Colors & Yarns

Which colors of a particular yarn go together?

If you are not sure whether certain colors of a yarn match, please send us an email to support@maschenfein.de and write us which colors you have in mind. We will then check for you whether these colors fit together and make you an alternative suggestion if necessary.

It's hard for us when you ask what color you should knit a certain tutorial in, because we don't know your preferences. If you tell us which direction you tend to go or what other colors you like, it will be easier for us to choose the right one for you.

On this topic you will find:

ITO - Color Cards

3,00 € - 4,50 €

Color Cards - Colour Books

2,00 €

Can I get color cards for certain yarns?

I like a pattern but I do not know what yarn from the store I could take for it. Where can I turn to?

I like a model from a Sandnes magazine but I want to knit it from a different yarn. Is it possible?

Knitting kits and wool packages

I want to knit something for a child. Where can I find a suitable knitting kit?

I like a model from a Sandnes magazine but I want to knit it from a different yarn. Is it possible?

How do I find all the knitting kits for a particular magazine?

How do I find knitting kits/wool packs for a particular yarn or size?

What is the difference between a knitting kit and a wool package?

Skein - Ball - Winder & Co

Can I knit wool directly from the skein?

How do I wind a skein into a ball?

In principle, you can wind a skein into a ball without any further equipment so that the yarn can be knitted. To do so, you can place the skein over a chair back or your knees, or ask someone to hold the skein under tension with both hands before you wind it into a more or less pretty ball, in quite tedious work and faster or slower depending on the yardage. On YouTube you can also find videos on how to wind balls most sensibly by hand, so that you can even knit them off from the inside afterwards.

It is faster if you have a reel or winder at hand. The skein is placed over the size-adjustable reel and wound into a ball with the help of the winder. These balls can be knitted off wonderfully from the inside or outside.

On this topic you will find:

Yarn reel wood (Chiagoo)

Do I necessarily need a reel AND a winder?

Not necessarily. But it's also easier to eat if you have a fork and knife to hand ;-) The advantage of "just one reel" is that you can unwind the skein properly. You still have to wind the ball yourself. "Only one winder" works if you have someone to help you who either operates the winder while you hold the skein or who plays the role of "skein holder". Because it's very difficult to use a winder and chair back to hold the skein.

On this topic you will find:

Yarn reel wood (Chiagoo)

gauge

How do I make a meaningful swatch?

Why do I need to wash my swatch before counting?

Fibers and stitch definition change after washing. Under certain circumstances, the number of stitches and rows per 10 cm can change dramatically after washing. Therefore, it is important to wash and dry a swatch in the same way as the finished knitted piece.

If, for example, a gauge would change from 22 to 21 sts per 10 cm after washing, that doesn't look like much of a change at first. But for a chest circumference of 90 cm, you need 198 stitches with 22 stitches, and only 189 stitches with 21 stitches. That's a difference of 9 stitches, which means a difference of 4 cm in the end.

See also Makerist video course "The basics of swatching" (German): https://www.makerist.de/courses/das-1x1-der-maschenproben

On this topic you will find:

Wool soap Twig&Horn

Woolsoap Twig & Horn - piece

Kaëll detergent concentrate

14,95 € - 29,95 €

Eucalan - wool detergent

7,50 € - 85,00 €

What do I do if the gauge of my swatch doesn't fit?

Washing & Blocking

Why do I need to wash a knitted piece after finishing it?

How do I properly wash and dry a knitted piece?

We always recommend hand washing for knitwear. To do this, pour lukewarm water into the sink or a suitable container and add wool soap / wool detergent.

Put the knitted piece into the prepared water and move it carefully (!!!) in the water so that the wool soap can penetrate into the fibers. Then let the knitted piece soak for about 15 minutes. Caution: For strong colors, it is advisable to keep the knitted piece moving gently. If the colors bleed, the process should be repeated with fresh water and wool soap, if necessary, until no more color comes out.

When using wool detergent, rinse the knitted piece with clear water after the soaking time. Wool soap does not need to be rinsed out.

Remove the knitted piece from the water and carefully squeeze out the water - do not wring! Put the wet piece on a large spread towel (depending on the weight of the wool, it is recommended to put two bath towels on top of each other) and roll up the towel together with the knitted piece. Carefully walk around on this roll. The water is thus pressed out of the wool fibers and absorbed directly by the towel.

Allow the knitted piece to dry (possibly under tension) on tension mats or a dry bath towel (see "How do I block a knitted piece?").

Even if manufacturers often specify the wool washing cycle in the washing machine on the labels, it is always advisable to test this in advance on the swatch to avoid unpleasant surprises. This is not only about the correct washing temperature, but also about the friction to which the knitted piece is exposed in the washing machine and which can possibly lead to felting.

On this topic you will find:

Wool soap Twig&Horn

Woolsoap Twig & Horn - piece

Kaëll detergent concentrate

14,95 € - 29,95 €

Eucalan - wool detergent

7,50 € - 85,00 €

Knitter's blocking set

99,00 €

Knit Pro blocking mats

35,50 €

How do I block a knitted piece?

Once a knitted piece is off the needles, it is not (quite) finished. Now comes the most exciting part: washing and blocking. After washing (see "How do I properly wash and dry a knitted piece?"), your almost finished project should be blocked. This can look very different, depending on the knitted piece:

Hats: Hats can be blocked damp over a balloon blown to the appropriate circumference for stretching. Make sure that the cuff is not stretched too much, otherwise it can wear out.
Socks: For socks, there are sock blockers in various sizes. The damp socks are pulled over these. This makes sense especially for lace socks, because often the pattern only really comes into its own when stretched.
Shawls & Co: Most shawls look quite crumpled after being cast off. They only develop their full size, shape and, if necessary, pattern when properly blocked. Blocking wires are best suited for this purpose. These are passed through the edge stitches and then fixed in shape with the help of T-pins on blocking mats. We do not recommend the use of conventional pins, as they can rust due to moisture and contaminate the knitted fabric. Blocking wires are available in stiff and flexible versions. You need the flexible wires if you want to block circular knitted pieces or semicircular cloths. For smaller cloths or narrow edges, comb pins are also excellent. Tensioning only with T-pins can quickly lead to "tip formation", which is why we advise against it for longer edges.
Sweaters, cardigans and co: If it is not explicitly stated in the pattern, sweaters or cardigans are not dried under full tension, but are simply spread into shape after washing and dried on the blocking mats fixed with comb pins. Drying on the mannequin is also possible. To do this, place the damp garment on the tailor's dummy and fix it in place. Make sure that any overlaps/collars... are fixed adequately, so that the shape is later as it should be. NEVER dry sweaters or cardigans hanging on a hanger or clothesline.