How to Convert Wool Knitting Patterns to Cotton Patterns
If you've fallen in love with a knitting pattern that calls for wool yarn but you want to knit it in cotton, you can adjust the pattern to suit cotton's characteristics. Learning to adjust patterns and make them better suited to yarns composed from different fibers is especially useful if you or the person for whom you are knitting is allergic to wool or other animal fibers. Converting wool knitting patterns for cotton yarn is easy, and often takes a short amount of time.
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Instructions
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Knit a sample swatch in cotton yarn to see if the stitches used in the knitting pattern create a heavy fabric. Cabled and highly textured wool knits are often too heavy when worked in cotton.
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Adjust the pattern's stitch gauge if you want to create a highly textured knit with cotton yarn. Increase your knitting needle size and knit slightly larger, more open stitches. This will reduce some of the weight that cotton yarn would add to the piece.
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Rework the pattern instructions to match the larger gauge. Knit a 6-inch by 6-inch swatch in your larger gauge, and measure the number of stitches and rows that fit into 4 inches.
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Reference the finished measurements provided on the pattern to calculate how many stitches to cast on and how many you need for the correct bust measurement, collar circumference and sleeve circumference.
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Revise patterns knit in the round to knit in separate pieces; seams will give heavier cotton garments structure. Add a stitch to either side of the front, back and sleeve pieces. This will become the selvage stitch.
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Tips & Warnings
-Find loosely-spun cotton yarns such as Blue Sky Organic Cotton for patterns that feature cables and other heavy stitches to further reduce the finished garment's weight.
-If you're knitting small items, you probably don't have to convert your pattern. Just make sure you can knit the pattern's suggested gauge with your cotton yarn.
