Today's Happenings

FAQs

Today I thought I would go through some frequently asked questions about knitting and the shop in general. 

Q1: Why knit/crochet?

Personally, I knit and (occasionally) crochet for a range of reasons. Firstly, I love the fact that it is so free and creative; with the range of different stitches and kinds of wool that exist, it is easy to add a personal touch to your home through these crafts. As well as this, it is a great way to unwind and deal with stress. Whilst trying to learn while feeling tense might be a bad idea as it can take a little while to fully get to grips with it, it is easy enough once you know how it works. Some of my friends have found knitting to be very helpful when feeling anxious and for some, such as Irish chef and now author James McIntosh, it has even helped through episodes of severe depression. Sometimes, you can knit or crochet whilst watching TV, making it perfect for people who like being busy in some way. However, I wouldn't recommend this if you are trying a new and/or complex pattern.

Q2: Do you offer lessons?

bromleyUnfortunately, we can't at the moment because of everything that is going on. However, if it is safe enough, we will consider running classes in the new year. In the past, we have done classes in knitting, crochet, Tunisian crochet and needle felting. We do not arrange any courses until we get enough uptake, so if you are willing to take part in one of these classes, feel free to come in and give us your phone number so we can contact you and arrange a date when enough people have signed up and when it is safe to do so. Also, we are willing to teach children when it is safe but they must be ten years old or over.

If one-to-one lessons are more for you, we do have a teacher that comes in once a month. Of course, this has also been put on hold at the moment. If you are interested, do keep an eye out on our social media accounts (@avicraftwoolbromley on Facebook and Instagram) and our websites to see when this starts again.

Q3: What are your opening hours?

We are open from 10:00am to 1:30pm on Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Q4: What are the different thicknesses of yarn?

Here are a summary of different thicknesses (or weights) of yarn that are available
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• 2ply - 2ply is the thinnest yarn in our stock (whilst 1ply yarn, which is even thinner, does exist, I have not included this because we do not sell any and it is not a particularly popular choice). Our range in this is pretty limited because it is, again, not that popular. However, it is perfect for this weather and would make a great blanket or top for a baby that has been born recently or is due soon. As I am writing this, it is 32°C ! 
• 3ply - This is very similar to 2ply in the sense that it is thin and we have a couple of ranges in this from baby yarn to pure wool.
• 4ply - 4ply is the thickness that is most commonly used for baby garments and socks. It is also the thinnest yarn that we have on our online shop at the moment
• Sock yarn - Whilst this isn't a thickness as such (most of it is 4ply), I thought I should mention this separately as some sock yarn comes in a thickness that is somewhere between 4ply and double knit. Socks are the perfect thing to knit at the moment as they are not thick and bulky, meaning you won't overheat by making a pair, but they are warm enough for you to wear in the winter months.
• Double Knit (DK) - Personally, I would argue that this is the thickness that we have the best range of in the shop. With Special DK and  No 1 covering almost all of the block colours, and Colourwheel, Batik Swirl and Cabaret as multicoloured options, you can create almost anything imaginable.
• Aran - Aran is quite a thick wool, so I would not recommend knitting with it at the moment. However, there is a wide range of colours, meaning that, come autumn it will be perfect for keeping warm and fashionable. As well as this, it is great if you are on a tight budget at the moment, as some of our 400g balls are on discount, and you would only need a few to make a cosy sweater or cardigan.
• Chunky - Like with the DK, we have a great range of chunky wool on offer, though because of its thickness (it is the thickest yarn that we sell on this website at the moment), I would probably suggest that you don't start a chunky project until the end of next week. On the other hand, it is a perfect thickness for teaching kids as it knits up very quicks, meaning that they don't have to wait as long to see the results.
• Super Chunky - Super Chunky is even thicker and even faster to knit up. In fact, I recently started a Super Chunky cardigan and it took just over a day to do a side of it. What's more, this is coming from a person who (a) is quite tall and (b) likes wearing oversized clothes, so for someone shorter, this could take even less time!

Q5: What needles should I use: wood, plastic, or metal?

 This completely depends on your tension and what you are doing. If you are loose knitter or you are making a toy (which needs to be very tight or the stuffing will show), wooden needles are best as they help to grip and tighten the stitches. Alternatively, if you are a tight knitter, metal is good as it is much more slippery, meaning it cannot tighten the stitches in the way that wooden needles do. But mostly it's down to personal preferance

Q6: What is warmer: acrylic or wool?

Acrylic is warmer overall as it is very good at storing heat. However, wool - or any natural fibre - is better at regulating temperature.

Q7: Do I have to stick to the yarn in the pattern?

You do not need to, but there are a few things you need to check before you start:

• So that you have the right amount of wool, you need to work out how many metres (not grams) are needed for the pattern you have picked. To do this, you multiply the amount of metres per ball of the yarn used in the pattern (you can find this on the ball band or sometimes in the pattern itself) by the amount of balls that the pattern says you need. To check how many balls of your chosen wool you need, divide this total amount of metres by the amount of metres on a ball of your yarn of choice. If this seems a bit confusing, or you think that you may not be able to remember all of this, then do not panic! We are more than willing to help you with this.
• You also need to check that the tension of the yarn that you will use is the same as (or similar to) what is used in the pattern. Again, these details can be found on the ball band.

That's all from me. I hope that this has given you all of the knowledge you need for your next project. If you have any other questions, do leave a comment below. 

Happy Crafting!

Caiti