Knitting Tips for Beginners, Yarn Weights Explained and Festive Projects You'll Love

Hello and welcome to A Yarn Story. I'm Carmen. And I'm Kayleigh. And uh we are here today to chat with you about our general going-ons, what we're wearing, what we're knitting, what we plan on knitting, and we're gonna do a little Q&A at the end. Yeah, sounds good. Yeah, I'm excited to be here. Um we haven't done a chatty episode in quite a while. No, yeah, it's been a lot of really interesting interviews over the last few weeks. Yes, yes, and I think um, well, there's a cat here.

Sorry, there's a kitten basically running around. So every now and then you might hear she's underneath the couch right now. It was that because I was like, where is the noise coming from? From within. And it's more than likely that she has a yarn label underneath her. She's obsessed with yarn labels. Like she actually has fun with yarn, but she just loves the label. So like, yeah. You said she has a favorite type of label. Yes, she does. So at first it was the Julie Osselin Nurtured. Oh yeah.

But lately, this is a very, like, she's got quite good taste. It's been Garthor. She's obsessed, because I think it's that, you know how they have the metal grommet? Yeah. She likes like the difference in the texture, and they're quite springy, so when she hits them they kind of run about. But I gave her, um, I actually gave her a Walcott Le Garcon one this morning, and she turned her nose up at it. I know. But she does like the normal Walcott yarn. You have excellent taste.

Um, we are also, we're filming today in Kaylee's office. We're not in the shop because we needed to film during daylight hours. Yes. And the shop is open. So, so this is a change of scenery for us. But yeah. Do you want to tell them what's behind us? Because I think they can only see, yeah, a little tiny bit. Yeah, yeah. Maybe, um, Max can put a, like, a picture of what it is. But it's the Rhode Island state flag, and it says hope, and it has 13 stars around it with an anchor.

Okay. Um, and, uh, basically the 13 stars because it was the 13th state to sign the Declaration of Independence. Oh, okay. I think it was the Declaration or the Constitution, one of the two. Yeah. One of those important documents to the U .S., um, like, history. It's founding. And then the, this, like, the hope bit is because it was founded based off of religious persecution, basically. But it was, like, religious persecution between Protestants.

It was, like, the Puritans didn't like this guy, this Christian guy. So then he, like, left Massachusetts Bay Colony, went to Rhode Island and founded it. Okay. Well, there you go. Founded it. Yeah. He basically showed up, and there were a bunch of Narragansett Indians living there. And he was like, yo, could I live here? And they were like, yeah, sure, why not? Here's some land. That's exactly how that conversation went.

And then, yeah, and then a few years later, he's like, you know how you gave me some, like, kind of some more? And they're like, um, no. Rhode Island is the smallest state, or is it Delaware? Yeah, yeah. It's the smallest. Yeah, it's the smallest of the U.S. states. But it's very densely populated. I think it's the most densely populated state. Oh, okay. What is the most densely populated state? Do we know? No. I don't, at least. I don't know. Maybe Delaware? It could be Delaware.

It's a pretty tiny state, too. Yeah. I mean, all of those on the eastern sea border are going to be more densely populated than the west coast states. Yeah, definitely. Yes. So those are my Rhode Island... Oh, and state drink is coffee milk? What's coffee milk? It's milk with coffee flavoring. Not actual coffee? No, coffee flavoring. It's like this syrup that you get. It sounds worse than instant coffee. It's actually pretty good, but it is very sweet. It's good as, like, a milkshake.

Like, if you put the coffee milk in ice cream and milk. Okay, I'll take your word for it. Next time I'm in Rhode Island, I will give it a try. Well, if you get a, if you go to Rhode Island, you can get what's called an Offal Waffle at Newport Dreamery. Okay. And it's like a type of milkshake. And their coffee milkshakes are made with this syrup. And it's really good. It's my favorite. I'll try anything twice. So, yeah. It's interesting. Rhode Island's an interesting place.

Yes. Only driven through there, like, once. So, yeah. Yeah. It really needs that. Yeah. 95 is a big part of the state. It's a big highway. Yeah. Anyhoo. All right. Well, what are you wearing? What am I wearing? I am wearing, yeah, it is kind of covered in cat fur because I was picking up one of the other cats, the white one earlier. So, I'm wearing the Weidlinger sweater by, I always forget who it's by. Emily Green. No, it's Natalie something. I'll look it up.

But it's a Brooklyn Tweed commission pattern. I think I've worn it on here or on a live before. I wear it quite a lot. It's like a moss stitch pattern. This was actually the first, no, this is the second sweater I knit with a Yarn Story yarn. And I got this during the pandemic. It's Arbor, isn't it? Yeah, it's Arbor. Which I love. I actually love Arbor. Arbor is one of those yarns that I feel like when it's in a skein, it doesn't do itself justice, but it just wears so well.

I do think that's why. So, we used to stock Arbor, but we just, it never sold very well for us. So, we had to say goodbye to it because, yeah, it doesn't look or feel like anything special in the skein. I actually think that's like a whole, we can do a whole series on underrated yarns. Yeah, that'd be great. Because they somehow in the skein aren't as special as they are when they are knitted. I feel like a lot of, like, I feel like the Tones is like that too.

Or not the Tones, the one that we just imbued. That will look, like, I really need to knit something in that. That's what I would like to knit maybe next. But I've got such a queue of projects. We'll get to the queues. Yeah. But I feel like that one too, that one is ridiculously soft. It's so soft. And it's merino, so it will drape really nicely. It'll have really nice drape to it. But the colors in it, I think, will look spectacular once it's knit up.

Whereas Loft and Shelter, you can kind of see the specialness because you can see those lovely flecks and everything. But yeah, Arbor and I think they used to have Piri as well, which they've discontinued that. Yeah, we had Piri for a while. That one I didn't actually like to knit with, I have to admit. I knit a hat in it and it didn't have the bounce and give in it that Arbor does or Imbue or any of the other things that I love about wool.

It felt more like you were knitting with a cotton, which I didn't enjoy. But they've discontinued it as well. So that wasn't my favorite of their yarns. But yeah, Arbor is beautiful. I have them in my stash. It's just such a comfy sweater too. This is what I wear if I'm just around the house or running errands or something. It's just such a really cozy, comfy yarn. That's Sam's dad's work mug because he used to work for Exxon. It doesn't have it on both sides. It says don't spill on the duck.

So oil spills are bad. Yes. In my mug. I guess Exxon gave them to all their employees. That was their intervention. Sure. But the ducks appreciate it. They were like, yeah, don't spill on us. Yeah. What mug do you have? I've got this lovely hand-thrown mug with a lovely little drawn on fox. My mom got this for me quite a long time ago. I think like 10, 15 years ago. It's my special tea mug. Yeah. We're having tea today because we love wolf wine and they are definitely still our sponsors.

But we've been filming a lot more during the day. It's a lot harder to just, well, not justify, but like, I still have things to do. Like drive. Yeah. Or do work. So that's why we haven't been drinking wine. We don't, it's not like we don't like wine anymore. Or we're both pregnant or something. Yeah. That is also not true. Just to be really clear. We're not hiding something. Everybody's gotten pregnant. Every guest you've had. Okay. How about what I'm wearing? What are you wearing?

So, um, I don't know if I've worn this on the podcast. I also realized that because I've filmed a lot of them really far apart, it turns out it's my jeans, my denim shirt era. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, because I didn't realize. But I realized when I was watching New the other day, and I just filmed an episode with Lisa from This Is Knit, and I was also wearing denim. Oh, were you? That's so funny. We're denim today.

Anyways, this is my dot dot dash by, um, it is the same person who did the ranunculus, right? I don't think it is. Oh, it's not her robe. I don't think it's. Okay, we're gonna look that up. We're gonna look these up. Yeah. But it's dot dot dash. And it's the first sweater I knit in Walcott Yarns Origin, which is a little bit interesting because this is a pattern for worsted weight yarns. It does call for worsted weight, but it's knit on an eight millimeter needle. Yeah. So it's a very...

Oh, it is Midori Hirose. Oh, is it Midori Hirose? Okay. It's a very drapey fabric. And I just wanted to, like, test Origin a bit. And it works really well.

It holds up. This was one of the first ones you did with Origin, right? Yeah, it's the first one. Yeah, yeah. And a couple... So the one thing about this pattern, as with a lot of hers, it doesn't really have sizing. Like, it has very minimal sizing. So if you look at the pattern on Ravelry, the model has it, like, off the shoulder. Yeah, yeah. This is really big. But you cast on the same number of stitches for every size. The sizing doesn't happen until you get to here. Oh, okay.

Yeah. It has really interesting construction. So you do short rows across the shoulder. Oh, that's cool. Here. And that's where you get, like, you can... Almost like a raglan-y kind of look, but it's not. Yeah, but it's not. It's, um... Like, there's increases sort of under my arm here. Yeah, and you can see them on the back, too, like, just... But it creates a really lovely detail. It creates that almost, like, raglan effect, but it doesn't go all the way up. So I do...

Like, I would almost like to knit this one again and figure out for myself how I could just make the neckline bigger. Um, but it was... I think it's cute, though. Is this the one? No, it's my plum that had no increases. You just increased the needle size across the ribbing. Oh, interesting. Yeah, that one I would actually quite like to knit again, as well. I should have made the sleeves a bit longer. I think it's cute, though. I'd love a short sleeve.

Yeah, and it's a little bit like a baleen sleeve. And this one's been getting a lot of wear this year, actually. Oh, good. It's really cute on you. Thanks. Good color. But I think I only photographed it on me for the first time. And what color is it? Oh, it's Hippy Heart. And then I used Walcott Yearn's Opus in gray, two strands of it, for the detail. I was gonna use white. Yep. And this was before we had Sea Lion, right? This was before we had Sea Lion. Um, yeah, this sweater's old.

Not that old, but I was knitting it, and the Hippy Heart was coming off on it while I was knitting already, so I was like, that's gonna bug me. Yeah, Hippy Heart is, I think, the one color we have I mean, any of the deep reds, that is just a thing with white. Like, it can bleed a bit. So definitely, like, swatch before you commit. So that's what I did, and I changed it to gray. And I like it. It's cute. It is cute. I really like it. So the designer of mine is Nadia Stallings.

Ah, we do always forget that. Yes, I don't know why. It's hard to keep all of the things in your head. The further you are from the knit. Yeah, exactly. This is now, like, five, six years ago? Yeah, and this is at least three. Yeah, when did we launch Origins? 2021. That's crazy. I feel like it was, like, last year. Like, in my head. Yeah, it wasn't really that long. Well, and five of the colors aren't that old, actually. I know, but we love it so much.

We use it all the time, so it feels like it's older. Yeah. We have so many jumpers in it now. We do, and we're gonna have more. We are. We could tease that, actually. So we have a collection coming out between Walcott Yarns and Erica Knight, the designer. So she has done a six-piece collection for us. Is it five or six? Like, five, I think, in Walcott Yarns Origins. And it's amazing. It is. It's very exciting. It's very exciting. And it looks good on, like, everybody on the staff.

So we have the full collection in the shop at the moment. We've had it photographed. We had another photo session with the team this week. That was really fun. So you'll get to see, I mean, really, like, all the pieces look good on everybody. They do. It's surprising, too, because there are some color combinations that I wouldn't have ever thought go together.

And then it's also done, like I was saying to Carmen, like, it also is interesting because, like, when that color is next to another color that I haven't paired together, all of a sudden it's like, oh, that color looks really different. Yes. And that's so cool. Like, it's interesting seeing a color that you feel like you know so well, but you see it just very differently all of a sudden. Well, and Erica clearly has, like, a master grasp on color theory. I mean, she is so good.

And yeah, there's color combinations that I wouldn't have put together and it's now, like, my favorite thing in the world. Yeah, exactly. Like, everybody wants to knit these sweaters in the colors that Erica put together. But we are doing some swatching for other colorways because they're not going to be everybody's cup of tea. But yeah, so that's coming out in January. So we're going to have some more origin sweaters. Yeah. All of us. Yay. Yay. What else has been going on with you? What else?

Do you have a PhD update for us? Because I'm sure the people would like to know. Have we not talked about that? I don't think so. I thought maybe we did in the September one, but maybe not. No? No, because I came back from holiday and went straight into... I don't think we've filmed since. But now... Yeah, you're probably right. But anyway, I submitted my PhD. Yay! And... Imagine the fireworks. Yes. And so it's currently under review because I'm doing a dual PhD between Sheffield and Groningen.

My VIVA examination thing is a little bit different because Sheffield's regulation basically requires you to submit it and then you have a VIVA and then you respond to comments from your committee. But Groningen doesn't do that. Groningen, basically, you submit it to the committee and then once it's gone to committee, basically, you've already passed. Oh. So if your supervisors don't think it's ready for committee, then that's the only time you wouldn't have passed.

As if you submit it to them and they're like, no, and you can't fix it. So right now, my supervisors are reading through it. Okay. And they're giving me comments. Okay. So that's the Sheffield bit. Yeah. And then I'm doing the comments before the VIVA, which is the Dutch VIVA. So it's like this whole process. But basically, by March, I'm going to have a date for the actual VIVA. Oh, that's exciting. Yeah. Yeah. So then it will hopefully be done. Yay!

Well, then it will be done because if I get a date for the VIVA, I've passed. Yay! Okay. So nothing happens after the VIVA? No. Well, party. I mean, obviously. Party in the Netherlands that everybody's going to come to wearing their Erika Knight collection. I feel that. That does need to happen between all of the yarn festivals I'm already booked on. All the yarn festivals, all the weddings, all of these. Yeah, you have how many weddings to attend next year?

Oh, my God. I think we have six in our own. Six plus your own. Yeah. And I've got like four handos that I have to go to, including my own. 2025 is... It's booked up. It is booked up. We have... There's a lot going on. The team individually and the shop and the business. Yeah, there's a lot. So at least it's submitted. Yes, it's submitted. And that was a big weight off my shoulders. Yeah, it's very exciting. And it's interesting. I do feel I've been talking to...

There was actually somebody in the shop the other day. And she was an academic visiting from South Carolina. Okay. And we started talking about my PhD and her research. And she was like, oh, I need to look up your research and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, oh, it's not yet done. Well, it is done, but it's not yet published anywhere, blah, blah, blah. And then we were talking about the state of higher education in both countries.

But I've actually found myself actually enjoying those discussions again, rather than being like, oh, I don't want to talk about this. That's a nice place to be in. Yeah, yeah. I've gotten a lot of really... People on the podcast do have messaged me. You've all been really kind and said how you think what I'm studying is interesting. It is interesting. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, maybe we'll turn it into a book somewhere.

I'm going to maybe approach Bloomsbury about it, because a friend of mine had their thesis published with Bloomsbury. Amazing. So more to come on that. Yes, we'll see. But yeah, otherwise, not much has been going on. Lots of house stuff, kitten stuff. We got the Christmas tree yesterday. Yay, Christmas tree. There's no Christmas tree this year in my life. Well, wait, but what about a German Christmas tree? No, because... So I'm going to Germany to see my cousins for...

Actually, I'll be there for like three weeks for Christmas. And they have a new puppy. Oh, cute. So my cousin was like, I just want to tell you we're not doing an indoor Christmas tree this year, because we just think it's gonna be too stressful, because he's like barely six months. Oh, my goodness. A big golden retriever. Peaches is gonna be so jealous. Well, she's gonna be like... And they're like, oh, we can't wait for her to show up and show him and like tell him off.

And I was like, yeah, she's gonna love this. And she will. I think they'll be great. It's okay. She can go up the stairs and hide and relax. But yeah, there's no Christmas tree in my life. Which is a little sad, but that's okay. We often make the most of the outdoor Christmas trees. Yes, they are putting a Christmas tree outdoors on the patio. Oh, that's cute. Yeah, it just won't be good indoors. Yeah, we thought with the kittens, it would be really funny.

And luckily, they haven't like tried to scale the tree. They're really interested in the baubles that they can get to. But the baubles that I got that are down low are like plastic ones. And so they've been able to smack them. They're very happy about that. I'm sure that feels like a really big play thing. Yeah, exactly. They were so funny yesterday when we brought it home. They were just like sniffing it and being like, oh my god, what is this? What is going on? What are these humans doing?

It's a real tree, right? Yeah, it's a real tree. I get the environmental thing on the real trees. But I don't. I know. I don't like a reasonable plastic Christmas tree. I know. They smell so good though, too. I know. And they are just so pretty. They are really pretty. There are places you can like sort of rent a tree for Christmas. And then they come take it away and like replant it. Yeah, I was thinking about that. Like, could I put it?

I don't know how that works because it's now like a stump. Can you replant that? Can you put that in there? I don't think you can. Like, I think the ones that you can get that are sort of like regenerative come in a big pot. Yeah, yeah. I think that's right. Unless it's Sam's mom has. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, well let's... What are we actually knitting? Yes. Well, what have we... Have you finished anything recently? Well, I've got quite a bit to show. Okay. I have one thing to show.

I actually finished two things in the last week. But one of them has already been given away. Ooh, look at that. Christmas gift? No, the Badger and Bloom from our couch. Yeah. Which I was making for Amanda, not for me. And it wasn't blocked yet, but I gave it to her anyways, because she's got more space to block it. So I thought you can block that yourself. Ooh, so this is done. Yes, it needs blocking and sewing up. We'll do these first.

Yeah. So I just finished another shift, literally off the needles last night. Nice. I'm very moody. Yeah, this is in SpinCycle's Nocturne. Oh, yes. So they dye their colorways on like a gray base yarn. And we picked these up when we were visiting SpinCycle's flagship store in the summer. And Danny picked these colors up for himself. So this is going to be his first

hand knit. So yeah, I just need to block it and sew it up, put the ends in. But I'll do that tomorrow. And then that is done. So similarly, Sam picked out a bunch of yarns for his shift. The boys are getting jealous of all the shifts that we made. This is really pretty. Yeah, isn't it pretty? I really like it. Is that rusted rainbow in there? Yep. It's a really pretty, like, glowy rusted rainbow. Yeah, the yellow in it. It's really good. And then it's Bright Idea.

Oh, Bright Idea. And The Meadows. Yeah, so the Bright Idea is the blue. And this is actually rusted rainbow. Oh, okay. Yeah, isn't it? It's a really, like, glowy one. It is very glowy. It's very pretty. Yeah, very pretty rusted rainbow. Do you also want to steal it for yourself? Because I want to steal this one for myself. Yeah, I mean, I do. But I actually have one that has some rusted rainbow in it. And so I feel like... And it's got some blues in it.

And that was my, like, Frankenstein, like, ends one. And I quite like that one. And I've got another one too. So this is Sam's. He wanted one that he knew I wasn't going to steal. But it doesn't mean that I don't want to steal it. Well, I just have to contain myself. So I was thinking last night, I think I might need to start a Frankenstein-y one. Just because I've got lots of little bits. Yeah. And I might just do it, like, potlucky. Like, put it in a bag, whatever comes out next.

Yeah, that'll be fun. I really enjoyed doing mine that way. I thought, like, oh, this is actually quite fun. And I think I pulled back once because they were very similar all of a sudden. But then there was, like, two rows or something. So, but sometimes that can be really nice. Yeah, effective. Susan has a few like that, actually. Yeah, the both of our next level only ones. There's a couple bits where it, like, fades.

But it kind of, it's cool because it, like, sort of, like, disappears and then goes again. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So those are fun. Those are fun, definitely. So yeah, that was, this is probably my most recent. Nice. FO. And then I have this one from earlier, which I don't think I've shown on here. I don't think so. That is so nice. So this was Thea Coleman's Smoke Show. And you did that one really quick. Yeah, yeah. I got this in the sale, actually. We're gonna have to bring it back.

And let's see if we can get some of the colours to focus on it. Let's see. Hopefully that's, that's doing its job. Yeah, you can kind of see the more complexity in, of the yarn there. But it's Julie Oslin's Nurtured in Antlers. So it's got, like, this, like, purple-y and yellows. Yeah. It's so pretty. That yarn, again, is so pretty. It's so underrated. So underrated. Yeah. So we said goodbye to it. Yeah. Even though we were sad about it. Yeah. Because we just can't have everything.

No. And we are a business and so things. Yeah, yeah, exactly. But yeah, we do love this yarn. I was obsessed with it for ages. Luna's come up and she's approving of it. And then the other whip I have is my Moby, finally. So I think I talked about this, like, a year ago. Well, I think you picked the yarn for that in one of our very first episodes. Yeah, exactly. Yeah? Yeah. Ooh, and Nova. Nova's coming too. Hey, Noves. But I started knitting it last, this time last year.

And then I put it down to do something, probably a test knit. You like to do those. Yeah. I think it was a test. It was Lily-Kate's test knit. And that's literally what I'm going to do again. Lily-Kate keeps coming up with test knits that I'm like, oh, I need to put something down. So this is the Moby sweater by Petite Knit. And I did it in Garthnor Beacons in rigging. And Issiger silk mohair in 0, I think it was. E0? Yeah. I think it was just 0. Was it? That one's like pinker.

Oh, it probably is E0 then. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I love it. Now, we haven't discontinued, but we haven't had it in the shop for a while. Yeah. They don't have any. And I was wearing this the other day. And Johnny was there and he was touching it and he was like, Yeah, it's a really nice yarn I make. Which makes more of that Genuene. And what's up? Hey there, Johnny. How about you make some more beacons, please and thank you. And then everybody can knit one of these. It is such a nice fabric.

So, so soft. The cats have really liked this one. It's all about the cats. I mean, they're big fans of Garthnor. I mean, that's great. The labels and the yarn. Yeah, exactly. I mean. Yeah, we're very much hoping Beacons and Priscilla come back properly here shortly. Fingers crossed. So, did you build a mill? Yeah, it is. You know, all in due time. Yes, all in due time. So, I think that's everything I've recently done. Okay. I think, yeah.

I'm trying to think what else I might have actually finished recently. I don't know. Badger and Bloom, the cow. Badger and Bloom, the cow. I finished, well, I mostly finished. I framed, which I showed off in the last episode. I actually, I still need to put the little sleeve cap on that. Maybe I'll do that this weekend. And then that's done, done. Yeah, that'll be nice. And then I can wear it. Yeah, because right now it's got just like ends. Okay, nice. Like a sad looking fringe.

Either you go fringe. Yeah. Full country. Or don't. Or don't. This is just like, meh, poke it out. It's looking a bit sad. That's funny. Okay, so what do you have on the needles right now? So, I have a few things on the needles. But the first thing I'll show is my test knit that I'm doing for Lily Kate. And, yes, I am. Yeah, she did. But I can't like show the pattern like on the screen. But yes, if you go to her Instagram, you'll see a finished one. So she has shown like what it looks like.

And it's the checker plate, I think it's called checker plate. Yeah, checker. I sometimes call it copper plate. Like copper plate calligraphy. So it's called the checker plate sweater. It is pretty. I clocked it on her Instagram. And it's really cool. I mean, definitely go because you won't see it as much here. Because I'm just like at the beginning. But you can kind of see it coming together. That's the back. And I just kind of started in the round. So you do it top down.

She always has really cool kind of construction for the shoulders. But this is actually a raglan as well. So you're doing a raglan for most of it. And then she'll split it's the arms. And then I think it's just in the round after that. Great. But it's really actually, it's like a traveling stitch. Ah, I know how much you love a traveling stitch. Well, now I'm a pro at it. Because it did the associates. Yeah, yeah, the side by side. That like, I'm actually, it actually is quite quite addictive.

And it's easier to follow than it seems. But her inspo for this was the cap of a sewer. Oh, and so like the design on that. Inspiration is literally everywhere. I can see that actually. Yeah. So I thought that was really cool, too. But I'm doing this finally, in my nightshades by Harrisville Tweed. Is it Harrisville Tweed or Harrisville Designs? Harrisville Tweed is the Scottish. Oh, yeah. Separately. Oh, yeah. That is true. Harris Tweed.

Yeah. So Harrisville Designs. And I got the Rhinebeck, not the last Rhinebeck, but the Rhinebeck before. It's the last Rhinebeck I was at. Our first Rhinebeck together. And it's in the colorway Fever Dream. It's so pretty. Yeah, it's really pretty. So I'm really excited to use it. It's such a nice yarn. I've really enjoyed it. I wonder if I have enough to make that, actually. Because I don't know what I'm doing with my nightshades. Yeah. I don't really know if I got a sweater quantity.

I definitely have a, well, from 2023, I think I just got a vest quantity. Okay. This year, I might get more nightshades this year. I got two more colors this year. Come on. We really need to carry this yarn. We're just going to end up buying it all. I know, we're working on it. But, well, because when we were there in 2023, we were working. Yeah. We didn't really have time. No, we didn't. I didn't get there until like Sunday at some point.

So this year was the first place we went, and I was like, I need that. I need that color I want. I mean, they're all beautiful. Like, literally, there isn't a color in that range I wouldn't wear. Is it Daylight? Is there another one? Yeah, that's really pretty, too. I'd quite like to do Andrea's new shawl or cowl in that actual yarn. Oh, yeah, that'd be pretty, yeah. I know we have some yarn in the shop that we could do it in. But I think it'd be really pretty. Yeah, nice. Anywho.

The sizing on it's really good, too. Really generous kind of sizing throughout. She does a good fit. Yeah, she does do a really good fit. She's such a good, like, designer in terms of fit. She cares so much about it, and she's just got the brain for it. I think that's part of what she likes about it. Yeah, well, this is also the thing about the Erika Knight collection is it fits. Yeah, the shoulders are gorgeous on every sweater. Yeah, like, there are some seamed items in it.

Some of it is knit in pieces, the collection, but it is absolutely worth it. Like, we'll talk more about why seams are important. Yes, definitely show off that collection. That'll be so exciting. Yeah, I mean, it does. It fits so well. And yeah. Yeah. We like a fitted sweater. We do. So the only thing that I officially have on the needles at the moment is some socks. Oh, nice. I mean, I have eight million whips somewhere, but this is only active. Oh, those are pretty.

Yeah, these are also for Danny. He wanted them for hiking in the summer. Oh, nice. Next summer. But it's a skein of BFL. I think it's BFL nylon from Le Garcon, one of their sock clubs. Oh, OK. Oh, nice. OK, lovely. And the thing is, I was doing the cuff and then he was like, that's long enough. And I was like, really? That seems short. So I'm on the heel flap now. Yeah, I know. I've done that mistake before. We're thinking like, oh, it looks really long or whatever.

And I think we just forget how long our socks are. Well, I did like hold it up. Yeah. And he said he doesn't want them longer, so. OK, well, fair enough. That one's on him. And then. Oh, is that my lipstick, Evan? That, do you know, I've been looking for that for like. That's so funny. Since Rhinebeck, actually. I was like, I can't find my lipstick. Yeah. OK. That's so funny. So my other thing on my needles, which is bad, it's from Rubinia. Oh, from the cow. From the cow.

And basically, I put it down to do the test fit. And I was, I also put it down to do Sam's cowl because he was complaining that I wasn't knitting it quick enough for him. And he wanted to wear it for this weather, which is fair enough. Has he worn it yet? Yes. Yeah. And so, yes. So I put it down for that. So I like this so much. I know, right. It's one of those yarns that I feel like none of us really thought, like, oh, we could do that.

And then I was like, I'll only do the cowl if I have if I can use stash yarn. Yeah. And this is also, I mean, Erinmore Light just knits up so easily. It is. Yeah. No, that wasn't one of our sort of like go to choices for Rubinia. Yeah, I think the thing is, sometimes with sweaters, well, with patterns in general, we are

trying to match the yarn so closely to the one that we would use if it's not the same one. Which is, you know, reasonable for why we do that. Yeah. But with the Rubinia Light, I was just thinking that this could be then like a really nice kind of like sort of like this, like you can just throw it on to do errands or like, you know, really sweatshirty. Yes. So I think the colors on that are Copper Coast and then the white one is. I think it's like something.

Oh, I don't have any yarn labels anymore because Luna needs them. Well, she doesn't need them. Why can't I remember the name of that one either? I feel like is it like Isle? No, that's the grey or white heather. No, that's the Cumbria color. OK. We'll figure it out. But yes, it's very nice. It's the white, creamy. Yeah, that's going to be really nice. Yeah, that'll be really nice to wear. So I'm excited to finish that. So after the test knit, I'm going to go back to this.

And then and an Erika Knight pattern. Yeah. Yeah. So that's the next thing on my to knit. So I guess is that the next next thing what we want to knit? Yeah. Yeah. So I so before I get to an Erika Knight pattern from the collection, I picked up some yarn at Rhinebeck. Yes. I picked up Peace Fleece, which is a worsted weight yarn. Susan and I talked about this when we reviewed. It's 75% Navajo Rambouillet and domestic fine wool. Oh, my God. That sounds so amazing.

So it's got like a little tiny halo on it. It's got flecks. And is this a hairstyle device too? They spin it. Oh, OK. But Peace Fleece, I think, is a separate company. I'm not. I don't totally understand. But it's an Aran weight. And I'm going to do the Poose Cafe by Thea Coleman. Oh, yep. We were supposed to do a little knit along, New, Susan and I, because we all picked up yarn to do this. And then New just went and made hers. Yeah, I saw that. New has been turning it out.

She has been turning it out. But it's a nice quick knit. So I'm going to do this before because the patterns aren't quite ready yet to start knitting. So, yeah. Oh, sounds great. But it's going to be... That's going to be the ribbing. I mean, there's a little pink sort of bit. And then that will be the main color. So cute. I love it. Yeah, very good. So that's next on the needles. And then something from the Argonite Collection.

And then, I don't know, I'll probably... I was thinking about maybe starting a night shift over Christmas because I have like a stack of Spin Cycle Dream State. We're going to be friends, aren't we? That's what I'm doing next. And I thought, maybe instead of doing another shift cowl, I finally do a worsted weight night shift. Yep. So this is all my Dream State I've picked up. Okay. And there's been a method to me picking it up, not just like, oh, this is a pretty color.

Well, that's a Kaylee color, and that's a Kaylee color, and that's a Kaylee color, and that's a Kaylee color. Yeah, I think I have too many of those colors. But yeah, I mean, that's... That's Dream World now. Yeah. That was when it was Stephen Penelope's. Yeah. And then, so I think what I've decided is I'm going to do that. I think that's what I was going to decide on in the end. I've got stuff to play around with, and I think I might even have another skein somewhere else.

So, I mean, who doesn't? Yeah, so I also thought maybe I'll just do that as like my side project. Yeah, it's a good one that you can pick up and put down. Well, this has been the thing. I think that's the only reason I got the shift done is because I could just pick it up, put it down, take it with me, knit a couple rows. It was fine. Yeah. So I'm struggling to get bigger projects done. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Then I think that... Oh, and then I'm also... Sam's asked for a blanket.

Oh, okay. So I picked this up. Oh. So these are actually patterns that they published on their website, but they put them into a collection. So this is Brooklyn Tweed's knit and crochet blankets. So kind of Jared's line is put together, like loads of their collection. Compilation. Yeah, exactly. And then there is like one new... I think it's the one on the cover pattern of his in here. Okay. That is only in the book. Oh, yeah, the cabin quilt. Yeah, so that's the cabin quilt.

Um, which I really like that. Does Rastus have a pattern in there as well? Yes, he does. I think that's pretty new. Yeah. Yeah, so I think there's a couple of new things in here. Like an anthology. Yeah, that one is Rastus's. Yeah, very Rastus. Very Rastus. Yeah, so that's that one. So Sam has... Basically, I had this yarn to make him a cable jumper. Right. But he's now decided he doesn't want a jumper. But I have a shit ton of it. Like I think I have like 1,600 yards. Oh, yeah.

Okay, definitely need a little blanket. So I'm going to do a blanket. And I'm going to do this one. Branching. Ooh, that's pretty. There's actually not a great picture in here to see. Like, I mean, you can see the design there. And it has three different sizes. Lap, blanket, small throw, and large throw. And I think I'm doing the lap blanket, which is the one that's pictured. Oh, wow. Like, that's a big lap blanket. That is a big lap blanket, yeah. Like, that's a pretty big lap blanket.

That would be really nice. So I'll probably have to start that. But I've told Tim, blankets take a long time. They do. I owe my sister a housewarming blanket from 10 years ago. And I know it was 10 years ago, because same year I opened the shop. That's so funny. And then we're going to make it an origin. Yeah. Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing. I just haven't started. Yeah, fair enough. Sorry, Maya. So, yeah. So I think that's another thing I need to cast on.

And then I've got loads of sweaters I want to cast on as well. I've got some origin to make the Thea Coleman upper knee. Oh, yeah. I was hoping to get that done for autumn. Didn't happen. Next autumn. Yeah, next autumn. You picked out, you got grape blossom, didn't you? Yeah. Same as our shop sample. Yeah, that's a good sweater. Part of me is like, oh, I should have gotten stocked up on Glacial Depths and Fluff. Because, you know. Is it? No, not Glacial Depths. No, Pacific. Pacific.

Yeah. Yeah. We're sold out of Pacific. Yeah. And it's such a good color. It is such a good color. Yeah. This happens. But this happens. It's such a good color that we're sold out of it. Yeah, we're sold out of it. And this happens also in like, you know, we're a small production yarn company. And you can't just be like, oh, yeah, I'll get some more of that. Yeah. Like that. So yeah, that's all right. That's okay. That's in the queue.

Nice. The other thing that I might try to like whip up is the new Andrew Mowry plump cowl. Oh, yeah, cute. She's done the Harlow, Plumpet Harlow or whatever she's called. Harlow. Her brioche hat. Yeah. I don't want a hat that thick. Yeah. I do like the idea of the Harlow hat with shelter. Oh, that would be nice. Ooh, I haven't made my own hat this year. I need to make a hat too. Although I also have some really nice Prado yarn from last year. Lovely. That would be good. Do a moustache.

Yeah. Anyways, but I thought the cowl that goes with the hat. Ooh, nice. Would be nice. Yeah, definitely. And should go quickly. Yeah. Yeah, cowl does go quick. I just need to check. I know I have a couple of skeins of plump. Is it just plump? Yeah, it's just plump. It's four skeins. So two and two. I know I have some plump like custom colorways that I picked up along the way. I don't think I have two of anything. Okay. What I was thinking is I might do two colors and then use like next level.

Oh, cute. Like the background maybe. Okay, that could be fun. I will see. Yeah. Nice. Yeah, I picked up this skein of plump. This is the ghost ranch when we first got it in. And I was going to do the boulevard bag by Lily Kate. Oh, nice. And I still want to do it actually in this. It's just been on the queue for ages. So I was going to do that. And I think you use like a little bit of a worsted weight for the trim around that, where you put the boning in. Because it's got like if you get...

She actually uses zip ties. She just puts zip ties as the boning. That's clever. Yeah, it is really clever. And so it's going to use maybe the navy or the gray in navy or the sea lion. Our navy is called navy, right? Yeah, it's called wild river. Wild river. Yeah. So we're going to answer one question because it's kind of a big question today. Someone asked us, what is with all these yarn weights? What's the difference? Which is something that we answer in the shop all the time.

Every time I'm in the shop, I explain it to everyone. And also there's a lot of differences in language too. So there's terms that have been imported to the UK from the US. And then there are UK terms that still are the most popular ones over here. It's like, wait, is that the same? Is it not? What's the difference between soft yarn and four ply? Yeah. And the Australians have also different names. I don't know those ones. I only know a couple of them.

But there is a chart from the Craft Council USA, the disorder standardized. I don't think the UK has one of those actually. It's weird too because crocheters use numbers a lot of the time, I think. Yeah, that's all on that chart. We'll put that in here. But yeah, I mean, I should have looked this up beforehand. I want to say there's officially 10 different yarn weights. And when we talk about yarn weight, we don't mean the gramage of the skein. We mean the thickness of the strand. Exactly.

So if you're ever in the shop and you're like, oh, I'm looking to do a sweater project, but I don't know what I'm doing. Well, usually the first question we'll ask is like, well, do you have a weight in mind? Yes. And that's usually what we're talking about, like the yarn weight, like how thick do you want that jumper to be? Yeah. And so if I say that and then you look like you have no idea what I just said, I'll then be like, oh, how thick do you want the sweater?

It's okay to not know the answer to that, right? Exactly. So should we start with the thinnest or the thickest yarn? Let's start with the thickest because I have them here. And then I'll pull up the thinner ones. So this, so we've got spin cycle yarns plump, which is considered a chunky weight or a bulky weight. So those are basically the same thing. There are thicker yarns than this.

It's not something we carry in the shop, but you get like super bulkies and you get like roving arm knitting type yarns. But this is going to be knit on like an eight to 10 millimeter needle. And is quite thick in its individual strand. Yeah. Yeah. And then we go down to an Aran weight. Is this Aran? No, that's Worsted, but I've got Aran over here. Oh, love it. This, so Aran and Worsted weight. A lot of people ask about that.

Yeah. So Aran weight is definitely more popular here in the UK and in Europe, I would say. Um, the piece fleece I have is an Aran weight. And it is 16 stitches over four inches or a US eight needle. I actually know what that is. US eight is a six millimeter. Six mil. Yeah. So, um, this is more common here in the UK, but the next one thinner than this is Worsted weight. These are not completely interchangeable. Some people think they are like, they are not one in the same.

Worsted weight is definitely thinner. This is more popular in North America. This is Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. Um, this is a woolenspun Worsted weight. Makes it a bit more... Yes. Or airy. Yeah. Um, but you can see when they're side by side that the strands in this are thicker than the strands in this. And that is going to be knit on a four and a half to five and a half millimeter needle. And you're looking at four and a quarter to five stitches per inch. So it is thinner.

Because this would be four stitches per inch. So, yeah. So next we would have a DK. Yep. Underneath a Worsted weight. Ghost, uh, not Ghost Ranch. Dreamstates actually are quite an interesting yarn. Because if you look at the label, actually, I think they took it off. Oh no, it does say Worsted weight. Yeah. But let's compare those two. Yeah. So you can see that on the, um, Dreamstate it's slightly thinner than the Shelter. Part of that can be actually the way that it's spun.

Yep. So, um, part of it is that this is a Worsted spun and this is a woolenspun. So like I said earlier, like the comment I made about that's going to be a bit more... The Brooklyn Tweed's a bit more airy. It's a bit more voluminous. It will block out actually a little bit bigger of a gauge than what you would do just straight knitting. Whereas the Worsted spun tends to kind of just keep its size pretty well. Yeah, it's rounder profile. We can answer that question in the future.

But Dreamstate's an interesting one because actually it's used as a Worsted and a DK.

Yeah. This one kind of sits in the middle. Yeah, it kind of plays both, for both teams. Yeah. It's a gay yarn. Yeah. Um, and we love it. But our more light... Is more of a true... Is a more true DK. This also, because it's woolenspun, looks very thin, but it blooms because it's a woolenspun. Yep. Whereas actually if we look at... Do we have a... I have some in here. Oh yeah, that's Beacons? Yep. So this is Garthenor Beacons, which is a DK.

Um, and if we put like those two strands next to each other... This is going to get messy here in a second. That's all right. Cats aren't in here. Yeah, um, because I've got to put my hand behind it and it won't focus. This looks... The orange yarn looks way thinner than this. But that's the difference between a Worsted spun and a woolenspun, even though these are definitely both true DK weight yarns. I think Beacons is a very true DK. Yeah, definitely. And also we tend to shorten it to DK.

We mean double knitting. Yep, which a lot of British people will say the full thing. And in the US we tend to shorten it to DK. Yeah. Because we're cool like that, you know. Keeping it hip. We're lazy. Efficient. So then we have... Sportweight. Sportweight. So spin cycle dyed-in-the-wool is a sportweight. A lot of people in Britain actually don't know what a sportweight is. And it's not a traditionally British term.

What we do tend to find here is that if you change it to five-ply, then that makes sense. But actually five-ply... That's Australian. Yeah, it's like... And it's also too like... Typically the older generation over here knows five -ply, but they actually... There was like a period where five-ply just didn't exist around here. So sport, five-ply, that's what this is. And sometimes this looks like...

So dyed-in-the-wool is also one that you can use sometimes as a fingering weight instead of a sportweight. The spin cycles aren't the best example of standard gauge, I would say. But they're what we have. Yep. And like Walcott Yarn's Opus is a sportweight that we love. It's a really nice weight for baby garments because it's not too thin, not too thick. It's nice in between. It's nice in between, yeah, definitely. So then under that we have four-ply. Four-ply. Or fingering.

I don't know where the word fingering comes from. That's very North American. Yeah. Or sock. Yes. So sock yarn, fingering, and four-ply yarn are all synonyms. Yeah. But the thing is that it's interesting because some people will come in and they'll be like, oh, I need a sock yarn. And then I'll show them the sock yarn and they're like, oh, but I want thicker socks. I'm like, okay, so you want to make socks, but in a thicker yarn.

Yes. Well, it's also when people come in and they say I want a baby yarn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All of this could be for babies. Let's define. How fancy is your baby? Yeah, let's define what you mean by baby yarn. Yeah. And usually it's like a shape. Yes, it's usually a shape. It could literally be like any fiber content. That is so true. That happens quite a lot.

There is clearly, there was, or maybe it still exists in like more commercial yarn, something called like baby yarn that people are thinking of. We don't know what that is. Personally, but we'll help you find a yarn for a baby. Yep. Right. So 4ply sock fingering is very versatile. This comes in all sorts of colors, shapes and whatnot. And that's a variegated one.

Yeah. So we've got knitting for all of Merino at the top, Exmer sock from John Urban there in the middle, and then Ritual Dyes sock there at the bottom. Maiden. Yeah. So yeah, these should all knit to the same gauge. Yeah, exactly. And like, that's the important thing that we're talking about with weight is like, it's about the like the thickness of the strand, but then it's about like what needles you're going to use with it.

So you can use like, this is what I tell people all the time, you can use like whatever needles you want on any yarn. Yes, you can. But you'll get really weird fabrics. Yeah. So like I've got origin on an 8mm here. That's not what's the recommended on the, that's not the gauge we typically do for a worsted weight. But that doesn't mean I wasn't like allowed to do it. And it clearly works. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

And so like when Carmen says like, these all knit up to the same gauge, it's because like they're the same thickness of strand. So on the same needle size, they'll all be like, you should be getting like 26 or whatever it is. Yeah. 24, 26 probably. 30 stitches on the next one. I'm not very good with my stitches per inch. And then... That's not how I keep things in my head. This one doesn't even say. 28. Yeah. So I think it's like 28 to 30.

Yeah. But also too, what some people mean by sock yarn is that it has nylon in it. Yeah. So this is an 80-20 nylon or so merino nylon yarn. So sometimes when people come in, it's not about the weight. It's about the content. Yeah. So a lot of what we're doing in the shop is trying to figure out what you mean by certain words. Because you'd think that the vocabulary is the same, but it is not. And like, this is definitely sock yarn. It has no nylon in it.

Yep. So this is like a harder wearing fiber in here that doesn't need nylon. Yeah, like merino does. Yeah, because merino is too soft. It'll just... Yeah, it's not as hard wearing. So when you go into a yarn shop, be as specific as possible about what you actually want to do with the yarn. That's like way more helpful to us than you knowing the terminology for it. Yeah, we'll figure that out. Yeah, we'll figure that out. That's actually not important.

But if you say, I want to make hiking socks that I put in my boots, then we'll be like, this one, please and thank you. If you want like luxury socks, these ones. Yes. Or like socks, everyday socks, like, you know, socks that you're going to just wear like around the house or, you know, you nip out to some errands or, you know, on a day in Rhinebeck or something. I mean, you could also make socks out of this, like slipper socks. Yep. So, I mean, you can make anything out of anything.

Do you have any laceweights? Yep. I've got two laceweights here. Is this a laceweight? That is a laceweight. So there's a thing called light fingering slash three ply. That was a very popular British yarn. So you get a lot of vintage British knitting patterns. This is technically a three ply, I think. So you don't get a lot of that anymore. Should be pebbles. Oh, nice. Well, that does still exist now, but it's different. It's different. It's like one of my favorite yarns ever.

Um, so this is Trio by Isager. And you can see, you know, the strand is very thin. This is also a vegetable yarn. Not vegetable. Non, a vegan. A non-animal fiber. A vegan yarn? I don't really like that word. It has a name that is not coming into my head at the moment. Plant-based. Plant. That's not it either. But it is. It's flax, cotton, and bamboo. And then there is lace weight, which this is a silk mohair. Lace weight. Lace weight, which looks different from a non -silk mohair lace weight.

I don't think I do have it. Yeah, I don't really have any of that in my stash because it's not something I knit with. I have some alpaca one, but I was going to hold it with a mohair. I think I have some alpaca one as well, but it's downstairs. So this would be like a two-ply, and then that goes down to a cobweb. Yeah, which we do not have. We do not have cobweb yarn. But it's what you would make a wedding shawl in. Yeah. Slip through the ring. Yep. Are you still making one of those?

I don't know. Oh, we'll see. Okay. If I do, it'll probably be like two weeks before the wedding. And then it'll be a chunky one. It will not fit through the wedding ring. Yeah, I would like to. I would like to. We'll see what the spring brings us in all my crazy plans. Yeah, well, you have a lot going on next year. Yeah, yeah. I've been really into reading again, too. I mean, I've always been into reading, but I'm reading on my Kindle.

And so I feel like I have to choose between knitting or reading, which is annoying. So I think I need to get more into audiobooks again. But I was reading these fairy fantasy books. Probably some of you know them. The Court of Thorns and Roses series. And they've got some really spicy scenes to them. And I was like, I can't be in the supermarket and it being like... And then it's just graphic sex details. And I'm just checking out my milk or something. I was like, I can't do that.

So I have to read this one. What is your window there? There is a big orange thing. We passed the window over there. It's very windy today. It's very windy, yes. So yeah. So that's why I'm not listening to audiobooks right now. There's actual plots. These books, they're not just like sexy books. It's okay what they are. But there is some like actual plot. That's why I keep reading them. Well, and that also rounds up our yarn weights. Yeah. We hope that's helpful.

Yes. Well, I think that is a good note to end on. I think this is the last episode before Christmas. Yep. And then we'll be back in the new year with fun things. Yep. And more surprises. That we don't even know about yet. Yep. We won't get surprises though. So yeah. Thank you so much for joining us. Don't forget to like and subscribe and share us with your friends and see you next time. Yeah. See you next time.