How to Knit a sweater you'll love and actually wear! Part 2

Guest post by Véronique Bélinge

In the last post How to knit a sweater you'll love and actually wear - Part 1, we went over which sweater designs/cuts work best on specific body shapes. Now it's time to figure out what your wardrobe consists of and finally choosing the ideal pattern for your next sweater. This post is short and sweet, but don't skip these crucial steps!

Step two: figure out your 20% 

It is said that most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. That being said, if you want your first sweater to become a true wardrobe staple, you need to figure out what that 20% consists of. 

Example of items in my wardrobe that I wanted to coordinate with

For example, during colder months, my “bottoms” 20% is made of paper-bag trousers, straight-legged high-waisted jeans, and A-line wool miniskirts. I basically wear a crewneck or turtleneck sweater every day because this cut suits my shape best and goes well with everything I wear on my lower half.

So, if you never wear silk-mohair lacy cropped tops or multi-coloured oversized jumpers with puffy sleeves, maybe you should pick something else to knit as your first sweater. Simply put, knit something that compliments your current wardrobe and daily outfits, not your fantasy style, and

make sure it still inspires you.

Step three: find a pattern 

Create a Ravelry account if you haven't already!

Now that you've done your homework, it’s time to put your findings to good use! As previously stated, Ravelry is a great place to refine your pattern search by specifying various criteria like yarn weight, pattern availability, age, fit (fitted, size-inclusive, petite), category, languages, etc. For those not in the know, Ravelry is a free website for knitters, crocheters, and fibre enthusiasts alike. The search results can seem overwhelming at first, but if you're a beginner at sweater knitting, I would recommend sticking to top-down (knit from the neck down), in-the-round (using circulars), and seamless construction with raglan sleeves (see picture bottom-left). This type of construction allows you to do “fit tests” as you go to make sure that everything falls into place nicely, especially at the bust line and at the waist.

Example of raglan sleeve construction - Flax Light pattern by Tin Can Knits

Once you’ve selected a few strong contenders, look at the projects completed for each of them. If you want to see what the sweater could look like in your size, simply type your size in the search field under the "projects" tab. If you find knitwear designers who share your body shape and size, you might want to check out their full design catalog. Fortunately, size exclusivity is a thing of the past, and knitting patterns come in a wide range of sizes and fits.

Stay tuned for the third part of this post where I will cover yarn selection, swatching, and recommendations for seasonal colour palettes! In the meantime, enjoy your search. We would love to know which pattern(s) you've landed on for your most ideal sweater. Please let us know in the comments below!!