Introducing the Fix-It Fall KAL | KNITTING PODCAST | Episode 20

It’s time to revisit some past knits to fix them up this fall! Plus the usual FO and WIP updates.

Thanks so much for watching! Details for everything I talked about are at the links below.

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00:00 Introduction
01:17 Fix-It Fall KAL
31:48 FO: Mum’s Scarf
41:42 WIP: Christmas Stockings
53:32 Off the Needles
55:02 Conclusion

[BrendaBeckett-obwf]

I love the idea of fix it fall. For the cable that’s off - you can definitely do a stitch or two on the back to pull it in. Especially since nobody will be wearing it. I think the cables will definitely get bigger with blocking.

[LisaHollis-hmde]

I like the holes at top of the stocking, perfect to run a Christmas Deco type ribbon through for a touch of color and contrast 🤩 cute after thought on a super cute project, Love it! 💕

[HeidiSpear-ozrw]

I am in for the fixitfallkal. I need to be in. I did modify/fix several garments earlier this year, including adding a folded, ribbed collar to a gaping, oversized, rolled neck Avena knit in superwash yarn when I didn't understand what it would do (collar totally worked like a dream), overdying a drab Deliciosa in a dusty lavender, which I now wear with joy (overdying was astonishingly easy and effective), modifying a neckline for an Ocean Mist when I discovered I needed that Alpaca blend the F away from my neck (ripped back to cast on edge and picked up stitches for a slimmer more open neckline, which is totally comfy). Despite the ease and outcomes achieved, I got distracted by new cast ons and lost interest in my rehab queue. As you suggest, it is totally a barrier to entry problem. For my Pamplemousse Pullover test, my next in queue, I didn't appreciate that Peer Gynt was more worsted weight than DK and that it would be so damn warm as to make bracelet length sleeves totally absurd. Also, in my effort to avoid sausage-casing sleeves, I made them too loose and this dense fabric doesn't drape such that oversized looks nice. I feel like an overheating Popeye in this garment. However, if I embrace this sweater as a winter garment, not a transitional one, reworking the sleeves to make them narrower and longer, maybe even to mid palm with long ribbing to fold if/when desired, I think I will LOVE it. I need to find my original printed pattern draft with my notes to sort what needles I used, rip back those sleeves and knit them up with fewer pickups under the arm and faster decreases than in my OG. I have extra yarn but the narrower circumference will likely yield me enough additional length. With your KAL inspo, you might have just gotten this fixer-upper out of the basket next to my bed, where it haunts me every time I lay eyes on it. 🤣best wishes to you with your fixes. I do so love your use of data. I am curious how much time each of these little projects will take you, like just sewing in a tag. Particularly, as I have tags and haven't used them once. Instead, I weave in some contrasting yarns at the back of the neck, which takes me all of 1 minute (as in the absolute minimum amount of time to solve the problem). Lazy or efficient probably depends upon how much longer it takes to install a real label!

[linsie.loo]

Loved learning about your plans for fix it fall. It’s so funny how big we make things in our heads, which we then procrastinate on, and in the end they weren’t really that big to deal with. Thinking this should be a yearly thing!

I don’t know the official term, but if you notice your cables after blocking still haven’t settled and your stocking cuff still seems really wide in comparison, you probably need to go up a needle size or two for the cable section. I’m knitting a cabled sweater currently and noticed issues on my swatch, and all the sources I read online suggested this as a solution. I think it has something to do with the way the yarn cinches during the cable section coupled with being a tighter knitter.

[Knot_Tired_Knits]

Could you thread a ribbon or knit an icord (and tie a bow??) to go through those holes on the stocking cuff? Might make more of a feature and hide it if it bothers you?

[hannawikstrom]

Prefer 100% wool socks too 😊 you could knit the top of your dads socks in a different color, to kind of make it look like a design feature. Could be fun 🤷😊

[fvidder]

I love the cinnamon neck! I changed a bunch of color things on that pattern for mine.

Normally, I'd tell people to just increase yarn size and needle size to eke out a few more sizes from an inadequate pattern... but in this case, while I'm thinking of doing a child version in the opposite direction, that sweater is already for bulky yarn and massive needles. Doh!

The easiest modification if someone does love the pattern and needs another size is to turn every 1 grid square into 4 and then knit it in whatever yarn weight/needle size combo yields a useful size. The next step up would be to smooth out the curves with the greater "pixel" number and to play around with the armscye and upper sleeve shaping (a thing I would probably do anyway on most patterns, to be honest).

The fact that this pattern isn't on Ravelry properly was instant catnip for me, and I figure it might be for others too. I totally get only paying for patterns if they're inclusive, but if someone does have their heart set on this one and is sad it isn't in their size, there *are* options! Ditto for patterns that technically have large sizes but where the grading on the biggest ones sucks (which is many, many, many of them, let's be real).

Standard cabled sweaters have a body section that can be relatively mindless once you memorize the repeat. I still need to look at my knitting and not at a tv show, so I don't usually watch and knit (because I watch too many subtitled shows), but I can chat and knit... that said, there are also cabled sweaters that break my brain. Timberline, I'm looking at you. (That one just updated in a bunch more sizes, btw.)

[aprilg]

Hi! Just so you know when you pick up and knit the other directions in the sock you will be have half a stitch short because of the change in direction so I would just do a make one and then knit that together with the half leg so you get the right stitch count!

[Meredith]

Another wonderful episode. Could you thread ribbon or yarn ( in red or something) through the top holes to increase the Christmas vibes and make them look intentional? I always binge on a podcast when I'm not falling into a story the way I want to. Happy knitting 💚🧶💚

[KnittingWithTravis]

Wow! I love your cheat sheet and am absolutely going to do that! Thank you for sharing. Even the paper clip is so smart!!! Your mom will love the scarf, it’s funky and really pretty and unique!

[Wearewoolpeople]

I'm in with the #Fixitfall too - it will be a Fixitspring for me here though lol. I have a completely finished Bohus Stickning Blue Mist pullover made from a kit from Denmark sitting in the corner since 2022 never worn (feels like a crime really). I got too eager and cast off both the sleeves and the body too early and therefore it's all too short. I also have a gorgeous Sari Nordlund Pohjolla completely finished but doesn't fit properly in the yoke - I need to find out what is wrong with it, rip it back and fix it. It's my plan to spend the remainder of the year fixing these guys before I succumb to any new spring summer knits - it seems like a good time to do it for me too so I'll be fixing my knits alongside you for the next month or so. I hope your mum loves her artsy mixed media yarn scarf, I bet she will.

[julianedebus]

Could you knit socks without a heel - for example spiral socks or banana socks? That way it wouldn't matter, if the placing of the heel inside the sock shifted... best wishes, Juliane.

[monicalynnloves]

I love the idea of #FixitFallKAL but as a new knitter I don't have enough FO to need fixes. Although I do probably need to learn how to weave in ends better

[Pinnipedantic]

I wonder if the cable mistake is in the pattern since you did it twice.


The scarf looks amazing. I wouldn’t have thought of doing it longwise but when you show it, it’s the obvious conclusion! I think the other way it would’ve looked like a muppet.

I’m not sure I have anything for fixitfallkal but I will take the opportunity to do “pick up the damn wip” fall 😂

[TheCountess-imsp]

I love the idea of #FixitFallKAL! I've a few projects that qualify. Hopefully, the inspiration provides enough motivation...

About the socks, it might be useful to look closer at the yarn. 100% wool is not the only qualifier. Since socks experience more wear than a sweater, a tighter spun yarn and/or with more plies at the same thickness (worsted instead of woollen) might hold up better.
These typically aren't as soft but pill less and feet are mostly not so sensitiv.
Maybe a different breed could be an option, but that's not my speciality.

[sparkle]

If you aren't committed to your tags, you could just tie a loop of the yarn on the back with the same yarn - where you would put the tag. They don't come out at all. For a thick yarn, you could just use one ply of the yarn

[TiffanyTropeano]

Love the idea of #fixitfall! I am not an expert knitter so I basically should fix everything I ever made 😂

[Cori.anderr]

I just moved so I was forced to go through my yarn stash and FOs, reorganizing them all, which led me to thinking I need to fix some things I don’t like or don’t want to wear to refresh them. So I am all for #fixitfallkal ! My latest excuse for not doing it sooner was I need a good depiller. Any suggestions or even ones to stay away from?

[cholleyk]

Maybe the holes are for tacks for hanging

[jackiemartinez]

Love the idea of fix it fall since my Judy sweater by Gregoria Fibers (that I finished last November/December) has sleeves that are much too big and I’ve been meaning to redo the sleeves since I finished the sweater. Hoping I get the motivation to fix it soon 😂