YARN SUBSTITUTION: THE COTTON ONE
Sometimes you find a stunning pattern but you either don't have the right yarn for it or you want to use something else. Thats where our Yarn Sub Series comes in! We'll be exploring the different yarn combinations you can use to substitute within our own pattern range.
In this blog we'll be exploring The Cotton One yarn substitution options for our DK Cotton Patterns.
WHAT DO I NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN SUBSTITUTING YARNS?
So there are a few point to consider when substituting yarn. Let's break them down:
- The yarn weight - We would recommend sticking as close to the yarn weight as possible
- Always do a gauge swatch, this is even more important when substituting yarn as you may need to change the size of the tools you're using.
- The fibre, this can affect the drape of the garment and how easy it is to care for it.
- Then how much of the subbed yarn you'll need
Once you know how it opens a world of possibilities!
YARN WEIGHT - LETS DISCUSS...
Most yarns will have a yarn weight name; double knit, chunky, 4-ply etc. (these can have different names depending on where you are in the world). So you're first stop is to look at substituting a like for like yarn, for example if the pattern calls for a double knit yarn, then do not try to substitute with a super chunky yarn.
Making sure to stick within the yarn weight categories, there can still be variances - Not all double knit yarns are created equally! So a good way to measure this more accurately is the meterage per 100g.
For example The DK One has a meterage of 290m per 100g and The Cotton One has a meterage of 215m per 100g. Both double knit yarns but quite a big difference in length .
You can also check the gauge that is detailed on the yarn band to see if there is a match with the patterns recommended yarn. However we would always recommend doing a gauge swatch in your own knitting or crochet tension before diving straight into the pattern.
For more info on gauge and tension read out blog post here.
Another thing to seriously consider is the fibre of the recommended yarn. Because this can affect how the garment drapes, fits and the practicality of it too. For example a cotton yarn will likely have more drape than an acrylic yarn.
HOW TO CALCULATE THE QUANTITY...
In an ideal world you would use the meterage of the pattern to calculate how much yarn you need. However the reality is that most patterns don't detail this and will usually state either grams or number of balls you need.
The first thing to work out is how many balls the patterns states you need and how much these yarn balls weigh. Then look at how many metres long the recommended yarn is.
Once you have this information you can work out the meterage of yarn you need to complete your project.
Then divide the total number of metres by the metres per ball of your new yarn. This will tell you how many balls you need.
SO THE COTTON ONE...
We've done the work so you don't have to (apart from that pesky gauge swatch) but here are some examples of yarns that perfectly substitute for The Cotton One using our own DK Cotton patterns.
Firstly lets look at the facts, the recommended yarn for our DK Cotton patterns is a double knit weight yarn, in a 100% cotton fibre, with 215 metres per 100g. So we want to stick as close to that as possible .
OK give me some options...
We tested James C Brett - Cotton Waves in our DK Cotton patterns and it substituted perfectly. There is only 5 metres difference in the meterage per 100g, the fibre content is the same - 100% Cotton and so the drape looks beautiful too.
You can shop our DK Cotton Kits in this yarn also now! As it is tried, tested and That Crafty Stitch approved.
We used the colour Spring Smile and it's only fair we share the results....
The Hallie Tee - Cotton Waves
SHOP THE KITS!!
We loved this yarn substitution so much that we have now added all our DK cotton crochet kits with The Cotton Waves yarn as an option.
Or you can shop our DK cotton digital patterns and choose your own yarn for your project.
We hope you have enjoyed this blog and found the information useful.
We can't wait to see your Summer DK Cotton projects and which colours / yarns you choose!