Since I’m starting to share some of my old knits again, I thought I would take it back to the very beginning and share one of the first sweaters I ever knit that I was really proud of.
In 2020, when everyone was trying to find their quarantine hobby, I rose from a night of dreaming (much in the same way a vampire might rise from a coffin) and declared, “I think I’m going to knit a sweater.” I searched for some patterns online and stumbled upon this one: the Winter Magic Ribbed Pullover.
It was the first sweater I knit that I was brave enough to wear outside the house; the other sweater I knit was way too big. I did live in Phoenix at the time, so the weather only got cool enough to wear a wool sweater about once a year anyway.
The Materials:
This particular pattern suggested The Wool from We Are Knitters or Crazy, Sexy Wool from Wool and the Gang. Now, as an experienced knitter, I know that both of these yarns are basically the same, and you can find some less expensive alternatives if cost is your prohibiting factor. However, when I was first casting on this project as a beginner, I really wanted to stick to what the pattern designer had suggested.
We Are Knitters and Wool and the Gang are what I would call “trendy” online yarn shops. They look pretty, post fun user-generated content, and have a pretty good grasp on what makes for good social media. The yarn itself is good quality, but it is a little expensive when factoring in the costs for a project. I still purchase from them from time to time, but have veered into more local stores lately.
I chose The Wool from We Are Knitters in Skylovers, a beautiful color with hints of peach and a light dusty blue. i needed 5 skeins in total for this sweater.
The Construction:
This sweater is knit in four separate pieces and then seamed together. Decidedly, this is not my favorite type of construction for knit sweaters. Personally, I prefer a seamless construction with everything knit in the round. Especially with bulky yarn, the seams can feel like a bit much, and the classic mattress stitch may be more prone to pulling the final constructed pieces. (There are a few easy ways around this, but I don’t think it’s something I knew as a beginner.)
This project does use really bulky needles: US 17 – 12.0 mm, US 19 – 15.0 mm, and US 50 – 25.0 mm. Because the yarn and needles are so big, the sweater pieces come together pretty quickly. I think I knit everything fast, but waited a bit to seam everything together. Earlier, I said seamed sweaters weren’t my favorite type of sweater construction; that’s because seaming is not my favorite activity as a knitter.
Overall thoughts:
As a beginner, this sweater was easy enough to construct. This sweater comes in one size: oversized. I am not a small person, and the sweater fit well enough on my body frame. That being said, the yarn is a bit of an expensive choice for a sweater that (in my opinion) lacks wearability.
It photographs nicely, but it’s bulky (so it doesn’t fit well under a jacket) and it’s made with 100% wool so it’s also hot. In the years it’s been since I knit this sweater, it’s been hard for me to find the right occasion to wear this sweater, even if I love it.
If given the chance, would I knit this sweater again? Unfortunately, probably not. I actually see myself frogging this sweater and using the yarn to make something else in the near future. The yarn itself is beautiful and this sweater is admittedly fun, but I just don’t wear it enough to justify keeping it in my closet.
If you’re a beginner, there are better sweater patterns out there for you to start with that I think you’ll be happier having in your closet. (May I suggest the Louisiana Sweater?)
That being said – the ribbing on this texture is pretty fun so I understand if you like this pattern specifically! If your heart is set on this bad boy, don’t let me stop you. I’ve still garnered plenty of compliments on it.
