Aaahh ladies thanks for advice. So yesterday I tried the Caron Simply soft. I am trying to make a poncho, granny square style, for each of my twins. The label said 5 mm but I borrowed a 5.5 mm. with my first try to get a start going. I am not sure how the letters and mm labeling work but mine is bigger then it said on the label. with my first try I miscounted so I had to take it out and with my second try I had made the first row way too loose while I did the second row normal. So both tries had to be taken out and then i thought it was time to take a break and take it all out. Maybe today will be a better day.
Caron Simply Soft is one of the thinner 'worsted weight' yarns, so the smaller hook would probably be better. It's a bit less forgiving, than some of the plumper yarns, so your stitch size consistency will be more noticeable. However, the drape of the finished item is lovely! I have an afghan I made with it, many years ago (Ripple pattern). It's been washed countless times and although it no longer looks like new, it's still one of my favorites. :thumbup:
BTW, you might look at other stitch patterns, as well. Since the Simply Soft is a thinner yarn, you may have better luck with something other than Granny Squares. Granny Squares have a lot of open space, which tends to stretch and make looser stitches more noticeable.
dcamarote
12-17-2013 08:08 AM
I have been knitting/crocheting for years. I really love the Caron yarn. It is softer than Red Heart (although they make a soft one also) but the Caron slides along where if I use the Red Heart I sometimes end up having to pull on some of the pieces. I would start out with a less expensive yarn until I decided what type I like best. The Caron size that comes in 16 ounces is a good buy.
BellaBoo
12-20-2013 01:31 PM
The tension you use will make the item smaller or bigger, not just the needle size. Everyone has a different tension when holding the yarn and that will determine the hook size you need for the pattern to be exact size. Every pattern suggests making a 4" swatch to know your gauge.
