Tag: knitting
Do I need to check my tension?
Tension/Gauge….why it’s important to check it
Ask any knitter “do you check your gauge before starting a project” and a large number of them will say no. They’ve been knitting for years, their tension hasn’t changed etc. Yet we’re told on every pattern to check your tension before starting. Why?
If you’re making a garment, the last thing you want is for it to turn out too big or too small when you’ve put weeks (or even months) of work into it. Nightmare! Of course when we arrive home with the yarn to start a new project we want to cast on right away, not waste a couple of hours playing around with swatches and different needle sizes.
Recently a customer finished a child’s cardigan but it turned out much too small for the intended recipient. She thought there was a problem with the pattern but a quick calculation of the suggested tension and the number of stitches required showed that the pattern didn’t seem to be the problem. I asked her to go away and knit up two tension squares with two different needles sizes and we’d take a look at them. The photo below will show you the difference in size of the two swatches, one knit with a 4,5mm needle and the other with a 5mm. That’s 0.5mm in the difference but you can see how the two swatches turned out different sizes. Not a massive difference but that was over 30 stitches, so when you multiply that out across the actual number of stitches in your garment, that makes for a big difference.
But what if you have been knitting for years and everything turns out ok normally, why should you now start checking your tension. How would it suddenly make a difference?
Here’s just a few reasons why your tension can vary:
Time of day. Yes seriously. If you’re tired, if you’re watching TV at the same time, relaxed or concentrating hard on the piece you’re working on.
Needles – are you using a new pair of knitting needles? Maybe you’ve always used metal or aluminium needles but have used the same size in Bamboo this time, or you’re more used to straight needles but are using circulars this time. The size of the needle hasn’t changed but the material in the needle feels different in your hands and can affect the way you’re knitting. Some years ago I was commissioned to crochet two identical tops from a drawing by a designer. I designed the pattern and wrote detailed notes as I made the first top. About 4 inches into the second one, I realised it was turning out much smaller that the first one. I rechecked my notes, checked them against the first completed top and then checked the one I was working on again. Everything was correct but still there was a difference in size. After tearing my hair out for quite a while I discovered that I had two 3mm crochet hooks, both looked similar, but were giving me a completely different tension. Lesson learned, always take note of the needles or hook you’re using for a project, especially if you’re going to leave it aside for a while.
Yarn – if ever you use a different brand of yarn than the recommended one for your pattern, you need to check your tension. Different brands vary, different yarn qualities vary (cotton v acrylic for example).
Convinced? Great, if not, try it before your next project and see what happens.
Ending on a wrong side row
Ending on a wrong side row
What does it mean when you see the words “ending on a wrong side (ws) row? This often confuses knitters. Does it mean I’m about to start a wrong or right side row next?
When your pattern tells you to end on a wrong side row it means that the last row you knit is the one on the wrong side (hidden side) of your project. So if you are knitting in stocking stitch (stockinette) the last row you work is a purl row so that you are ready to knit the next row. In other words the last row you work is on the bumpy side or the inside of your project, ready to work the right side (rs) or outside next.
What happens though if you are working in garter stitch? So every row is knit. How will you know if you’ve ended on the wrong side? Often your pattern will tell you at the start which row is the right side (rs) at the start. If it doesn’t you can decide yourself because both sides are the same. To identify which is the right or wrong side in garter stitch, use a stitch marker or a piece of a different coloured yarn tied to one side to guide you. Of course if you are doing this, make sure to take a note of which side you’ve put the marker!
How does this all translate to crochet? Again your pattern may tell you which side is which but if not you can once again use a marker as a guide when you start your project. Some crochet stitches just look nicer on one side than the other so pick which side looks best to be the right side of your work.
Our online knitting and crochet classes
Online knitting and crochet classes
For quite some time we’ve been preparing to launch online knitting and crochet classes to handle the demand for our in store classes. What happened this year was the catalyst for us to get moving quickly. 2020 has really been a tough year for anyone in business. Overnight we had to close down, then try to operate within various restrictions as they were announced. For us in Loza Wool, while our shop is a large part of our business, our knitting and crochet classes were really hit hard.
Prior to March this year we ran at least 8 different classes every week. Restrictions to the number of people in store at any one time and the need for social distancing meant we could no longer have 6 people round a table together. At the same time we found that with so many people either working from home or sadly loosing their jobs and looking for something to fill their time, more people were turning to crafts. The demand for classes became bigger than ever.
So like every business we had to learn how to do things differently. Luckily we had already been in the process of adding classes online rather than in store so were all set and ready to go. Over the past few months we have been running beginners classes in both knitting and crochet and are continuing to add classes at all levels over the next few weeks and months. So far it’s worked out really well and is particularly suited to someone who can’t normally commit to a specific time or day, or who lives too far away to travel to us.
What makes our online classes different from watching a video online? Our classes are live so you have access to a teacher as you work and can ask all the questions you like. You have someone who can look at your work and tell you what your mistake is and how you can fix it. Our teachers have many years of teaching experience and can guide you through your project at your pace.
If you are interested in learning a new skill or maybe taking it to the next level keep an eye on our classes page for details.
How much wool do I need?
How much wool do I need to buy?
This is a common question and leads to many debates in the shop. Have you ever run out of yarn for your project or ended up with loads left over? Why? Let’s look at how much wool you need for your project and how to be sure you don’t run out.
You have been using the same baby cardigan pattern for years and you always make it from one 100g ball of double knitting yarn. So obviously any 100g ball of double knitting will give the same result, or two 50g balls even….right? Maybe not.
Imagine you unrolled a ball of yarn and laid it out straight on the floor, then measured the length of it. The measurement you get is the yardage/meterage of the yarn and will be shown on the ball band. So surely if both balls are 100g they’ll measure the same length. Not always.
Yarn can be made from a variety of different materials – wool, cotton, bamboo, acrylic or a mixture of two or more materials. Each of these different materials weigh differently, therefore a 100g ball of 100% wool is probably going to measure shorter than 100g of acrylic because wool is heavier than acrylic.
Let’s look at an example:
The image on the left is the label from a 100g ball of double knitting yarn, made from 100% acrylic as shown. The one on the left is a 50g ball of double knitting yarn, made from a mix of wool, cashmere and acrylic. So will two balls of the 50g yarn be the same as one ball of the 100g? Let’s look at the yardage (length)…the 100g ball has 295 metres in a ball whereas the 50g ball has 125 metres in a ball, two balls (100g) therefore will give us only 250 metres in length, leaving us short 45 metres. Now is it starting to make sense?
It is all a bit baffling but the most important thing to remember when buying yarn is to look at the yardage required rather than the weight. Still confused? That’s what we are there for. You may have seen us in the past comparing ball bands and getting the calculator out. Or maybe we have advised you that the pattern that requires one 100g ball will need three balls of the 50g yarn you’ve chosen and in your head you’ve probably thought we were mad!!! Always ask your yarn shop to calculate the amount of yarn you need and if you follow these tips you’ll hopefully never run short for a project again.
Wool Shop Clondalkin
Wool Shop in Clondalkin 
Loza Wool, a Wool Shop in Clondalkin has been operating since April 2010. In case you haven’t visited us recently, we are no longer in the Monastery SC. We are planning on re-opening very soon in Clondalkin. Watch this space for more details or keep up to date with all our latest news on our Facebook page.
Shop online at our wool shop in Clondalkin
Our stock is still available online here on our website or alternatively give us a call on 086 3294558 or drop us an email info@lozawool.ie and we’ll send on your order. If you’re living in the Clondalkin area we’ll even deliver it to your door at no extra charge.