year of the sweater, year of the fit | BASICS ROUND-UP

Year of the Sweater Community: 

Ravelry | Pinterest 

in prep for my year of perfecting my sweater skills, i've been earmarking blog posts, podcast episodes, and other things that i find helpful in my journey. i have decided to put together a few posts along my journey to help others who are setting out along with me. mainly, this is a way that i can put everything in one place to access later. i want to say up front that i will not be sharing any tips that are from purchased resources. i will do my best to explain the resource in context to the technique, but i want to give credit where credit is do (chalk it up to the student in me!). everything will be linked for your convenience and those resources that i have purchased will also be linked. if you want to see inspiration and all things pertaining to the year of the sweater, you can check out and follow my pinterest board.

don't know where to start? how about the basics. i thought i would put together a good round-up of some things that i've been reading.

1. Look into some of these resources about getting what YOU want out of your next sweater.

CustomFit by Amy Herzog | this is a great resource and an account is free! amy has put together a program that basically does everything for you. you can also view her videos on gauge, measurements, and steps to getting a sweater modified to YOUR body.

Knit to Flatter | Craftsy Class & Book | another great resource from Amy herself. i have worked my way through the class and am now taking the first steps to learning how to modify a sweater. the class is good to view forever and include worksheets that you can print out for your own use. the book is additional but a great resource as well... you'll even find the patterns for the sweaters that are modeled in the class.

2. Don't skip the details! Swatch, swatch, swatch.
Swatching: Why You Wanna
Practical Tips on Swatching
Why Swatches (sometimes) Lie
Swatching in Pattern

3. Here are a few other resources that are worth checking out.
A great post on ease.
An episode where Hannah Fetig and Amy Herzog talk about modifying sweaters.
Elizabeth Zimmermann talks about gauge and it's importance

year of the sweater, year of the fit | SWEATER PROBLEMS

Year of the Sweater Community:

Ravelry | Pinterest 

if you watch the podcast or follow the group, you know that i have decided that this new year will be about knitting sweaters that fit me the way that i want them to fit. sweater knitting is time-consuming, costly, and can lag on for-EVER. after all that, you just want a sweater to fit, right?

over the next year, i am challenging myself to start paying attention to the details of knitting sweaters. everything from getting correct measurements, to learning about gauge and why i should love it, to finishing techniques. i want to learn AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! 

i have several posts planned in my head, and a few on paper, but i thought i would start with talking about why i need to learn to knit better sweaters. 

problem #1 the bust

before i had my son, i really only knit one sweater. truthfully, i'm pretty sure that i didn't finish said sweater until after he was born. fast forward 3 years and i'm still struggling with the changes that happened to my bust. i was picking a size 38 sweater based on my bust size. obviously this was a problem because i'm knitting sweaters that don't have the right amount of positive ease.

problem #2 the waist (aka the "spare tire", the "muffin top")

i said it...i want to be clear here... i am not degrading my body. i am happy with my body, maybe not so much my weight but i'm working on it. BUT, i want to wear sweaters (and garments) that don't bring attention to my waist. i am mom and i know that there are some things that just happen when you have children and i am completely okay with that. BUT, i want to wear things that make me feel beautiful... not self-conscious of those areas that i would rather not put on display. 

problem #3 the details

there are details that a knitter has to pay attention to when knitting any pattern. how many stitches to cast on, when to increase, when to decrease, how many buttonholes, etc. after knitting my inland, i realize that those details are not suggestions...the details lead you to knitting a great sweater. gauge is a BIG DETAIL that i think a lot of knitters look over and disregard. however, not knowing your gauge is a red flag for not getting the sweater you want. when i knit my inland, i didn't really pay attention to my gauge or my buttonholes. measuring for the next buttonhole was really non-existent. and knowing how my row gauge affected said buttonhole was even more of a disaster. i now have a finished sweater where the buttonholes are way too far apart, making for quite a disappointment. isn't there a saying about this???? ah, yes.... "the devil is in the details". how true that is.

so, there you have it. 3 main problems that i have noticed with my sweater knitting. 3 problems that have led me to this point. 3 problems that are absolutely fixable with a little bit of help.

HOUSE OF KNITTING: episode 6 a new year

Shownotes

Find me: 

ravelry: mamaholmes

instagram: @mamaholmesNC

twitter: @themrskholmes

Join the Ravelry Group!

Housewarming KAL is over! Winners announced! A great big thank you to all who participated. I had such a great time getting to know you all.  Thank you to those viewers who donated prizes! My heart is so full for the friendships that are coming out of the podcast. Be on the lookout for the next kal. In the meantime, jump over to the Year of the Sweater, Year of the Fit thread for a year long unofficial kal. 

WIPpile

My WIPpile is full of mostly "boring" knitting. Am I really becoming that knitter?! 

Sockhead Hat

Unwind Yarn Company

Twinkle Sock

"Dandy"

US Size 3

Make Believe Sock

(My usual vanilla sock recipe)

Knit Picks Stroll Fingering Handpaints

"Make Believe"

US Size 1

Leafy Washclothes (Set of 12) (Garter Stitch version)

Lily and Creme Cotton Solids

"Jute" & "Sage"

Hippo

Knit Picks Stroll Handpaints

"Lullaby"

US Size 4

WIPpile Update (Tackling WIPs KAL with MSK)

Pomme de Pin

Magrathea

Finished:

Slutty Pumpkin Socks

Peer-Pressured Sockhead

Year of the Sweater, Year of the Fit:

I hope you'll join me on a year-long journey of becoming a better sweater knitter. I'll also be exploring sewing garments as well! Hop over to this thread to join in the chatter. 

Knit to Flatter Craftsy Class by Amy Herzog

Get a free CustomFit Account! 

Sewing Machine 911 Craftsy Class

Other Things Mentioned:

Tangerine Designs

Itty Bitty Toys

Susan B Anderson's Blog

Christmas Set from Itty Bitty Toys

Kristen's Tackling WIPs progress

Knit Picks Blocking Pins

Amy Miller's patterns

talkin' about shawls

Onward by Shannon Cook

Cedar Leaf Shawlette by Alana Dakos

i totally forgot to mention this in the most recent episode of my podcast, but during the Fall Frolic, the Carolina Fiber Girls interviewed attendees and we discussed our favorite shawls. I talked these two shawls on the episode. These are my go-to shawls for wearing and I always get tons of compliments on them.

Trust me, if you are looking to grow your queue, you are going to want to stop and go listen right now! Thanks so much to Ann and Janis for letting me get in on the fall shawl together fun!


(The Fall Shawl Together is a collaborative project hosted by Infinite Twist! You can find her shop and what she is all about here.)

HOUSE OF KNITTING: episode 5

Shownotes

Find me on ravelry (mamaholmes), instagram (mamaholmesNC), and twitter (themrskholmes)

Thank you for those who have joined the group, shared the podcast, or left an iTunes review!

Join the Housewarming KAL...check the thread for details!

{WIPpile}

Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure

US Size 3 Addi Lace needles

Yarn: Fable Fibers Folktale in "(Oops) Oxidize"

Pomme de pin Cardigan by Amy Christoffers

US Size 4 & 5

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Sport in "Army Green"

Amy's Group thread for the pattern 

Magrathea by Martina Behm

Yarn: The Flying Kettle Glider in "Bookish Rogue"

{Spinning}

Finished: SpinMonkeys Rambouillet in "Patina"

Semi- Fractal Spinning Technique

Malabrigo Nube in "Piedras"

Traditional 3-ply

{Finished}

Jellybean Socks

Spring Socks

Wedding Orchid Socks

Little Flax

Clayoquot Toque

Inland

{Year of the Sweater, Year of the Fit}

Custom Fit

Knit to Flatter Craftsy Class & Book

EZ's Knitting Without Tears

{Other Things Mentioned}

Anatomy of Knitting Podcast

Tackling WIPs KAL with My Sister's Knitter

Yarnraising Podcast

Bird Leg Bags

The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook and Know Your Wool Craftsy Class (It's FREE!)

Polycord Drive Belt 

Andean Bracelet

Kristen's Grace Cardigan

Kristen's Calligraphy Cardigan

andalusia

i've made it a goal to catch up and post about my finished things. especially those things that are sweaters. i want to make sure that i have something to come back to that points out the things i loved (and hated) about the specific thing. i also set this goal because i would like to have great photos of those things, especially when that thing is something for my little boy. chances are that i'll want to knit stuff for the next one so i want to be sure that i have a detailed record of which ones are must-knits.

andalusia--- here's the thing about this sweater. i knit it as a shop sample for a dyer local to me. she gifted me the pattern and the yarn. the finished item was supposed to show off her newest yarn base, which is a lot like malabrigo worsted. she ended up not needing the sample, so i got to keep it.

i knit 2 year old size but most people who have knit this particular sweater said that it was too big for a 2 year old. that is exactly the case. xander is wearing 3T now and it fits him perfectly.

this was not the most fun to knit for me. i found the pattern to be a little confusing, leaving out some key information that later caused me to have to rip back almost the ENTIRE sweater.

it's top-down, raglan construction makes it tolerable but the stitch used was not fun to knit for me. the double-breasted front was in seed stitch and the body and sleeves are knit in the andalusia stitch, which is specified in the pattern.

however, i put this on xander last weekend and decided to take pictures. i love this sweater. the double-breasted front is so adorable on him. i used two tones of green buttons for the button band. they were just buttons that i had lying around.

since this knit was to sample a yarn that wasn't released (to my knowledge), i would say that the yarn in comparable to malabrigo worsted. it's a single-ply yarn making the finished sweater squishy and warm. the grey is perfect for a little boy and can be worn with pretty much anything in his closet.

all in all, i would consider knitting the sweater again since i worked out most of the kinks. once you get going, it's a quick knit and it makes for a great layering piece. i would love to knit it up in a variegated yarn since there is a textured pattern that would minimize the chance for pooling.

HOUSE OF KNITTING: episode 4

Shownotes

Find me!

mamaholmes on ravelry, @mamaholmesNC on instagram, @themrskholmes on twitter

Join the Ravelry Group! 

{Housekeeping}

Housewarming KAL is going on through January 2nd. Details in the group.

Working on the feed at podcast garden for submission to itunes!

{Events}

No upcoming but the Carolina Fiber Frolic was awesome!

Thank you, Jan for a great retreat experience. 

Spring Retreat is March 20-22, 2015 in Sapphire, NC. Classes are offered in the Spring, so keep an eye out! 

Carolina Fiber Frolic website & ravelry group. 

{wip pile}

Wedding Orchid Socks. 

Slutty Pumpkin Socks. 

little flax. (insert a good picture of the sweater)

Designer: Tin Can Knits from The Simple Collection

Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in "Azul Profundo" & "Ravelry Red"

Needles: US Size 6 & 8

Size: 2-4 years

handspun hat frogged...
Knit in "Lavinia" from Into the Whirled

whispering pines shawl
Designed: Molly from A Homespun House podcast
Cast on for the KAL.
Yarn: Fat Squirrel Fiber Fingering yarn (no longer sold)
Needle: US Size 4

{spinning}
Hobbledehoy batt done!

SpinMonkeys Rambouillet in "Patina"


{other links}
Kristen's Jamberry Nail website

Thank you, Andi for mentioning the podcast in your group! 

Join her #MSKtacklingWIPsKAL

Fractal spinning

Craftsy Spinning Classes

CooperCorgi's New Base: Jones Street Sport

Polycord Drive Bands

"Know Your Wool"

Monster Cowl