Sisters Yarn Tales

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.