Knitting

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Tips for Substituting Yarn

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how to substitue yarn in a knitting projectSome knitters are really paranoid about using yarn other than what’s called for in the pattern. I once read that a majority of knitters even use the exact same colors called for in a pattern, as if changing a design from red to blue would somehow mess it up.

There are some important things to keep in mind when substituting yarn in a knitting project, but it’s not really all that difficult to do.

The blogger behind By Number 19 is a crocheter who lives in Denmark, but her tips for yarn substitution work great for knitters as well. You need to consider the type, weight and quality of fiber used (is it meant to be fuzzy? smooth? drapey?), gauge of course and your own needs for the garment you’re wanting to make. Maybe you’re sensitive to wool or vegan so you need to substitute an animal fiber for something else, or you’re trying to use yarn from your stash and just don’t have any alpaca.

There’s a lot to think about, and a lot of it is solved by just picking some yarn and playing with it, especially if you’re using stash yarn and aren’t risking buying something that won’t work. There’s nothing like sitting down and swatching in the pattern stitch to let you know if you’re going to like the substitute yarn you’ve chosen.

Do you stick to the yarn called for in the pattern or do you use what you have on hand? I’d love to hear your thoughts and any stories about yarn substitution gone bad (or good).

Comments

  1. As a newly knitter I have always stuck to the yarn in the pattern but I am wanting to make changes to some patterns I have saved away so I’m gonna go for it!

  3. Yarn substitution is something I had to learn early on. I get the majority of my yarn from thrift shops, and have yet to find that someone has donated exactly the 15 skeins of grey cashmere yarn called for in the pattern I’m eyeballing, to make a sweater for a large guy like me.

    Which leads me to another tip for substitution – don’t feel tied to using only one brand of yarn in a project. If Brand A , Brand X and Brand 7 each make a similar yarn, and each has one color you like, feel free to mix them as long as they knit up to match guage.

    By using the thrift shop yarn for larger projects I can afford a couple of special skeins from the LYS for smaller items.

Have you read?

Beyond Basic Pumpkin Knitting Patterns

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork. 

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn. 

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look. 

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me. 

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round. 

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.