YARN SIZES

When I write my newsletters, I like to look back at past ones so I can make sure that I am not writing the same info as others before!

In writing our January 2009 newsletter, I came across January 2007's. On past newsletters I wrote HELPFUL HINTS, which I no longer write because of this blog!

But, this HELPFUL HINT was a good one that I want to share and it went like this:

Thursday is my day off. Depending on how I feel, I may kick off my shoes or maybe not even put them on and watch TV. I finally got to watch an episode of KNITTY GRITTY. I couldn't believe it was on! Well, there was a woman (didn't catch her name) who was teaching sock knitting. What a wonder! I was delighted to see it on TV. After the sock session was over, they had this great helpful hint. Let's say you have yarn, you don't have the labels, so you don't have any idea what size needle to use. Take out your handy dandy knitting needle gauge, the one with the holes, and double the yarn and pass the yarn through one hole. If it's too tight, try the next size hole. If the yarn passes through the hole easily without pulling, then that's the needle size to use! Neat? Yeah!!!

See, it pays to look back sometimes, (even if it's a newsletter!)

Just for the heck of it, pull a label off from one of the yarns in your stash (I'm sure you have LOTS OF STASH) and try the above exercise. Don't look at the yarn label to see what size needle to use. See if it works and let me know!

Enjoy!

HAPPY STITCHING, my friends!

Yours vs. Mine

There are times when you start a knit project with, let's say, Brand X straight needles. You then decide that you want to change from Brand X straight needles to Brand Y circular needles. DON'T DO IT!!! Why? Good question!

Let's say I'm the manufacturer of Brand X needles and you're the manufacturer of Brand Y needles. Just because we manufacture needles DOESN'T mean that they are going to be the same exact thickness. It's okay to switch from straight to circular or visa versa on a project AS LONG AS they are from the same company. If you switch from Yours to Mine, there will be a definite difference in your gauge...AND it will show. The same holds true for crochet hooks.

So...decide first whose needles you're going to use and stick with them throughout your project. It's going to be YOURS or MINE!!!

To Gauge or Not to Gauge...that is the Question!

GAUGE.....most knitters or crocheters DON'T GAUGE. Why? I don't know. We have customers come into the shop and say 'my sweater didn't fit' OR 'why is this baby sweater so small?' Well, the answer is they didn't gauge their work. Steve took a crochet class last year and the question was posed to the teacher: "Is gauge important?" Her answer was: "If you want it to fit!!" Sometimes it's easier just to take the 2 sticks or the hook and stitch. But..will it fit? Get out your crystal ball and ask it because no one is going to know if it will until it's done. And...you may be sorry that you didn't take the time to gauge it! So...what is gauge? For those who don't know...read on! For those who do know...READ ON too!! Your project may read: 20 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches or
20 single crochets and 24 rows = 4 inches. Take the time to gauge it. The proper way to achieving gauge is to hang your swatch on a clothesline or onto something similar. Why? Because you don't wear your sweater lying down, so you don't check a gauge that has been sitting on a table. Others say that it should be washed AND dried so that you can see what happens to the yarn AFTER it has been laundered. Both make sense. Well, the choice is yours...to Gauge or Not to Gauge...will it FIT????