Craftseller - November 2014

Q&A

Size matters

Q

I have a jumper pattern, which I

want to use to make a jumper for

both myself and my six-year-old

daughter. Can I change the needle/hook

size to make a pattern larger or smaller?

SAM WAYNE, LIVERPOOL

A

JEN SAYS: Yes but only marginally.

It’s important to remember that it’s

difficult to change the needle size

substantially (i.e. a 4mm to a 10mm)

without taking into consideration the type

of wool that you’re using and whether

there is any shaping involved in your

pattern. Otherwise, you’ll get very loose

knitting if you increase the size or

squished knitting if you decrease too

much. The best way will be to adjust the

pattern itself by adding or decreasing the

number of rows and stitches.

Craftseller 91

Cutting corners

Q

How do I get nice, crisp corners on my

cushions? They also seem to have a slight,

uneven lumpiness to them. Help!

ELENA BURROUGHS, NORWICH

A

LOUISE SAYS: A few simple tricks will

give your corners that polished look.

Using a smaller stitch length is an easy yet

effective first step. You could also reinforce the

corners: to do this, either backstitch or stitch

over the edges twice and clip off the end of your

corner seam before trimming the edges down

toward that corner. Another trick is to press

your corners down well with an iron once

you’ve pulled everything tight. Remember to

press and not iron, as that can distort the

fabric. If you feel the extra fabric bunched up in

the corner, go back in and trim more. Turning

your corners right-side out should also help.

Our panel of experts is on hand to answer all your crafting and selling questions

Ask the Experts

MARILYN
MESSIK is the
founder of Create
Communication,
a copywriting
consultancy that helps
businesses shape their
company message.

EMILY
COLTMAN is a
chartered accountant
and author who
helps companies with
their finances and is
Chief Accountant to
FreeAgent who make
accounting software.

LOUISE HORLER
as well as blogging
about her passion
for sewing at
sewscrumptious.
blogspot.co.uk,
Louise sells a wide
range of quirky and
contemporary fabrics.

JENNIFER CHAN
is a co-founder and
director of go-to
knitting site, Stitch &
Story. The company
supplies natural yarns
and knitting kits and
they also host regular
knitting workshops.

Our experts

There’s no question that’s too big or

too small for our crafting gurus

Cutting corners

Be cautious when you’re

adjusting needle sizes

Getting crisp corners

is sew simple!