn't a fatal mistake! Thank you in advance! I love your work and am grateful for what you're putting out into the world! You're creating more joy than you'll ever know!
Cotton & Ochre: cottonandochre.com
Rue Quilt Coat: spaghettiwesternsewing.com/products/rue-quilt-coat
Today I am wearing the Ochre Moss:
Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/ochre-moss
My Website: dreareneeknits.com/shop/ochre-mos
Ask a question for next week’s Q&A:
https://forms.gle/pKM9gF9SixkdQwmS7
