Need Help?What do all those numbers mean? - Replay Live Archive
One of the many challenges to mastering your machine is learning about yarn weights.
What are the best weights for your machine?
What yarn weight do YOU like?
What do the terms, fingering, worsted, 4 ply and 8 ply really mean?
Let's talk about yarn weights, the Fixed Weight System and what it all means for your knitting.
What are the best weights for your machine?
What yarn weight do YOU like?
What do the terms, fingering, worsted, 4 ply and 8 ply really mean?
Let's talk about yarn weights, the Fixed Weight System and what it all means for your knitting.
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Links mentioned in the Show
What do those numbers mean?
Classroom: Yarn for knitting machines
| Marie-Jo C Very interesting meeeting! I learnt a lot... |
| Rhonda M Thanks Sue. A lot of good information about the numbers. |
| Karen W Thanks Sue and everyone else here on the chat. |
| Wilma T Stay safe everyone! Thank you Sue! |
| Jean S Thank You everybody! I always get excited after one of our get togethers. Everybody stay safe! |
| Dawn W Thank you! |
| Erin P Thany yuo sue |
| Scott V thanks sue |
| Cynthia P stay safe everyone |
| SANDY W vERY INTERESTING! tHANKS, sUE |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Suzanne, love softball, I knit on my bulky at 10. See my hat in the forum. |
| Mary Ann B Thanks! Great info! |
| Joy G Stay safe everyone :) |
| Sue J J Thank you for being here! happy knitting |
| Nancy M thanks for all the info!! |
| Cynthia P thanks so much for sharing your knowledge to help us. |
| Lynda B Loved this good way to begin before I start with my new machine. Thank you for your always wonderful content! |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Great information as usual, thanks Sue. |
| Suzanne S Any advice for knitting softball cotton? |
| Cindy Minota This helped a lot! Thanks so much!1 |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC (pattern) |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Say, biasing yarns would be interesting to use with the asymmetric shawlette patter, maybe? |
| Nancy M that's how i ply my yarns takingit up thru the center of the cone |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Would plating biasing yarn with a non-bias yarn help? |
| Nancy M phyl, it doesn't always work |
| Maurie H try a tuck rib that worked for me |
| Chris L I have run a 40wt machine embroidery thread with the yarn and it helps to stop the bias. |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC NANCY! Wow, if that fixes biasing, I'll be thrilled. |
| Carol K yes bias yarn does the same in hand knitting |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC What about knitting ribbing with a biasing yarn, does that work? |
| Annie L Stack your cones above each other. Pull the lower cones through the cone or cones above it. This causes the yarn twist and color or texture remains more balanced. |
| Nancy M we used to rewind crochet cotton and use it from. the outside to counteract that bias |
| Wilma T Yes, Lace or knit/purl patterns , that also fixes bias. |
| Carol K yarns that bias are spun too tight in the first place. |
| D M Regarding biases, is there something called z twist and s twist? Would it help if you play the two together? |
| Joy G Maurie I'll have to try that :) |
| Cindy Minota Yes, it will bias for hand knitters, too! |
| Maurie H yarn that bias is best done in a lace pattern where the stitches are transferred in one direction on one row and the opposite direction on the other row |
| D M Do yarn twister winders help with plying yarns for machine knitting? |
| Nancy M aftet 40+ years you start to get a feel for different yarns and how they act |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Joy, have more than I care to admit to, lovely cottons and I only weave with them. |
| Joy G Phyl I have some cotton/acrylic that biases!! |
| Maurie H plying yarns can teach you a language that is not printable or repeatable |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC What happens in the process that produces yarn that biases? |
| Matthew F LOL this is the first question we ask when helping people with patterns and fit |
| Jean S Nancy M - totally agree, swatching is totally needed with every project. My knitting group used to just grin everytime I asked on particular member what her swatch measured...something she never did... |
| Nancy M Since 2/24 was the main yarn available when I started I think in terms of 2/24 |
| Nicole D Isn't there caution with WPI as it would depend on how tight you wrap? |
| Nancy M gotta swatch. the ONLY inbreakable rule in knitting. |
| Annie L What about the stretch and drape of a yarn? |
| Sue C Sorry, just sent note about cones. Sue C The old, pointed cone are 1 oz. the newer ones may be heavier. |
| Julie L Bonnie Triola...very, very classy!! |
| Joy G (Sue C I believe they were meaning cones of yarn withh cardboard cones inside) |
| Sue C I happen to have my cone winder out. and to cones. one weighs 3/4 oz, the second, 1 oz. |
| Marjorie M to count yarns with halo. |
| Marjorie M Iâve been trying to group my yarns by WPI (wraps per inch). The catch on that is haw I |
| Dawn W This helps. I have used yarns because they seemed the same weight to find out quite the opposite once knittd up on the machine. |
| Nancy M l usually have my alpaca custom spun to about 5,300 YPP. this way I can ply it if I need heavier yarn. I do a LOT of lace knitting on standard gauge |
| Dawn W cynthia- hello. |
| Mary Ann B One of the problems I have run into is that not all 2's are the same thickness. |
| Cindy Minota Now I have a way to understand what the yarn will look like with the weight standard; I'm knitting a t-shirt sweater in a cotton/acrylic blend and it has 1600 yards a pound--yup, right up there on my stitch dial but it works! |
| Cynthia P Matt i have an echo and feedback |
| Cynthia P dawn hello |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Oh well, yeah, I have some coming but that doesn't count. LOL 'cause it's slow boat from England. |
| Cynthia P Phyl i can't say that I am waiting for an order to come |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Don't need to! |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Ha ha ha, Cynthia! Nono, I am staying out of trouble for sure, haven't bought any yarn lately. |
| Griselle L I count two oz for the carboard cone |
| Nancy M usually 2 oz is allowed for the cone |
| Cynthia P Phyl in trouble as usual. LOL |
| Carol K Agree yards per pound are the best way to be sure it will work on the machine. |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC Hi Cynthia, doing more knitting (isolation stitching, ha ha) and staying out of trouble. How about you? |
| Annie L How is the cardboard cone accounted for. In the math or subtracted from the yards per pound? |
| Carol K Weaver's use these numbers all the time. So they are not going out of date. |
| Cynthia P Phyl in Raleigh hi girl how you doing this week? |
| Scott V this is one of the things that drives knittings up a wall |
| Lynda B Yes, Marjorie! Weaver here. |
| Marie-Jo C It's the first time I hear an explanation about this topic! Thank you, Sue |
| Lauren B Lauren from Lolo Montana. Glad to be here. Another weekly Wed. morning Zoom call met early today. Yay! |
| Maurie H it is real clear here |
| Mary Ann B I agree with Karen W. It's beginning to make sense. |
| Marjorie M Sounds like an 8 is 8 times longer than a 1 with same amount of fiber. Makes more sense that way than times spun, to me. |
| Marilyn We have gorgeous weather but stinky air from the fish washing up dead from the red tide. |
| Karen W perfect sense, thank you. |
| Beth G Beth NF Canada Thanks again. 45 today |
| Patricia H Patricia here from Louisiana |
| Phyl in Raleigh, NC After all the Zoom sessions, when I see a name here on the chat, I know the face too! |
| Cheryl B Cheryl from Indiana |
| Jean S That really helps, so much clearer than the textbook information! |
| Cindy Minota That helps a lot, Sue, thanks! |
| Suzanne S Suzanne from Indiana |
| Wilma T I finally understand when I think of the clay, thank you Sue |
| Julie L Sue, please put the link to the KIN doc on this topic. Thx |
| Sue C Sue C from Massachusetts |
| Ritta K Hi from sunny Orlando |
| Lynda B Mary Ann B sounds like my kind of weather! |
| Marie-Jo C Hi,Cynthia..; bonjour ! |
| Carol K Hi from Idaho |
| Nicole D Hello from NH. |
| Mary Ann B Lynda B we in MN hope to get to 70 soon! |
| Carol B Hi from California |
| Lucretia S Lucretia, Checking in! |
| Lynda B It is going to be 84 here, today, in Bakersfield, but will get up to 98 this week. YIKES! |
| Elizabeth G Hi Elizabeth from Virginia |
| Karen W Hello from Connecticut. Glad to be here. |
| Marilyn R Hello from Michigan |
| SANDY W Hi from Minnesota1 |
| Jean S Hi Wilma T |
| Marie-Jo C hello, Sue, Matt and all knitters ! |
| Lynda B Everything looks and sounds great. Novice machine knitter..have a bulky and standard new to me 940 |
| Cynthia P hi Marie Jo |
| Wilma T Hi everyone, Wilma from the Netherlands âï¸ |
| Marie-Jo C helleo, |
| Cynthia P so is mine |
| Matthew F Cynthia its only getting longer... LOL Miss you too.. |
| Maurie H Hi from Mississauga Ontario |
| Cynthia P mar we can't see you. are you running your fingers through your hair?LOL |
| Matthew F All good! |
| Mary Ann B Yarn terms for MK baffle me. |
| Nancy M Nancy Mangeri in Kansas here...lovely day clear, cool breeze.. |
| Rhonda M I can see and hear you clearly. |
| Mary Ann B Happy to be here. |
| Matthew F Matt's in the house |
| Joy G Wouldn't miss this anyway Sue :) |
| Cynthia P Good Afternoon everyone from sunny southern Ontario in Canada with a high of 54* |
| Jean S Nice and clear! |
| Joy G Beautifully sunny here in the UK, it's nearly 6pm, dinnertime lol |
| Dawn W Hello all! |
| Jean S Hi everyone ...Really looking forward to getting back to knitting again. |
| Joy G (We had Mothers Day back in March :) in the UK) but Happy Mothers Day to you 'across the pond' :) |
| Erin P Good afternoon Happy Mothers Day to you all |
| Joy G Looking forward to it :) |
| Sue J J hello! we'll be starting soon... thanks for being here! |
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