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Type B Knitting is a weekly knitting podcast for the Type B crafter. Sisters Veronica and Gosia chat about WIPs, yarn, test knits and the knitting projects that don't go as planned, because knitting is a journey, not about the finished garment. New episodes every Tuesday.
Welcome back to Type B Knitting, the podcast of two sisters who love to yap about knitting. I'm Veronica and I'm Gosia. Side note, I edit the episodes on a different program and then I submit it via this like hosting thing so it then sends it off to like Spotify, Apple, like I don't have to individually do all of it. Tell me why like Spotify decides like whatever the chapter names are so if you're reading those and thinking that they're crazy they are because it also spells my name wrong. Oh really? How does it spell your name? G-O-S-H-I? G-O-S-H-A and I'm like ma'am, no. And you're like no no no that's not how you spell it. Oh interesting. Yeah and Spotify decides all of it so I don't know how to change it. Yeah I mean I do like I listen on Spotify but like I don't like always pay attention to the um titles but maybe I should. I'm like maybe they're like funny. Yeah because there was one where like I don't know it called it out really funny of like this feels very aggressive and we would not like say that. I don't know it was really weird. Oh my god I love that. Wait no I have to pay attention to those. That'd be so funny. So anyone looking at those and feeling offended? I did not write that. Be offended at Spotify. Yeah we do not condone the chapter names they're just on our podcast. That's Spotify's fault. Yeah yeah blame Spotify. Well I mean Goshia you just finished your testnet so do you want to talk about your experience?
Yeah um I think we we touched on it last episode where we were talking about what were you talking about? Oh we were talking about like the audit and like new year's resolutions and how we didn't have like testnet on our resolutions because we didn't think we could um and it was funny I was looking back at our like insta DMs and I like DM'd you being like oh my gosh I'm gonna apply to this testnet wish me luck fingers crossed and to like get picked for a testnet was really cool so um that was a new experience that I got to have and you had one prior to me so um what I got to testnet was the rhubarb sweater by Other Stitch and it was really fun. I don't know what your experience was like but I don't also don't know if this was like the first testnet that Sarah ran for like a knitted um like a pattern um because there was like a instagram group where like everybody like chatted like through their progress and like any like issues they came up uh were um like hey are you guys running into the same problem or I'm making this size anything that you guys spot so it was a very active uh group which was really nice and everyone was like really kind too yeah so um and at the end she had us do like a feedback um of like oh what would you like to do different what worked what didn't so felt very like responsive and like very nice because I know some people have had experiences that aren't as favorable or like somebody asks for a lot from the person but it was very accommodating so that was really nice yeah same we had um the one that I did was for um be creative be a creative knits um and it was the tattoo flash cardigan and it was like the same she was so responsive um she was like super active in the instagram chat thing um in like the group chat that we had um and like yeah she was like super helpful very like responsive even when like people had questions or something like that like everyone in the group was super helpful um all of my critiques are not of the group that I was in it's just of like test knitting in general I oh my god I should have known as a type b person that that was not gonna be for me that was gonna be the next thing I was gonna say I'm like anything I'm gonna say is not on the part no no people or the pattern it's 100% me yeah 100% it's our faults like this is not criticism of anyone who was in that group or like the writer of the pattern they were literally so nice everyone was super helpful if there were any like questions or anything like that like you know they were there for that but yeah I'm just not built to test it unfortunately I am not that type of girl literally well one thing for me the test knit call was back in like late may and my being like oh I'll knit over the summer it'll be a reason that I want to knit it but I've never knitted in the summer prior so why did I think it was going to be different I don't know I thought I was being bold yeah I was you know red flag number one on me I was working on it and then this was also it's also an Intarsia piece which is beautiful but I don't think I like Intarsia I love the piece I'm so glad it's done I would not I do not regret working on it but I don't think I can pick Intarsia for myself anymore I just don't like doing it because it's just like it's just such a mess on the back which is like whatever but like it's just like I don't know something about it I'm like my brain is like yeah so I put it down for two months once I was done with the Intarsia work of the front and the back the rest of it I got done in a week and a half but I also had to right I was gonna say like you did get it done in a week and a half that's literally because there was a deadline that you had to hit like you had to get it done yeah if it wasn't for the deadline that would be an abandoned whip for sure oh yeah for sure absolutely but it is so cute it is really good I'm so happy with it I'm so happy with it my husband helped me do like a little photo shoot for it so we took a bunch of photos and that was so much fun like I felt so cute in it the back still needs cleaning up from all the Intarsia but that will be for another day yeah yeah I know like I think that again like I think the major issue was like I was also coming off of like a color work cardigan so like from one color work cardigan to another color work cardigan I was like kind of over it honestly and I was like I really don't want to do this also like cardigans are like not my favorite thing to make like I feel like I love just like making a sweater over a cardigan any day um just because I feel like it goes by so much faster um but yeah and again like I love color work but again mine was also Intarsia so like I was doing Intarsia instead of stranded color work which I prefer to do stranded because it just it's so much cleaner it looks a lot better there's no like I think what my beef with Intarsia is that you there's a lot of cleanup after you're actually done knitting and I don't like that like and I think that's also my beef is bottom up it's like I would rather do it as I go than like making it something done 80 percent or 95 percent and then having to go back and do those like finishing touches I'm like oh my god like putting buttons on a cardigan makes me want to die I hate it I literally hate it so much like I will finish a cardigan and it'll sit there abandoned because I just haven't put buttons on it because I hate putting buttons on cardigans I literally have an abandoned whip that just needs buttons and I just haven't bought the button for it or anything yeah like I know I don't know something about it I'm just like I don't want to go back like especially I think like how me and you knit it's like once we're like towards the end of a project like we're so over it like we're like this isn't fun anymore like it's just like almost a second time like a like part-time job at this point and I'm like oh my god I don't want to go back and like sew up the armholes or put on buttons I'm like I just don't want to do any of that honestly they're so I just finished a like scrappy um raglan which was the ruby raglan pattern the free ruby raglan pattern um and like I haven't even blocked it like it's done but it's just sitting like unblocked because I'm like number one it's summertime so it's not like I'm gonna wear it anytime soon but I'm also like I just can't be like asked to like block it right now I'm just like I'm just not in the headspace you know like I just don't want to do that once it's done I've moved on to the other things I'm like yeah literally I'm like boring I can't be with you for longer than like two to three months because then I'm just over it I'm just like stop looking at me I don't want to look at you anymore like get away from me you applied for a test net you worked on the test net you finished the test net before I even did a test net um what was your like thoughts going into it no I was like super excited I think it is like exciting in the beginning and it's funny because like Gosha and I keep sending each other like test nets like other calls for test nets like right after we finish our other ones when we're like I don't think this is for me um and like I think the biggest problem for me is that like I don't follow patterns to begin with like I really see patterns as like guidelines and then if I'm not vibing with the guidelines I just go rogue and like do whatever I want and like what I feel like in the moment so like doing a test net where you're not only you have to follow the directions but you also have to like give feedback on it I'm just like I can't give feedback on this because like I don't even want to do it this way so it's like you know I'm like I don't and maybe it's like different from you because it's just like Intarsia and like a sweater but like a cardigan you know like there's so many different ways to like structure how you make a cardigan and like you know like a double knitted um collar on a cardigan I'm like I don't really like how those look but you know it called for it in the sweater so I'm like I have to do it but I'm like me personally I don't really like how that looks or you know like right now there's really a really popular like um finishing method I guess where it's like ribbing and then you knit like a couple of rows or like two or three rows of stock net so it kind of rolls so you have like a rolled hem and I love how that looks and I would have loved to do that on the cardigan but again that's not what the pattern called for and it's like well you kind of just can't go rogue and like do whatever you want so I think that's also something that people need to think about when going into a test and it's like do you actually like how this looks as is you know there are some um you know like pattern writers that will let you like kind of go rogue a little bit like that and like kind of do whatever finishing items you want to do yeah but I think that like out of respect I kind of didn't want to do that you know I'm like this is how they intended to write the pattern this is what they wanted me to test so I'm like I need to listen to what they're saying and I feel like that's just not for me I'm just like I did it for this because that's what I signed up to do and I think it would be like rude of me to just go rogue but at the same time I'm just like that's not how I like to knit so I'm just like I should not be test knitting honestly I I totally hear you I think I'm only coming into the conclusion that I am also a type B knitter because I went into the test knit being like oh I'm totally type A I will do everything by the book I'll make sure to do a gauge swage I'll make sure to like all this things then I realized like the yarn that is for the pattern is like a wool yarn I'm like well I'm not doing that I'm gonna do a cotton as long as I'm engaged I'm fine right and then like it slowly became this thing of like well I don't want to do a rolled hem for this and I'm like I'm tired I'm just gonna do the hem that you know yeah color that I want and uh little things like that where it's like oh like I don't want it to be this short cropped like that's cute but for this I had a different vision yeah like I wanted to make sure to keep to it but certain things I was like I think it is so I'll just do it a little bit this way yeah and I yeah again like I just oh there I just like shortcuts in life and in knitting and I just yeah you can't do shortcuts when you're test knitting like you have to I mean I don't know about you but luckily for me there really wasn't like the the instructions were really straightforward and like very well written so I really didn't have to frog much like I think the only time I had to frog was because of my miss calculating of a chart so like I really never there were no like structural issues which I think is great and I think if I ever had to do a test knit that you know had to there were some issues with the structure I think I would get really frustrated with that and not want to finish it um and I'm just like yeah I'm like I don't like love that and then also I'm like no this is written great you know I think like I followed enough patterns that like I kind of understand the gist of structures right and I understand like how everything is kind of patterned together so I do think that's like another thing and I actually really like that um B did this in our group she was inviting people like a lot of the people it was their first test knit and those people were kind of new to knitting and I think that's great because it's like you want people who like they're kind of new to this and they're still trying to understand the terminology um to like read your pattern and make sure it is friendly for those people who maybe haven't been doing this for a long time that being said I do always appreciate when patterns have like the how to make a slip or like increase left increase right I'm like oh my god I love you I'm like I forget how to do that every single time and I'm like I've been knitting for like years at this point so I'm like love you love love love I'm like all of us I always forget so like I really appreciate when people put that in there but I'm also not like there's different types of learners I'm very much a visual learner so like even reading it it might be written great but like my brain is like I don't know what this one I put what left needle into right I don't understand this so I need to like visually see it yeah so when people do add those like tutorials I think it's so sweet I think you've also hit on something of having like people that have done test knits before so they'll be able to catch the technical things but then the way you have it written having people who like the first time knitting or like just getting into it like also learning it where like if you can explain it to that person you have such a better a wider range of people that can like appreciate and understand and have a good time with your pattern um I didn't even think about the frogging thing because I didn't frog mine at all I think I wasn't late to like a lot of the knitting but other people were really quick to yeah so they caught a lot of the technical things at the time I got to it I was like oh okay this is already like revised and good and I just keep going and anything I messed up I think I just messed up in the like intarsia chart yeah it's like all the leaves of the rhubarb I'm like you know what no one's gonna even know which yeah which leaf it's supposed to be so that's okay so and then I just kept going I did not frog it back no that yeah that's another thing that like I didn't know it's like you are put in a group with like such a variety of like caliber of knitters where it's like people are doing this so fast that it's like oh my god I'm like how are you already like I remember um the back of the cardigan took me like a really long time because it's like a snake so it's like pretty intricate and it's a big back piece like it's supposed to be a longer cardigan um and even though I was literally knitting it in the smallest size like it was taking me forever and I remember people like zipping through the back like already getting done like getting ready with like the front panels and like I didn't even realize but I'm like yeah you're right and I don't think there were a lot of like structural issues that like people were catching on the pattern anyway but it is true like it's kind of nice if you're like a slower knitter because those people are gonna catch it before you do and then you're just kind of there for like you know finished products you were there along for the ride to make sure that you know like final measurements are correct at your um you know of like what the pattern calls for and I'm like oh my god I didn't even think about that but yeah some of these people are crazy I'm like how are you getting this done so fast literally like you're already done with the thing I'm like finishing the back panel and you're like showing me pictures of the finish I look cute but like you're you're like lightning mcqueen on this dude I know yeah it's like it's so crazy the other thing I do really like it's like seeing people's like updates in live time like I think it's really cool and like you kind of get like a sneak peek because I think I think we both saw this but in our like instagram groups like a lot of people will just like keep sending like update pictures and it's like so cool to see like other people's like projects come to life and like how nice they look and how neat they look I think it's like it does build like a really fun like small community for however long the test net is and then like you know you you get introduced to a lot of different people like that aren't necessarily like influencers right so it's like you get introduced to other people who are just like doing the hobby for fun you know it's like they're not like these huge accounts it's a lot of like just normal people doing the test net and I think that's really cool like it's a really great way to get involved in like the community but never again hugs and kisses not for me yeah it's just I can't do it I just don't think I'm the type of person to do it like I can't and I don't know um Sophie Sophie Grace makes she has done so many test knits and like she's new to knitting but she has caught on so fast and I'm like how is she doing all these tests I'm like I my brain hurts but I think she's like I think she just loves to learn she's built different I think she just loves to learn because like she's even like teaching herself how to do like self-drafted like charts and or uh cable charts and stuff like that and I'm like that's crazy um but yeah I'm just like I I'm just like I love I do it I knit almost like turn my brain off you know like I want it to be like a rhythm that I don't have to think about and like I totally understand like there are some people like Sophie here like no I want to you know like it's my creative outlet like I want to do like I want to challenge myself stuff like that and I'm like I'm here for funsies for haha he he's I'm not here to challenge myself as bad as that sound I'm like I don't want to challenge myself I just want to like knit raglins for the rest of my life and stock net and be happy no that's such I think that's such a valid point because like I think with like social media and like the knitting community online the like people will get bullied for like hey I just want to knit and purl I don't want to learn anything else like I don't want to like advance my knitting that's not the point for me and somebody will be like well you know like you've been knitting that long but all you do is scarves it's like yeah that's all I do is scarves it helps turn off my brain that's all I want to do yeah you know keep me in my little bubble and like I'm happy that's the point of it right yeah and other people like want to learn more from it right I think personally like I I'm not seeking to learn something new in knitting but like if I see something and I want it and I like it I will do whatever it takes to get that thing like oh this has cables well I want that sweater so I guess I'm learning cables yeah that's my approach to it um and that I mean that's valid too but it's just like like everyone can have it different like just because it's your way doesn't mean it's the only right way yeah exactly I know and it's like the same thing with like having multiple projects going at once I'm like I'm like I know because again like Sophie has like four different things going on right now and she can consistently like switch between them and make a really good progress on all of them where it's like if I had four projects right now I like three of them would be abandoned borderline four and I'd be casting on a new one because I'm bored with it I can't like just like switch switch that easily like it's just not for me like I need to like at max have two going and one of them needs to be like a scarf or something super easy like a raglan or something like that and then you know I can switch to something a little bit more complicated but again because I don't follow directions very well um like switching between projects is really hard for me because I'm doing a lot of like weird stuff and I always have a notes app on my phone with like the weird alterations that I'm doing on a project and I always like decreases on a sleeve like how often am I doing the decrease it's I'm like I'm not following the directions so I have to write it down so that I remember to do it on like the next sleeve and then if I'm switching between projects and I'm doing it that chaotically like I will just mess it up like and it's just not gonna be it's not gonna look good also it's like if I switch projects and go back to a different project I remember I did make notes for myself like for a project I was working on I put it down for a little bit I go back I'm like oh great I have notes I'll be able to make the sleeve exactly the same thing my notes were more chaotic than if I just like did it like off the top of my head it was like k-15 12 inches like three inches like I'm like four and I'm like what is this for literally yeah I know all my notes app is just a bunch of numbers just like so many numbers go back to those numbers and then try to figure out what them exactly that's what I'm saying I'm like it's a bunch of random numbers and I'm like I don't know why you're counting the 10 like four different times I don't know what to do in between that I'm like why are you doing that I don't know and it's like I that's why I can't switch between so many things because I'm like I need to focus on this one thing get it done and then I can move on with my life but yeah oh my god I mean with that being said would you ever want to like write a pattern that's a good question I think kudos to the people who write like garments um because there's so much like grading you need to do yeah like fits different bodies and feels inclusive enough and like fits different like busts and like all these different things you know I think it'd be fun to write like something easy maybe a scarf start you know yeah but I don't I don't know if that's a goal right now I'm not gonna say it is it'd be fun but I don't know what about you no well it's not for me no one wants to take direction from me like the way that I knit is so again chaotic scary it's all over the place I'm constantly changing how something looks and I'm like and the other thing about me is that I don't care what it looks like in the end so like you really don't want to be following a pattern by me because I'm like I don't care what it looks like at the end I really don't like I just want to get it done so like again like be vibe with me as we work through yeah for a scarf halfway through the instructions you're like okay you're gonna frog all of that because it didn't work out and you're gonna start over yeah that's the other thing like I feel like I have a really big ambitions when I start and then like once things like maybe aren't going my way or something like that like I am not afraid to frog like the way that I frog things like I will start over 10,000 times but it takes like I feel like I've frauds like a cardigan before like four times and then I was like okay I'm done I'm like any like mistakes that are being made on this I'm like that's it like it's going in the final thing I'm like I do not care so it's like it's really weird I have this really weird balance of like caring enough to keep going and wanting it to look good but then I hit a certain point where I'm like I don't care what this looks like let's just keep powering through and I'm like it wouldn't be that big of a deal in the Graham scheme of things and you know what it never is most of the time it never is so no not that big of a deal oh my gosh I absolutely can't stand frogging and I actually had to frog during this entire and during this um test net because I started eating the sleeve in the arm in the neck hole I don't remember you telling me that maybe like two inches in and then I realized that the sleeve is not going where it should be oh that's so funny because I think I wanted to like double check it's like oh let me make sure that it's you know that I have like the same size hole or whatever for the other arm hole and I'm like well nope making a turtle neck is not right well I feel like with all that being said are you happy with the way that it turned out oh absolutely I'm so happy with it yeah I did only change like the length of it and the type of neck um neck collar um just so it kind of like fit my vibe a little bit better but I absolutely love it I think it's so gorgeous I when I got to see everybody all the other test netters that also made it um it's so fun so cute and there's the designer calls it feminine masculine styles um I made the masculine it just means where the like front and tarsia and like back and tarsia sit on like the body um so I made like it's very versatile I had my husband model it too like it's such a good like piece yeah that's cute I'm so happy with it I'm I think if it wasn't for the push of the test net maybe I would never have gotten to making it even though I love it also I had to push the last week and a half to get this done the way I was kachow Lightning McQueen running through these like knitting the rest of the body the two sleeves I think I was starting to get like my wrist started hurting like bad oh god I think for like four hours straight just like as fast as I could go yeah um where like once it was finished I was so happy where I'm almost like I'm swearing off knitting for a little bit where like family's joking of like oh you'll be back to it like in a week like just give it a week I'm like I don't want to work on it for a while and then I go on instagram and I saw another like veggie cardigan piece and I'm like oh inspired again bring another one really oh yeah but yeah just when I thought I was done knitting for a little while something will inspire me enough to like pick up the needles but for right now I'm just taking a little break yeah for right now yeah I think after I think I just wanted to like get some stash busting done after I was done with my test net with that being said again like I knitted it for my husband so I was like oh like it's his um so like the cardigan the tattoo flash cardigan is his so like I was like okay now that that's done I'm like let me knit something for myself but I really wanted something like super easy um so that's why I did the stash busting roomy raglan sweater and I really just wanted to get my stash as small as possible before winter time because I know that um you know I'm gonna be buying some yarn to to get some projects done and stuff like that but um yeah no I'm like I'm also super happy with how it turned out I think it looks really cool um there are like some mistakes in the chart but again like it's so intricate that I really don't think people will be able to notice like until um you like point it out to them and again like I think that something that me and you have heard a lot from like friends and family about like you know the test knits specifically just because they are so intricate in that color work and the charting they're like oh my god it looks so good you know I'm like no one's ever going to know that it's like messed up somewhere or whatever like it's just you know I feel like you could still appreciate the piece even though there is some mistakes in it so I think that's the most important part yeah the maker is the quickest to point out the mistakes versus somebody else just looking at it and admiring it yeah exactly yeah uh check out our instagram type b knitting pod to see those final pieces uh both test knits the tattoo cardigan veronica made by be creative and then the rhubarb sweater by other stitches um this should be posted on I don't know when the rhubarb when the pattern is going to be released um so keep an eye out I know it's very very soon a lot of us finished it and I think she's just like finishing up final touches so very soon if you would like your own of either because the tattoo cardigan's out right yeah that one's already out yeah it's been released yep beautiful all right well that was our little chat about our experiences test knitting fun but we're saying bon voyage to test time for now it's a goodbye for now never say never but you know probably not for me all right well that was type b knitting uh i'm gosha and i'm bronca and catch you in the next one bye bye