We often get questions in the shop about holding two strands of yarn together. How do you do it? How does it affect the fabric? What about the weight of the yarn? Using more than one strand can change the fabric in different ways and is done for different reasons.

Often, you’ll see a pattern suggest holding a strand of mohair with a base yarn. When discussing holding a mohair with something else, we’re usually talking about a laceweight mohair/silk blend yarn. A strand of mohair adds some structure to a garment - it doesn’t have the same stretch as lots of wools, so it can be a nice addition for stability. It also adds a lovely halo of fluff and can help reduce pilling. Because of the fluffy, airy nature of mohair, it also creates an additional layer of warmth, trapping air between all those fibers. You’d be surprised how warm even a single strand mohair project can be!

Here, Rachel used Pastoreta in Codol and a strand of Berenice in Goeland for her Ladd’s Cardigan.

Adding a strand of mohair to your project is another point where your color choices can change your finished project. The way a strand of mohair interacts with it's base yarn is super fun - the halo adds a little bit of color and texture while still letting the thicker yarn shine through. Megan has been playing with Fae swatches recently and you can really see how much mohair can add, especially when using a speckled hand-dyed yarn!

Here, Megan used Fae, our hand-dyed mohair, in Desert Sunflower and Maven, our fingering weight rambouillet in Lamb’s Ear.

These swatches are from our Flock exclusive colorways! Megan swatched each colorway on Fae with different shades of Maven. On the top, we have Hall of Mosses on Fae with (from left to right) Quartzite, Clay, Bramble, and Lamb’s Ear on Maven. On the botton, we have Ruby Beach on Fae with (from left to right) Clay, Chromite, Hyacinth, Smoke, and bone on Maven. These really highlight how the base yarn can change the look of an added mohair.

Of course, we know there’s some discussion about mohair online. Here’s your Ritual Dyes Reminder that knitting is personal, and you can do whatever your crafty heart desires! Recommended yarns for pattern are just that - recommended. Just like there are reasons to use mohair, there are also reasons to not. Some people can be sensitive to it, or maybe it’s a bit out of reach financially. Whether you choose to add a mohair, work without it, or use entirely different weights of yarn altogether is your prerogative, and we support your journey!!

Holding two yarns together also allows you to play with gauge. Whether you’re using a mohair, two strands of the same yarn, or two completely different yarns, you can alter the gauge of your knit by holding different weights together. A general rule of thumb is that holding two strands of the same yarn together, or using it “held double,” bumps it up two weights. For example, holding two strands of fingering weight yarn together ends up being around a DK weight. Before we had Undine DK, we held two strands of our fingering weight Undine together to make this Summer Secret Tank. (Vintage Rachel pic for you!!)

You can hold a yarn double if you’re wanting to use it for a special project where you need to hit a certain gauge, or you can play with color. Marling is a fun way to add color and interest into your fabric without doing colorwork or adding in stripes. You work the two strands exactly as you would a single one! For my Rolled Raglan, I used our Undine DK in Natural and Rye to create a very subtle marl that elevates the simple silhouette of the pattern.

Its hard to talk about holding yarns together without giving Park William’s scrappy technique a little shout-out. Her way of using up stash and scraps perfectly shows how using yarns together can transform them! She’s used this technique for a while now and it shows up in a few of her patterns, like the Stay Pull and AquaMarline. Park also teaches classes for it and is coming to Sacred Sheep this year to show us how it’s done!

There are so many ways you can embellish or alter a pattern to your liking. At Ritual Dyes, we’re always excited to see fun detours, especially when they’re a little unexpected.

LENGTH

The easiest way to customize an existing pattern is by changing the length of the body and sleeves. By extending or shortening them, you can play with the silhouette of the final piece and alter how it wears! It’s very simple to change a sweater into a tee shirt or a cropped garment into a full-length piece. Nowadays, I find myself rarely using the lengths suggested with patterns. Not to say that given lengths and measurements aren’t accurate, useful, and skillfully calculated, but I know that I often like my garments to hit at a very specific point and I find it easier to gauge my progress with frequent try-ons.

Here’s Rachael! She knit up the Scribble Top by ROWS Knitwear (featured in the book KNIT) and made it into a dress by just continuing to knit! Since this pattern is written bottom-up and seamed, Rachael knit the panels much longer than recommended, using her own measurements to determine where to start shaping for the armholes. Then she repeated it for the other panel!

If knitting top-down, it’s much easier, as you can just keep knitting until your desired length. This goes for sleeves too! Stop earlier than recommended to make them short sleeves, end just a little early for bracelet length, or keep going for a longer, more dramatic sleeve.

FINISHING

One of the simplest ways to add onto an existing pattern is to add or change the finishing. Experimenting with different cast--ons and bind-offs can make a huge difference to the final piece! Going from a standard bind-off to an Italian sewn bind-off can add a little bit of refinement, or maybe you want to use an i-cord bind-off for structure or contrast. You can also switch up your finishes for added stretch!

Other than cast-ons and bind-offs, it’s very easy to add decorative edging to your project. Here, Rachel added a simple shell crochet edge to her 2-in-1 Triangle Scarf in a contrasting color.

Here’s another great example of adding fun finishes! Rachael, our mod queen, added ruffles and the cutest little collar to her Uptown Tee. She used a shell right in the center, framed by the collar, for the final touch! This knit was with our 2026 RCYC colorway Mother of Pearl, so the shell is the most fitting detail.

SHAPING

Another great way to modify your knits is by playing with shaping. This is more a process of tailoring your project rather than adding onto it and requires a bit more math, awareness of your preferred measurements, and knowledge of garment construction.

There are a few points that you can adjust shaping by just increasing/decreasing to achieve your desired fit! The bust, waist, hip, and sleeves can all be customized easily by changing increase/decrease rates to better fit your unique body. No knitting pattern is written to fit every body, so it’s nice to know how to shape things to your exact needs and wants!

I find that an easy way to figure out shaping is by looking at existing patterns to use as an example. Once you find a way to work bust darts, waist decreases, or hip increases, you can use that knowledge to apply it to other patterns that don’t include the shaping you’re wanting.

Sleeve shaping is much simpler than other types of tailoring. Most patterns have you decrease at a regular rate down the sleeves for a clean, tapered look. The simplicity of this means there’s lots of room to play! You can ignore the decreases for more of a straight/bell sleeve, add increases towards the end for an extra flare, or increase the rate of decreases for a more dramatic taper.

With her Wine Club Cardigan, Megan omitted the decreases while knitting the bulk of the sleeve. She ended with a full row of k2tog before going into the ribbing. This created more a balloon-style sleeve, with straight arms and cinched ribbing at the wrist.

PLAYING WITH YARN & GAUGE

Choosing a yarn that’s different than recommended can completely change your finished project. The materials you use determine the fabric you make. Making the same pattern in a linen versus a rustic wool will result in two different sweaters - the first may have more drape and will lend itself better to warmer weather, while the second will have more structure and is better suited for the colder months.

Playing around with your gauge is another option that may require a bit more leg work. Not only can you knit at gauge with a thinner/thicker yarn to play with fabric density, but you can also use thinner/thicker yarn at a different gauge to alter how the fabric feels and drapes.

Megan knit the Me Oh My Tee, which calls for a DK weight yarn, with Maiden, our fingering base. This switch in yarn weights results in a tighter gauge, which means the final garment size would be altered from what's written. Megan did a bit of quick math and decided to knit a few sizes up from her normal to compensate for that change in gauge. Also, peep the added picot edge!! Another great modification for this project.

GET CREATIVE!

There are endless ways to make your knits reflect your personal style. Other than what we’ve already talked about, you can add cables, colorwork, beading, stripes, and so much more!

Taking a simple pattern and adding your own spin is a great way to flex your creativity. Patterns like the Step By Step Sweater, Cline, and the Tolsta Tee are great bases for additional detail. If your pattern is knit in the round, you can add some stranded colorwork, or you can turn to intarsia if it’s knit flat. Playing with stripe patterns and colorblocking doesn’t even effect the pattern of the stitches themselves, but can have a huge impact!

Rachel altered the stripe pattern on her Aros Sweater to match a RTW garment she was inspired by. Instead of the bright, multicolor stripes of consistent size, she chose to only use three colors of differing sizes. The Kinsan Sweater by Kiyomi and Sashiko Burgin has an amazing variety of stripes if you need a starting point!!

Here, Avery used a few different techniques to achieve the finished garment. Initially, they used the Color Quadrant Top as a base for stitch counts on the body, as it’s knit flat and would allow for the colorwork on the back of the sweater. The shaping of the sleeve caps were inspired by the Me Oh Me Tee, and contrasting i-cord finishing on the neckline and sleeves tie in the colorwork. This sweater is a mashup of multiple patterns and techniques that come together harmoniously in the finished garment.

At the end of the day, knitting is a very personal practice. Whether you choose to follow a pattern exactly or go completely off script is your choice! We knit because we love it, and there’s no right or wrong way to make your own clothing if you’re enjoying the process.

Fiber Types

Protein Fibers are often what you first think of when talking about yarn. Wool from sheep dominates the fiber crafts industry, and for good reason! There are many different breeds of wool (enough for a whole other post….) that each have their own individual traits. Sheep’s wool is often more rustic than other animal fibers, with amazing longevity and warmth, water resistance, and inclination towards colorwork, cabled stitches, and more structured knits. Other fibers like alpaca and cashmere can be a bit softer and have a more dramatic drape to them. Protein fibers are often the first choice for a lot of garments and accessories for its warmth, versatility, stretch, and performance.

Protein fibers include: sheep (merino, cormo, rambouillet, gotland, jacob, BFL, peruvian highland, corriedale, romney, targhee, lincoln, shetland, and more!), alpaca, yak, mohair, cashmere, qiviut, and more.

Cellulose Fibers are made with plant material! These yarns are a great option for transitional or warmer weather garments, or for those wanting to avoid animal fibers. Garments using cellulose fiber often have amazing drape that just gets better with wear. Many yarns from this family, especially linen, get softer with age. They also often have a sheen and luster that is hard to achieve using protein-based fibers. For example, pima cotton is known for its incredible softness and often has a beautiful shine when spun into yarn. The same goes for lots of plant fibers! One thing to note about these yars is that they often have little to no stretch. If you’re working on a garment that needs to be stretchy, or looking to have zero/negative ease, it might be worth checking out a cotton/merino blend or something that aids in the bounce back of your yarn.

Cellulose fibers include: cotton, linen, bamboo, ramie, silk, and more.

Synthetic Fibers are man-made and often are the most accessible and affordable yarn. Lots of the yarns you’ll find at big box craft stores are synthetic or have synthetic fibers mixed with wool. While many knitters prefer natural fibers for their increased breathability and more sustainable makeup, synthetic yarns definitely have their place!! I often prefer acrylic yarns for home goods like blankets and pillows because you can throw them in the washing machine without worrying. It’s cost effective for larger projects, much more readily available in stores, and great for those sensitive to wool. There’s a lot of discussion around natural vs. synthetic fibers, but remember, the best yarn to use is the one that’s most available to you! Another synthetic fiber commonly seen in yarn is nylon. Most of the time, sock yarns will add 10-20% nylon for added stretch and durability, which is much needed in a project that sees so much friction.

Synthetic fibers include: acrylic, nylon, polyamide, and more.

Wine Club Cardigans

We’ve all been knitting the Wine Club Cardigan by Sari Nordlund for our KAL, and it’s the perfect way to show how different fibers effect your FO!

Both Stina and Rachael chose to use Tinde from Hillesvåg for their cardigan, in Burgundy and Green. This yarn is made with 100% Norwegian wool, nonsuperwash, and has two plies. It results in a very light and airy yet plush fabric with a bit of tooth that will stand the test of time. These more rustic nonsuperwash wools are great for outer layers as well! We’re almost completely sold out of Tinde right now, but if you’re looking for something similar, you can take a look at German Merino from Mominoki or Bauma from Xolla.

I also chose Tinde for my cardi, this time in Light Denim Blue, but chose to pair it with a mohair! For the second strand I used Berenice by De Rerum Natura, which is 55% mohair, 23% silk, and 20% merino wool. The added merino and silk of the Berenice bring a big of softness to the finished garment, while the mohair adds a fluffy, ethereal halo. The added strand also slightly changed the gauge of this project. I ended up knitting it on needles a size up from what was recommended in the pattern, resulting in a bit of a chunkier garment.

Megan knit her Wine Club using our very own superwash merino, Priestess! This 3-ply yarn has amazing lustre and bounciness. The more rounded strands give great stitch definition and keep the yarn looking amazing wear after wear. Priestess, made with extra fine merino, is also incredibly breathable and has amazing drape. This is one of our hand-dyed bases. You can see the slight variation in the garment, especially directly compared to other mill-dyed yarns like Tinde, which gives a wonderful depth of color.

Going back over to the nonsuperwash side, Martha used Garthenor No. 3 for her cardigan! This yarn is marled, with two plies of a darker shade and one white. It creates a static-like effect that brings intrest to the final garment. Garthenor No. 3 is also a yarn that completely transforms with blocking. It starts out incredibly rustic and a bit stiff, but after a good soak, it loosens up and becomes the perfect structured yarn for sweaters and hard-wearing accessories.

Whew, that was a lot of info! If you made it this far, you’re probably pretty similar to us, and enjoy a good deep dive into anything knitting related. We’re always so happy to chat yarn and fiber at the shop, so if you ever need help picking out yarn for your next project, feel free to pop in or give us a call!!

Over the last few months, we’ve noticed more and more people coming in who are just learning how to knit. Watching firsthand as new knitters and crocheters come to the craft is such a wonderful thing! In a world filled with fast fashion, cycling trends, and internet influence, “slow” crafts are becoming increasingly popular. Creating slowly and intentionally feels like a little piece of rebellion held in our own hands.

It’s extra special knowing that new knitters are coming to Ritual Dyes for their first purchases. Because of this uptick, we’ve decided it’s the perfect time to gather our favorite tools, resources, yarn, and everything else you need to get started into one spot.

It’s worth noting up top here that everyone learns in different ways. With knitting, or any other craft or hobby, there are so many different ways to get into it. Some like the social aspect of in-person instruction, others like to watch videos in the comfort of their own home, or maybe written tutorials with illustrations for clarity. Hopefully, there’s a little something here for you, however you prefer to learn!

YARN

First thing’s first - you need yarn! Choosing your yarn is the first step in learning how to knit, and it can feel overwhelming at first. There are so many possibilities when it comes to weight, fiber, and color, and we’re here to clear it up for you.

Yarn weight: This describes the thickness of yarn. In order, from thinnest to thickest, yarns can be lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, aran, bulky, super bulky, and jumbo. As you get further into your knitting journey you’ll find what you gravitate towards and how each yarn weight suits different types of projects. For beginners, we recommend using a DK or worsted weight, as these are thick enough to clearly see your stitches, but not too large as to become unwieldy.

Fiber content: Yarn comes in all sorts of fiber, not just wool! Any material regular clothes can be made of can come in yarn form as well. At Ritual Dyes, we carry lots of wool from different sheep breeds, as well as alpaca, linen, cotton, cashmere, mohair, and more. Superwash wool has been treated to be machine washable and resistant to felting, resulting in a smoother yarn, while non-superwash retains some of the structure and rustic qualities of the original wool. Non-superwash wool needs to be washed by hand to avoid unwanted felting.

For beginners, I’d stick with a wool, as it’s often a very accessible material while still creating a beautiful finished project. It also has enough tooth to not be so slippery on your needles! If you’re looking to be more budget-friendly, acrylic yarn is a wonderful option. It’s a highly accessible yarn, both in terms of cost and where you can find it, and is machine washable!

From our shop, here’s a few wonderful options to get you started.

• Priestess: Our custom-milled 100% superwash Merino wool yarn! It’s a DK weight and comes is so many stunning colorways, all lovingly hand-dyed by us.

• Gilliatt: From De Rerum Natura, this is a worsted weight 100% wool yarn made in France. It comes in stunning, slightly heathered colors and is the perfect wooly-but-soft option.

• Woolia: This yarn from Gepard is airy and light, made with 100% organic merino wool, and is an Aran weight.

• Smart: For another superwash option, Sandnes Garn’s Smart yarn is a great pick! It’s a DK weight, 100% wool, and comes in handy 50 gram skeins.

TOOLS

There’s a few other bits and bobs you’ll need to get moving on your first project. Of course, next to yarn, needles are the most important part of the process. The needles you need will depend on the yarn you choose, as they come in all sorts of sizes. We’re happy to help pick out some with you, but we recommend a US 6 for DK and an 8 for worsted. You should also grab a darning needle or two to help seam your project and weave in your ends!

CLASSES

We have Knit 101 classes at Ritual Dyes! These are taught by our lovely staff members Rachael and Stina. Over two sessions, you’ll learn everything you need to complete a pair of fingerless mittens. If you already have the basics down, we also offer an intermediate class, Knit 102. It covers a few more advanced techniques to help you with all sorts of future projects.

RESOURCES

If you’re more of a self-taught artist, here’s a few resources to help you along your way.

• Purl Soho is a staple in the knitting community. Even now, if I need a reminder for an Italian bind-off or kitchener stitch, this is often the first place I look. The tutorial section on their website is a well of knowledge and covers so much, from beginner stitches to advanced techniques.

• The queen of YouTube knitting tutorials is our girl Very Pink Knits. Although she’s not active on YT anymore, her vault of videos led me through my more frustrating learning moments when I taught myself how to knit during quarantine in 2020. Her videos are often in slow-motion and at regular speed so you can follow along super easily.

• Tin Can Knits is another treasure trove for new knitters. Their posts come with great photos that really illustrate how different techniques and stitches differ. This is an especially great resource for those that like to know exactly what each stitch is doing to the overall shaping and finishing of your project.

PATTERNS

Once you’ve got a few stitches under your belt, you’re ready to move onto your first pattern! We’ve put together a bundle of some beginner-friendly patterns for you to choose from. These are written with new knitters in mind, so they’re a great starting point for reading patterns.