Helpful Tips for Substituting Yarns

It seems like a lot of people are looking to use more of their yarn stashes this year, which often means using a yarn other than the one called for in a pattern.

Substituting yarns is not always as easy as just choosing another yarn with the same gauge. You need a yarn with a similar look and feel, and that you like the look of in the stitch pattern for the project, among other things.

Jillian Moreno has a great article on the Mason-Dixon Knitting website all about considerations for substituting yarns. It has lots of great pictures of swatches that technically meet the requirements for gauge but end up with a knit fabric that looks really different.

This is such good information to read through and think about when you’re choosing yarn for different projects.

[Photo: Jillian Moreno via Mason-Dixon Knitting.]

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One of the hardest things about winter for me is the lack of color. It’s like the whole world ran out of toner, and often our clothes reflect the muted landscape outside, which just makes everything more drab.

This year I’m trying to use and wear all the fun colors of yarn I have in my stash, and I think the Minas Sweater from Cecilia Lalanne & Gabriella Calderini for Manos del Uruguay would be a great way to use a lot of colorful yarn on a sweet sweater.

This cropped sweater uses 1×1 stranded colorwork where the colors change as you work the pattern, which makes it look more complex than it is. The project calls for five colors of worsted weight yarn, but you could probably even use more (or use a multicolored yarn as one or some of your options) to bring even more color to the party.

It’s a simple drop shoulder crewneck with straight sleeves, so pretty much all you have to focus on is changing your colors when you need to.

There are seven size options in the pattern, ranging from a bust circumference (on the sweater, not the wearer) from 42.75 to 69.25 inches, or 108.5 to 176 cm. It’s intended to be worn with around 8 inches or 20 cm of positive ease for a casual, oversized look.

You can go bold with the color choices like the sample shown here, or pick a couple of more neutral colors to combine with some brighter shades if that’s more your style. Either way this project should be as easy to knit as it is fun to wear. And of course those bright colors make me think a teenager in your life might love it, but of course there’s no rule that says you have to stop wearing fun colors at a certain age. Thank goodness.

The pattern is free to download from Ravelry and is available in both English and Spanish.

[Photo: Cecilia Lalanne & Gabriella Calderini]

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