I’ve just had a look at the latest mag and dont you think that sometimes, the patterns call for such expensive wool. I love the “ja da vive” fing but it works out to £23 quid to spend. Might as well buy the top!
Anyhoo, I love the pattern it is very different and its only a front and back so there is no messing about with loads of sewing up.
Yes I agree...the mag seems to use a lot of the more expensive yarns and even some that our wool shops don’t have....I think they need have more of the ordinary stuff on sometimes....and although the hot pants looked fun....do any of you know who would wear knitted hot pants nowadays...I certainly don’t....not even Maya my three year old grand daughter
I too find that a lot of the patterns cost a lot to do in the proper wool, especially when it works out a £30 or so to knit a bag. Some are easily substituted but others it’s not always so easy to find an alternative. (SShhh, another mag tells you the weight of the yarn, eg. double knit, chunky, as well as the tension. It would be great if Lets Knit could do that too.)
All you need to do if you are not sure of the wool is go to the back of the mag, usually around page 79/80, There it will tell you, under the fat sheep, what size needles you need for whatever size wool you are using.
eg. size3.75-4.5 is double knit, 4mm is usually dblkn. So if you get a pattern with a fancy wool and the instructions say 4mmneedles then you know they are using double knitting wool.
Yes, I tend to agree. I think if LK would give the yardage (oops that gives my age away - I meant to say metreage!) as well as the the tension, it would be much easier to substitute.
Am loving the over gloves is this month’s LK and the tea cosy - haven’t tried either felting or mosaic knitting so I think I’ll have to give those a go. Will have to find a different aran for the tea cosy tho - no Elle stockists round here!
Whereabouts in Brum are you Sash, I live in the Shard End/Castle Brom area and there is a small shop not too far from me that sells loads of “bargain” wool, included in the cheap acrylic stuff is loads od sirdar, elle and others discontinued stuff. There is also Patons, wendy and some Stylecraft. The shop itself is a little rundown and musty but I have bought stuff and once I’ve aired it at home it freshens up ok, the smell doesn’t linger on the wool. They also have loads of buttons and stuff, not to bad a range actually and loads of other craft/paper bits. Once you get past the slight scruffiness of the shop its a little aladdins cave.
If you have a Watt bros near you ladies get there quick as the funfur type of wool and the heavy wool is only 30p a ball. If there is a pattern I like I take a note of the needle size and look for a cheaper version. If the needle size is the same then it should knit up the same. Do your swatch to check. I am doing one and don’t have the wool so checking the swatch its going to be an inch shorter if I stick rigidly to the pattern but I will adjust the length where I need to to get the same result. I tried to download my camera and not sure if its done right my son hasn’t checked it for me he is such a pain.
I think i have only ever done one pattern in the wool that is was supposed to be done in and that was because i got it for a xmas present!! I have done the ‘Lee’ Jumper in i think it was May edition in Acrylic DK and spent just under £10 so it can be done!!!!
I agree its difficult to get the yarn they advise in the magazine, our yarn shop doesn’t get that many of the fancy yarns in and when they do they cost lots! I guess the only way around it is to substitute as best you can…
I agree its difficult to get the yarn they advise in the magazine, our yarn shop doesn’t get that many of the fancy yarns in and when they do they cost lots! I guess the only way around it is to substitute as best you can…
As long as the tension is correct it should not make a great deal of difference.
I costed up the big and beautiful blanket onpage 29 and it came to £127.10. I expect the only people who will knit that are the three who win the yarn in the giveaway.
It’s not just LK though - there have been discussions on the boards for Knit Today magazine and Angel Yarns about the fact that some patterns require you to spend over £100 on yarn to make a garment. It is a hell of a lot to spend but there’s no harm in using an alternative yarn - it just won’t turn out exactly like the picture in the mag - not that anything I make out turns out exactly like the pictures anyway!
I often look on Ebay for yarn before I go anywhere else, just to see if it’s cheaper to buy on there or through an online wool shop. Since I can’t work, I’m a compulsive bargain hunter!
