I love this part
So as I mentioned, Curls 2 is off at the printer (yay) and will be out this summer (double yay). And that means it’s totally time for me to diving in to the next book. One of the first steps is always getting yarn. I flashed some of the other pretty yarns for the new one a few days ago, but the mail fairy has brought me more in the meantime!
That’s Mrs. Crosby Hat Box in Roasted Chestnut.
And that’s Lorna’s Laces Solemate in Manzanita.
Both awfully yummy, and a good illustration of something I’m considering for this book. The Solemate is your classic skinny minny sock yarn, you’ll generally want something like 8.5 or even 9 stitches per inch with it to give you nice sturdy sock fabric. The Hat Box is more of a sport weight, you’ll want something more like 7 or 7.5 stitches to get a good fabric with it.
There’s a lot of yarn like this these days—yarn with a good fiber mix and a good construction for socks, but a little bit thicker than classic sock weight. I love them and they’re totally what I reach for when I want to make socks, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. But then again, I know plenty of people who love a good skinny sock yarn and will reach for it every time.
So for this next book, I’m considering offering sizing information that says something like ‘If you’re using a fingering-weight yarn and getting a gauge of 8.5spi, the sock will fit a foot or leg of w [x, y, z] inches. If you’re using a sport or dk-weight and getting a gauge of 7spi, the sock will fit a foot or leg of a [b, c, d] inches.’ Of course I’d tell you which the sock in the pictures was knit in (and I’d explain in the intro what was going on with the sizing and emphasize that you need to match your gauge to your yarn). But I really think a lot of folks don’t realize they can adjust the size by adjusting their yarn and therefore their gauge, and this could be a good reminder.
So what do you think? Helpful? Overkill? I do it with a lot of my individual patterns and get good feedback, so I suspect it could work, but I’ve not done it in a book yet. But it’s not that much extra work to include it, and if it will help folks, I think it could be nifty.
I think that different gauges for sock would be amazing!
I agree, this would be wonderful. I like that your patterns make me swatch, and by giving me the gauge for different yarn weights I can go buy more yarn for socks in the DK or Sport weight. Yay!
This is a wonderful idea. I knit socks for lots of different size feet, and with lots of different weight yarns, being able to adjust a pattern with confidence would be fantastic!
I think that’s a great idea and I wish more designers would do that. It would really help when I’m digging through my stash trying to find something that will work. Thanks for being so thoughtful.
I make all my socks now in sport or dk weight because they wear better and I think it would be so helpful for you to include the gauge adjustments for these heavier yarns. Most sock patterns list only the fingering gauge. Thank you for considering this.
I would love that information! I have a sizable stash…with both of your examples included….and think that it would be helpful in making a dent in my supply. So I could buy more???? heh And fun to see how the same pattern would work out with two sizes of yarn.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Although I consider myself mostly fluent in yarn (understand the properties of different fibers, how ply and other properties change use, etc), I have only been knitting for 3 years and thus have only been able to work with the yarns that time has allowed. My two favorite types of communications from designers are design inspiration/process/business of design and info about yarns and/or knitting that can only come from experience.
Yes, please!
Any and all help is welcomed. Great idea and think more designers will jump on your bandwagon!
Excellent idea! I have been adding more sport weight yarns to my stash and would love to knit some of your lovely sock patterns with them.
That would be extremely helpful!
Fantastic. Go for it, please.
I think the idea about different guages for different weight yarns is a grest idea on several fronts. One is dealing with the immediate conundrum of how to match a slightly different yarn with a pattern. Another is an aid to further learning. Definitely not overkill.
Oh yes please! I was having such trouble swatching for another of your patterns because I wasn’t getting your recommended gauge with the chosen yarn, but I am determined to knit that pattern with that yarn. Having the extra info could (maybe, possibly) keep me from wandering all over the stratosphere before finally coming back to earth and knitting your recommended stitch count anyway, lol. 🙂