While I love knitting shawls and hats, they don’t always provide the satisfaction of making a sweater. I love the process of sweater making: browsing Ravelry to find the perfect design, dreaming about yarn choices, becoming acquainted with the yarn during the swatching stage, watching the garment magically appear with each row of knitting, and the final victory of wearing it. The possibilities are in my hands, and I can tweak the process to make the sweater uniquely “me.”
I try to always have a sweater on the needles, because I love having a project that I can work on over several weeks (or months!). It presents a challenge of discipline, but there really is nothing more comforting than wearing something you made stitch by stitch. Another benefit to knitting yourself a sweater (besides the creative challenge) is that you can modify it to fit exactly as you want it to. It will be your favorite garment.
If this sounds like too much of a challenge, or you want to pick up new tricks or need moral support, take a look at the sweater classes we are offering this semester. From beginner to advanced, we have chosen some of our favorite new classics in user-friendly gauges (no fingering weight sweaters here!) Our classes provide the instruction and support to get you in a handknit sweater!
Big dreams start small in the Top-down Baby Sweater class. With just two skeins of Spud & Chloë yarn, you can build your sweater making confidence! You’ll learn how to pick up stitches, make buttonholes, and more!
Ready to treat yourself to the cosiness of a handknit sweater? The Basic Top-Down Sweater class makes the process easier than you think, and you’ll have your sweater complete faster than you can say “backwards loop cast on.” Well, maybe not that fast, but it’s knitted in bulky weight so you’ll finish pretty quickly!
Make the Levenwick cardigan from the Brooklyn Tweed Wool People collection in our Lace Edged Cardigan class. Having made this sweater, I can tell you that it’s my favorite knit of the moment. I’m still on the hunt for perfect buttons, so I wear it open and draped in the front. And in Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER, it is so breathable and light that I never want to take it off.
For lace lovers, the Peabody cardigan from Brooklyn Tweed is an elegant crewneck you can learn to knit in the Lace Pullover class. The intricate design across the front and the feminine lace detailing on the sleeves are what make this sweater unique.
No matter what your experience level is, you will learn new skills in any of these classes. Each of these designs has been chosen because of the variety of “tricks” necessary to complete. It’s a wonderful way to get in the sweater making spirit!