Have to add: until 2019 I’d never knitted anything in the round! I’m in my 60s and learnt to knit at school and everything was knitted in pieces and seamed. It really isn’t hard. Watch a few videos on mattress stitch which will help. I’ve popped most of these in my favourites and I have a couple of sweater quantities of worsted that I don’t know what to do with …
Knitting in pieces is not hard. Yes, you need to learn mattress stitch, but by the time you've finished one garment it'll be really easy. Only working with one piece at a time is lighter and smaller, so you make progress quickly. Also, seams help give structure to the finished garment. Go for it!
I learned to knit in pieces and only recently learned to knit in the round. I do like knitting in the round as when you cast off you are finished, but there are advantages to knitting in pieces. As you say, the project is more portable. Mainly, when you have a heavier or cabled garment, the finished garment is more stable and tidy when it is seamed. The seams provide structure to the garment. Mattress stitch is a really satisfying stitch to use when seaming - you do all the stitches and then pull it together like magic! I suggest you find a good RU-vid video and then take the plunge. I honestly think you will enjoy the process and the finished garment. x
A couple considerations 1 on the fingering weight colorwork: you would consider swatching and see how it goes bc colorwork messes up tension a LOT in my experience. I usually would go up 1-2 needle size to get a correct tension( meaning a decent elastic fabric vs stiffy piece of ) Since colorwork is basically double thick, bigger stitches won't be a prob. Swatch And 2, knitting in pieces. it sure gives you a more structured garment, less likely to loosen in the wear, but And Here's some de motivation for you😢 You can't try it on until you're done with the whole project seamed up and everything. I have a front back and 2 sleeves all knitted up at correct gauge that turned up being a too small item and ended being ripped after a year of being grounded. even tho I am not afraid to frog when I find mistakes in my knit, frogging an entire garment kinda kills my mood and affects my self confidence This said, knitting is a journey of learning experience. Who knows ? Maybe knitting in pieces is your next skill you love the most. 🤷🏻♀️
I was a test knitter for Little Crystals, so I’m biased. 😂 but I LOVE that pattern. It was my first ever colorwork project, first time knitting colorwork flat, etc. and honestly it wasn’t too bad at all. So much support in the pattern, and it seems harder than it actually is! Best of luck, if you decide to knit this! ❤
I loved the claret sweater but then the more I looked at her photos and peoples projects photos I noticed it seems to have a tilt in it, where the front lifts. I have a large bust and get this issue on most sweater when I don’t do bust shaping, I can’t imagine how bad the tilt would be on me if even the smaller chested people seem to be experiencing it. I have done a few pieces garments and I actually don’t mind the seaming, it’s the knitting flat I hate but when doing an all over cables you don’t notice it too much seeing as both sides has a mix of knits and purls. So I say knitting flat is actually easier if the garment is more complex. I’d never do a pieced stockinette project. All that purling would be the end of me 😂
I think you should tackle the all over cable, you will do fine with it. Or the first colorwork sweater. I've knitted garments in pieces and seamed several times. People make it look harder than it is, mattress stitch is really chill and seaming gives good structure for a garment, especially a heavier one, like cabled garments use to be. The one boring thing about it is the inability to try it out along the way. But I've heard sometimes it's even better for cabled designs. It's not in vain that many designers chose to make their all over cabled garments flat
Thanks for all the tips! I am surprised to hear so many encouraging to try seaming so it is possible that I get to make the Claret next year? Thanks for watching
I tried to knit a colorwork hat in the round and for some reason, it didn't connect, so it is a hat in the flat except for the ribbing on the bottom. I never figured out what went wrong, so color work is only a distant dream for me. I did knit a large cabled cardigan flat in pieces and seamed it together. I loved the seaming, and the mattress stitch is so easy as long as you pull it tight and don't go too many stitches before tightening, it looks awesome.
Knitting in pieces is not more difficult than knitting in the round. I started with knitting flat in pieces and than, after much hesitation, in the round. It turned out, it is just different, not more difficult.
Hi Rebecca, I love both the little crystals sweater and the Paul Klee one particularly, all your choices are beautiful and I totally get why you're intimidated. I've never knitted any like that before as I'm a fairly new knitter. My dream knit would be the Porcelain sweater by Le Knit but I'd be scared to try it, another one would be the storm sweater by Petite Knit. Good luck with whatever you choose. Maybe you could do a wee knit-along type thing with a friend for moral support 😊
Thank you so much! Of course I would! Maybe I will tackle these more towards 2025😅. My friend Jo is making the Porcelain sweater-also first time for her I think doing colorwork flat- her podcast is Made by Jo, so I am sure you might find it helpful, you can totally make it!
I have a couple of knitted dresses in my Ravelry list, I even bought the yarn but I am so scared to start, it's such a massive project, it's scary af 😭
oh no, in cases like that it helps me to break it down and do it as a yearly project: so you can have other wips as your main wips and that is your background one, so you can have weeks not touching it etc. I did this with the Champagne cardigan as I was managing 3 cakes at the same time and knew I would get bored, and actually I enjoyed it so much more doing it like that!
I am going to do the Little Crystals in time, it is started flat but will have a join in the round that will reduce seaming. Consider Filcolana Pernilla which is sometimes referred to as light DK sometimes fingering, probably sport in reality
Hi!! I loved this video😍 I really appreciated your honesty in talking knitting fears, budget consideration (that we sadly don't hear very much about in the knitting community. Which is a shame cause I bet is something most of us think about anyway and I think it'd nice to normalize at least taking budget into consideration when planning our makes - I sure do it😅) and finally also the color choise decision paralysis, i feel you girl!!😂 My dream knits include knitting some kind of bottoms, shorts or probably a skirt, a full cable sweater and knitting a dress!! Who knows maybe one of them will be tackled in 2025😮😮
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙏 I think we should maybe try tackle one fear next year, worst case scenario we frog the project and get to use the yarn for something else?
About sportweight and gauge... 1. Audrey Borrego also uses a lot of sport weight gauge. You can use fingering to get that gauge and the fabric will be looser, with dk yarn it will be denser. 2. Filcolana pernille is a sport weight yarn that is very affordable and you can use as fingering and as dk. I do think I want to knit the Illuminate now too😅. But circular yokes are not the best fit on my square shoulders... We will see. Thanks for the video😊.
It sounded kind of like the Paul Klee sweater in the color combinations in the child's sweater was most exciting to you and I think it would look gorgeous on you. I bet you would enjoy knitting it and wearing it. I began knitting garments in pieces because I began with Rowan patterns and they are mostly constructed that way. The process is not as hard as it sounds. There is one garment where I didn't get the set in sleeves quite right and it bugs me still but I haven't. I could easily fix it and seaming doesn't really take long at all but my lack of confidence in actually improving it likely stops me. Knitting in pieces is more portable and a bit more potato-chippy, as you cross so many finish lines... It also adds structure to the garment. I would't mind never doing it again but I wouldn't avoid it if it was integral to a design that I love. Thea Colman cables are worth it, though she does have many designs that don't require seaming. A sweater in my queue that never makes it to the front of the line owing to its complexity is the Porcelain Sweater. I have not knit anything with stranded colorwork flat, let alone flat and then in the round in one garment. I worry it will be difficult to do and difficult to get a consistent gauge. But, oh, I do want that sweater! Maybe a dream knit KAL will get me to the starting line. Enjoyed your podcast, as always!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it! You know my friend Jo is making the Porcelain Sweater at the moment, I think it’s her first time doing colorwork flat and hers is looking great- she has a lovely podcast and always goes in great detail about her projects so I think it might give you the boost of confidence to cast it on.Her channel is called “Made by Jo”.
A lovely honest podcast 🙏 with great pattern ideas! I’m 60 and learned to knit in pieces as most knitting patterns were then based on sewing patterns. It’s not difficult to seam, but now I much prefer a top down seamless. Re. the Paul Klee sweater - why not choose your favourite painting and base your colours on that? And ……… cables are my nemesis, but the all over design you featured is dreamy so maybe I should have a go ……? Thanks x
Thank you for your advice! Yes also someone in the comments mentioned buy a kit for the Paul Klee(maybe we can rely on a hand dyer’s palette and let them choose) But I really like the choose a painting option 🧐
It’s so easy to seam sweaters. You block to measurements, the pin evenly and start mattress stitch. And wa la. Uoi’ve done it. Wouldn’t that fully cables sweater be a cool vest?
Hey! You make it sound like it is! I actually prefer it as a sweater but the same designer has one vest called Oban that is very pretty indeed! Thanks for encouraging me,I think I will need to tackle my dream knits soon ☺️
Ha I totally relate! I have the Illuminate in my library, I’m working on the Pink Velvet and I think the way to go is the same colour in the different fibres. I don’t know what to tell you about yarn choices for that though…since I haven’t figured it out myself yet! I found colourwork flat really wasn’t that bad but it was a very simple pattern. I haven’t seamed my garment that I knit in pieces yet because I haven’t figured out the shoulder where I want to do decreases to shape it more than the original pattern calls for. I am suuuper intimidated by cables and completely agree with you on Thea’s patterns! With how much I’m spinning I’ve stopped buying patterns before I have yarn in hand to make them, although there have been a few that have gotten close lately, namely the Willow sweater and two similar lace cardigans. Lace intimidates me!
