“My mother told me once that she had her talk with God whenever she started a new sweater: 'Please don't take me in the middle of the sweater.'”

– Judy Blume

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Hello there! This is The Yarnist. The daily newsletter that makes you love knitting the same way The Aquabats love a Red Sweater.

Here's what we've got for you today...

• Knitspiration: Why you should knit a sweater soon
• Stitchionary: A difficult flower stitch
• Pattern Pick: This sweater is back to basics
• PLUS: Cut of yarn, Baby corn, and more

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Disclaimer: This newsletter may contain sponsored ads and affiliate links.
When you buy using them, you support our work here at The Yarnist, as we get a small commission.

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Knitspiration

🥰 5 Reasons Sweaters are the BEST Knitting Project Ever

Ok, so sweaters might not be the first project on your mind to knit during spring and summer.

Sipping lemonade on the porch sounds great, as long as it doesn't involve half a fleece of sheep's wool on my lap.

But I would argue this is the BEST time to knit a sweater. If you finish it during summer then you'll have it ready once the cold weather comes again.

And there are plenty of light weight sweaters made from fibers that won't give you heat stroke.

Not convinced?

Well here are FIVE reasons why knitting a sweater is the best project ever!

It's a great challenge

I learned to knit because I wanted to knit a sweater.

And I wanted to knit a sweater because I wanted to challenge myself.

If you're like me, I viewed making my own sweater as the pinnacle of knitting achievement. To some extent I still hold that belief.

Knitting a sweater pulls together all the essential skills a knitter needs to know.

Gauge, shaping, fixing mistakes, seaming, etc. You need them all to finish a sweater.

Plus there are many levels of difficulty between sweater patterns.

If you're just starting, you can make something simple.

More advanced? Tackle an intarsia laden cardigan with lots of finishing details.

Regardless of your skill level, there's always a more challenging option out there.

It's also big investment in resources and time.

Which leads us to our next reason...

It teaches patience

Knitting a sweater takes a while.

Depending on the complexity of the pattern and the weight of yarn, it can take more than 35 hours to make.

Some people can get it done in ​two weeks​, and others might take years to finish.

That all depends on how consistently you work on the sweater.

Either way, it's not going to happen over night. You have to be committed to the process if you want to succeed.

To do that will take patience, which is a skill that can translate to many areas in your life. Not only knitting.

It's relatively cost effective

There's a common misconception that it's cheaper to buy knits at the big box store in the mall.

Sure you can grab a simple stockinette sweater at Wal-Mart for $25, or maybe even less.

However, that sweater is going to be poorly made out of VERY cheap materials that aren't going to last.

A nice (but boring) sweater from J. Crew is going to cost around $150.

You could knit yourself something more interesting with higher quality yarn. And it would only cost about $100.

True, it will take more time to knit than going to the store to buy a sweater.

But that extra effort only makes the sweater more meaningful to you.

Oh and if you were to hire someone to hand knit you a sweater, expect it to cost upwards of $450!

It's incredibly useful

I have quite a few sweaters in my closet.

Why?

Because I like the way they look when they're all nicely hung up?

Of course not!

I fold my sweaters on a shelf.

But really, it's because I like to wear sweaters.

In fact I have a couple favorite sweaters that I wear all the time.

Contrast that with my knitted hats, which I only wear one or two of depending on how cold it is.

I may not need another hat any time soon, but I can always use a new sweater.

You get to make it your own

One of a biggest reasons we hand knit is we get to direct the process.

We choose the pattern. We (usually) choose the yarn.

We choose the colors and make adjustments and embellish and tweak and get that sweater just the way we want it.

Participating in something like our Sweater Knitting Bootcamp can make process that easier.

But the amount of variety and customization you can come up with is WAY beyond what you can buy at the store.

When you finish that sweater, you'll have an immense sense of pride. That's because YOU made it exactly the way YOU wanted.

Conclusion

So there you have it.

Those are our reasons you should knit a sweater.

But what do you think?

Did we miss something?

Do you think another type of project is superior?

Hit reply and share your thoughts with us!

We'd love to hear your feedback. 😊

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Daily Stitch

The Lotus Flower Stitch

This week we're finishing our exploration of knitting stitch techniques with gathers.

These are kind of like reverse bobble. They take a bunch of stitches and pull them together, only to replace them again with multiple increases.

To be honest, they're kind of a pain in the butt to make, but the result is worth the effort.

​Learn This Stitch

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Yarnist Insider Bonus

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Pattern Pick

Back to Basics Sweater by Lion Brand Studio

You can always use a chunky cardigan to cozy up in.

This simple sweater is knit up in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, so you can have it finished in no time.

If you're new to sweater knitting, the basic shaping of this project is great for your first time.

And best of all this pattern is 100% FREE!

Get This Pattern

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Knits & Giggles

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Thanks for reading!

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Before you go...below you'll find a few ways we can work together, and other bits & bobs:

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Look at you reading all the way to the end!

Here's a bonus video with this incredible arial footage of sheep being herded. 🤯

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Made with 💙🖤🤍 in Tallinn, Estonia

Narva Mnt 15, Tallinn, 10120