So many gems packed into this video! I have a better understanding of the outcomes from past projects. Next challenge: testing predictions on new projects 🤩
Wow! I've been knitting for years and never paid attention although I've seen the differences you've pointed out in this video. This video was so informative and interesting, and I know so much more now. I will definitely be looking at and noticing yarn differently, in the future. Thanks.
I’m sorry to say that up until very recently COLOR was the most important factor for me when choosing a yarn. It’s amazing my projects turned out! So happy now to be learning the consequences with the various yarn differences. Thanks!
Many yarns are very similar to each other, and/or behave similarly enough that they are interchangeable for a given project. When you do end up with something you didn't expect, it's useful to understand how the combination of the yarn, stitch pattern, project, firmness/looseness of the gauge all contribute to the outcome of the project.
You are brilliant Roxanne! On Friday I received my order from Belfast Mini-Mills, based on a previous Zply discussion you had. I'm very pleased with my purchase and Troy is just awesome! Being Canadian, I was excited to hear about them being in PEI. I am a relatively new knitter who recently picked up my needles after a 15 yr hiatus. Looking to expand my skills and your videos are my go-to. Thank you for all you do.
Wow this video is EXACTLY what I needed...I am picking up my new spinning wheel today and knew about S and Z twist yarn but no one told me how they related to the letters so I had to just remember the s went left and z to the right...now I see WHY they chose to call them S and Z..seems a simple thing but it helped me. Also I couldn't figure out why my sock yarn didn't have the defined V now I look at my yarn with new eyes....OMG I have SOOO much to learn... I will definitely be watching all these about yarn in addition to your sock videos...I hope my 60+ brain can absorb all this ! Thanks dear so very much for all your information and willingness to teach!
that note about crochet was really interesting. I'm left handed and I crochet left handed. the standard s ply yarn has always been really behaved and balanced for me. in the past I've tried crocheting right handed, just to see if I could, and I was always confused about why the yarn wasn't behaving right but now I know
So much more to knitting than the casual observer sees. Guess that is true of most hobbies, right? Roxanne, have you done a video on yarn pilling - which yarns do and which yarns don't? If some yarns don't pill why would someone choose one that does? Very interested in knowing this info before choosing yarn for my next sweater. Thanks so much. You are my favorite instructor by far.
Every yarn has advantages and disadvantages, and a yarn that pills in one situation can be knit so that it doesn't pill (or doesn't pill as much) in another situation. A yarn that is naturally resistant to pilling may have disadvantages that causes a knitter to not want to use it (not as soft and not as warm).
Thank you for this very interesting and informative video. I would love to learn more about yarn and characteristics to consider when choosing yarn for a project.
Oh ooohh, light bulb! That explains a lot about the behaviors of yarns, when I didn’t know the significance of how they were constructed and intended. Thanks, Roxanne. Now, I will look at yarn differently, especially for special projects. Keep up with the great explanations!
I am learning so much from you. Every video is like a mini master class. I especially like casual Fridays but am gravitating towards technique and theory these days.
I love learning the "science" of my art supplies. Thank you for your great research and explanations. I'd like to see you discuss acrylic yarns and why they get "splitty."
This is very interesting and especially so because of Suzanne Bryan’s experiment as to the behaviour of wool and superwash when washed. You were comparing blocked and unblocked which’s what has made me think about Suzanne. I have some socks which have shrunk more than others all superwash but i am wondering if it’s to do with the twist as well as the method of treating the yarn ie coating the fibres or removing them. However I am sure there are many variables but think that you and Suzanne are amazing and having seen your previous joint videos, I think it would be an interesting topic for discussion. Thank you for your thoughtful videos, they are so helpful.
This is a great video. I offered to knit a sweater for a friend. My knitting looked awful. I ripped out and started over. Still looked awful. It was so unsettling that I swatched with several yarns to confirm it wasn’t me. I researched and came to understand it was the way it was plied. Your TT video today explains this so clearly. Thank you.
@@patportran4683 I had swatched. Met gauge but the fabric was terrible. She thought it was okay. I couldn’t give it to her that way. It shook my knitting confidence. Once I determined it was the yarn we agreed to try a different sweater with my choice of yarn. Happy ending.
Thank you so much! I agree with others, among your many great videos, this one is a stand out! Your comments near the end about knitting with Z-twist yarns have cleared up a long-standing puzzle for me. As a left handed, throwing, Western mount, mirror knitter I seem to have more problems with split stitches than my right handed friends. I have long had a hunch that this was because of the way I wrap the yarn & subtract twist, but was not 100% sure whether that was the case, nor whether changing to Continental style would help. Now you have confirmed my hunch, but also taught me that we are ALL either adding or subtracting twist, it's not just me! And that my changing to Continental would make no difference. I think you are also telling me that if I changed to Eastern mount/opposite direction of wrap (as a leftie I normally wrap clockwise) WOULD help. Now I just have to decide whether it's worth the effort that would take. I'm still struggling with teaching myself Continental - I'm a fast knitter and the frustration factor of starting over is a big deterrent! Thanks again.
WOW - that was just fantastic. This is the first time I've understood S and Z twist. I'm still thinking about that twine knitting and why one would want to do that (I'll have to look at your further references). I don't think there's anything you don't know about knitting. And you are a natural teacher especially for those of us who are visual learners. Thank you.
With twined/two-end knitting, because you're alternating between the two yarns, you create a double layer of fabric, which is warmer and more wind resistant. Stranded colorwork creates two layers, as well. Cables use more yarn because the cable crossings narrow the fabric, requiring more sts to create the same width as stockinette. These techniques all serve to create warmer fabrics.
Thank you for this video! It explained to me why knitting with crochet cotton yarn looks different than normal cotton yarn. It also explains why I prefer a cordonette yarn to most other yarns. The chained yarns don't get a twisted & tangled when I knit, crochet, or tat with them.
Hi Roxanne thank you kindly for another very helpful video. Enjoyed learning first hand the visual difference between woolen and worsted and Z and S plies. I am currently knitting with Lettlopi which appears to be a woolen spun Z-ply yarn. Thank you!
I did a video on Chain and Blown yarns a while back. It's in the Yarn playlist I referenced at the end of the video. You can also access my playlists from my channel page.
I'm wondering how a knitter can identify if a yarn is worsted spun vs. woolen spun? Is that visible in the way S and Z twist are? Are there ways to make an intelligent guess? I don't think I've ever seen it listed on ball bands. I checked a few yarn company websites and a couple noted worsted spun vs. woolen spun, but others didn't. I noticed that Ravelry has this as an attribute option for yarns, but again, many don't indicate one way or the other. For a couple yarns I checked, Ravelry lists worsted spun/woolen spun, but the yarn company website doesn't (Cascade 220, Blue Sky Fiber Woolstok). Many, many thanks for your videos and all the work you put into developing and making them and then, responding to our comments/questions. P.S. Also, thanks much for the link to the McGill presentation about knitting and medieval manuscripts. I forwarded it to our local guild and there was lots of interest/participation.
There are several resources listed in the video description for determining a yarn construction, including a website devoted to that information, and an interview I did in one of my Casual Friday videos with the woman who runs that website. Once you *know* how a yarn is constructed, it becomes easier to make an educated guess about another yarn, and then check the resources available.
This explains so much! Thank you for a very helpful and interesting video. Are the two playlists you mention at the end supposed to pop up in the video? They do not show up on my ipad using the app. I will check on my laptop.
How does all of this apply to left-handed knitters and crocheters? Left-handed knitting is like looking at a mirror image of right-handed knitting. Western left-handed knitting wraps the yarn clockwise - so an s-plied yarn behaves like a z-plied yarn and vice-versa?
Thanks so much Roxanne, this is illuminating and so so interesting. If I had a wollen yarn z plied, would it be better to knit western style to avoid untwist and braking the yarn while knitting ?
If the yarn is breaking while you knit, that may be due more to a tension issue than an issue with twist direction. Just knit the way you would, normally!
@@patportran4683 I just wish I knew all that before buying a sweater quantity. The yarn was breaking even during making a cake from the skein, imagine when I was cabling or doing a M1R !!! I know we can felt the ends easily, but it is quite difficult to knit. I had to be so careful, couldn't use any tension at all. It was a nightmare to knit and my daughter who received the sweater says she feels it is quite fragile, she is so careful just putting it on. I already had to mend it a few times. I have become very suspicious of woolen spun yarn even if I love the end fabric that is so light and warm. Might try a semi woolen yarn but just for a small project. Whne I want a light sweater now, I use blown yarn. But I still would love to be able to knit woolen spun yarn without braking it. Is there a trick ? I usually knit quite loosely. It was my ERI project : www.ravelry.com/projects/nicolelafontaine/eri I made many notes.
very information this helps alot. when you were talking about the different knitting I have and off the topic question when I cast on by the time I get to the 8th -10th stick it is so tight I cant get the needle in to make another stitch, I repeated again with start out with huge loops and every size in between on the cast on and still it get so tight by the 8-10th stich do you know why this happens?
Without seeing a photo of your stitches before and after you knit them, I can't say, other than you might be twisting your stitches as you knit them. You can always post your question in my Ravelry group (there's a link in the description box), along with photos.
What color yarn did you use in the worsted spun color work sample? There is a sweater pattern I am considering (it's a Harry Potter pattern, hippogriff inspired) and these two color would look super together. I'm learning so much with these technique Tuesdays...thank you!
Those were knit several years ago using Plymouth Galway, for an article I wrote for Interweave. I don't remember what the colorways were (they sent me the yarn)
@@patportran4683 Sadly, I am an idiot when it comes to color coordinating and have to have hubby make sure I 'match' before leaving for work. I could perhaps attempt to try it for fun (I had heard about the kool aid method), but because of a vision issue, I have trouble distinguishing hues and intensities. There are so many others who seem to have a gift for dying and the entire process boggles my mind. I'm happy to purchase my yarn from these indie dyers.
@@karenstewart8818 I hear you when it comes to having trouble distinguishing colors. I'm slightly colorblind, so I'm not always confident that what I think matches actually does. I looked through my email correspondence with Interweave to see if I could figure out what the colors were. They are #205 Glacier Gray and #203 Charcoal. I don't see 203 on their website (perhaps it's been discontinued), but maybe there is another darker gray that would work, or maybe there's a vendor who still has some in stock. Good luck!
Very interesting. I'm a new knitter so I'm not positive but I think this just explained why my working yarn is getting twisted. I'm using an S plied yarn. (Hobby Lobby Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek). I did cake This skein with my ball winder so could that be the reason instead? This yarn is also labelled as "low pill" so does this mean the S ply is also the reason why it might pill less than some others?
If the yarn is twisting between the ball and your hands, that's for other reasons. I did a video on why yarn twists like that and what you can do about it czcams.com/video/-lgXdWfa5-M/video.html
So many gems packed into this video! I have a better understanding of the outcomes from past projects. Next challenge: testing predictions on new projects 🤩
thank you. you are such a wonderful teacher. this answered questions I didn't even know I had lol
From a baby crocheter: thank you so much. Yarn has been the hardest part of learning!
Wow! I've been knitting for years and never paid attention although I've seen the differences you've pointed out in this video. This video was so informative and interesting, and I know so much more now. I will definitely be looking at and noticing yarn differently, in the future. Thanks.
Wonderful!
I bought some vintage handspun on ebay and this video hs been so helpful in understanding the qualities of it, many thanks, Rox!
This explains a whole sweater I just finished!
I’m sorry to say that up until very recently COLOR was the most important factor for me when choosing a yarn. It’s amazing my projects turned out! So happy now to be learning the consequences with the various yarn differences. Thanks!
Many yarns are very similar to each other, and/or behave similarly enough that they are interchangeable for a given project. When you do end up with something you didn't expect, it's useful to understand how the combination of the yarn, stitch pattern, project, firmness/looseness of the gauge all contribute to the outcome of the project.
You are brilliant Roxanne! On Friday I received my order from Belfast Mini-Mills, based on a previous Zply discussion you had. I'm very pleased with my purchase and Troy is just awesome! Being Canadian, I was excited to hear about them being in PEI. I am a relatively new knitter who recently picked up my needles after a 15 yr hiatus. Looking to expand my skills and your videos are my go-to. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, I love listening to your explanations! I have learn so much from you! 🥰
This video is so great. I’m going to watch it again. It explains so much. Really makes sense. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Rox one of your very best videos. Love the detailed knowledge I've learnt. Soooo interesting. Thanks. 🤩🤩
Wow this video is EXACTLY what I needed...I am picking up my new spinning wheel today and knew about S and Z twist yarn but no one told me how they related to the letters so I had to just remember the s went left and z to the right...now I see WHY they chose to call them S and Z..seems a simple thing but it helped me. Also I couldn't figure out why my sock yarn didn't have the defined V now I look at my yarn with new eyes....OMG I have SOOO much to learn... I will definitely be watching all these about yarn in addition to your sock videos...I hope my 60+ brain can absorb all this ! Thanks dear so very much for all your information and willingness to teach!
that note about crochet was really interesting. I'm left handed and I crochet left handed. the standard s ply yarn has always been really behaved and balanced for me. in the past I've tried crocheting right handed, just to see if I could, and I was always confused about why the yarn wasn't behaving right but now I know
Always wondered what made a yarn a crepe. Thankyou for your orderly explanation, very helpful and interesting.
Glad it was helpful!
So much more to knitting than the casual observer sees. Guess that is true of most hobbies, right? Roxanne, have you done a video on yarn pilling - which yarns do and which yarns don't? If some yarns don't pill why would someone choose one that does? Very interested in knowing this info before choosing yarn for my next sweater. Thanks so much. You are my favorite instructor by far.
Every yarn has advantages and disadvantages, and a yarn that pills in one situation can be knit so that it doesn't pill (or doesn't pill as much) in another situation. A yarn that is naturally resistant to pilling may have disadvantages that causes a knitter to not want to use it (not as soft and not as warm).
Thank you for this very interesting and informative video. I would love to learn more about yarn and characteristics to consider when choosing yarn for a project.
Oh ooohh, light bulb! That explains a lot about the behaviors of yarns, when I didn’t know the significance of how they were constructed and intended. Thanks, Roxanne.
Now, I will look at yarn differently, especially for special projects. Keep up with the great explanations!
This was a wonderful and informative video, thanks so much.
Thank you for this very informative video! This is the info I've been waiting for, since I recently started spinning yarn.
You are so welcome!
That was so interesting. I used to think yarn was yarn just different thicknesses. Thank you.
I am learning so much from you. Every video is like a mini master class. I especially like casual Fridays but am gravitating towards technique and theory these days.
I'm so glad!
I love learning the "science" of my art supplies. Thank you for your great research and explanations. I'd like to see you discuss acrylic yarns and why they get "splitty."
Thankyou Roxanne . Stunning information xxP nz
This was great! Just wonder why this does not have more views?!
This was amazing information. Thank you so much!
This is very interesting and especially so because of Suzanne Bryan’s experiment as to the behaviour of wool and superwash when washed. You were comparing blocked and unblocked which’s what has made me think about Suzanne. I have some socks which have shrunk more than others all superwash but i am wondering if it’s to do with the twist as well as the method of treating the yarn ie coating the fibres or removing them. However I am sure there are many variables but think that you and Suzanne are amazing and having seen your previous joint videos, I think it would be an interesting topic for discussion. Thank you for your thoughtful videos, they are so helpful.
That was fascinating, thank you!
This is a great video. I offered to knit a sweater for a friend. My knitting looked awful. I ripped out and started over. Still looked awful. It was so unsettling that I swatched with several yarns to confirm it wasn’t me. I researched and came to understand it was the way it was plied. Your TT video today explains this so clearly. Thank you.
@@patportran4683 I had swatched. Met gauge but the fabric was terrible. She thought it was okay. I couldn’t give it to her that way. It shook my knitting confidence. Once I determined it was the yarn we agreed to try a different sweater with my choice of yarn. Happy ending.
Thank you so much! I agree with others, among your many great videos, this one is a stand out!
Your comments near the end about knitting with Z-twist yarns have cleared up a long-standing puzzle for me. As a left handed, throwing, Western mount, mirror knitter I seem to have more problems with split stitches than my right handed friends. I have long had a hunch that this was because of the way I wrap the yarn & subtract twist, but was not 100% sure whether that was the case, nor whether changing to Continental style would help. Now you have confirmed my hunch, but also taught me that we are ALL either adding or subtracting twist, it's not just me! And that my changing to Continental would make no difference. I think you are also telling me that if I changed to Eastern mount/opposite direction of wrap (as a leftie I normally wrap clockwise) WOULD help. Now I just have to decide whether it's worth the effort that would take. I'm still struggling with teaching myself Continental - I'm a fast knitter and the frustration factor of starting over is a big deterrent!
Thanks again.
WOW - that was just fantastic. This is the first time I've understood S and Z twist. I'm still thinking about that twine knitting and why one would want to do that (I'll have to look at your further references). I don't think there's anything you don't know about knitting. And you are a natural teacher especially for those of us who are visual learners. Thank you.
With twined/two-end knitting, because you're alternating between the two yarns, you create a double layer of fabric, which is warmer and more wind resistant. Stranded colorwork creates two layers, as well. Cables use more yarn because the cable crossings narrow the fabric, requiring more sts to create the same width as stockinette. These techniques all serve to create warmer fabrics.
Thank you for this video! It explained to me why knitting with crochet cotton yarn looks different than normal cotton yarn. It also explains why I prefer a cordonette yarn to most other yarns. The chained yarns don't get a twisted & tangled when I knit, crochet, or tat with them.
Thank you so much! I've been frustrated over stitch definition. I love seeing my stitches and now I know exactly what yarn to buy.
Thank you
Thank you for your help I now know which plied yarn I want to use for my next project and that the sweater will meet my needs!👍👍👍👍👍🖖🖖🖖🖖🖖🤔🎇🎆🌠🤔🙋🏼♀️
Good luck!
Hi Roxanne thank you kindly for another very helpful video. Enjoyed learning first hand the visual difference between woolen and worsted and Z and S plies. I am currently knitting with Lettlopi which appears to be a woolen spun Z-ply yarn. Thank you!
I loved working with Lettlopi. I'll have to go look at the plies now you mentioned it!
Absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much
You are very welcome
I would like to see something about chainette and flat braided yarn how it looks in a pattern and ease of use please
I did a video on Chain and Blown yarns a while back. It's in the Yarn playlist I referenced at the end of the video. You can also access my playlists from my channel page.
I'm wondering how a knitter can identify if a yarn is worsted spun vs. woolen spun? Is that visible in the way S and Z twist are? Are there ways to make an intelligent guess? I don't think I've ever seen it listed on ball bands. I checked a few yarn company websites and a couple noted worsted spun vs. woolen spun, but others didn't. I noticed that Ravelry has this as an attribute option for yarns, but again, many don't indicate one way or the other. For a couple yarns I checked, Ravelry lists worsted spun/woolen spun, but the yarn company website doesn't (Cascade 220, Blue Sky Fiber Woolstok).
Many, many thanks for your videos and all the work you put into developing and making them and then, responding to our comments/questions.
P.S. Also, thanks much for the link to the McGill presentation about knitting and medieval manuscripts. I forwarded it to our local guild and there was lots of interest/participation.
There are several resources listed in the video description for determining a yarn construction, including a website devoted to that information, and an interview I did in one of my Casual Friday videos with the woman who runs that website. Once you *know* how a yarn is constructed, it becomes easier to make an educated guess about another yarn, and then check the resources available.
This explains so much! Thank you for a very helpful and interesting video. Are the two playlists you mention at the end supposed to pop up in the video? They do not show up on my ipad using the app. I will check on my laptop.
How does all of this apply to left-handed knitters and crocheters? Left-handed knitting is like looking at a mirror image of right-handed knitting. Western left-handed knitting wraps the yarn clockwise - so an s-plied yarn behaves like a z-plied yarn and vice-versa?
It sounds like you already know how to answer the question, and can prove/disprove your hypothesis via swatching. :-)
Thanks so much Roxanne, this is illuminating and so so interesting. If I had a wollen yarn z plied, would it be better to knit western style to avoid untwist and braking the yarn while knitting ?
If the yarn is breaking while you knit, that may be due more to a tension issue than an issue with twist direction. Just knit the way you would, normally!
@@patportran4683 I just wish I knew all that before buying a sweater quantity. The yarn was breaking even during making a cake from the skein, imagine when I was cabling or doing a M1R !!! I know we can felt the ends easily, but it is quite difficult to knit. I had to be so careful, couldn't use any tension at all. It was a nightmare to knit and my daughter who received the sweater says she feels it is quite fragile, she is so careful just putting it on. I already had to mend it a few times. I have become very suspicious of woolen spun yarn even if I love the end fabric that is so light and warm. Might try a semi woolen yarn but just for a small project. Whne I want a light sweater now, I use blown yarn. But I still would love to be able to knit woolen spun yarn without braking it. Is there a trick ? I usually knit quite loosely.
It was my ERI project : www.ravelry.com/projects/nicolelafontaine/eri I made many notes.
very information this helps alot. when you were talking about the different knitting I have and off the topic question when I cast on by the time I get to the 8th -10th stick it is so tight I cant get the needle in to make another stitch, I repeated again with start out with huge loops and every size in between on the cast on and still it get so tight by the 8-10th stich do you know why this happens?
Without seeing a photo of your stitches before and after you knit them, I can't say, other than you might be twisting your stitches as you knit them. You can always post your question in my Ravelry group (there's a link in the description box), along with photos.
What color yarn did you use in the worsted spun color work sample? There is a sweater pattern I am considering (it's a Harry Potter pattern, hippogriff inspired) and these two color would look super together. I'm learning so much with these technique Tuesdays...thank you!
Those were knit several years ago using Plymouth Galway, for an article I wrote for Interweave. I don't remember what the colorways were (they sent me the yarn)
@@RoxanneRichardson I'll check out their website and see if I can find similar colors. Thank you!
@@patportran4683 Sadly, I am an idiot when it comes to color coordinating and have to have hubby make sure I 'match' before leaving for work. I could perhaps attempt to try it for fun (I had heard about the kool aid method), but because of a vision issue, I have trouble distinguishing hues and intensities. There are so many others who seem to have a gift for dying and the entire process boggles my mind. I'm happy to purchase my yarn from these indie dyers.
@@karenstewart8818 I hear you when it comes to having trouble distinguishing colors. I'm slightly colorblind, so I'm not always confident that what I think matches actually does. I looked through my email correspondence with Interweave to see if I could figure out what the colors were. They are #205 Glacier Gray and #203 Charcoal. I don't see 203 on their website (perhaps it's been discontinued), but maybe there is another darker gray that would work, or maybe there's a vendor who still has some in stock. Good luck!
@@RoxanneRichardson You're the best! Thank you so much for taking a moment to look.
Very interesting. I'm a new knitter so I'm not positive but I think this just explained why my working yarn is getting twisted. I'm using an S plied yarn. (Hobby Lobby Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek). I did cake This skein with my ball winder so could that be the reason instead? This yarn is also labelled as "low pill" so does this mean the S ply is also the reason why it might pill less than some others?
If the yarn is twisting between the ball and your hands, that's for other reasons. I did a video on why yarn twists like that and what you can do about it czcams.com/video/-lgXdWfa5-M/video.html
@@RoxanneRichardson yes that's exactly what it's doing. Thank you so much for directing me to the right video. You're the best! 🙏💗