THE SKEIN SISTERS JOURNAL

Sisters Yarn Tales

Guides, techniques and yarn love from our Dulwich Hill studio

Balls of yarn at Skein Sisters shop, photo by Rhiannon Hopley

Australian yarn beginner beginner knitting DK fingering knitting ply worsted yarn guide Yarn Guides yarn weights

The Australian Guide to Yarn Weights and Ply – for Knitters and Crocheters

Australian and UK patterns talk in ply while the rest of the world talks in weight names. Here's the plain-English guide – with a conversion chart, wraps-per-inch and a yarn idea for every weight.

A dark green sock cuff in progress on a circular needle with a red cable, beside a cake of the same yarn and a sprig of white gum blossom

beginner circular needles knitting knitting needles sock knitting socks Tools & Notions

The Best Needles for Knitting Socks

Three knitters, three completely different sock setups, and one brand they all came back to. Here is what we actually knit socks on, and what to start with.

A pair of rainbow-striped hand-knitted socks laid flat to show both heels

beginner knitting sock knitting socks Techniques

Which Sock Heel Should You Knit?

Everyone says the heel is the hard part. After talking to three sock knitters, I think everyone is wrong about why - and the fix is much simpler than learning a new heel.

A dark green sock being knitted from the top down on a circular needle, with a cake of the same yarn

beginner knitting sock knitting socks Techniques

Top-Down or Toe-Up Socks?

Two directions, three knitters, three different answers. Here is how Helen, Olga and Janine each knit their socks, and how to work out which one suits you.

A finished pair of pale aqua speckled hand-knitted socks on wooden sock blockers, with a hydrangea sprig

beginner knitting sock knitting sock yarn socks Techniques

How to Knit Your First Pair of Socks

Everything you need before you cast on your first pair of socks: which yarn, how much of it, what needles, the heel, and whether to knit top down or toe up.

A darning loom clamped over dark denim with a finished woven patch in pastel and orange yarn still on the hooks, tapestry needle at the last row

beginner mending Techniques Tools & Notions

How to Use a Darning Loom: Visible Mending, Step by Step

A darning loom holds your warp threads on little hooks so you can weave a proper patch instead of stitching every thread by hand. Here is how to use one, start to finish.

Colourful crocheted mandala granny squares in progress on a mustard cloth, with a ball of cream cotton, a teal crochet hook and a Skein Sisters tape measure

beginner beginner knitting crochet knitting Techniques

Knitting or Crochet: Which Should You Learn?

There isn't one right answer, but there are real differences – what you want to make, how much yarn it takes, how fast it grows, and how each one treats your hands. Deb has done both since she was twelve.

A KnitPro Waves crochet hook set, fourteen ergonomic hooks laid out in a case

beginner crochet crochet hooks Tools & Notions

Which Crochet Hook Should You Buy?

Ergonomic or plain, aluminium or wood, single hook or a whole set – what actually matters when you're choosing a crochet hook, and the one we'd put in your hand first.

Five ChiaoGoo circular knitting needles in graduated cable lengths fanned out on white marble

beginner circular needles knitting knitting needles Tools & Notions

Which Knitting Needles Should You Buy?

Straights, circulars, interchangeables and double pointed needles – what each one is for, which to buy first, and the one length worth owning if you only own one. Advice from our shop floor in Dulwich Hill.

Choosing a skein of hand-dyed yarn together in front of the yarn wall at Skein Sisters

beginner gauge yarn Yarn Guides yarn substitution

How to Choose Yarn for a Pattern: The No-Panic Substitution Guide

The yarn you want isn't always the one the pattern names – and that's fine. Here's how to substitute with confidence: gauge, fibre, yardage and the tricks we use every day.

crochet inspiration knitting patterns

Quick & easy gifts to make

Nothing says 'you're special' like a gift made by hand, with love in every stitch. So we've put together some ideas for knitted & crocheted gifts to make that won't have you burning the midnight oil trying to get them finished.

inspiration knitting patterns

Top 6 FREE Ravelry knitting patterns with 20K+ projects

Do you love the thrill of discovering new knitting patterns as much as we do? Whether it's the vibrant designs popping up in Ravelry or the latest trends on our social feeds, the allure of the 'new' is intoxicating!

crochet knitting yarn Yarn Guides

Why do some yarns come in skeins, not balls?

Today, we’re diving into a topic that lots of our customers often ask us: what’s the difference between yarn sold in balls and yarn sold in skeins and why do they come in both these forms? The answer includes several factors...

crochet DK inspiration knitting patterns yarn

What to make with Madelinetosh Tosh DK (or any 8ply!)

There's a LOT to love about Tosh DK - and it's not just the amazing hand dyed colours. Madelinetosh Tosh DK is a versatile, plump, woolly 100% superwash merino wool 8ply weight yarn.

crochet inspiration knitting patterns

Make your own Emotional Support Chicken!

The Emotional Support Chicken has taken the knitting and crochet world by storm! Have you made one, or two, or three yet? If you have no idea what we're talking about, read on. As of today, there are 4801 knitted Chickens listed on Ravelry.

knitting Techniques yarn

Best yarns for Fair Isle knitting

Find out some of the secrets of fair isle knitting and the best yarns to use.

cotton yarn Yarn Guides

We love cotton!

Why we love cotton - one of the world’s favourite natural fibres. It's comfortable, naturally sustainable, low maintenance & cool. The fibre is strong and durable, vegan-friendly, hypoallergenic, and odour-free.

inspiration knitting patterns

Deb's Gr8 Gingham Raglan sweater

Adding Short Rows to the Gr8 Gingham Raglan sweater Hooray! I finished my Gr8 Gingham Raglan ! Designed by Jessie Maed Designs, it's a super cute jumper that uses a solid colour with a hand-dyed or gradient yarn as a contrast.

Deb's finished Nuts about Squares blanket, close up on the squares

crochet inspiration

Deb's Nuts about Squares Blanket: All about each square

In 2021, Deb made the beautiful Nuts about Squares blanket for her little boy, Rupert. You can find the introduction to the blanket and Deb's process on our blog here.

Deb's finished Nuts about Squares blanket draped on the couch

crochet inspiration

Deb's Nuts about Squares Blanket: Getting Started

Back at the end of March 2021, I (Deb) decided that I needed to make a blanket for Rupert, my 7 year old little boy. Really it was just an excuse to start crocheting another blanket after making the amazing Scheepjes CAL 2020 d’Histoire Naturelle blanket.

gauge knitting Techniques

Swatching isn't a dirty word

Swatching! Mention the s-word and we know many of you cringe and say that you never do a gauge square.

circular needles knitting knitting needles Tools & Notions

Guide to ChiaoGoo Interchangeable needles

What's the difference between 10cm and 13cm? What do you use each length for? Should I get a set or just individual needles?