1. Why do Aran patterns need more wool than other patterns?
This is a question we are frequently asked by customers, especially those who are new to miniature knitting.
There are several reasons for the increased amount of wool, for example there are more stitches in a row of an Aran pattern than in a row of plain knitting.
The stitches in the Aran pattern ‘travel’ and are twisted about one another in cables and other stitches. This makes the knitted fabric much thicker and pulls the stitches in the row closer together; so ‘extra’ stitches are required to obtain the same width as a similar piece of plain knitting.
All these extra stitches in the Aran pattern will take up more wool than the same finished size of plain knitting.
2. Will I get the same results if I use acrylic wool or cotton instead of pure wool to knit the Aran patterns?
No, you will not get the same results as pure wool is naturally springy and is able to pull the stitches together. Cotton or acrylic will make the finished item much larger, as they do not have this elasticity. This is one reason we have not yet designed any Aran patterns in 1/24th scale, as we are limited to using cotton thread in this scale.
Some people prefer the finished effect of cotton or acrylic (see photo below), as the finished Aran design is clearer and they are not concerned about the size.
