Wool Free and Lovin' Knit

Book Review: The Knitter's Life List

I just got a copy of Gwen W. Steege's The Knitter's Life List: To Do, To Know, To Explore, To Make   and I haven't been able to put it down. 

Based on the idea of the "bucket list" (things you want do before you die) or leap list (things you want to do before you leap into the next stage of your life), The Knitter's Life List is a "to-do" for Knitters.

In collaboration with several well-known knitters, designers and yarn makers Gwen has laid out "a list of things to do, patterns to try, techinques to explore, places to go, movies to see and much more -- all related to knitting."      That list takes up over 300 pages and as Gwen says, is not a comprehensive one, but just enough to inspire you and get you started on creating your own list. 

There's a lot of great information in this book, lists of fiber festivals, schools for knitters, and movies and books that feature knitting.  There's brief biographical sketches on a number of designers and yarn makers. Techniques are described in general (not in detail) with info. on where you can learn more.  The appendix itself has enough information to make it worthwhile to purchase this book. 

I loved the fact that there's plenty of ideas for the wool-free knitter in this book too.  When Gwen discusses yarns to try she gives equal billing to wool-free fibers. There's a good section on knitting with silk, and she includes wool-free authors like Amy Singer in her list of people you should meet.  

There's something for everyone in this book whether it starts you thinking about your own Knitter's Life List, gives you ideas of new places to go or presents new things to try or buy.  It's a great overview of the knitting world for new knitters too. And what a great "gift" book for a fellow-knitter.

But I do think the book will have a short shelf-life unless they bring out regularly updated versions. The knitting world is growing and expanding at such a rate that information can be quickly outdated. 

In the meantime, it's inspiring me to start  some lists of my own:

Yarns I want to try

Patterns I want to knit

Places I want to go

Techniques I want to learn...

So. what's on your Knitter's Life List? 

"Santa in the Middle" Christmas Ornament, A free knitting pattern

Yes, I know it's January and Christmas is a LONG way off (11 months today to be exact) but I am working on a plan this year to knit at least one Christmas-themed project each month.  I'm hoping that by the time Christmas does roll around I'll have a box full of knitted goodies to display and/or  gift to others. 

This month I created a cute little ornament to hang on a door handle or on your tree.  I'd seen several sewn versions of this ornament and thought it would be fun to try knitting one. 

I think these would be great for a secret Santa gift exchange, your school or church Christmas craft fair, or a perfect hostess gift.    Use my free pattern to try one yourself and be sure to let me know how it turns out!

Knife Pleats Riding Jacket -- with slight modifications

It's been a few years since I knit my first cardigan, Knife Pleats Riding Jacket, by Debbie Bliss.  I loved a lot of things about this sweater. 

For starters, I love the yarn I chose: Elsebeth Lavold's  Hempathy.  It has washed and worn beautifully.

The style I loved too -- although in retrospect it was more suited for a "top heavy" body than mine. 

I was totally off gauge on this one, but that resulted (quite accidentally) in a perfect fit. 

But there were a few things about this sweater that I didn't like. The original collar was way too small and never laid properly and did nothing to help balance out the sweater.  And the button band was always gaping which is a look I positively can't stand in a sweater. 

I'm Porportional -- what shape are you?

"As knitters, we have the power to create a piece of couture perfectly suited to our figures every single time.  If we look dispassionately, acceptingly, at our forms, we gain the ability to turn this theoretical power into the perfect sweater."  -- Amy Herzog, "Fit to Flatter".

In addition to taking accurate measurements and sizing your sweater pattern accordingly, another key to the "perfect" fitting sweater is knowing your body shape so you can choose sweaters that flatter it. 

Your body shape is something you are born with -- it's the bones of you and really has nothing to do with how much you weigh.   

There are about 8 body shapes according to this site but for the purposes of knitting sweaters,  Amy focuses on the three main body types: top heavy, bottom heavy, and proportional.

According to my measurements, I'm a "proportional" shape which means that I have equal (or nearly so) top and bottom lines .  

This gives me a fair bit of choice in a sweater style provided that the visual elements used in the sweater balance one another.  The knitted item itself should look balanced.

So Far, So Good

It's knitting up real pretty!

A Shawl is not a Sweater

But it's finished and it fits! And hey, it is a light layering piece. 

Pattern: Sothia

Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Fingering (a blend of 75% Pima Cotton and 25% Acrylic)

Bison Brown (3.5 balls)

Marlin (one ball)

Model:  Mademoiselle Alais

Total cost of yarn for this shawl $15.00 (but I think it looks WAY more expensive than that, don't you?)

We have Cast On!

Well, I finally took the plunge and cast on for the Portrait Cardigan in size S.    

We have gauge, the schematic meaurements match my own (I'm adjusting the sleeve length for a better fit) and my swatch assures me this yarn will shrink.  Nothing left now but to wish me luck!

 

How to Choose the Right Sweater Size to Knit

Most sweater patterns come with a series of sizes on the first page. They range from XS-XL and/or list chest measurements 32 and up.

For at least the last 20 years I've considered myself to be a "medium" on top and my chest size has remained a steady 36.5".  Thus, when I look at a sweater pattern I automatically choose the one that says, "M" and/or to fit 36" bust. 

My handknit sweaters are ALWAYS too big and that's before we even get into the issue of yarn growing.  I've never been able to figure this out. 

Then I went to Amy Herzog's "Fit to Flatter" class last fall and I discovered that these "standard" sizes were not what I should be using to choose MY sweater size. 

Amy had us all flip our pattern pages until we found something called the "schematic".  It looks something like this one

These will be the pattern's "finished" measurements.  You want to look at these in comparison to your own measurements. 

Don't guess at your measurements,  you need to know them.  Amy has a wonderful tutorial here on what measurements you need and how to take them. 

The MOST helpful measurement is what Amy calls your "Torso circumference".   To take this measurement, wrap the tape measure around your torso just under your arm pits (but above your bust line).  My Torso is 35.75 (just a bit smaller than my bust size).   

Amy told us to pretend this was our full bust for the purpose of choosing our size.  In many cases it will make a huge difference. 

You also want to consider "ease" -- a knitted garment is supposed to stretch over your body and it can only do that if the sweater is in fact a little smaller than you are. However, some fabrics you knit will have drape and you'll want them to float away from the body so you might choose to build in some positive ease (adding 1-2" wider than  your own measurement).  And of course if you are working with a stretchy plant fiber that is going to grow,  negative ease will be a necessity. 

Another option for sizing  is to compare the schematic measurements to a similar knitted garment in your wardrobe that fits you well. This may give you more confidence in knitting a sweater that's narrower than you are. 

 It is possible that once you compare your measurments (or the measurements of your favorite store bought sweater) against a pattern's schematic you will find that you need to make modifications to the pattern to get it to fit you correctly.  

You may need a longer or shorter arm,  you may need a narrower sleeve, you might need to insert some short-rows to accomodate a full bust or fuller tummy area.  You will want to go through the written pattern and insert these changes where necessary. 

It all seems a bit daunting, doesn't it?  But it really isn't.  Most important thing here, dear knitter, is to really know thy measurements and to choose your size accordingly! 

Swatching: Kollage "Riveting"

The yarn I have chosen for my first wool-free sweater success story is Kollage Riveting.  The fiber content is 100% recycled blue jeans (95% cotton- 5% other).   Love the eco-friendly aspect of this yarn.

I'm excited about this brand of denim yarn because it comes in a variety of colors (I chose Forest Denim color 7909) and the color does not bleed on my hands as I knit. 

The tag tells me that the gauge on this yarn is 26 stitches/32 rows to 4" on 3.5mm needles (US #4), and the pattern I've chosen tells me to achieve this gauge in seed stitch rib pattern

(pre-washed swatch)

I've never been a terribly precise person.  I tend to eyeball the location of a nail when hanging a picture.  Mostly this works out and sometimes you get 2 holes in the wall and I can live with that. 

 But when it comes to knitting sweaters I have learned (to my peril) that taking the pains to do a little measuring beforehand is not an option, but a necessity. Which is why I started swatching.  Gauge may not matter much in a scarf or afghan, but if your gauge is off on a sweater you are going to be in for big trouble. 

What comes first, the pattern or the yarn?

In my search for the perfect wool-free sweater I'm struck by the old chicken/egg dilemna of which should come first, the pattern or the yarn?

Do you find a pattern you love and then look for a yarn to go with it?  Or do you choose a good yarn and then find a pattern to suit? 

As a wool-free knitter I've been prone in the past to falling in love with patterns that are designed for  wool or other animal fibers and then scrambling to find a suitable wool-free substitution.  This method puts the whole project at enormous risk because substituting yarns can be a tricky business and if you get it wrong, you are doomed from the start. 

Since I'm looking to avert another sweater disaster I've created a couple of rules for myself this time around.   If you are just starting out in the world of wool-free sweater knitting, save yourself a lot of headache and apply these rules to your next sweater project. 

Rule #1 -- Choose a sweater pattern designed for a wool-free yarn.  

Rule #2 (which could also be rule # 1 since it's so hard to decide which should come first) -- Choose a wool-free yarn with a good reputation as a sweater yarn.

Keeping these two important rules in mind I chose the Portrait Cardigan pattern using Kollage Riveting Denim yarn.  Or maybe I chose the Kollage Riveting Denim Yarn and then found the Portrait Cardigan.  Whichever way it happened, I have a reliable sweater yarn and a pattern designed to work with it.  How could I go wrong?  

Well, apparently it could still all go VERY BADLY so before you cast on,  come back tomorrow to find out more key steps in planning and knitting a wool-free sweater!