Resources for new sweater knitters

New to Sweater knitting?

I have good news for you – sweaters are a lot less complicated than you might fear! Here are some resources to help get you started.

Tutorials

Here are a few tutorials I wrote with newer sweater knitters in mind:

• Quick tips for fearless first sweaters, and how to make them as simple as possible;
• How to properly choose a size for set-in sleeve sweater patterns;
• Speaking of set-in sleeves, here’s how to sew one in like a pro.

You can check out all of my tutorials on my Tutorials page.

How-to Guides

Looking for some basic skills? Here are some of my favorite resources online:

• Blocking. Blocking is a critical step to creating a beautifully finished sweater.  It makes seaming easier, and when done correctly, ensures a great fit.  Here’s my favorite way to block..
• Seaming. Seaming refers to “sewing” your garment pieces together.  This isn’t like traditional sewing, however, and there are special seaming stitches used in knitting that create beautiful, invisible seams.  Here’s a great seaming guide, which has all you need to seam your entire garment together.
• Buttonholes.  My patterns usually include instructions for two-row buttonholes, but there’s no reason to stick with them if you don’t want to! Here are some other methods you might want to choose.
• Short rows. A technique that creates extra length for only a portion of the width of the fabric, created by knitting and turning your work before reaching the end of the row.  If you want to know more about how to work them, here’s a step-by-step guide.

Abbreviations

Here are some common abbreviations you might run across as you knit your sweater:

• CO = Cast-On. If you’re not sure which one to use, I generally recommend (and use) the long-tail cast on. Here’s a great video tutorial on how to do it (and a few other great cast-ons as well).
• BO = Bind-Off. I tend to bind off in the stitch pattern I’m working. But here are some basic bind-offs that will be suitable for the vast majority of your knitting needs.
• k = Knit. Make a knit stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
• p = Purl. Make a purl stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
• m1R = Make 1 Right. Increase 1 right-leaning stitch. Pick up bar between sts with left needle from back to front, and knit through the front loop. Click here for a video on how to do this. (Scroll halfway down the page.)
• m1L = Make 1 Left. Increase 1 left-leaning stitch. Pick up bar between sts with left
  needle from front to back and knit through the back loop. Click here for a video on how to do this. (Scroll halfway down the page.)
• ssk = Slip Slip Knit. Decrease 1 left-leaning stitch: Slip the next 2 sts knitwise, one
  at a time. Insert left needle into the fronts of the slipped sts and k them together. Click here for a video on how to do this.
• k2tog = Knit 2 Together. Decrease 1 right-leaning stitch. Knit the next 2 sts together as one stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
• RS = Right Side. This is the side of the fabric that you intend to face outward for all to see when you wear the garment.
• WS = Wrong Side.  This is the side of the fabric that you intend to face inward against your body when you wear the garment.