Let's Knit Magazine - Your knitting, your style

Ok guys......am planning on knitting my first pair of socks..eek! i have my pattern picked out, but wanted to pick a different yarn to the one suggested - but I don’t know where to start!

As a beginner I’m still not sure about the differences in different types of yarn, and certainly don’t know which would be suitable substitutes!

The yarn mentioned in the pattern is 4ply Wool/Nylon, but that means nothing to me! Do I have to use this kind of yarn? Will my sock turn out awful if I change it? Help!!!!!

I appreciate that I haven’t been much help, but would really appreciate any suggestions you have - after all I am here to learn!

Hi Elyse
Well the size of yarn is sort of important ... it’s like size of clothes ...
3 ply = size 0
4 ply = 6/8
DK = 10/12

etc
So imagine if your pattern was a little 4ply and you shoved chunky (say 18/20) on instead ....

So .. the “brand” (eg Sirdar\Patons|Wendy) is not important (well except to the manufacturer, lol) whereas the “size” or “ply” of the wool is.

If your pattern says 4 ply and you use DK it will end up wider and chunkier and less attractive ....

Hope this helps!
x

Very! Thanks!

whoops! double post! lol!

Most sock yarns have a small amount of nylon in them which makes them both durable and flexible and elastic.

If you wish to use another sock yarn than the one stated, if it says 4ply, then you will be looking for 4ply or fingering weight and when you choose one you like, just spend some time trying to get the same gauge as the pattern. Every yarn can knit up smaller or tighter than the pattern, so can every knitter.

My advice for a good beginner sock yarn as well, is to choose one that does not split easily. I would recommend something like Lorna’s Laces, or Fyberspates merino Tencel, or Cygnet 4ply sock yarn. Opal and Regia are good as well as they have a coating on them making them less splitty.

If you buy one online, it is a little bit difficult to tell if it is going to split easily but if you buy from a shop, you can feel it to see if it works.

Also, a good thing for a beginner knitter to do is to knit a baby sock or a minuature sock just to get used to the strange construction and so it is familiar when you start on a bigger project. Otherwise, if you don’t like the newness of it, with a lot of sts on a bigger sock you could end up just leaving the sock unfinished in a bag while you turn to something else

Or you could go to Tescos and get three pairs for £3 and spend the money saved on some great yarn and knit something REALLY interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!

cookknitwine - 17 June 2008 08:07 PM

Hi Elyse
Well the size of yarn is sort of important ... it’s like size of clothes ...
3 ply = size 0
4 ply = 6/8
DK = 10/12

etc
So imagine if your pattern was a little 4ply and you shoved chunky (say 18/20) on instead ....

So .. the “brand” (eg Sirdar\Patons|Wendy) is not important (well except to the manufacturer, lol) whereas the “size” or “ply” of the wool is.

If your pattern says 4 ply and you use DK it will end up wider and chunkier and less attractive ....

Hope this helps!
x

Did you know that 3/4 of the female population are OVER a size 16?   

Erssie Knits - 25 June 2008 04:30 PM

Most sock yarns have a small amount of nylon in them which makes them both durable and flexible and elastic.

If you wish to use another sock yarn than the one stated, if it says 4ply, then you will be looking for 4ply or fingering weight and when you choose one you like, just spend some time trying to get the same gauge as the pattern. Every yarn can knit up smaller or tighter than the pattern, so can every knitter.

My advice for a good beginner sock yarn as well, is to choose one that does not split easily. I would recommend something like Lorna’s Laces, or Fyberspates merino Tencel, or Cygnet 4ply sock yarn. Opal and Regia are good as well as they have a coating on them making them less splitty.

If you buy one online, it is a little bit difficult to tell if it is going to split easily but if you buy from a shop, you can feel it to see if it works.

Also, a good thing for a beginner knitter to do is to knit a baby sock or a minuature sock just to get used to the strange construction and so it is familiar when you start on a bigger project. Otherwise, if you don’t like the newness of it, with a lot of sts on a bigger sock you could end up just leaving the sock unfinished in a bag while you turn to something else

Hi, just enjoyed a pootle round your blog and noticed we share a taste for TUK shoes. So I will forgive the s*** s.

Did you know that 3/4 of the female population are OVER a size 16?

OK grumpy ... I wasn’t being sizeist ... I was just trying to say if you use a yarn that is too scrawny for the job it will be useless ... if you use a yarn that is too powerful for the job it will be overwhelmed by the yarn’s power ... is that ok?  Love you to bits ... cant help being a mini trial size version ... love the full size proper jobbies!
xxx

cookknitwine - 25 June 2008 08:32 PM

Did you know that 3/4 of the female population are OVER a size 16?

OK grumpy ... I wasn’t being sizeist ... I was just trying to say if you use a yarn that is too scrawny for the job it will be useless ... if you use a yarn that is too powerful for the job it will be overwhelmed by the yarn’s power ... is that ok?  Love you to bits ... cant help being a mini trial size version ... love the full size proper jobbies!
xxx

Large size shovel on way...holes digging for use of..signed Grumpy

But being extra small I can’t use large size shovels, sorry ... I need teeny weeny size

Teaspoon on the way ..G.

Will start digging with teeny weeny teaspoon ... you’re not really grumpy Granny Gill ... you are rather lovely and smiley
xx

cookknitwine - 25 June 2008 09:32 PM

Will start digging with teeny weeny teaspoon ... you’re not really grumpy Granny Gill ... you are rather lovely and smiley
xx

OOO that’s me!!!! a leg end in my own lunch time. 

Was that one of the radio 2 DJs?  Who did say that first?  I’m sure I’ve heard it before but the jollop has addled the brain cells!
x

cookknitwine - 25 June 2008 10:19 PM

Was that one of the radio 2 DJs?  Who did say that first?  I’m sure I’ve heard it before but the jollop has addled the brain cells!
x

I TOLD YOU TO TAKE IT STEADY....lush!!!!!

On my steam radio the cats whiskers are a bit threadbare these days so I don’t have a clue. Is that nice Joseph Locke still warbling????
My jollop tonight has been a diving board for a fly. I HATE to throw good stuff away, good job it was’nt MY JOLLOP. Oh well, at least it died happy.