I have a free lion brand pattern for a Camden cardigan L80026 that uses Lion Brand Rewind Yarn which is described as a tape yarn. I am an advanced beginner knitter - Is this tape yarn easy to use or can you recommend another that would give the same gauge 16 stitches + 21 rows = about 4.5 inches in st st thank you for your advise.
Ribbon and tape yarns are workable but they aren’t the easiest to use. The twist as you knit is more obvious than with a plied yarn and so the strand needs to be untwisted periodically. I found that I wanted to keep the tape smooth through all the sts but that’s not workable.
Here are some tips.
There are a couple of suggestions on the Ravelry page under Yarn Ideas. You can see how well they substituted in projects if you click on the links. Berocco Vintage Chunky might work but it’s worth testing it out first with a single skein.
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thank you for the response -
i could not see where to find alternative yarns on the Ravelry site - by your comments and the YouTube, I am a bit nervous about working with this yarn and would like to consider an alternative for this sweater - my granddaughter has asked for this pattern so would like to still use it.
It’s up toward the top of the pattern page (Yarn ideas). If you click on the “used x times” below the photo of the yarn it takes you to the project.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/camden-cardigan-2/yarns
You could look at other chunky yarns and choose something based on fibre content, budget, colours, laundry instructions, or whatever is important to you.
The tension looks not so easy to find at 16 sts per 4.5” but if you look for 14 sts per 4” you’ll find many options. If you have by yarn shop you could go in and look around, otherwise it’s a bit of an experiment to sub with a different yarn if ordering online. Really it’s good to try out a single ball and make a swatch or 2 but if you’re like me and want to order in a larger quantity to reduce delivery miles then you’ll probably want to buy all in one go. It’s a bit of a gamble when you can’t touch the yarn to see if you like the feel.
Work out how many yards or meters the entire project takes (not just number of balls or weight) to convert this length into the number of balls for your sub yarn. Better to have a ball too many than a ball too few.
I filter my online search on my fav yarn shop by yarn weight, fibre, then look at the laundry requirements, then sometimes I look on ravelry to see examples of this yarn being used to see if I like the results (not likely in your chosen pattern but in cardigans).
Here’s an example of one that came up for chunky, it’s low cost machine washable acrylic and has an earthy palette
Here’s another example, 100% wool, hand wash only, huge range of plain and variegated colours
Everyone’s taste and requirements are different so look for something that fits with yours and your granddaughter’s. She’s very lucky to have a hand knit made for her.
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