Yarn substitution for Purl Soho half and half triangle wrap.

Hi everyone, I hope I’m posting this in the right place. I’m fairly new returning to knitting, managing okay (ish) but I don’t have much confidence swapping out yarns in patterns. I tend to follow rules :slight_smile:

I wish to knit the Purl Soho half and half triangle wrap which the pattern suggests the Linen Quill yarn which is 50% highland wool 35% alpaca and 15% linen. I’d like advice on swapping this due to a few reasons:

I live in the UK so delivery time and shipping cost is a consideration
I’m knitting it for my daughter who lives in Australia, so wish it to be light and floaty and don’t really need warmth.
I have wool in my stash that I like, my daughter would love the colours I have and I’d like to use it if possible (can’t believe I’m already got a stash - obviously addicted!)

The replacement wool is Malabrigo, fingering sock yarn, 100% Superwash Merino Wool.

I have spent some time looking at other people’s projects for this pattern on Ravelry but can’t really see anything that answers my question. There are people that have used other fingering yarns but as I say it’s a confidence thing with me and I’m not confident enough to think ‘oh I’ll see how it turns out’!

Thank you for reading
Sal

Hi Sal,

Go to yarn sub and put in the name of the yarn called for and it will give you a list of yarns you can use as substitute.
https://yarnsub.com/yarns

Hi thank you but I’m trying to get opinions if the yarn I wish to use will be okay.

Thank you for the link to yarn sub - I’ll bookmark that for the future.

Hello
I always sub yarns, not that I’ve made that many things but those I’ve made I have subbed.
I choose something in the same weight, which you have, and not necessairly the same composition.
I swatch to see how the gauge turns out and to see if I like the feel of the fabric that is produced. If the is lace or cable in the pattern I make a swatch of that too as a trial to see what the lace will look like in that yarn and those size needles.
One pattern was mostly st st which was great on the needles I got for the gauge but it had a sewn on panel with a leaf pattern that I wasn’t at all happy with on that size needle and wanted smaller needles to make it look and feel right to me. I had to work that section more rows than the pattern stated to make up for the smaller needles but was happy with the result.

I also make sure I have enough metres rather than number of balls or weight. Check how many meters the pattern calls for and that you will have enough.

I suggest using the yarn you like and will enjoy working with, just check your gauge and how the fabric works up with a swatch first.

Thank you so much for your advice- I probably should have swatched it but as I wanted to start it today I have cast on the 260 stitches and got a few rows in before I saw your post.

I hope I don’t regret it. It was reassuring to read you often sub yarns so as this is a simple garter stitch wrap perhaps I’ll be lucky and get away with being so cavalier :flushed:

Again thank you for taking the time to help.

Sal

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As you have had the arn in your stash maybe you’ve worked with it before and know what size needles you used and how the fabric turned out. In that case a swatch this time I probably less helpful.

If not though, it’s not too late to try a swatch. Only because sometimes a yarn just feels better in a different size needle.
If you have a second ball you could swatch with that.

I ‘make gauge’ on every yarn/pattern however sometimes the fabric is just nicer on a smaller needle.

Good luck with the project. It’s good to get more confident with yarn subs etc as it means being able to work with yarn you like or yarn within budget or of a composition you want without having to stick rigidly to yarns listed on a pattern or the patterns available for the yarn you want.

Thank you so much for your input to my question. I appreciate it. So hopefully it’ll work out and if so I’ll be a little less cautious in the future.

The fact you swatch most projects is a piece of advice I need to take on board. I don’t really as up to now I’ve only been knitting small projects apart from a sweater I swatched and met gauge. I actually ended up frogging that as I made an error quite early in it, knew I didn’t have the knowledge to fix it and knew I couldn’t have lived with an error in there so out it came :cry:

Again thank you.
Sal

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