Knit Sweater for Beginners. Step by Step Instructions. Free Pattern.

This is my only third sweater in my knitting history. Why so few? Sweaters take time. And like many of us, sometimes I just want to knit for couple of evenings and be done, knit something new. On average, sweaters take an about 3 weeks to a month to knit. And after spending all this time looking on a same pattern, same yarn color, you may start hating the whole project. But hold on, be patient, because sweaters are worth the time you spend on knitting them.

Wool Sweater in Unique Blue:

Step 1:
Yarn: Natural Peasant 100% Wool,  Fine Yarn Weight, 500g.
Long knitting needles: Nr. 2 US/2,75mm and same size circular knitting needles for the collar.

As a rule, first thing first, I knit 4 by 4 inches (or bigger, but not smaller!) gauge swatch in stockinette stitch. Always wash and lay flat to dry the swatch before measuring it.

Gauge Swatch:

 

Gauge: 25 stitches / 32 rows = 4'' (10cm) in stockinette stitch on size 2 US/2,75mm needles.

Side note: So what if your gauge doesn't match mine? That should never stop you. It is rare to have same gauge as a pattern. Couple stitches won't make difference in our pattern, since our yarn is of Fine Wight. But if you working with Medium or Bulky for example, couple of stitches will make big difference in the end result. I would say - gauge is one of the most important factor in knitting sweater that look good and of desired size. 

So if your gauge bigger of smaller then mine - it is easy to recalculate. That is why all patterns come in with measurements in inches (or cm). 

For example: Back of the sweater is 19'' (48 cm). Gauge is  25 sts = 4''. To find out how many stitches in 1 inch:

25 sts = 4"
  x sts = 1",
to find x: 25 × 1 ÷ 4 = 6.25 (sts in 1 inch);

and 19" × 6,25 sts = 118,75 sts. Here you can round up to 119 sts.    

Meaning: Back of the sweater cast on is now 119 sts.                               

                                

Size: This Blue Sweater is size L (40-42).

Pattern: The reason I suggest this sweater pattern for beginners is because back and sleeves are knitted right side - purl, wrong side - knit. Any imperfections on a right side will be hidden with purl stitch. Front of the sweater will be easy to knit if you ever knitted cables. I may look complicated but it is simply cables, believe me: 

Cable Pattern:

Measurements: 

Step 2: Back
Cast on 125 sts. Beginning with wrong side row, work in ribbing pattern: purl3, knit3. Knit for 30 rows (3,5"/9,5cm).

Continue with right side, work in main pattern: all odd number rows (Right Side) are purl, all even number (Wrong Side) - knit.

Knit 110 rows (13"/34cm) and begin shaping armholes:

1st Row of Armhole (Right Side): bind off 3 sts, purl to the end of row;
2nd Row (Wrong Side): bind off 3 sts, knit to the end of row;
3rd Row: bind off 2 sts, purl to the end of row;
4th Row: bind off 2 sts, knit to the end of row;
5th Row: bind off 2 sts, purl to the end of row;
6th Row: bind off 2 sts;
7th Row: bind off 2 sts;
8th Row: bind off 2 sts;
9th Row: bind off 1 sts;
10th Row: bind off 1 sts.

Now you have only 105 sts to work with. Continue until armhole measures 70 rows (9"/22cm) and begin shaping shoulder and collar:

1st Row: purl 32 sts, close 41 sts (collar), purl 32. Continue shoulders separately (I've learned to continue  knitting using the same 2 knitting needles, but it maybe confusing, so you can use another knitting needle -  leaving first 32 sts on separate needle and working with second set of 32 sts (shoulder) first).
2nd Row: knit all sts;
3rd Row: bind off 3 sts, purl to the end of row - 29 sts;
4th Row: bind off 7 sts (shoulder), knit to the end of row - 22 sts;
5th Row: bind off 2 sts, purl to the end of row - 20 sts;
6th Row: bind off 7 sts, knit to the end of row - 13 sts;
7th Row: purl all sts;
8th Row: bind off 6 sts, knit to the end of row - 7 sts,
9th Row: bind off all 7 sts loosely.

Return to the first 32 sts (another shoulder) and knit symmetrically. Hooray, back is done!

Step 3: Front
Cast on 125 sts.  Beginning with wrong side row, work in ribbing pattern: knit3, purl3. Knit for 30 rows (3,5"/9,5cm).

!!! Please note: first and last stitch of each row are not included in the pattern, knit them at your convenience. I prefer to slip first sts, and purl - last.

To make a beautiful and almost unnoticed transition, we going to increase sts by 2 and incorporate them into main pattern in the first row only. The main idea is to make it look like rib pattern flows into cable pattern.

Looking like this:

Row 1: purl36, knit6, purl3, knit3, purl10 - increase 1 st, knit6, purl10 - increase 1 st, knit3, purl3, knit6, purl39. Total 125 sts NOT including first and last edge sts.
Row 2 and all wrong side rows: purl the purl sts and knit the knit sts.
Row 3: purl36, C6B (Cable 6 Back - slip 3 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work, knit 3 from left-hand needle,  knit 3 from cable needle), purl3, knit3, purl10, C6F (Cable 6 Front - slip 3 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work, knit 3 from left-hand needle, knit 3 from cable needle),  purl10, knit3, purl3, C6B, purl39.
Row 5: purl35, T4B (Twist 4 Back - slip1 purl st to cable needle and hold to back of work, knit3 from left-hand needle, purl1 from cable needle), T4F (Twist 4 Front - slip3 knit sts to cable needle and hold to front of work, purl 1 from left-hand needle, knit 3 from cable needle), purl2, T4F, purl8, T4B, T4F, purl8, T4B, purl2, T4B, T4F, pul38.
Row 7: purl34, T4B, purl2, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl6, T4B, purl2, T4F, purl6, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl2, T4F, purl37.
Row 9: purl33, T4B, purl4, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl4, T4B, purl4, T4F, purl4, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl4, T4F, purl36.
Row 11: purl32, T4B, purl6, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl2, T4B, purl6, T4B, purl2, T4F, purl2, T4B, purl6, T4F, purl35.
Row 13: purl31, T4B, purl8, T4F, purl2, T4F, T4B, purl8, T4F, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl8, T4F, purl34.
Row 15: purl31, knit3, purl10, knit3, purl3, C6B, purl10, C6B, purl3, knit3, purl10, knit3, purl34.
Row 17: purl31, T4F, purl8, T4B, purl2, T4B, T4F, purl8, T4B, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl8, T4B, purl34.
Row 19: purl32, T4F, purl6, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl2, T4F, purl6, T4B, purl2, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl6, T4B, purl35.
Row 21: purl33, T4F, purl4, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl4, T4F, purl4, T4B, purl4, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl4, T4B, purl36.
Row 23: purl34, T4F, purl2, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl6, T4F, purl2, T4B, purl6, T4F, purl2, T4F, purl2, T4B, purl37.
Row 25: purl35, T4F, T4B, purl2, T4B, purl8, T4F, T4B, purl8, T4F, purl2, T4F, T4B, purl38.
Repeat Row 3-25. 

Knit 110 rows (13"/34cm) and begin shaping armholes:

Row 111(Right Side): bind off 3 sts, continue following cable pattern;
Row 112(Wrong Side): bind off 3 sts, knit to the end of row;
Row 113: bind off 2 sts;
Row 114: bind off 2 sts;
Row 115: bind off 2 sts;
Row 116: bind off 2 sts;
Row 117: bind off 2 sts;
Row 118: bind off 2 sts;
Row 119: bind off 1 sts;
Row 120: bind off 1 sts.

Now you have only 107 sts to work with. Continue until armhole measures 60 rows (7"/18cm) and begin shaping shoulder and collar:

Row 1: beginning with Right Side row, knit 39 sts, bind off center 31 sts and knit 38 sts to the end of row.

!!! Please  note that you have to continue knitting cable pattern while shaping collar line.

Continue shaping shoulders separately:
Row 3 (Right Side):  decrease 3 sts at necks edge;
Row 5: decrease 2 sts;
Row 7: decrease 2 sts;
Row 9: decrease 2 sts;
Row 11: decrease  1 st,
Row 12: bind off 7 sts  to start shaping shoulder
Row 13: decrease 1 st;
Row 14: bind off 7 sts;
Row 15: decrease 1 st;
Row 16: bind off 6 sts;
Row 17: bind off remaining 7 sts.

Finish another shoulder symmetrically.

Front is done, it's time to knit sleeves. I've learned to knit both sleeves at the same time. I'm sure many of you learned to do that as well: knitting on the same needles and simply using two separate balls of yarn. If you haven't yet, I strongly suggest you'll give it a try. Starting with first ball of yarn cast on 54 sts and knit first 28 rows of rib pattern, ending on a wrong side.  Using same knitting needles but using second ball of yarn, cast on 54 sts and knit rib pattern, separately, not knitting first sleeve at all, 28 rows, also ending on a wrong side. So now you have to separate sleeves with its own ball of yarn on left-hand needle and you are ready to knit the rest of the sleeves. I understand that this may sound confusing, I'm gonna try to make a photo next time I knit sweater sleeves. But I think this method is worth mentioning.

Step 4: Sleeve
Cast on 54 sts, beginning with wrong side row, work in ribbing pattern: knit1, *purl2,  knit2* 12 times, purl2, knit1. Knit for 28 rows (3"/8,5cm).

At the beginning and end of 29th row (Wright Side, purl all sts), increase by 4 sts. Total 58 sts.

Shaping sleeves:

Continue increasing by 1 st at the beginning and end of every 7th row - 6 times, every 9th - 8 times and every 13th - 6 times. Knit 110 rows (14"/35cm).

Shaping cap: (7,5''/19cm high, 18"/46,5cm wide at the base of cap)

Row 1 (Right Side): bind off 3 sts at the beginning of  row;
Row 2 (Wrong Side): bind off 3 sts at the beginning of row;
Row 3-8: bind off 2 sts in the beginning of each row (80 sts).
Row 9: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 10: knit all sts;
Row 11, 12, 13: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 14: knit all sts;
Row 15, 16, 17: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 18: knit all sts;
Row 19, 20, 21: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 22: knit all sts;
Row 23, 24, 25: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 26: knit all sts;
Row 27, 28, 29: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 30: knit all sts;
Row 31, 32, 33: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 34: knit al sts;
Row 35, 36, 37: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 38: knit all sts;
Row 39, 41, 43, 45: 1 st decrease at the beginning and the end of row;
Row 40, 42, 44: knit all sts.
Bind off remaining 28 sts.

Hooray! We are almost at the finish line. Believe it or not, I consider next step very important. We've done ground work and knitted main pieces of the sweater, the ingredients. Putting everything together as important as each ingredient on its own. So let's proceed and finish this amazing sweater.

Step 5: Finishing
Block pieces lightly to size. Meaning: hand wash in cold water, dab excess water with towel and lay flat to dry making sure not to stretch, smooth out sleeve caps to create oval line. Using measuring tape, measure width and length of the sweater, as well as length of armholes and shoulder line.

Using backstitch for all seams, work as follows: with right sides together and using tapestry needle threaded with matching yarn, sew shoulder seams. Ease sleeve caps into armholes, pin in place, then sew. Make sure to align middle of the shoulder cap with shoulder seam. Sew sides and sleeve seams.

Collar:
With size 2US/2,75mm circular needles cast on 114 sts, join sts into a circle, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker after last st to indicate beginning of the round.  Work in ribbing pattern: purl3, knit3, for 44 rows (5"/12,5cm).

Using different, slightly thicker yarn of contrast color, knit last row. Iron: using damp cheese cloth,  folded in 2-3 layers placed over, iron over last row, careful not to press to hard. Let it dry.
Remove circular needles.  Thread tapestry needle. Pin collar in place trying to match ribbing pattern to cable pattern on a front as close as possible. Remove secondary yarn as you work, backstitch collar to back and front through open stitches (this step requires some practice in backstitch stitching, but result worth it).

Alternative - attached collar. With circular needles 2US/2,75mm pick up 114 sts across back and front neck. Work in ribbing pattern: purl3, knit3 trying to match ribbing pattern to cable. Knit desired hight, I did 44 rows (5"/12,5cm) and bind off.

And now your are at the finish line. Enjoy your beautiful knitted sweater and maybe show off little bit - you've earn it!

My name is Uli and I'm off to knit another sweater, it's been fun!

DIY: How To Make a Chair Cover / Slip Cover Tutorial

Welcome!

Making chair covers/ slip covers  became popular in a recent year. It's an easy and relatively inexpensive way of changing decor. And it's not time consuming - it would probably take you about an hour to make one cover and cost $10 (one yard of fabric).  There are different ways to make slip cover, this one is pretty basic.

I would like to start my first tutorial with a little introduction. Like many of us, I dreamed of my own sewing studio. So this fall I started a big project of turning small room is our house into my studio (our daughter calls this room - attic...well, because it leads to an attic). My space needed chairs. And since I couldn't find exactly what I needed (on a budget), I've purchased basic dining room chairs and made covers for them. So let's begin.

After:

Before:

1. You are going to need one yard of fabric, I suggest investing in a good upholstery fabric.

2. Adding a cushion is optional. I suggest securing
cushion with ties:

3. Start with the backrest. Fold fabric over the backrest. On a wrong side of the fabric, pin backrest and back of the backrest together (it should be snug, but not to tight for you to take slip cover on and off).
On a back of the backrest measure a desired length (on a picture you can see it's kind of just hangs low, I did cut it shorter in a process), on a front - it should touch the seat but don't forget about seam allowance. Make seams on both sides. Iron.

4.  Have you ever made totes or bags? To make a beautiful corner on a top of the backrest, I did a simple "bottom of the bag"-like corner:

 Inside looking like this:

Outside looking like this:

5. Next - seat. Again, working with the wrong side of the fabric, pin a piece to form a seat. Don't forget seam allowance. Attach it to the back. Iron. ( I would like to stress the importance of ironing every seam as you go, one of my golden rules when I sew):

6. I consider this the most important and hardest part: attaching the piece that would go around the legs - the "skirt". Working on a wrong side of the fabric, pin "skirt" from one side of the backrest (remember, we left backrest length untouched) to another and all around the seat. Looking like this: 

7. Last step I consider the easiest: hem "skirt" and back. Double fold fabric all the way around and sew. If  "skirt" doesn't "hug" chair legs as snug as you would want, I suggest inserting elastic into the hem but very loosely, giving it just little stretch.

I hope my tutorial helped you in your project. I absolutely love my new chair, and made a second slip cover in a different fabric. 

My studio is still under construction...

Please, don't hesitate to ask any questions. 

DIY: Fabric Basket Tutorial

I've made this adorable fabric baskets as a gift to my nieces.  Special secret - baskets are reversible: you can never guess anyone's taste.

Essential materials:

• Two different fabrics (yardage depends on a size of baskets you've decided to make)
• Fusible interfacing (medium weight)

1. Decide on a size of your basket. Cut desired rectangular: for example 11 in. wide and 16 in. long. So let me translate: 11 in. is how wide my basket is going to be, and 16 in dividing by 2 = 8 in. is how deep it's going to be. You going to need to cut same rectangular of the second fabric. Also, let's think of a strap here. Mine is 4.5 in (not folded yet) wide and 12 in. long.

Fabric is folded on this picture:

2. Iron on fusible interfacing.

3. Sew sides and strap:

4. Decide how wide you would like the bottom of the basket to be. Mine is 4 inches. So that means I have to sew a 4 inch seam. Fold bottom to create a 45 degree triangles. Make sure to align - pin - bottom on the basket with the side seam. 

Cut triangles off:

5. Insert both pieces into one another. Wrong sides of the fabric facing each other.

6. In this next step you going to decide the length of the strap and it's exact spot. You are also going to  align side seams to make sure your basket fits snug. If it's not, here is your chance to correct it. 

7. Next step is little bit tricky. Pin strap and basket linings together: right sides of the fabric will be facing each other and the strap is going to be in between it. Wrong side of the linings looking like this:

Sew all around, but make sure you leave 2-3 inch opening in the seam. You are going to need to pull the right side of the fabric through it, leaving wrong side in. 

8. Now you are going to need to sew around the top of the basket and close this 2-3 inch opening. You can choose to use different color threads here as well. 

And here it is: reversible basic fabric basket.