We’re currently hosting our first sweater knit along—and it’s generating lots of commentary and questions from knitters seeking advice! The knit along features the free Rose Frost Sweater pattern designed by Sophia Minakais. A beginner-friendly colorwork sweater, Rose Frost calls for  4 colors of Lamb’s Pride Worsted or Lanaloft.

We’re fielding questions and offering guidance in the Brown Sheep Company Crafters group on Facebook. But we also thought this was a great opportunity to outline helpful advice for knitting sweaters here on the blog.

There are several steps you can take to ensure all of the time and effort of knitting a sweater is well spent. We consider the below tips to be non-negotiable for knitting the best sweaters!

Read the Whole Pattern Before Starting

Before you purchase yarn, before you choose your needles, take time to read the sweater pattern from beginning to end. Make a note of any unfamiliar techniques you might want to practice before casting on. Read the details about sizing, marking whether the pattern includes positive or negative ease (loose vs. fitted). Review the finishing instructions to ensure you understand what you’ll need to do once the knitting is done. Finishing an in-the-round sweater is a very different undertaking than finishing a pieced sweater with set-in sleeves! Note the tools and notions required to prevent later scrambling for items you may not have in your stash.

A sweater is a big knitting project that times time, effort, and skill. Make sure you’re fully prepared to tackle your sweater pattern before you get to the fun part: choosing yarn.

Pay Attention to Fiber Composition

At Brown Sheep Company, we love wool. Wool features in all of our yarns—it’s clearly our favorite fiber! But there are lots of different fibers on the market you can choose from. And, they all possess different properties that affect a finished garment.

Your safest bet when knitting from a pattern is to use the suggested yarn. If you choose to substitute a different yarn, then finding yarn with a similar gauge is only the first step (we have a handy guide for substituting Brown Sheep yarns in patterns!).

A colorwork sweater like the Rose Frost Sweater was made for a classic single-ply wool yarn like Lamb’s Pride. If you chose to substitute an alpaca yarn with the same gauge, you’d probably end up with a very drapey fabric. Wool has memory and bounce; alpaca has less elasticity, and is denser than wool—it tends to grow under gravity.

Consider the sweater you’re making when choosing a substitute fiber. Does the pattern have lots of cables—and thus require a crisp fiber? When choosing a substitute fiber, look for a yarn with a similar fiber composition. Also, pay attention to the spin, ply, and weight per yardage of the substitute yarn. Compare the weight-yardage ratio of your substitute yarn to the original yarn. If the yarns are the same weight (say 100 grams) but your substitute yarn offers more yardage, this means your substitute yarn is slightly thinner than the original yarn. This will likely mean your gauge will be different as well. Which brings us to the next step…

Knit and Wash a Gauge Swatch

Elizabeth Zimmerman said “gauge is the most important principle in knitting” in her book Knitting Without Tears. We agree!

The first step to knitting the best sweaters is knitting a gauge swatch. Most knitters opt for casting on the exact number of stitchers noted on a yarn’s ball band to reach 4″ square. However, this doesn’t take into account that edge stitches are often wonky and unreliable units of measurement.

We recommend knitting a gauge swatch of approximately 6-8″ square. Make sure to knit your gauge swatch in the stitch pattern prescribed in the pattern—and in the same method. If you’re knitting a sweater flat, your gauge swatch should be flat. If in the round, your gauge swatch should be knit in the round.

Knitting an accurate gauge swatch involves more than just yarn and needles. In her book The Principles of Knitting, June Hemmons Hiatt states that there are five variables that affect gauge: “your hands, the needles you use, the knitting method you prefer, the yarn you work with, and the stitch or color pattern you choose.” She goes on to say that “if any of one of these things changes, the gauge of the fabric will change.” We would add “mood” to the list. Knitting while watching a horror movie might produce a different tension than knitting while watching a romantic comedy!

Your swatch knitting doesn’t end there. Wash and dry your gauge swatch as you would your sweater. This will give you the most accurate measurement. If you plan to block your sweater, block your gauge swatch! Measure your gauge before and after blocking to see how it’s changed. You might even want to subject your gauge swatch to the same gravitational force it will endure while you’re wearing it—clip it to a skirt hanger! This will be very useful for yarns that tend to grow, like alpaca.

Check out How to Knit a Gauge Swatch for step-by-step instructions!

Pay Attention to Measurements

A good sweater pattern will include multiple measurements so you can ensure the best fit. Pay attention to any fit notes in the pattern, like whether the design has built in positive or negative ease. Also, consider how you would like the sweater to fit. Many knitters prefer choosing a size closest to their own, although the oversized look has also become popular in recent years.

Understanding your own measurements and how you prefer clothing to fit will help you choose the best size for you. Take your measurements as outlined in Craft Yarn Council (shown above). Measuring clothing you already own is another way to make a sweater you know you’ll love to wear. Pull a top or sweater from your wardrobe and measure it as a baseline.

Take Notes As You Knit

Taking notes as you knit is important for a few reasons. Once you’re finished knitting, you may decide to make the sweater again. Having notes about any modifications you made will be helpful when you repeat the process.

Keeping detailed notes is also helpful with certain parts of the sweater that need to match, like sleeves. Or, if you’re working a sweater in pieces, matching the front and back for armhole decreases. Don’t assume you’ll just remember modifications or how many rows you worked to reach a certain length! 

Make notes on your printed pattern, or keep a dedicated notebook for your knitting projects. A notebook is a nice option as it gives you a compendium of projects to refer to in the future.

Don’t Rush the Finishing

You put a lot of time, effort, and love into making your sweater. By the time you get to the final stages, you’ll probably feel ready to whip up the seams, tuck the ends in, and wear your sweater. Try to resist that impatient urge. You’ve dedicated so much to this project: don’t rush the finishing!

The finishing is where you add the final polish to your project. If you’ve worked a sweater in pieces, remember to wash and block those pieces to create even fabric for seaming. Research which method for weaving in ends works best for your project. This guide from Modern Daily Knitting includes some good options. Consider various bind offs to choose the most attractive option for your sweater—considering stretchy versions for areas like the collar, cuffs, and hem. Take your time, and move slowly. You’ll thank yourself later when you have a perfect sweater to wear!

Check out How to Piece a Sweater Together for help with your finishing!

When All Else Fails: Block It Out

We’ve seen so many sweaters experience profound transformations after a nice washing and blocking. Brown Sheep yarns often bloom after washing. The yarn opens up, relaxing stitches and settling irregularities in the fabric. Don’t trust the final fit of your sweater until you’ve washed and blocked it! 

You can even get another inch or two out of a sweater with washing and blocking. Wet fiber is pliant and can be stretched and shaped. If your finished sweater is not too far from the final measurements, you can pin it to the desired size when it’s wet to achieve the measurements you want.

We hope this advice helps you knit the best sweaters ever! Do you have a favorite tip we forgot to mention? Let us know!

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