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Is Providing Yarn Substitutions the Designer’s Job?

July 27, 2020 by Sarah White

There’s been a lot of talk in the knitting community on Instagram and elsewhere about how using hand-dyed yarn in projects can feel like it excludes knitters who aren’t able to afford that yarn and suggesting that designers should provide yarn substitution ideas to make their patterns more accessible.

I have a lot of thoughts about this. First, I don’t think I’ve ever used the yarn a pattern called for unless I was using the pattern on the ball band. I have always felt comfortable using whatever yarn I could find that would work for the pattern.

That doesn’t mean that I’m an adventurous knitter — far from it — I just came up at a time when you were at the mercy of the big-box store or the chain craft store or whatever your local yarn shop had if you were lucky enough to have one of those. If you wanted to knit you used the yarn you could find.

I’ve definitely made mistakes, but I’ve learned from them and I know the worst thing that happens when you choose the wrong yarn is that you have to rip out a project (and I’ve had to do that with a whole sweater that didn’t end up fitting, so I know how painful that can be).

I don’t know why knitters wouldn’t feel comfortable doing this. I consider it a pretty basic skill but maybe newer knitters aren’t learning it these days. Maybe knitters are afraid of making mistakes (though, again, it’s only yarn and you can use it for something else if it doesn’t work out) or wasting time on something that doesn’t come out the way they planned.

It would never have occurred to me that it was the designer’s job to suggest alternatives, because how would they know what I had access to? It’s great if a designer happens to know of some different yarns that would work in their pattern but putting the time, effort and expense of finding those yarns onto the designer is just more labor they can’t recoup in the price of the knitting pattern. (The prices of knitting patterns are a whole separate topic.)

What do you think? Do you substitute yarns for projects or tend to go with what the designer recommends? Do you have a story where yarn substitution went wrong? I’d love to hear about it!

And if you need help with the basics of yarn substitution, I wrote a much longer post on the issue over at Our Daily Craft.

 

Next Pattern:

  • How Do You Put Yarn in a Yarn Holder?
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  • Knit a Fun Textured Bag in Self-Striping Yarn
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Comments

  1. Eleanor says

    July 28, 2020 at 8:03 am

    The individual knitter has an opportunity to experiment, challenge, and learn by substituting. That can be considered a gift, even though there is the chance to fail. Often, I learn from my mistakes, perhaps others do, also? And when I do succeed the next time, it is so very good! I’ve made a lot of substitutions, a lot of ripping out (getting rid of certain projects, too. I shudder at my early ones!), but I’m a better knitter as I pay attention to the process and material. It’s a process that can help you become creative, adaptable, less anxious and fearful- growing!

  2. SL says

    July 28, 2020 at 8:58 am

    I don’t think it’s their job. All they need to do is to give gauge (stitch and row, in the stitch pattern(s) used) and the needle size by which they attained the same. The nanny state should not be extended to the knitting world.

  3. Kitra Woodall says

    July 28, 2020 at 9:23 am

    I am a novice knitter- but in other realms of crafting, like counted cross stitch- I substitute all the time (between colors, brands, fabric counts) and I expect a slightly different result from the example that the designer displays.
    I agree that suggesting an alternative would be difficult- there are SO many options now, and what I have access to might vary to what a knitter in the UK has access to. The substitutions list could be longer than the pattern!

  4. Edith says

    July 28, 2020 at 10:36 am

    I have to admit that I rarely use the yarn recommended in a pattern. I love to buy yarn (don’t we all?) so I look for a pattern to fit the yarn I have. Or if I have an idea for a project I get the pattern and then go buy more yarn (yay!). When I first started knitting maybe 15 years ago now, I didn’t know what a wonderful journey I was starting on, so I didn’t invest in a lot of money or inventory in the yarn I was buying. To me, that’s part of the knit-adventure – searching for the yarn for the pattern. So if a designer went to all that trouble to suggest substitutions, to me, I feel it’s a waste of their creative time, unless they enjoy doing it. I agree with the writer and the other commenters that using different yarns is how you learn about knitting, what yarns work best, and how they knit up, etc.

  5. Karen Cermak says

    July 28, 2020 at 11:23 am

    Definitely not the designers job. I love the comment above referring to the “Nanny State”. We tend to call it “Entitlement” but I think I am adopting that one. In this day there are so many resources to be able to find more information. Do the research, educate yourself. Next thing you know they are going to want designers to knit if for them too!

  6. Bianca Mitchell says

    July 29, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    I knit and crochet and it took me years to work out substitutions. Now if a pattern doesn’t at least list yarn weight being used for the pattern, I don’t buy it, end of.
    I write patterns now – and always include yarn weight and yards/metres, and how to substitute in other weights. I also use UK/US terms (for example DC/SC) for my friends here in the UK and for my American DIL in the US. I give my patterns away but I’ve had so many people tell me they would buy the patterns I write just on the way I include the very helpful information.

  7. Betty Goldberg says

    July 29, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    I don’t think it’s the designer’s jobs. I love to experiment with different yarns. The designer gives the gauge and I’m usually on gauge, so i love shopping for new yarn. There is a yarn substitution web site available: https://yarnsub.com
    Happy Knitting!
    Betty G.

Have you read?

Textured Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns

There are so many baby blanket knitting patterns out there I could probably do a post a month full of them and not run out for a very long time. This time I thought I’d look specifically at single color baby blankets that are interesting because of the inclusion of textured stitching. This makes them easy enough for new knitters but engaging for knitters of all skill levels. 

Take the Textured Checks Baby Blanket from Janet Dubbelman for example. This project is mostly stockinette stitch, with some what looks like reverse stockinette and garter stitch thrown in to make the ridges. You can use whatever yarn weight you like to make blankets of different sizes. Find the pattern on Ravelry. 

The Seedling from Modern Made Shop is just about as easy as it comes, combining seed stitch with a garter stitch border. It calls for worsted weight yarn and is perfect for beginners. 

The Julie Baby Blanket by Elisabeth Kristiansen is another one with an easy allover stitch pattern that you can knit up in a flash in whatever size you want. (The pattern notes say any gauge but it also says 28 stitches per 4 inches, which would be a superfine or fine weight yarn. Learn more on Ravelry. 

The Oscar Baby Blanket from Snufflebean is another one with an easy repeating stitch pattern that has a really fun, graphic effect. This is also great worked in a bright color, reminding us that babies don’t have to be in pastels! This one uses DK weight yarn. 

If you want to get a little fancier, check out Sammy Bristow’s Georges Blanket. This one alternates blocks of stockinette stitch with boats and anchors made by purling on the right side of the blanket. It calls for DK weight yarn and has multiple sizes for dolls through toddlers. Check it out on Ravelry.

Another cute texture is this heart blanket with diamonds that are a little reminiscent of argyle. Yarn Sonata Patterns has this one, which is worked in DK weight yarn and comes in four sizes. It includes a chart and row by row instructions. 

Or try the pretty Seton Portage baby blanket from Knitted Wishes, which has a border of trees and textured stitches that look like snow falling. The pattern includes different options for snowflakes and doing a mirror image of the trees on each end of the blanket. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn. This one includes charts, written instructions and video tutorials for special stitches.

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