Monday 1 January 2007

DESIGN YOUR OWN SWEATER

I am going to be giving instructions here for designing your own sweater.

We will learn how to design a drop shoulder sweater, a set in sleeve sweater or a raglan sweater. Possibly a saddle shoulder too.

It is very simple to do. It will mean that you can use any yarn and any pattern that you like.

We will be working in centimetres only, inches are not accurate enough and besides it is time you that don't know how to use them learnt to! It is very easy. One inch equals 2.54 cms. You do not need to be a genius to work with the metric system.

You will need:

1. A pen and some paper.
2. A ruler
3. A calculator
4. Knitting machine or knitting needles
5. Yarn
6. YOU WILL NEED TO KNIT SWATCHES. IT IS A MUST.

I will not be giving instructions on how to knit. I will assume you already know how to machine knit or hand knit. I also will not be giving instructions on how to sew up your garment.

If you learn these basics, you will really free yourself up. You will no longer have to hunt down a pattern for that yarn you found. You can make your own. You will be able to create your own yarns by using two or more yarns together. You will be free to create what is in you and will not have to rely on others to do this for you.

You will get much more satisfaction. Which is what knitting is about after all!

And, no, you are not too thick to do this. If you are prepared to learn the simple basics of working out your shape, you can do whatever you want.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

G'day.
I'd like to wish you all the best with your project, I've been thinking of trying a "design your own" and will be an avid reader of your posts.
All the best,
David.

www.sticksandstring.com.au
A podcast by an Australian bloke who knits.

Anonymous said...

Dear, dear Colin. You are a complete angel for doing this "designing" thing JUST FOR ME! As soon as the left-over holiday things are finished, I indend to do a sweater and I do declare, you make such sense with your instructions (except being accustomed to idiot-system inches here in the US). What a wonderful gift you've given all us neophyte sweater knitters (and I'm OLD to be a neophyte anything). Bless your sweet little heart.

Anonymous said...

Colin, this is fantastically generous, and your instructions are most clear.
I think you understand a little French, and hope you will understand an old-fashioned French expression, used to say good-bye:
"Mes respects, Monsieur".
And this is not lip-service.

A well-wishing friend

Anonymous said...

Colin,
Thank you so much for your instruction! We will be learning from a master.
Kathy

Apprentice said...

Woo, fantastic. I'll be watching, too. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Colin , itdoes not matter how experienced people are they will always learn something. Thank you for your time and patience.

Cimorine said...

I thought of this, too. are we the only ones who know how to do this? and I'm not kidding. I really did think of this as well. in fact, I wonder why people really need patterns anyway.