Q for You: Are you a sweater knitter?

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Q for You: Are you a sweater knitter?

I know I’ve asked you all before what you knit the most of, but I have a very specific subset of that Q for You at the moment, which is: Are you a sweater knitter? [ETA: Pullovers and cardigans are both sweaters.]

Here’s why I ask. I haven’t made a scientific study of it or anything, but I would swear that in the course of the 5 years I’ve been paying attention, pattern collections and indie magazines and such have gone from being half or mostly accessories, with a few sweaters thrown in, to often being sweater collections with a couple of accessories thrown in, if even that. (And socks are definitely more scarce than they once were.) It has me wondering whether that’s the bias of the people putting them together, or whether there’s evidence that people are really that much more interested in sweater patterns than anything else these days. I know there are new sweater knitters joining the ranks every single day, but I would still assume there are far more accessory knitters than sweater knitters roaming the earth. So how to explain the shift in the collections? If I’m right about that. And I really believe I am! Or maybe it’s a pendulum swinging back where I wasn’t around for its previous swing the other direction?

So this is not just a Q but a PLEA to the thousands of you reading this post, will you take two seconds to leave a comment either saying Yes (I am a sweater knitter) or No (I’m not a sweater knitter)? If you have the time and the will, I’d love to hear more — if no, do you want to be; if yes, is it all you knit. Sometimes, always, never. Whatever you want to tell me! But please, I’m dying to know—

Hi, my name is Karen, and I am a sweater knitter.

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Oh, and for aspiring sweater knitters, see: Pullovers for first-timers (an introduction to sweater construction) and Cardigans for first-timers

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PREVIOUSLY in Q for You: What’s in your Field Bag?

588 thoughts on “Q for You: Are you a sweater knitter?”

    • Hi! I knit accessories: anything in the round or rectangles that can be converted into a poncho/Yoga Shawl. I’m a workout sporty type so I don’t wear sweaters, and because I spend hours waiting around my kids’ karate studio I need mindless and meditative knits. I, however, am constantly cold (Carmel weather is a consistely 55-65 degrees year-round) and accessories dress up any athleisure ensemble.

    • I am definetly a sweater knitter. So much so that I hate to take time out to knit anything else. And, I have always been a sweater knitter, I have been knitting for 6o yrs.

    • I am a sweater knitter for sure. Some smaller projects, too, but nothing beats making a sweater come to life!

    • YES! Have always been a sweater knitter. And I’m so happy there are more ideas and patterns out there.

    • Yep, I’m a sweater knitter, but that’s only within the last 2-3 years. I mostly knit accessories before that, but now I have a lot of those and I’m thinking more holistically about my wardrobe and I need sweaters! For me the expansion into sweater knittin was also about skill level – not just technically, but in my ability to plan a project. I’m a lot better at thinking through what I want/need out of a garment than I was when I started knitting, which makes me feel more equipped to knit a fitted garment like a sweater.

    • I’m Jennifer and I have graduated to sweater knitting, interspersing those big projects with accessories when the going gets tough. Working on BT’s Kirwin right now…

    • I am a sweater knitter. I like to have a long term project(sweater), mid length project(shawl), and a short term project (socks, hat or whatever) on my needles- never more than 3 at a time total) .

    • Both! Definitely more sweaters than a few years ago but still loads of scarfs/shawls.

      I think the toughest thing is not just finding sweaters that you want to make, but sweaters that you will wear.

    • Yes I am a sweater knitter and have been since relatively early on (I think I started knitting when I was 13 and made my first sweater at 15). I make a few every year.

    • Yes!

      I’ve been knitting for about 10 years and have just gotten into knitting sweaters. It took me awhile to feel confident enough to tackle the project. It also wasn’t until I was out of university that I felt like I could spend the money on enough yarn for a nice sweater.

      I’m currently working away on my third sweater, the Svensson Pullover by Brooklyn Tweed for my husband. If I’m going to take the time to knit, I want to spend it on something that will get a lot of use, and will be worth my time. My last sweater pattern had the same number of stitches as a pair of socks! Is much rather spend all that time on a sweater than a tiny pair of socks!

    • I’m a sweater knitter too. I wish I could knit more of them but they are costly and I enjoy smaller projects as well. I’m working into being able to spin enough consistent wool to construct sweaters of my handspun.

    • i love knitting sweaters but only graduating to adult sweaters now…i was firmly in the safe zone of baby/kid sweaters for many years. i also love knitting socks (3 pairs this month). i’ll knit hats & mittens as needed.

  4. I am a sweater and shawl knitter. I knit at least 2-3 sweaters a year for me, plus a couple for the kids, but I have more shawls than I could ever wear, and I keep casting on more! My latest musings are how to get the look and fun of a shawl into a more wearable (for me) garment like a cardigan….

  5. I’m a sweater knitter, but recently have been branching out to hats (especially pink pussy hats), mittens, scarves, shawls, and throws. And I’ve been thinking about socks.
    Thanks, Karen for your continuously interesting blog.

  7. I am a sweater knitter — but I threaten to stop every year, because I’m not good at it. I have trouble with fit, construction, staying on gauge. I hate to sew. I choose yarn that is wrong despite having expert help at stores. I love making accessories.

    • I’m with you :( I consider myself a long, long, time knitter (learned at 12 and now in my 60’s) but darn it…Sweaters are my nemesis. I can make a great hat – pussy and otherwise! Love mitts…especially Karen.s patterns…and I, too, have many shawls and continue cast on those first three stitches. But maybe this is my sweater year. Ironically, the very first thing I ever knit was a complicated, colorwork ski sweater! I just forged ahead and figured it out. And it fit.

      • Me too, Nancy! My first sweater was a complicated Cowichan sweater for my then-bf in the early 80s. I just bought the wool, picked up some needles, and went to it – no fear. Now, I struggle with different gauges in flat vs. circular knitting (body/sleeves), incorrect yarn choices, fit, etc. It seems the more I learn; the more I accumulate great tools; the more I pick up tips from great designers and makers, the worse it gets! I wonder if Instagram is enabling my perfectionist nature? And so I cast on shawl after shawl…

    • May I suggest ponchos. There are not fit issues and the size and effect is almost like a sweater.

    • I’m a sweater knitter, and my sweaters are usually seamless bottom up. I do try them on as I go. It’s possible even without sleeves or a neck! My best fitting sweaters use the Elizabeth Zimmermann percentage system. I highly recommend it. I find the argument that sweaters need structure probably only applies if you use superwash or drapey yarn. The only sweater I have that droops and stretches is a seamed superwash. I hate sewing seams too!

  8. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. Love to knit a beautiful garment. I am teaching knitting at a LYS and find that new knitters dream of sweater knitting, but of course just need more time with the needles. Intermediate knitters are eager to learn about sweaters. Biggest issue I’ve found with knitters is the quantity of yarn and time commitment to make a sweater. I encourage them to step back and look at it in stages, and begin with a plan.

  9. Nope! Largely because my body tends to fluctuate in size pretty frequently such that by the time I finish a sweater it no longer fits my current size and I get bored with sweaters halfway through and end up wandering over to faster projects that are more satisfying to me.

  11. Yes! All sweaters, all the time! With a few scarves or cowls thrown in there from time to time…

  13. Yes. Pullovers mostly, then later got more into cardigans. Only dabbled in shawls and scarves. Resisted sock making for the usual reasons, now I have finally caught the sock bug. Funny that you have noted a decrease in sock patterns. I was wondering which way that trend was going relative to my own inclinations.

  14. Yes! I have long said that sweaters are my favorite thing to make, and there was a time that I was knitting a dozen or more adult sweaters a year. That rate has grown down drastically as I got into knitting socks and learned how to sew, but I’m feeling it again this year!

  15. Yes. I absolutely count as a sweater knitter. Accessories are fun and portable, but sweaters are so satisfying, especially now that I’ve learned how to make them fit.

  18. Yes I am a sweater knitter. And your writing has inspired me to try to find that balance between stylish/practical versus interesting knitting aka colorwork.

  19. I am definitely a sweater knitter! In my opinion you can never have enough, whereas I am perfectly happy with one hat per winter and scarves are boring.

    • Same here. I love knitting hats, but I almost never wear them and really only want to wear something super basic. So I need to get better about giving them away!

  20. I am definitely a sweater knitter. I get all excited when I see a challenging pattern.

  21. Sweater knitter! Most of the year is spent on sweaters with a couple of diversions on accessories.

  22. I knit sweaters! But I also knit a lot of accessories– maybe more than sweaters! –so I don’t know where that put me in your definition.

  23. I knit a lot of sweaters. But I am equally happy making hats, mittens, gloves, socks, and shawls. I think you are correct that patterns tend to go in cycles and at the moment there are many creative people who are offering interesting and challenging sweater patterns. Creating a sweater will typically require a far greater time commitment and, as a result, sweater knitters tend to be more experienced in the craft.

  24. I am a sweater knitter. I’m from Texas and knitter hats and scarves only get to be worn a few weeks out of the year, if at all. Sweaters get worn all the time. I do knit socks. But for more wearing time and bang for my buck, it’s sweaters.

  26. I learned to knit properly in 2012 (after being taught by my granny as a child) just to be able to make sweaters. I made seven last year. Think I’m definitely a sweater knitter!

  27. Yes, sweaters are my first knitting love. I’d say I knit 8 a year with 6 of those being successful. Anything else I knit is only on the needles because I have far too many sweaters!

  28. Yes, sweater knitting and attempting to branch out and do more accessories! I love sweaters most, they just hold my attention better than anything else!

  29. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter, always have been more interested in sweaters than anything else. But I do need palate cleansers, so to speak, so I do knit accessories in between. But sweaters are my first love. If it weren’t for my difficulty with getting gauge when doing gauge swatches, I think I would knit sweaters exclusively.

  30. Yes, I am a sweater knitter, but I also knit socks, cowls, shawlettes and hats. They are more portable. Maybe I am even more a cardigan knitter than a sweater knitter.

  31. No, I am not a sweater knitter. I love the accessories. Loved the hatalong series. It is more affordable to purchase beautiful luxury yarn for a smaller project. Love your blog, too.

  32. I am the equivalent of a jogger in the knitting world. I have made several sweaters in my knitting career. Some have worked and others have not so I don’t feel confident in making them. I believe in training and keeping at it, recognizing that a less than successful workout is still valuable for growth. My goal is to cross the finish line and declare, “yes! I am a runner (and a sweater knitter)!”

  33. Nope. I would love to be (and I have knit a few, years ago) but all I seem to manage is a few pairs of socks and/or hats per year!

  34. I have been knitting and crocheting for 40 years and I have made only 2 sweaters. I much prefer making all kinds of accessories. I either give my creations away as gifts or use them to raise money for our yearly Breast Cancer fundraiser.

  36. I am a sweater knitter. That’s where I really started, and I grew into accessories. I don’t knit many, because I’m also a slow knitter, but I love to knit sweaters.

  37. Definitely a sweater knitter. I have many bags of yarn+patterns lined up but I also have several bags of yarn+patterns of shawls, cowls, hats and mittens for grab-and-go knitting.

  38. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. I do a few hats as Christmas gifts. I have just started a wrap for myself but this is my first. It is my feeling that sweaters are more difficult and take time. So people stay away from them. Also the fit is questionable. The cost may also be a factor.

  39. Yes, although they’re not actually my favourite thing to make. I try to find a balance between most fun to knit and most likely to wear, and if those categories overlap that is ideal!

    I suspect your sample here will be rather biased to sweater knitting as you write about that a lot here and your blog has become a great resource for sweater knitters and sweater knitters to be – I often see it recommended.

    • Yes, good point — and this is certainly in no way scientific, regardless. I try to be mindful of mixing it up, for my own sake and so as not to drive away the non-sweater knitters of the world, while also drawing in those who would be! But ultimately, all I can do is blog about what’s on my mind, which more often than not is sweaters.

      • I do appreciate that you mix it up and I also like how much sweater content you do have – both because your blog has become an amazing sweater-knitting resource and because I always enjoy it when people write about what they care about.

  40. I knit sweater, accsessories, an occasional afghan. About the only thing I refuse to knit would be sweaters for chickens.

  41. Yes, I love to knit sweaters but I also knit a lot of shawls since I live in Florida and they are more useful year round. I do knit the occasional hat, scarf and socks but mostly as gifts.

  42. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter! I honestly feel a bit ‘at sea’ if I don’t have a sweater project on the needles.

    Here’s what I think you’re witnessing: when the new knitting boom hit in 2000, we started to teach a lot of new non-knitters how to knit – that’s how a lot of new stores like Churchmouse got started: one scarf at a time! A lot of novelty yarn, a lot of garter stitch.

    Those knitters have honed their skills in the meantime, taught other folks how to knit (thank you!), and graduated to ever-more complicated projects, like lace shawls and accessories with more detail.

    But the learning curve with sweaters may have taken until now to really gain traction: the skill sets there include things like finishing, seaming – and that’s after you’ve chosen the best yarn for the project (and knitted swatches!), not to mention learning how to choose the right size!

    It’s nice to see that we’re moving towards more Sweater knitting – it will help keep our yarn companies thriving and vibrant, and our LYSs open. Plus, we”lol be stretching our skills as creative learners and representing our craft to the world at large! (Harder to do when your socks are hidden in your shoes.)

    • Yeah, and I mean that’s the other thing — the people publishing the collections are largely either yarn companies or yarn stores or publications funded by ads from yarn companies, and sweaters sell more yarn. So obviously they benefit from there being an abundance of sweater patterns out there. Adoption by knitters isn’t the only influence!

  43. Yes, I am a sweater knitter, but not exclusively. I knit socks, shawls and wraps (but never wear them!), hats and anything else that strikes my fancy! I knit probably 3-4 sweaters a year, always for me.

  44. Yes to being a sweater knitter. Accessories are great, but you only need (and can gift) so many hats, cowls, mitts, shawls, etc. As a 20+ knitter, I enjoy challenges and learning new techniques which are more easily done with sweaters.

  46. Socks! (though i think learning about superwash and its impact on the environment has curbed my zeal for buying sock yarn.) And hats! i like knitting for others, so hats are perfect. (thank god we’re out of the mitts phase. – i know that’s controversial–but i love mittens and even knitted gloves once but fingerless mitts seem like corduroy shorts, imho!) BUT i have cast on two sweaters this year, so i guess i’m a lemming. :)

  48. I too am a sweater knitter. The second thing I ever knit was a sweater. When I first started knitting in 2011 I’d never been exposed to sweater knitting fears of failure – perhaps that’s why the second thing I made was a sweater. I do knit a range of accessories every so often, but I’m always just finished or just planning my next sweater! The Brooklyn Tweed design team is to blame for this – I can’t imagine what life as a knitter was like pre- BT.

  49. Yes. Definitely a sweater knitter. Trying desperately to knit sweaters that I want to reach for time and again. Getting there slooooowly. But loving it every step of the way!

  50. I once was but I seem to have gotten away from it. I just bought enough yarn to make my first sweater in years. I am excited!

  51. I’m an accessory knitter, like Lynn, and it looks like we’re the minority here! But there may be a bias here, too: with a fairly high proportion of gorgeous sweater content on this blog, might the readership be skewed toward sweater knitters to begin with? I wonder how the results would compare to the same question asked on, say, Purl Soho or Wool and the Gang.

    • Yeah, deeply unscientific and skewed in who knows how many ways. But it does make me want to ask my fellow bloggers to ask their audiences — I’m curious to see if it varies.

  53. I knit four sweaters last year and am looking for one to start now. I keep a vanilla sock going most of the time because of its portability.

  56. Yes I am a sweater knitter. I’m split right now about 20%/80% between sweaters and accessories. I learned to knit by making an Aran-like sweater about 45 years ago and was about 90% sweaters to 10% accessories for the majority of my knitting years. I’m in the process of moving my current split to about 70% sweaters / 30% accessories and have been acquiring the sweater quantities of yarn to make it happen.

  57. I’m definitely a (selfish*) sweater knitter !
    I can wear the same hat, and scarf and mitts all winter long, but I can’t have enough sweaters.
    It’s not that I want a lot of sweaters (honestly, I don’t need all of them) but each one is a step towards THE ONE. The one sweater that fits all that I’m looking for, shape, colour, feel, drape, etc., that I will love and wear forever and never get tired of.
    I do admire your own quest of the perfect sweater in the perfect wardrobe.
    I’ve never knit any socks or lace because I know I wouldn’t wear them.
    Most of the shawls and scarves I’ve knit were gifts, and when I knit for me I knit a sweater (and rarely a cardigan). I currently have a Hawser and a Agnes on my needles (both patterns from BT).

    * If you’ve never asked before, “are you a selfish knitter” could also be very interesting.
    I often feel guilty when a friend or family member asks for something and I answer “I’m not sure I have the time” (because, you know I have to finish my sweater first).

    Thanks for asking !

  59. I’m a sweater knitter for myself; a sock knitter exclusively for my husband, as I have discovered through trial and error of unworn made objects that socks are the FO he will love and wear; and an accessories knitter for other family/friends. After 2-3 hats and a really solid pair of lined mittens, plus an array of scarves, cowls, and a shawl, I didn’t need any more accessories for myself! I try not to knit just for knitting’s sake, and if I knitted accessories that stayed in my apartment, we’d be up to our eyeballs in winterwear. But I am building up a closet of sweaters for myself that feel like garments I will have for a long time.

  60. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. I have knit other things in the past but prefer sweaters. I can’t stand to knit shawls anymore. I do like having a smaller project such as a hat or socks going at the same time to take with me for when the sweater gets to big to carry around.

  61. I am a sweater knitter
    In the more than 12 years of being in business, I have seen a steady rise in sweater knitting, and large projects in general…..

  63. I’m a sweater knitter. No need for hats, scarves or mitts in Sydney but I’m not sure why I’ve never felt the need to knit a shawl….

  64. I am definitely a sweater knitter – there’s one in the finishing stages, two on my needles, and one soon to be cast on!

    I used to knit lots of scarves. In fact, for the first 10 years I was a knitter, I knit mostly scarves and shawls. As a result, I have bins and bins of scarves and shawls – definitely one for every outfit if it’s cool enough to need warmth around my neck. When I reached peak scarf/shawl production, I turned my eyes to socks, and now I have a sock drawer full of handknit socks.

    My question is, what will I knit once I have enough handknit sweaters?

      • For me, knitting shawls is all about getting my “yarn love” fix: colour, fibre(s), weight, texture, stitch variety, designs as complex or as simple as you feel like, without spending an exorbitant amount of money. It’s lovely not having to worry too much about gauge and fit – you can knit just for the sheer joy of holding yarn in your hands (and sniffing it once and a while :) ).

  65. I started as an accessory knitter. Sweaters always seemed like too much of a commitment. Plus, I have a long commute, so small projects are a must. But then I knit a sweater that I loved. I have been hooked ever since.

  66. Yes, definitely a sweater knitter, and mostly cardigans. I’ve started having a side project (scarf, cowl, or simple shawl) for my “going out” knitting. Sweaters get to a point, or sometimes have enough to keep track of, that they don’t lend themselves to knitting while being social. These small projects also let me try yarns I’m interested in but wouldn’t ever use for a sweater. I’ll work on my shawl at the opera tonight, but couldn’t do that with my current sweater project. First love is sweaters though!

    • Don’t be scared — it’s just yarn! Pick a pattern for a sweater you really, really, really want to WEAR, and a yarn you dearly love, and give it a go. If it seems over your head right now, put it aside and come back to it after knitting a few more things. You’ll get there! And check out the links at the bottom of the post, above, if you haven’t already.

  69. I am a sweater knitter, first and last. I probably make 6-10 a year, not always for myself and not always for adults. I buy yarn is sweater quatities, always. With the leftovers, I make accessories, usually for something to do while traveling or for social knitting projects, and I knit a mountain of hats each year for charity. But definitely yes, I am a sweater knitter.

  70. Sweater knitter here :) I also knit socks, shawls and sometimes other accessories. I have one sweater and one cardigan on the needles at the moment and many more sweater p,ans brewing.

  71. Yes, I am definitely a sweater knitter! If I’m knitting something that isn’t a garment, it’s most likely a quick gift for a friend or family member.

  72. Yes, I am a sweater knitter, but I so knit socks and shawls for travel as they are more portable

  73. So I used to be a shawl knitter, which is still my go-to project, but in the past couple years I’ve become more of a sweater knitter, mostly because I really didn’t know what to do with all the shawls.

  74. Not a sweater knitter, except for my granddaughter. For the most part, I knit things I want to knit–color, fiber, texture motivate me. So that usually means smaller accessory pieces.

  75. Yup, I’m a sweater knitter. I work in an office where we have to dress nicely (business casual) and I want to be able to wear a handknit sweater every day.

  76. Sweaters! I am not a cowl or scarf wearer, but will knit hats in the winter. I was on a fingerless glove roll but my hands are still cold when wearing them:(
    Maybe the trend is so more yarn will be purchased? 1 skein for a hat vs. 9+ for a sweater can really be a shock to the wallet.
    I am almost done with this new one:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snow-skies
    And will join the Mason-Dixon KAL with the Hadley next week
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hadley-pullover

    • I love both those patterns. And yes, selling yarn is usually the purpose of a pattern, so there’s economic incentive to publish a lot of sweater patterns. But they’re also time-consuming and costly to produce, so I assume there’s at least some alignment between these influences.

  78. What an interesting thread! I’m a sweater and mitten knitter. I thought there had been more shawl patterns than sweaters lately, though.

    • I’m pretty sure that’s true, if you’re looking at independently published, standalone patterns. There are just incredible numbers of shawl patterns all the time. But I’m talking about the branded collections and printed publications and such.

  81. YES! Sweaters are my very favorite thing to knit. I enjoy making accessories sometimes for kicks, but sweaters are the most fun, motivating, and satisfying projects for me.

  82. I WANT to be a sweater knitter. In the scheme of things, I’m a relatively new knitter – only having learned to knit in my 50’s (I’m now 65). Oddly, I can knit hats, mittens, SOCKS, scarves, etc. My attempts at sweaters have been disastrous. I have at least 3 WIP. I’ve made sweaters for my grandsons that look goofy. One, we couldn’t get it over his head because the neckband didn’t stretch. I bought The Knowledgeable Knitter by Margaret Radcliffe. We’ll see what happens.

  83. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter and have been for at least 40 years. I am cold very quickly and as someone before me said, still on the quest for THE ONE that is perfect in size, design, and material. I also knit socks for my family and the occasional scarf, but sweaters are my true obsession. I guess I make about 6 – 7 of them each year.

  85. Sweaters! Sometimes lacy complex shawls. Never accessories. Ditto on having dozens of shawls that are piled in bins and not used!

  87. No I’m not a sweater knitted. I’ve knitted 3 and they didn’t fit me. I’m not a pro for sure and I think that sweaters are more difficult to wear if they don’t really suit you perfectly. Cardigans are more forgiving if not really fitting you. You can leave them open (if too small) or close depending on the fit you want or depending on the warmth you want. Cardigans allow you to show a nice top underneath while a sweater can’t. On the other hand, I also wear cardigans and not sweaters (bought in the shops not handmade I mean). Don’t know if it helps…

  89. Yes! I love the process most, seeing everything come together into one piece is amazing. Plus the satisfaction of wearing them and people not believing they are hand knit! I do knit accessories as gifts, but for myself it’s all sweaters.

  91. Sweaters were my ultimate goal of learning to knit, although socks and hats also fit into the construction aspect of knitting which so appeals to me. I love the process of selecting a fiber suitable for a design and then applying the design to my needs: fit, usefulness and comfort. Once I knitted a sweater and a pair of socks, I did not want to take them off, hence: another sweater, another pair of socks…I have been inspired by Karen to really think about my wardrobe, where items originate and their impact on the environment and economy. As a result, the knitting process and products have become even more rewarding. Just the other day, I got a really lovely compliment on my hand knit [patternless: again: Karen!] sweater, which thrilled me. It is currently 22 degrees outside, I am snuggled in my Merino/Alpaca Hudson sweater: longing to finish my work so I can knit the sleeves on my current project.

  92. I used to just knit sweaters, but started knitting accessories the past few years. Just purchased yarn to start another sweater pattern though.

  93. I really really want to be a sweater knitter, but I am (needlessly I’m sure) so intimidated!

    • Go for it! It’s just yarn. If it doesn’t work out perfectly the first time, you’ll have learned a ton and can always rip it out and reclaim the yarn. There’s no downside!

  94. I am more and more a sweater knitter right now and I knit them for myself. I knit accessories for others.

  95. No, I wouldn’t call myself a sweater knitter. I knit my first sweater last year but I only have far off day dreams of the next sweater. I find the expense and time to knit a sweater a barrier to full commitment. I think that as a fairly new knitter, once I have tried many small projects and feel that I have enough hats, scarves, and other accessories completed, I will be able to settle down and feel comfortable knitting sweaters. When mastering something new, I usually go through a phase where I have to try it all (product) and then settle into a more process oriented mode. I can see sweaters fitting into process knitting well.

  96. I have become a sweater knitter who is obsessed with shawls, if that makes sense. I complete more shawls than sweaters in a given space of time – perhaps they are more portable projects?

  97. I’ve been a sock and shawl knitter and still am. I like to successfully have completed projects, then I can attack a sweater. I recently completed my first top down sweater but it wasn’t easy even with an instructor. The pattern was written so badly even the instructor didn’t understand. We emailed the designer and most of her explanations didn’t make any sense. So I’m looking for easier, classic designs. I have made several Norwegian sweaters years ago, so I do have experience doing it.

  98. I’ve said this before but yeah I’m totally a sweater knitter. Last year was 25 sweaters knit in a year. I’m already finished with 3 sweaters this month. I just love actually creating a full article of clothing. Socks on tiny needles just don’t really appeal to me. I also wish there were more worsted sweater options, so many dk weight and smaller sometimes and I’m like I love a good fast paced worsted weight knit that doesn’t have the bulky a chunky knit.

  100. I want to be a sweater knitter! I’ve only knit accessories only bc I’m intimidated with sweater patterns. But I’m currently knitting my first sweater for my niece and I love it!!

  101. Yes, I am definitely a sweater knitter. I knit accessories too, but never socks. The reasons for the sock resistance are 1) bad memories from the extremely boring and ugly socks we had to knit at school, 2) you have to knit two identical socks (boring), and 3) they are never really visible, except when sitting and knitting at home….

  102. Hi Karen, my name is Nancy, and I am a sweater knitter. I actually have 3 on needles right now. I tend to plow through any stockinette part (body, sleeves) while watching sports on TV. When I come to something demanding my full attention, I put it off until I can bring clear thinking to knitting the yoke (Kate Davies’ Epistrophy) or inserting a zipper (Marianne Isager’s Kuba). Did I say 3 on needles? Actually, 4, which includes the beginning of the top-down without a pattern that you posted months ago. I promise; I’ll get back to it.

  103. Definitely — top down and seamless for preference, though I also love a steek. For a few years, I knit a pair of socks every month, but that created something of a glut so I haven’t knit any socks for a while. I like accessories (rarely shawls; hats, mitts, cowls) as a form of instant, or more immediate, gratification between larger projects.

  104. Hi! I am Mala and I knit one amazing sweater for myself, every year. I also one amazing sweater for one of my daughters every year. I frog completely one sweater every year. I knit 3 pairs of socks every year…Two or three hats…and there is always one long afghan project in progress ( usually 2 or 3 years for one afghan). But I LOVE sweater knitting totally!

  106. Yes I knit sweaters. It is very difficult to buy sweaters that 1. are U.S. / sustainably made, 2. made of good fibers, and 3. fit the way I want them to.

  107. I would call myself an all around knitter. I enjoy socks, shawls, hats and other accessories. Sweaters too but I’m definitely less confident with these larger projects. About fit, yarn choice, technique. Currently I have yarn picked out for a Solja sweater. It’s a big challenge as it has color work and I’m going to modify the pattern to a cardigan and use a steek. Ready set go!

  108. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter–always have been. Why? Because I (a) want to wear sweaters more than anything else; (b) love to knit a larger project; and (c) go through decision paralysis in the process of starting a new project (so lots of little projects take too much time & agony.) I do knit other things, but I love to knit sweaters the most.

  109. Yes! Definitely a sweater knitter. Sweaters And socks. I learned to knit in order to make my own garments, so i graduated pretty quickly from square to shapely object. I’ve met lots of folks who knit, but are very intimidated by the idea of their knitted thing leaving behind its rectangular identity.

  110. Yes! I’m a sweater knitter. I’ve found since I’ve moved home to Los Angeles that my sweater knitting is extremely slow because there are so few good knitting days here, but I still have a drawer of handmade sweaters from when I lived in New York.

  111. I feel like my knitting is evolving. I used to knit mostly shawls and a few sweaters, but everything has slowed down significantly as I started focusing on the details (yarn choice, life of the garment, etc). But to answer your question, I am, more and more, a sweater knitter.

  112. I am about to finish my first adult cardigan. Fingering weight. Man sized. And I’ve loved nearly every minute of this project. I’ve knit a few baby sweaters and one top down stockinette raglan sleeved pullover. Amidst that project I remembered that I actually don’t really ever wear pullover sweaters. But my husband friends and niece do! Now I’m obsessed with replacing my RTW cardigans with handmade precise versions. Now that I know I can do it. Truly the test is yet to come. I have to finish the button band and seam the sides and sleeves. We’ll see if it fits or if he wears it. I’ve loved this project. Given me great confidence. So much learning. And connection with others asking and receiving help. Just wonderful.
    I also realized I must have a few smaller projects going as well because the fatigue is real! I love knitting shawls, hats and fingerless mitts. Scarves are fine. This year I’m going to tackle mittens and socks.
    I think I can say yes. I’m a sweater knitter!

  113. Started with just accessories, but one of my goals for 2017 is to make my first sweater! You’re blog has been an inspiration!

  114. I would love to be a sweater knitter but I’ve never been satisfied with my results. Of course I’m also lazy and don’t swatch properly, take good measurements or do all the things I see you doing, so I only have myself to blame. I have 2 adult sweaters as one of my goals this year so maybe I’ll finally get a sweater I love.

  116. No. BUT, I would like to become one. I’ve knitted shawls, mitts and hats and hope to eventually knit a sweater. I even bought the yarn to make Wolf River and toyed with joining the KAL for this but have too many WIPS already (two for people who have birthdays in just a few weeks. yikes!).

  117. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter. I enjoy the challenge of fit. I wear my sweaters almost daily, and enjoy taking care of them.

  118. I became a sweater knitter when I discovered your blog! You made it seem easy and I tried it out and got hooked
    Thank you!

  119. I’m a sweater knitter, off course I go between sweaters with some hats, and lately I’ve beentrying to get into socks because I need them, but really all my knitting time and knitting dreams goes to sweaters

  120. No, not yet. I’m mainly a sock and hat knitter, but one of my goals for 2017 is to tackle a sweater so thanks for the encouragement and inspiration!

  121. I am a sweater knitter and I design my own, usually. NO: shawls, scarves, hats, socks or other stuff. I knit to clothe myself. In the macro sense. Will be adding skirts this year.

  123. Yes, I knit sweaters, may be one or two a year, with several waiting to be cast on! Also knit hats, shawls, and cowls….I am inspired by your blog; however, I lack the confidence (and patience) to do my own design as you had featured in your top-down knitting blog. I also sew my own clothes. Thank you for the time and energy, and good work, you put into your blog. It has expanded my knitting and textile horizons!

  125. I knit sweaters sometimes and everything else too. I’m a spinner and have tons of beautiful 4oz skeins sitting around which usually become socks, mitts, a scarf, scrap blanket…

  126. I what to be a sweater knitter! I have knit for about 15 years but after reading your blog I realized I only do small projects. Hats, cowls, mitts, and scarves. 2017 is my year to knit a sweater.

  127. Knitting garments is why I switched from crochet to knitting a few years back. It’s slowly evolved from smaller items like hats into more and more sweaters. Now, even when I’m a store with quality knitwear, it’s hard to want to buy something because I could make something similar and tweak it to how I want it. It’s probably why I have three different sweaters going right now.

  128. I’ve knit plenty of sweaters, but have never actually loved one enough to wear it more than a couple of times…so I’ve sort of given up at the moment. One only needs so many hats + scarves for themselves and for their family, so…

  129. I am a sweater knitter too! :) And one explanation to the shift from accessories to sweaters might be that we all start to have our closet full of accessories… ;) While hats and mittens are relaxing snacks to knit and very wearable, and great for trying out new techniques and yarns, a finished diy sweater brings real sense of achievement…

  132. Sweaters for 50 years. Started with a scarf for my grandfather made with 1950 era pink yarn, then put down the knitting and started crocheting. First knit afterwards was an argyle sweater and I never looked back. Still have the 1970 Brunswick men’s pattern book with a fair isle round yoked pullover on the front that looks just like those in fashion today.

  133. I am a sweater knitter, but not exclusively. I’ve knitted more (adult) sweaters in the past 6 months (3) than I have in almost 20 years of knitting. (I wouldn’t say I’m a reformed accessories knitter, just one who is taking a break.) The past 6-9 months, I’ve intentionally been knitting sweaters and socks as they are things for me rather than others.
    My theory about all the sweater patterns is that a lot of people have a harder time wrapping their minds around construction, fit, gauge, etc for larger garments (sweaters, leggings, and such) than they do for accessories; there are more numbers to remember even if the math skills are pretty much the same. For example, improvising a hat, scarf, or leg warmers takes a little less juggling (at least for me) than improvising a sweater (which is why I decided to step out of my comfort zone and join in the knitalong back in August).

  135. I’ve been knitting for 17 years. My second project was a sweater and I haven’t looked back since! I usually get an accessory or two in there, but they are never for me, and there is the annual white elephant hat for the big family Christmas. Otherwise, since my hat, mittens and cowl (I don’t do socks, I don’t like wearing them) hardly ever wear out, it’s all sweaters!

  136. Yes! I am a sweater knitter! At least 2 a year– usually one in the spring and one in late winter. The rest of the year I am knitting hats, mittens, cowls, socks and scarfs to wrap my family in at Christmas, with some weaving in between (I have arthritis in my hands and weaving is a great break!) now that I’ve retired from my day job maybe I will be able to do more!

  137. The first thing I ever knitted was a sweater (cardigan). I haven’t returned to sweater knitting, and have become exclusively an accessory knitter (mostly hats, wraps, and cowls), but I have several sweaters in my queue for the coming fall and winter. I plan to knit sweaters every year, but for sweaters I am extremely picky about what I like and I have about a dozen failed sweater starts due to my perfectionistic need for the perfect yarn to go with the patterns I want to do. i should start on swatches now of various yarns to try to find the right look that I want.

  139. Sweaters but also socks and hats. I’m definitely only interested in knitting things you wear. One of my friends was talking about knitting washcloths and I have a very visceral ‘ew, no’ reaction.

  140. I’m knitting my second sweater now – the patons honeycomb aran – and am addicted! (Your post from a while back about sleeve construction was a HUGE help. I was stuck on the ‘increase in pattern’ part and think I would have given up if it wasn’t for that post!) Also can’t get enough of knitting socks these days…

  143. I’m not a sweater-knitter.

    I keep wanting to start but I’m so picky about how my tops fit and it all seems a bit overwhelming. I do have the yarn and some sketched-out plans to make a vest that’s a Frankenstein of the colorwork pattern from one and the fit/stitch counts from another with some other tweaks (because I, like you, can’t leave a pattern well enough alone). But it got pushed aside by Christmas knitting.

    And then, one day, I will knit myself at least two all-over cabled sweaters (how I first ended up on this blog, my recent cable obsession). We’ll see if I catch the bug after that or not.

  144. I am a part-time sweater knitter. I also knit socks, hats, shawls, scarves – whatever strikes me. My next sweater will be a “selfish knit” cardigan in handspun that I’m spinning now of Shetland and native-plant dyed merino. My most recent sweater was for a friend’s baby. Fun & fast. :)

  145. Definitely a sweater knitter…but usually for others in my immediate family. And definitely a work/in-progress as I rip out more than I would like…if one thing goes wrong I quickly rip out hours of knitting. I have false starts but once I get going it’s clear sailing. I don’t wear hats or shawls, but am going to knit my first sweater for myself as soon as I finish the one I just started for my daughter.
    I have learned SO much from your blog, Karen…I can’t thank you enough! And I’m still waiting for your first book…you certainly have the material for it!

  146. I am not a sweater knitter at the moment. I *would* like to dive into sweaters someday, but right now I mostly knit for other people and sweaters don’t really lend themselves to that. but someday when I have more time…

  147. Yes, I knit sweaters. (Three and a half, so far!) I wonder if this sweater increase that you’ve identified is also due to a newfound interest in the handmade, slow fashion, sustainable wardrobes, etc., especially among millennials. When I first started knitting a few years ago, I made scarves and hats and other accessories and had no plans to ever knit a sweater, partly because it seemed impossible to make something “wearable” and partly because I wanted to spend my knitting time on something I could wear every day (like a hat) versus something rare and spectacular like a sweater. What’s changed for me? 1) I realized that if I knit a basic sweater, versus a “special” piece, then I can in fact wear it (almost) every day, and 2) I’ve discovered that it IS possible to make garments that look just as modern and polished (or even more so!) than what’s in stores — thanks in large part to your blog!

  148. Yes!

    I will knit accessories (usually hats, maybe a cowl or two) on request or as a gift, but I usually only need one or two to be in rotation for myself at a time. Stuffed animals are the same, as needed for friends and their little ones. But sweaters get me the most excited, and I never tire of looking for new patterns. They dominate both my FOs and my queue.

  149. I am definitely a sweater knitter. I do socks and hats and other accessories but sweaters are my 1st love and I always have one on the needles!

  150. I think I’m a sweater knitter, or at least I want to be. I’ve knitted one or two sweaters for myself each year for the past 3 years or so. My sweaters get worn so much that I’m always planning on knitting more, but making sweaters is much more stressful for me than making anything else. Even though I’ve swatched and checked my gauge and try on the WIP often, I constantly go from confidence (“I picked the right size, this is going to be perfect!”) to terror (“This is going to be too huge/too small and I’m going to have to start all over!”). Sometimes within a matter of minutes, ha.

  151. I love knitting sweaters, especially with a different construction. I also knit hats for gifts and some shawls.

  152. Hello, my name is Paula and I am a sweater knitter!

    Can’t wait to see your Paris wardrobe and to hear about this amazing trip! Paul and I are still planning our next big adventure. Step 1: find the time to go.

    hugs!

    Paula >

  153. Definitely a sweater knitter. I prefer working on bigger projects, projects that I can spend some time on. And I really like the ‘construction’ part of knitting a sweater. Also, I love clothes and fashion.

    Usually, I also have a parallel, mindless, project on the needles, a shawl or socks. But I’m always planning my next jumper.

  154. Hi! My name is Jennifer and I am definitely a sweater knitter. Mostly sweaters for me but I love knitting baby sweaters too. In 2016 I knit 2 sweaters for me, 2 baby blankets, 2 baby sweaters, 1 pair of socks, 4 hats and 1 lace scarf……so I guess I knit accessories too 😁

  155. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. Usually have one sweater and a pair of socks on the needles with the occasional cowl.

  156. I want to be a sweater knitter. I have 40 years of knitting under my belt, and have knit several sweaters in the past. My current problem is that my gauge swatches always seem to lie. I need to just work with what I get, have faith, and measure many times. I need more sweaters, and I want to knit them.

  157. I am a sweater knitter. In the past several years have been throwing in hats (fun, quick) and mitts – mostly to be worn indoors in my cold house. Amazed at some of your readers knitting 6, 10, 25! sweaters in a year!

  158. Yes…I have and am knitting sweaters. I still struggle with fit a little but that is improving. I love knitting them though.

  159. Sweater knitter for sure! Part of it is just a total joy in knitting sweaters, but it’s also economic: it’s hard for me to justify spending time and money on socks when I could just spend a bit more time and money and have a whole sweater!

  160. Yes, I always have a sweater going on my needles but depending on the sweater and its complexity I also have a mindless accessory going to knit while TV watching. If the sweater is pretty mindless I usually have a more complex accessory going at the same time.

  161. Hi my name is Amy and I am most definitely a sweater knitter. I also usually have a pair of socks and some kind of shawl on the go too.

  162. Yes! Sweater knitter! I find your observation so interesting. I suspect that this trend is cyclical because as most of us gain competency in techniques and the confidence to adapt patterns by knitting accessories, we likely tend to move to knitting sweaters. I also can’t help but wonder if we don’t tend to become more thoughtful about how we use our precious resources of time and materials, which would also drive us to being more interested in sweater/garment knitting. At some point most knitters know which sock structure/methods we like best and can adapt that millions of ways, so we don’t need to depend on new patterns, but a sweater is such an investment that we do like to have a good, solid, tried-and-tested road map before making the commitment.

  163. Interesting thread. I’m would call myself a sock knitter. I got into knitting through socks and still love knitting them for myself and my husband (he wears wool socks even in the summer). There’s always a sock in my purse for knitting while I’m out and about (the bus) and I love buying colourful sock yarn. Sock yarn is way, way more fun than sweater yarn!

    I do occasionally knit sweaters (I’ve knit 7 for myself) and wear them all the time, but I don’t tend to shop for clothes often and try to have a more streamlined wardrobe in general. I might knit one sweater this year, after careful consideration to my needs (anything heavier than sport is too hot), my body shape (set in sleeves only) and my wants (colour! soft!).

  164. I am a wannabe sweater knitter. I am knitting a vest that I have to get back to and I have two sweater quantities of yarn for sweaters, but I would mostly define myself as a sock knitter.

  165. I am a sweater knitter. I still knit accessories, but since I knit my first sweater 1.5 yrs ago I typically always have a sweater on the go now :)

  166. Hi, I’m Kiara, and I’m a sweater knitter. I have been knitting for two and a half years, and I finished my first sweater last June. Since then I knit an Icelandic lopi sweater that had to be frogged because of a faulty pattern and have attempted an improvised top down. That one is still a work in progress, and I’m not sure the will to finish it will ever strike as I’ve lost momentum. I’m currently working on a large shawl with a lot of stranded colorwork.

  167. I am a sweater knitter, amongst other things! Finishing Brooklyn Tweed Bedford today and hope to begin Bellows this weekend! I live in Southern CA so I tend to select other yarns but love the learning that I get from BT patterns!

  168. I originally started knitting again to knit a specific jumper/sweater. I then discovered icelandic designs but it took me nearly 4 years to knit another jumper after the first one.
    I think the thing I knit the most are hats as they make good travel projects (I haven’t figured out socks yet).
    In 2016 I knitted 3 sweaters and 2 were icelandic or icelandic inspired. The other was an improve sweater from your knit along. That together with a recent improv class using colour work have set me free and I think I may double the number of sweaters I knit this year. One is on the needles already.

    So in a sense I am a sweater knitter, I day dream about them and make whole collections in my head.
    Then I love hats and only then shawls or cowls.

    I can’t say I have noticed you observations but I am mostly looking at what people knit or like on revelry rather than look at complete collections.

  169. No. I used to adore sweaters. I wasn’t knitting at that time but I had a lovely stash. Then two things happened… I moved to the Seattle area and I got older. The climate here is no where near as cold as where I moved from and somehow in getting older I developed an aversion to being too hot or confined in hot clothes. And I LOVE to knit. So I make hats that I can sell or give, socks, shawls and scarves and call it good. Also, I seem to have little patience for bigger projects. :)

  170. Another sweater knitter here! Last year, I knit 7 sweaters for myself, plus a few baby and kid-sized sweaters. But I also love knitting shawls! (And hats!)

  171. I have had these same thoughts re a transition to sweaters, but had believed it was just me! For the past ten years my projects were socks, scarves, shawls, with an occasional sweater, but last year I got the sweater bug and just want to knit sweaters now.

  172. Hi! Yes,
    I love knitting sweaters and throw in some accessories or shawls along the way. I think I may do my own pattern for the first time so wish me luck!
    Kara

  173. Yes, I am a “sometimes” sweater knitter!
    I knit accessories more frequently though, because a sweater is a big commitment, and I’ll spend a long time thinking about if I think the sweater will look good, fit well, if I’ll really love it in the end…. cowls are a lot more forgiving :)

  176. Sweater knitter, hands down. And on a further note, I consider myself more of a “product” knitter as opposed to a “process” knitter. I will forgo the glorious cabled pattern if it means that the stockinette one will be worn way more. That said, I’m beginning to be more picky out the yarns I choose…I once worked with a very hearty, rustic yarn that makes wonderfully durable items, but the knitting process was a pain on my hands. Definitely want to be more mindful of the experience that goes into sweater-making, not just the product alone.

  177. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. Have knit many sweaters and love to wear them and am thrilled to see those whom I love wearing them too. I also have knit many other accessories over the years. My 100 year old mom taught me how to knit when was 7 or 8 years old.

  179. Yep, I’m a sweater knitter. To paraphrase Jay Z, “I got 99 problems, but a sweater ain’t one of them!” (I also enjoy knitting socks, afghans, shawls and scarves.)

  180. Yes, sweater knitter! I also knit smaller projects like hats, and love making afghans for friends’ weddings, but find sweaters the most rewarding.

    …And I bet that a disproportionate number of readers of this blog are also sweater knitters, because you showcase them so beautifully. In fact I bet you’ve turned a lot of people into sweater knitters!

  181. Yes, I love to knit sweaters but I am so slow. I like to have some socks or a scarf on the needles too so I get more FO’s to wear. Of course, if I concentrated on knitting one thing at a time I’d finish things a bit quicker.

  183. I can proudly say that I am now a sweater knitter! Thanks to your info and encouragement I’m working on my first, a Cadence pullover. I was always intimidated by sweaters (both the cost and the complexity), but it’s going great. I’m now not afraid to have to swatch multiple times to get gauge or rip out rows and start over. Thank you for that!

  184. I am a sweater knitter but just for myself. I wear a sweater nearly every day. My goal is to have all hand knit sweaters. I love to knit hats, shawls, and socks for gifts.

  185. Hi Karen, I am not a sweater knitter, but I want to be! Add me to the list of new knitters who want to learn how to knit more complex garments. (So far, I’ve only knit hats.)

  186. Holy Moly, I am late to this party.

    Yeah, my favorite thing to knit is sweaters. I love making them and I love wearing them. Accessories kind of pile up, and my interest in wearing them is just not the same as the satisfaction I get in pulling on a sweater that I have custom made for ME. ;-)

  187. I am totally a sweater knitter! To the point that I am embarrassed by the number I’ve amassed. I am currently knitting a shawl to try to push myself into other areas but I really just love knitting sweaters.

  188. I am an accessory knitter who is evolving into a sweater knitter. Accessory knitting is still my go-to when I need a mobile project that I can work during trainings/long meetings/sports events, but my skills are increasing to a point where I have knit a sweater that I am proud to wear. I still have a lot to learn about the art of sweater knitting, but I am excited to join the club!

  189. Yes to sweaters!! I love the challenge of trying new techniques and customizing fit and of course the pleasure of wearing my own handiwork – or better yet, seeing my daughter and husband happily wearing their sweaters and knowing that they love them. But I’m also totally obsessed with shawls and cowls because I tend to get chilly and love being wrapped up in wool and of course hats because they’re a great way to use small amounts of luxury yarns and make great gifts too. Right now, I’ve got two sweaters happening – an R & R Hoodie by Tanis Lavallee for my daughter and a sized-up Sock Monkey Sweater by Jared Flood for for my husband. And when those are done, I’ll be casting on a Tolmie sweater by Josée Paquin for myself.

  190. I like to always have a sweater on my needles and am happy to produce one lovely annually. A SQ of wool is a fair investment so I take lots of time to enjoy choosing my next sweater project. My most recent one completed in fall was a lopi Stopover pour moi – oh – and also a sweet little cardigan for my one year old granddaughter. I love to knit accessories as well so try to be realistic, both money and time wise.

  191. I knit both sweaters and accessories, although I tend to let the sweaters languish in the UFO pile longer than I should.

  192. I had always wanted to knit sweaters, but was too afraid to spend the money and time and have it not fit. Then I found Amy Herzog & CustomFit and have been a sweater knitter ever since. I usually have 1 sweater project on the needles, along with a sock, hat, or cowl that I can easily take with me.

  193. Yes I’m a sweater knitter! I love that it’s helped me be much more discerning about what I really like to wear and get better at choosing projects I’ll love, since it’s too much time and money to invest in something I’m not going to use.

  194. I knit everything, rabidly and uncontrollably. I always have at least one sweater on the needles, and they’re my preferred knit (you hit critical accessory overload pretty quickly), but I like socks for their portability (especially when knitting a seamless sweater) and accessories for their gift-ability. I think I got into sweater knitting partially because I realized that I didn’t need THAT many shawls. Accessories are cheaper and less of a commitment, so it’s easy to overindulge. Sweaters are a HUGE commitment in time and money, so it’s harder to justify making one on a whim.

    • It seems like most of the shawls that are so popular these days are just as much time and yarn. Am I wrong about that? I see so many of them that I know I would never get to the end of — they’re more knitting than a sweater.

  195. I started as an exclusive accessories knitter but have moved to sweater knitter as my skills have increased.

  196. Yes! I’ve only been knitting for about two years, but sweater knitting was something I started learning during that first year–I’ve found that while accessories are much easier to knit, and I enjoy the process a lot, I don’t actually WEAR that many accessories in my day-to-day. For me, garments are just a much more reasonable investment of my time and yarn, and will get much more use in my wardrobe. I love all the colorful, clever shawl patterns out there, but I tend to always grab for the same one or two in neutral colors and classic shapes.

  197. Hell, yeah! I love knitting sweaters because I love wearing sweaters. Pretty much always have one sweater and a pair of socks on the needles. In fact, I had to force myself to make a new hat this winter because my accessory collection was getting pretty shabby in comparison. But (confession): I only knit seamless sweaters. I understand why so many people preach the gospel of sweater seaming, but I despise seams and don’t have problems with garments drooping or sagging, so it works for me. I do a lot of improv designs based on a top-down raglan or something similar, but even if I use a pattern that is written for pieces (for instance, something with set-in sleeves), I will convert it to seamless. We all have our quirks, I guess.

  198. My name is Terri and I’m definitely primarily a sweater knitter and always have been. In fact, I really only started branching out into accessories after joining Ravelry and now love to do little refresher projects between jumpers! Since last October the little refresher projects include little sweaters for my grand daughter!

  199. I love making sweaters, mostly top down pullovers. But I do alternate to quicker project and more portable ones.
    I mostly use fingering weight or sport weight so sweaters are a commitment of time.
    But it’s very satisfying.
    Part of doing sweaters is loving the construction aspect.

  200. I am a sweater knitter but I still find it a bit nerve wracking to try to get a good fit. I also knit accessories.

  201. Yes, I am a sweater knitter–I love that I can make a garment that I can wear that everyone can see. I love to knit socks (I have size 5.5 feet so those socks that are size 6-9 never really fit me) and I knit most other accessories pretty regularly. I used to make lacy shawls pretty regularly, but those have gotten less frequent because I have so many now…! I try to make things now that I know will be in regular rotation in my outfits–more plain and less fussy. But that makes for some pretty boring knitting!

  202. I would love to knit sweaters but haven’t yet. I’ve been just over a year and love it but am in shawl fixation at the moment. I think the idea of knitting a sweater and finding it doesn’t fit (other people’s stories) have made me put off knitting that first sweater! Hopefully I will start one this year!

  203. I’m 60 years old and knit my first sweater in the mid-1980’s. I had discovered Kaffe Fassett and was so jazzed I even went on a tour to England in 1988 which featured a retrospective of his work at the Victoria and Albert Museum and included lectures and workshops with him and other Rowan designers. But then later, I stopped knitting, sort of. After all these years I still consider myself a beginning intermediate knitter and have never done any significant colorwork (even though Kaffe Fassett was my hero). I still collect patterns and yarn and have plenty of WIP’s, so dammit(!) when I retire I’m going to knit up all this stuff. Really, I swear! And not accessories. I hate the smaller stuff although knitting a good cotton dishcloth every once in a while can be both quick, and nicely, mindlessly zen-ish. When I started knitting the magazines were publishing mostly sweaters and I have noticed the trend toward more and more accessories. I like that there is a new generation of designers that have come along though. Keep the sweaters coming!

  204. Yes, I am a sweater knitter for the most part. In the last decade (I learned to knit 60 years ago) I knit hats, cowls, scarves and mitts in between sweaters to give myself a little quick gratification. I give a lot of the things I make away for gifts. Having grandchildren means knitting lots of fun small stuff. I also love to knit toys for toddlers like bears, cute rainbow monsters, etc.

  205. Yes, I am a sweater knitter! Logistics mean that I knit lots of accessories too – hats for Christmas presents, shawls for lightweight summer WiPs, gloves for men and baby things for pregnant friends – but what I’m constantly dreaming and planning about is sweaters, and I always have one on the needles. I think you are right about the increase in sweater patterns – was just this morning looking over Bristol Ivy’s IG feed and noticing that she’s brought out another one! There’s practically one a week over there, and a high proportion of them are swoon-worthy.

  206. Yes! Was mainly sock knitter with a few hats on the side…loved the quick gratification (product vs process??) but once I made a simple sweater that I could wear I was hooked. Now always have at least one sweater on the needles with a sock or hat on the side for travel. Such fun!

  208. I wouldn’t call myself a sweater knitter (I’m currently about 60% of the way through my first one!), but I can see myself knitting a lot more. Historically, I’ve knit a decent amount of socks (and will likely keep knitting them–I’ve got enough yarn for like four more pairs of socks). I don’t really wear hats, I have enough scarves to keep me going, and I hate knitting mittens/gloves/mitts. I occasionally make a practical foray into home goods–a bath mat for the bathroom, chair socks for the dining chairs.

  209. Well… I’m mostly a shawl, fancy scarf, felted things, and accessory knitter because I like the portability and the (more) instant gratification. That said, I am now and will always be a sweater knitter.

  211. Definitely a sweater knitter. Not much into accessories anymore (no one needs more than 1 pair of neutral warm and cozy mittens, hats are fun and easy, but many go unworn during the cold seasons, I love knitting shawls, but I’m a pretty warm person so i don’t need something covering my neck too often). However, since last July i’ve become a blanket knitter!

  212. YES! As of 2016 I am a sweater knitter. I was always so afraid of jumping in. Why? I’m not really sure. Failure? Putting so much time into something and it doesn’t work out, maybe? I finally realized that if I can successfully knit hats, mittens and socks I can knit a stinking sweater too!
    So in my first year of knitting sweaters I completed THREE! WOO HOO! They are super basic top down sweaters but I needed to start somewhere. Two were for me and one was for my sister. I’ve just swatched for my third personal sweater. This weekend I will be starting a baby sweater for my best friend that is due in April. I was also thinking this morning that I need another basic sweater in a more durable yarn. You know, so I can wear it every day! Living in Washington State I can wear them year around.
    Needless to say, I think I caught the sweater bug :)

  213. My name is Jenni, and I am an accessories knitter. I basically just love messing with yarn, really nice yarn, and playng with stitches and textures. Don’t like shaping.And as I said, I love beautiful yarns, and often the amount to produce a sweater is out of reach, but a scarf or shawl or hand warmers is doable. Love afghans and throws too.

  215. No! I love making accessories. Admittedly, I do make some sweaters, both for me and for grandchildren (although the latter are more like accessories, given their size), but I don’t enjoy them as much as scarves, shawls, mitts (very useful here in the Pacific NW), and socks. I also knit very few hats for some reason…

  216. Well, years ago I was a big sweater knitter. I didn’t knit for 20 years or so and just started again this past year. My first major project was an afghan and them moved immediately to a sweater. It’s still unfinished because I hated the yarn I was using. I knit socks now, about a pair a month but I just purchased the yarn to make 3 sweaters and the patterns I want to use. one of the patterns is Riverbend by Julie Hoover and I think I’ll start on it first. I’m just not sure about the short row back.

  217. I’m Lucy, and I’m a sweater knitter. Hey! this isn’t a yarn intervention, is it?!

  218. YES!!
    I knit just about everything, but sweaters most of all. I did 6 test sweaters for Thea Colman this past year (babycocktails.com) so I think that puts me squarely in the yes category :)

  220. At fist it was all shawls, but then I got the confidence to try a sweater and I have not looked back since. Sweater after sweater, I continue to learn as I make sweaters too small, too big and a rare few just right;)

  222. Yes,I knit sweaters. And many other things:shawls,mittens,hats,etc. Occasionally I think I will swear off making sweaters. That happens when I put time and effort into one and don’t like it when it is done. But I think I will always want beautiful sweaters to wear and so will always have a long queue of them! It is the ultimate knitted garment for me.

  223. I knit two adult and three baby sized sweaters in 2016. One winter sweater is planned for February and one spring sweater for March. I have so many knitted accessories that sweater knitting will be my main projects this year.

  225. I definitely am a sweater knitter! Socks, shawls, etc are also in my repertoire, but I love knitting sweaters the most. Knitting sweaters was my goal when I started knitting. I love my wardrobe to be handmade (am a sewer as well).

  226. Almost exclusively a sweater knitter, with the occasional shawl thrown in. I have 3 on the go at this time and about 5 more that I am forbidding myself to cast on just yet.

  227. I am a sweater knitter. But I think the accessories are easier to commit to financially. A sweater costs 100-200 but a hat or scarf allow me to try out yarns at a lower price point. I often buy yarn online and I won’t purschase a sweater quantity with out being able to touch it I also buy locally produced yarn when I travel and again hats and mittens are an easy way to use it

  228. I am a sweater knitter by heart – as kind of a knitting-newbie I’d never have dared saying so, if not my very first knit item ever had been a pullover! Madness, though – but finally, this experiment made me becoming an addicted knitter, which brought so much pleasure into my life that I still pet this questionable first stitch-monster from time to time… As being too occupied by other things at the moment, I, lately, got a longing for making accessories (quick, mindless, instant gratification) – which is also great and does teach me a lot (about patterns, techniques, yarns…). But I am always only dreaming of sweaters…

  229. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter. It’s too late in my knitting life to be a beginner since I have been knitting for over 60 years but I like the clean lines in many of the pullover and cardi selections you posted. When I started knitting one mainly knit sweaters and hats and mittens. I ‘m also an arthritic so during years when I was having surgeries which limited my ability to hold any weight in my arms I learned to knit socks, as well as increasing the number of small accessory pieces. Now I am yearning to be back more into sweater knitting, especially cardigans, since I dress more in layers these days.

  230. I am definitely a sweater knitter! Living in the Pacific Northwest is fabulous for sweater knitters because we can wear them almost 365 days a year (switching over from wool to linen in the summer!)
    I love the longer time spent with a sweater project.

  232. I was a sweater knitter— many fill my closet, and many given as gifts. Now, I mostly knit “quilts”, or weave sweaters that have some knitted details.-Sharon

  233. I’m a sweater knitter, and would love to exclusively knit them but sometimes some other pattern, usually a scarf/shawl, catches my eye, or I am knitting a present.

  234. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter, for sure. In the 50+ years I’ve been knitting, garments are #1. I’ve knitted hundreds of hats and some socks for charity, lots if hats for myself…but always sweaters. Well, the knitting part; the finishing stuff lands some of them in my Area 51 with the rest of my UFO’s. Tee hee.

    At my LYS, however, accessories rule!

  236. Yes! I’m a sweater knitter – working on one for myself right now and one for my 6 month old. But I also knit ALL THE THINGS – slippers, hats, cowls, shawls, baby blankets, toys, doll’s clothes, etc. (I have three little girls.) And I taught myself to crochet last summer so that I could make colorful flowered bunting for my girls’ room and lace-weight snowflakes for Christmas tree decorations.

  239. Yes. I occasionally knit cardigans but they require buttons to be sewn on and more finishing!

  240. I’m more inclined to knitting sweaters, though I tend to knit a lot of accessories, since they’re so portable as projects and since the amount spent in yarn is so much smaller. That said, I’m just about to start on a sweater for me.

  241. I just finished my very first sweater and would like to do more so I guess I might just get away with claiming to be a sweater knitter.

  242. Hello! I am a sweater knitter. I have three on the needles right now (Portland Pullover, Spin Raglan and my first design inspired by your KAL). My current challenge is getting through the sleeves. Going forward, I may begin with those. I also love a cozy shawl, hats and fingerless mitts. Blankets too.

  243. I’ve been an accessory knitter for years, and only starting to become a “both” knitter. I still like the variety of smaller projects, but I’m finding myself to want more function out of what I knit, so that means a move towards garments. Also, maybe knitting baby/kid sweaters makes one more willing to tackle an adult sized one. (sjn821 on Rav)

  244. I knit about one sweater a year but I’m primarily a hat knitter. Hats are my favorite because they are quick, generally use 1-2 skeins of yarn, and provide the ability to learn new techniques and stitch patterns without the commitment required for scarves or sweaters.

  245. I am a sweater knitter. I do knit accessories, but I’m happiest when I’m knitting a sweater. I knit accessories because I need them (or want to produce a gift). I knit sweaters for the pure joy of tackling the many steps involved in crafting a sweater. But, Karen, have you thought about this? Since YOU are a sweater knitter your blog may attract more sweater knitters and this may not be an accurate sampling…

  246. Yes — or becoming one anyway. I learned to knit in 2010 when I was newly married; I’d mentioned off-handedly to a visiting friend that I wanted to learn and she taught me the basics that weekend — and a new obsession was born :) Sweater patterns were in my ravelry queue from the beginning. To this point, though, I’ve knit mostly accessories (hats, scarves, cowls, fingerless mitts), baby blankets, and a few baby sweaters and dresses.

    Your blog has given me the courage to embrace swatching and frogging, which were probably my biggest obstacles keeping me from knitting a sweater for myself (well, that + I’m a mom to two toddlers and an infant so time to knit anything, let alone an adult sweater, is scant and precious). I do have to thank you: some time ago I did indeed knit an open cardigan for myself. It turned out pretty well for a first attempt but there were things I’d wished I’d done differently and found I wasn’t really wearing it and then feeling guilty that I wasn’t after all the time I spent knitting it! Well, I recently took the plunge and began unraveling the entire thing, and I feel better about it already! It was very freeing. I’ll use the yarn to make a sweater dress or tunic for my daughter maybe.

    I’ve just started my own top down pullover following your tutorial and keeping detailes notes. There are great patterns out there that I’m itching to do (shoutouts to Hannah Fettig and Carrie Bostick Hoge for patterns that are totally in my style wheelhouse!) but I keep feeling the pull to do my own thing. It’ll take as long as it takes, and if I have to unravel it, I am now at a place where I won’t along with it ;). This is long, sorry! The kiddos are napping otherwise I couldn’t write all this. Many thanks, Karen! :)

  250. I’ve knit four sweaters, two really successful. Several successful vests or sleeveless tops for me and my husband. Intentions for many other sweaters, but I’m mostly making accessories. After about ten years of knitting.

  251. Yes, I am now, but I didn’t use to be! When I first started knitting, I didn’t have the money to spend on a large amount of yarn at once (and there weren’t as many options for cheap yarn online), but now I have more expertise in figuring out how I want things to knit, so yes I am! But I like to break it up with socks, toys, and other small things.

  253. Dear Karen,

    I am a sweater knitter. It is what drives my passion for knitting. I do however, partake in hat and cowl knitting to sate my need for accomplishment as sweaters has of late taken up to 6 months to a year to finish.

  254. Yes to sweaters! I also knit baby items, hats, and Christmas stockings.
    Scarfs and sock don’t do it for me.

  257. I bought patterns last year for cardigans I can wear when it’s chilly, but not cold enough to wear a coat. I haven’t started knitting them. My frustration is that most patterns are for shawls. I want to make vests, but trying to find vest patterns that flatter my middle-age figure is nearly impossible.Wearing a vest instead of a cardigan is a necessity for me as I have a down coat that is super warm. In fact, it’s so warm that I had to take it off on the bus the other day. Karen, I like your vest pattern, but it has buttons, which wouldn’t work for me. Would you please consider doing a post on vests? Thanks.

  260. I am most definitely an accessories knitter, though i long for more hand knit sweaters in my wardrobe. I find that I mostly wear neutrals, and so I have fun knitting shawls and socks in bright colors that I would never knit a garment in. It’s also a matter of budget. I find it hard to swing $100+ for a sweaters worth of yarn even though I know the end result will be worth it- it is hard to manage. But I can easily afford a lovely skein or two for an accessory. Any recommendations on budget friendly yarns for garments that are both lovely to knit with and to wear?

  261. Some of each. I typically knit 1-2 sweaters a year, and loads of hats, socks, several shawls. Some of the reason is expense, some of the reason is I rarely knit sweaters for others, but I do knit all those other things for others, and for sale. So sweater knitting is fairly selfish knitting. But I have to say, your black and white striped sweater and your St Brendan are making me really think hard about my next sweater, which I’ll be casting on in the next few months. Actually, I have two sweaters in mind, so there will be more sweater knitting this year than normal, I think.

  262. I knit four sweaters when I first learned, back in the ’80s, but since then have knit mostly scarves and hats. The smaller projects satisfy my need to finish quickly and wear it. Also, it’s easy to indulge in luxury yarns in smaller quantities. In the winter, even in SoCal, I wear a scarf almost every day and the handmade warmth is such a pleasure. IF I were tempted to make a sweater, it would be a stab at a top-down one, with your tutorial as guide. Thanks for all the inspiration!

  263. I am a knitter. A knitter for a very long time (since I was 5 years old).
    As such, I knit everything, sweaters, dresses, skirts, hats, scarves, mittens, socks, throws, etc, etc.
    You name it, I knit it. ;-)

  266. My original knitting (60-odd years ago) was sweaters and for many years of knitting it was sweaters only. The year I made 18 sweaters (for myself and two daughters), my mother told me that I would have to build on a room to hold them. The next year I started law school and made it until exam time of the second semester before I allowed myself to enter a knit shop. I bought a kit and had finished that sweater by the time exams were over – knitting at traffic lights, etc. – two weeks later. I still love to knit sweaters and am working on a cabled vest for myself now, but have taken up shawls, hats, and other smaller things that I can give as gifts. Two sons-in-law and four grandchildren like knitted stuff, and my big woolies haven’t been worn this year because of the mild winter we’ve had (Alabama). I have stash that I intend to knit into sweaters, and sweaters that I intend to take apart and make into other sweaters, so I’m never without a sweater on the needles; however, other things get made in the interstices.

  267. Yes, the first thing I made when I learned to knit 30 years ago (gak! where did those years go?) was a purple cardigan and it was ghastly. The woman who taught me begged me to start with something simple but no. Not me. Then I quit knitting until about 15 years ago and made an endless parade of accessories but you can really only wear so many hats and scarves. Now I am obsessed with sweaters and improving my skills. I like your blog because of the high aesthetic of what you make and show. The one thing I haven’t made yet is a totally seamed sweater (except for that first hideous cardigan!) but the Chanel cardigan you are making has me sorely tempted. The yarn for sweaters is an investment so I am trying hard to make sure that the things I knit are things I will really love and wear. Right now I’m knitting a top-down raglan v-neck inspired by you! So thank you for writing this blog!

  268. I definitely knit more sweaters and cardigans. I’ve made the occasional hat as a gift (I don’t wear hats) and I made one pair of socks and definitely want to make more. But sweaters are no.1 in my book!

  270. Hi, I’m Carie, and I knit sweaters.
    The first garment I ever made was an Icelandic my dad helped with (he taught me everything I know – with the notable exception of cables). He did the sleeves and most of the yoke. I did the body, and attached the sleeve and collar with some help. I was almost nine years old then, so the idea of creating something without a certain level of rigor doesn’t interest me. Example: my sister asked me for a scarf for her birthday four years ago; she picked the color and I picked the pattern, which resulted in gorgeous periwinkle cables. Just flat garter or linen stitch wasn’t gonna cut it, not for a huge rectangle.
    Sweaters, no matter how simple the pattern, can always be made interesting.

  271. So far I have mostly been an accessories knitter but I think the number of accessories in my queue has gone beyond what any one person needs! Many of the same reasons that have already been mentioned – I have found knitting accessories to be a great way to learn new techniques, try out different yarns, and they’re portable. Another reason is that my weight fluctuates. I’m also a big believer that what’s on your hat, neck and feet goes a long way towards being warm. Now that I consider myself an intermediate knitter and am more confident, I could see moving more towards sweaters one day.

  272. I will be starting my very first sweater this weekend! I just finished knitting the “Cross Country Coat” by Wool and the Gang, that has been my biggest project to date. I started knitting in the fall and started out with simple accessories, but as my skills improve I find myself drawn to larger projects like sweaters, but we’ll see how this sweater goes!

  274. Hi! I want to be a sweater knitter. I did knit one for my son when he was a toddler more than 20 years ago and around the same time I knit a beautiful Alice Starmore sweater that stills awaits finishing largely because I know it’s too big and much too warm for where I now live. Since then it’s been wraps and scarves and cowls, fingerless mitts, hats, and an occasional blanket. There was also a moment when I realized I enjoyed collecting yarn more than I enjoyed knitting it! Now I’m sensing an urge to knit sweaters again and to learn how to make them fit–that’s my biggest stumbling block. But there are so many resources available for help with that, including your blog, that I don’t need to worry. I just need to decide what to try first…

  275. Absolutely a sweater knitter. I sometimes knit hats/mittens/socks as a break between sweaters and as gifts, but always thinking about that next sweater…

  276. I think if you knit accessories, you notice those patterns, if you knit sweaters, that is what stands out. I knit sweaters, and socks on a machine.

  277. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. But, only recently have I figured out the difference of a cute sweater on the model to sweaters that will actually look good on me. So I’m also a sweater frogger ;)

  278. Yes, I am a sweater knitter, but I knit a little of everything: sweaters, socks, hats, cowls, scarves, shawls and an occasional pillow or throw. My first sweater did not fit well, but since then I’ve been much more successful. Getting a dress form and checking fit often helps!

  279. I almost always knit a sweater, but I have knitted coats, suits and dresses, too. I guess I’ve dated myself. Who knits dresses and coats today? After learning to knit, my first project was a sweater/jacket for my husband. It had cables and a zipper in the front. He still wears it today.

    I absolutely love reading the Fringe Association website. I think others will agree that Karen is a master at explaining how the knitting process works. From the beginning, I’ve made copies of all of her “lessons”. I’m thinking about going to a copy shop and having them bound off in book form.

    Katherine

  280. I like to knit sweaters, but do not knit many of them due to the financial and time commitment required. I usually knit about two sweaters a year, a mix of cardigans and pullovers. Love to read your blog!

  281. Definitely a sweater knitter, some accessories, and of course anything baby and love small knitted toys. I have a bit of a cult following among my nieces and nephews.

  284. Yup, I knit sweaters. I have definitely gravitated more towards them in recent years, I think due to the industry trend you mention towards high-quality published patterns. It definitely feels less of a gamble than it used to investing time and yarn-budget in a large-scale project when I trust a pattern has been professionally tech-edited.

  285. I’m a wanna-be sweater knitter. I haven’t taken the leap (except for a couple of shrugs) because I am worried about spending money on something that won’t fit in the end. I hope to change that this year. I got a sweater quantity of yarn for Christmas and purchased the Craftsy Your First Sweater Class. I plan to use that and the Fringe Association Top Down Sweater tutorial to knit a cardigan or two.

  286. I’m a sweater knitter. I used to knit armwarmers/mittens, blankets and hats. But your blog convinced me sweater knitting was doable and to take the leap. Now I have to have a sweater project in planning or on the needles. And the accessory knitting tends to be out of yarn stash, gifts, or small yarn rewards for meeting life goals.

  287. Have always been a sweater knitter with occasional dips in accessory pool. Looking back it’s pretty hysterical the styles I’ve followed! But that is what keeps it so fun and always new! From huge dropped shouldered Rowan’s of the 80’s to the coolest unstructured Cocoknits in Habu! I am so hooked and always finding something new even when “redoing” the classics! Love access to the Japanese styling now and German whiz Isabelle Kraemer…and now the wonderful US “maker” community! Just wish I could knit faster! Even chose to retire in Montana so could enjoy a longer knitting experience! Love your blog – can’t wait to see your newest explorations!!!

  288. I am a sweater knitter (but much less so than I used to be). Now I’m equally feeling the love for socks and accessories (mainly fingerless gloves and cowls/scarves). One can only wear so many sweaters and I’m not inclined to make them for others so I’ve had to branch out. Also, now I unravel sweaters to perfect fit (and I make more complicated ones) so that takes longer.

  289. I’m definitely a sweater knitter. I hate knitting socks, and aside from the pair I made for my husband as a wedding gift, I would prefer never to knit a set again! I do like to make scarves here and there, but for the most part most of my joy comes from pullovers and cardigans.

  290. I started knitting last yr and after stumbling across your Beginners series, I have been dying to knit a sweater! The only reason I haven’t yet is bc I have a compulsive need to knit gifts (smaller than a sweater). Once I’m through with my gifts for an upcoming trip to see relatives, I am going to knit myself a sweater goshdarnit!! ;)

    P.S. Your blog is my favorite knitting blog. :) Thank you for going so in depth in your posts — I’ve learned so much.

  291. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter. Occasionally I make other things — more than I realize, I suspect — but the spiritual center of my practice is a warm torso.

  292. I am a sweater knitter. After discovering and getting adddicted to knitting podcasts and blogs I have recently knitted my first shawl. Knitted two pair of socks and considering knitting some fingerless mitts. So I guess the tides are changing.

  293. Yes I am a sweater knitter and it’s a recent thing for me. I was exclusively knitting shawls or cowls (occasional sock) until MDK had the Bang out a sweater KAL last year and I had the satisfaction of quickly getting a wearable sweater completed and it fit. Now I’m knitting another sweater and endlessly inspired by your blog and projects. You are so fearless and inspire me to not be afraid to tackle more difficult sweater patterns. I confess, I do keep a shawl or cowl on the needles to have a mental break.

  294. I am first and foremost a sweater knitter. Also a designer trying to lure knitters back to sweater knitting (see my interview in Vogue Knitting, fall 2013). Lots of things keep knitters from sweaters–the risky investment of cost and time, discomfort with fitting garments on an imperfect body, lack technical know-how, etc. My approach is to design sweaters that are easy to knit, easy to fit, and easy to wear. It doesn’t hurt that I live in a cold climate!

  295. I am a sweater knitter, and I’ve given this some thought as I help our local yarn shop define ‘who is their target audience.’ (I’m in marketing). Your audience may be more sweater knitters because you post about that. In the past I have seen more shawl knitters and accessory knitters. However, my shawl knitting buddies are starting to knit sweaters now. You can look up most popular patterns on Ravelry to see what is trending the most.

  296. you asked and boy have people replied!! i would say that yes, i am a sweater knitter. that is not to say that i don’t enjoy accessories. they are a nice break from big sweater projects. i like to make things that i can wear. i can wear a sweater year round but not many of the accessories that i make.
    as for magazines, from what i “know” editors want sweaters. they are a big draw to the magazine. though i hear magazine sales are down for some. maybe they need to shift back the other way. personally i would love to see a magazine that was 1/3 sweaters, 1/3 accessories and 1/3 socks. i do miss sock patterns!

  298. I was drawn back to knitting specifically because I wanted to knit sweaters; accessories are just the respites between sweater opportunities.

  299. Hi, my name is Jill. I am a sweater knitter. One of my favorite sweaters I knit is the Honeycomb Pullover by Patons.

  300. I am Sandy and I am an anything knitter — although I don’t love socks. I love knitting sweaters – -I have drawerfuls of ones that no longer fit because of weight loss (yay me – boo for my sweaters) — so I get to make more! Scarves and shawlettes are fun for small on the go projects and gifts and using up that just too beautiful to resist skein — but I always have 2 sweaters on the needles – in addition – I crochet — and I crochet sweaters!

  303. Yes! Love making sweaters and get excited when I see new sweater patterns. Will alternate with accessory knitting from time to time.

  304. No, I am not (much) of a sweater knitter.
    But I’d like to be. I have several in my queue, but am slow….
    My opinion: I think Brooklyn Tweed has heavily influenced the increase in sweater designs in the knitting world.

  305. I became a sweater knitter in the past year! I think the biggest source of my switch was using something like Instagram, where I felt very encouraged by seeing other knitters go through the process. It made sweaters seem more accessible and made me want to branch out. For me, a sweater was also the next logical step in terms of challenging myself and trying new things.

    As for collections, one guess is that there’s a higher demand for good, reliable sweater patterns; for a sweater, the time/cost committment is greater and a dependable pattern is important. People may be more willing to pay for a sweater pattern than, for example, a hat pattern. Likewise, if the collection is published by a yarn company than it’s more profitable for people to be making sweaters than hats!

  306. My name is Susan- and I am a sweater knitter. I have been knitting sweaters for 30 years

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

  307. My first project ever(at 9, was a sweater for my baby brother). I love knitting sweaters. Knitting accessories is a relatively new thing for me.

  308. Call me a sweater knitter. I won’t be offended, but I knit everything–a lot of sweaters as well as socks, shawls, scarves, cowls, toys for children and animals, washcloths, dishtowels, blankets, whatever. I am interested in your informal survey and can provide an informal assessment of the trend in my sources. I rely on Instagram, Ravelry and blogs, checking them daily for the latest designs. I’m not on Facebook, can’t say about it. In sum, I see a lot fewer socks, a small increase in sweaters and hats, and a rather constant number of shawls. Triangular shawls have been dwindling. It’s mostly crescent-shaped ones now. I think cowls are giving way to scarves, wider and longer scarves. I haven’t noticed the emphasis on sweaters in books, magazines and collections, but on reflection, I agree. There are more sweater patterns, which makes me happy!

  309. Hi I’m Laura and I knit pullovers and cardigans in just about equal numbers. I love shawls and cowls as well, but sweaters get most of my attention.

  310. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. Other things when I need a small project to travel with, but mostly sweaters.

  311. Traditionally accessories, because I was intimidated by the idea of knitting a sweater! But I’m working on my first sweater and am having a great time. I think I’d become a mostly-sweater knitter, except the cost is a little outrageous. So I’ll probably be both!

  312. Not a sweater knitter, although I do have some in my queue and one on the needles. One sweater out of about twelve WIPs at any given time. Still the same sweater that has been on the same needles since about 2011. I want it to be finished and wearable, but not badly enough to actually work on it. Other projects are quicker, less stressful, less expensive and I can be more creative with less risk.

  314. I am definitely a sweater knitter–currently working on a third sweater using your Improv tutorial!

    Personally, I’m a selfish knitter and only make things for myself. After knitting for years, I now have a closet full of accessories, and I simply don’t need any more. I’m enjoying focusing on sweaters these days, because I’m filling in gaps in my closet, and because sweaters are larger/longer projects that help me feel like I’m getting a good bang-for-my-buck when spending money on yarn.

  315. I just started knitting in August, but after one cowl, I immediately jumped in to sweaters. I sew most of my clothes, but sweaters were the one major thing I still bought in store; I wanted to take that final step to me-made. Also, it’s not cold enough here for too many accessories, and my mom has already knitted me a million wonderful hats, so sweaters were a logical choice.

  316. I love sweaters, but my favourite to knit an wear are cardigans, I find it difficult to find on trend patterns, there are a lot of books full of accessories , there are some lovely patterns full of cables, but I don’t always want to knit something complicated. The indie pattern makers seem to have lots of accessories including socks. I don’t do socks, mainly because I don’t like juggling all those needles. I also would like to knit a lovely shawl, but in one colour, because it is hard and very expensive to get those variegated yarns in this country (Australia) , I never seem to find a nice pattern for one of those and it’s not the same looking at a hard copy of instructions as it is with epatterns, that you can only study once you have bought the pattern. You have a lot more choice in the states, which is good of course. Also people don’t think we get cold in this country, but we do. This week it would be hard to believe since everyday is hitting high 35+celsius and up to 42 this week, which I think is 107 in Fahrenheit. Looking forward to winter at this stage, but I digress.

  317. YES I am definitely a sweater knitter (with socks being my second favorite item to knit, something I would never had believed I’d be saying years ago, when I thought knitting socks made no sense at all).

  318. Right now I am definitely a sweater knitter — three on the go plus a four isle vest that’s been in progress for almost three years. My second ever knitting project was a sweater.

  321. I am a new sweater knitter, I am at my third in a row. I started my first one last summer when I felt like learning more knitting techniques and got influenced my the “make your own garment” movement. The first sweater was a success and I felt like making more, especially since I love to custom make stuff…choosing colors to textures, patterns is my favourite part of the process! Otherwise, I have knitted countless socks, hats, scarves, cowls, gloves, slippers…much needed in Finland where I live!

  322. Yes! I knit sweaters. 54 years ago, after my first scarf, I knit my first sweater. Boyfriends, my second husband, my three boys, my grand children, all got sweaters. But mostly for me. Yeah, I’m selfish.
    Nothing fancy. Gotta be able to wear with my dungerees…..

  323. YES I am happiest when I am knitting a sweater. I get the most ~pleasure~ out of wearing a sweater I made whereas I feel ambivalent about accessories. maybe it’s because a sweater takes longer. if I only knit accessories at the rate I knit sweaters, my yarn fund would be astronomical :| but when I’m planning a sweater, I usually shop around for the best yarn/wait for a sale but that’s not always the case.

    in the past year I have lost my two most beloved knits, a shawl and my first sweater because I wore them all the time. I remade the shawl and I’m in the process of re-doing my first sweater. I don’t mind repeating patterns if they are written well and the end product is lovely, I don’t cast on just bc a new collection of sweaters came out. in fact, m0st of the pattern

    I’m supposed to be working a pair of socks for a friend but fingering weight on size 0 needles really sucks!!!

  324. Since I started knitting at the age of five I probably have knit everything knittable. My Mom handed me a ball of wool and two sharpened big green school pencils and showed me how to knit. This was to keep me out of her knitting that I was always picking up to try my hand at whatever was on the go.
    And I never stopped after that. Not until I started my first job at Bell Canada did I meet anyone else that knit. It turned out our division was filled with young ladies right out of school and
    two of us knit and the others in self defence joined in. It helped that we had a fantastic wool shop across the street and a good portion of our meager salaries went to wool. I made my future husband a V neck vest which he wears to this day, 55 years later.
    Knitting was put on the back burner when I opened a fabric store and my time was spent teaching sewing, crocheting, needlepoint and quilting. Children did however get sweaters during those years and one year I knit 12 aran sweaters for all the kids in our cross country ski group. The children are grown and hand knit sweaters have not been appreciated for my grandchildren and so I followed my passion for quilting. As an aside the quilts are not appreciated either.
    My knitting now consists mainly of scarves for the homeless that I can knit while we travel back and forth to the cottage. But there is a project that I must face and that is the replacement of the 55 year old green V neck vest that my husband insists on wearing and I insist that it is no longer wearable or repairable. I just have to finish two pairs of socks and then one or two quilting projects and I am sure it will get done so we can garbage the old one. Sorry for the long post, never done that before and I do look forward every morning to your blog.

    • That bit about the sweaters and quilts being unappreciated is so heartbreaking, but I like to think your husbands 55 years of devotion to his vest makes up for it!

    • You knit 12 ARAN SWEATERS IN ONE YEAR FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN?? You are truly amazing. By the way if you ever want to adopt an appreciative recipient of handknit sweaters or homemade quilts I…know where to find one. (Kidding, kidding…your project of knitted scarves for homeless folks is also truly lovely.)

  325. YES! I usually have 3-4 projects going at a time and at least one is a sweater (currently two!). I teach knitting and love helping people knit sweaters – we start with an easy pattern and break it down into smaller sections.

  326. I’ve been knitting for 2 ½ years and am obsessed with it. Feel as if I’m the “Queen of Rectangles” because I knit so many scarves. Also hats and cowls. What I REALLY want to do is become adept at sweaters, but I need guidance (THANK YOU, Karen). I’ve made two sweaters and they are almost done, but I can’t figure out how to put them together. My LYS recommended both patterns, but has no patience for helping me put them together. She is such an amazing, expert knitter she can’t comprehend that I don’t understand some of the details. For example, I asked her how to do an iCord and she said “just read the pattern, it’s all there.” The pattern instructions said “apply iCord”. My very first knitting project in college was a sweater. I sailed through it, but had instruction ever step of the way. Then I took a 50 year sabbatical and am now making scarves and loving every minute. But I WANT TO MAKE SWEATERS AND FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT IT.

    • When I first started knitting, anything new I wanted to know how to do, I watched the video at knittinghelp.com — I’ve never found another source that I think explains things any more clearly than she does. I don’t know if she’d have a video for every technique you need to know, but I’d certainly start there. And the Tips & Techniques posts on the Kelbourne Woolens site are also invaluable! But a lot of things, too, just require some trial and error and practice. I hope that helps!

  327. I am a sweater knitter too! Interesting comments though. I learned to knit in 2010, I have made 4 sweaters so far ( Norah Gaughan’s Beatnik, Juju Vail’s Sprinkle, and Jennifer Stafford’s wolf sweater, among them), and a knitted vest. (Not your knitted vest yet, but I would like to make it!) And I’ve made too numerous to count scarfs, cowls, fingerless gloves (Seattle weather is perfect for them too!), mittens, gloves, and socks for people. On to Bohus Stickning, my next challenge!

  328. I started out as an accessory knitter, but I’m currently knitting my third sweater, so it seems I have switched over!

  329. Yep, definitely a sweater knitter. I started out making just accessories, then started knitting baby and children’s sweaters, then upgraded to adult sweaters about three years ago. That progression really worked for me, since I got to understand the mechanics of knitting sweaters but on a really small scale, so they didn’t take too long. I do still love knitting quick and portable things like hats and cowls, but most of my Ravelry queued projects are sweaters, and my favourite completed projects are sweaters, so I don’t think that there’s any going back now!

  330. Love knitting sweaters but finding a lot of designers seem to have gone up in the sizing tables and the smallest sizes are too big even if they are meant to be a relaxed fit they don’t fit me. I am not confident in knowing how to adjust sleeve width (upper arm circumference) although I love cable or fair isle knitting. Last summer I got involved in haps and things but much prefer a sweater or cardigan. I like a main project with socks or hats for times when I just want to knit something small.

    I currently have x2 sweaters planned, one started (with a cowl as my small project) a cable cardigan as my next project followed by s yoke sweater (children’s sizes for me) I have just finished knitting Brooklyn Tweed’s Svenson for my father and Vika for myself. Yes I love sweaters and can even wear them in summer!

  331. I have made only 5 adult sweaters, and probably roughly a dozen accessories, so I guess in terms of number of items I’m not primarily a sweater knitter–but I think of myself as one, I guess because so much more of my knitting time has been spent on the sweaters! Once I gained the skills for sweaters, it made sense to me to spend most of my limited knitting time on them. I live in the Bay Area and can wear them most of the year. I love and wear hats and legwarmers, but can only use so many. Socks are lovely but seem to take a lot of time for something that endures such hard wear, so I make only special around-the-house socks. Making a sweater means making a keepsake that will last a long time and is really on display when worn, even if only I notice it. So those are my reasons!

  332. Sweater knitter here! When I knit the smaller stuff it is usually because I’m trying to use up yarn left over from sweaters I’ve knit 😊I feel like sweaters are my favorite thing to wear so if I’m going to spend time making something, that’s what I want to end up with.

  333. I knit my very first sweater just this month. I was terrified to knit one because I hate picking up stitches. But the sweater turned out beautifully and my hatred of picking up stitches is now unfounded. I am mostly a shawl knitter, but I think I may just become a sweater knitter as well.

  334. Yes! Sweaters and cardigans! Ive knitted some hats and scarves, and one pair of socks but always come back to sweaters and cardigans. Like others have said, the result is more worthwhile for the amount of time that goes into them. I’ve been knitting most of my life so knitting books with mostly accessories and only one or two sweaters seem very expensive so I’m happy with the shift in publishing.

  335. I am a sweater knitter. I started with sweaters when I first started knitting and those have always been my first knitting love. I became a sock knitter for a while, but sweater knitting has my heart.

  336. Hmmmmm…how to answer? Haven’t knit an adult sweater for probably 40 years. Lots of baby sweaters, ponchos, hats, other small accessories. Lots of busy years since then where quilting and baby baby afhans could be worked on at sporting events etc.without a lot of brain power! Sweaters require a pretty serious attention to detail. My favorite story was that I decided that I wanted a lace bedspread, found a vintage pattern. It was worked in small (4″) fan-shaped pieces and then joined together. I worked on it during my son’s high school events, he loved to drag his friends to wherever I was seated and ask them “What do you think my mom is making”? When they would fail to guess he would roar with laughter and say “A Bedspread!!! Isn’t that hilarious!” He was alaways quite pleased with his humor.
    Have lots of patterns and ideas, actually have a sweater on the needles for myself now. I want to whip it together and see if I need to rethink it before I finalize it. BUT, it is a very simple sweater.
    I want to try your ideas for a custom fit sweater but now babysit for a 2 year old grandaughter five days a week, no time to work on the details! So hats and simple projects it is! She loves to take a ball of yarn and work it with her fingers, flinging yarn around and saying, “I am knitting”!!! So it starts!
    I do love seeing all of the beautiful work that you post here, my pinterest pages are full of somedays!
    Maybe the increase in sweater making is because the sweaters sold in stores are quite often not worth buying.

  337. No. Not really, but that is mainly a cost driven pattern. Sweaters are 90% of what I dream of knitting and 20% of my finished objects.

    Perhaps the trend is because yarn manufacturing publishers want to sell more sweater quantities of yarn than single skeins?

  338. I want to be a sweater knitter but have had a lot of problems with fit over the years.
    That’s because I didn’t really have the skills or resources (or patience).
    Maybe I will do better in 2017!
    Shawls, mittens, socks and hats keep me busy – also using up stash and leftovers.

  339. Not only am I a sweater knitter… I think I may have a problem. I have been knitting for 3 years and am working on sweater # 27 , with plans for # 28 in the works!

  340. What a fantastic comment section about this post! Thank you for starting the conversation, Karen. I knit sweaters without pause — otherwise it can feel like I am spending more time on Ravelry searching for the next small knitting pattern than I actually spend knitting or, even worse, I”m left without a knitting project at all for a day or two (!!). For me sweaters are one of the most functional and useful items I can knit, as well as being the most interesting and challenging to make. Every sweater I’ve knit has included a slightly different construction or technique — that isn’t really the case with sock knitting (I’m an obsessive sock knitter, too, and its mindlessness is a virtue in and of itself). Also, I’ve knit a couple sweater for other people, which is strangely fun in its own way. A handknit sweater feels like one of the most luxurious things imaginable, given the time and care it takes, and, if you can find a recipient who realizes that, it’s one of the most well-appreciated gifts, too. By the way, both your current WIPs are gorgeous – I’m about to cast on my own shawl collared sweater once I finish swatching.

  341. I’m a sweater knitter, but I also knit hats (the pussy hat!), shawls, scarfs, mittens, etc. I used to knit socks too, until I realized that I actually prefer store-bought socks. I don’t think I’ve knit a sweater this year (2016, that is), but I did knit a tunic-tank type thing and am getting ready to cast on a cardigan soon.

  342. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter. I started with accessories, and progressed to baby sweaters and then adult sweaters. I still like occasional smaller projects, but I really like adding custom made clothes to my wardrobe.

  343. I’ll knit anything, since I am a process, not product knitter. I just flat love to knit, and have given away many sweaters — right off my body if I’m wearing a shirt underneath!

  344. I love to knit lace so that’s tops on my list, and I use sock knitting as my mindless, travel projects. But over time I’ve realized that as much as I love to knit lace shawls, I’m really not a lacy sort of person. So I’ve been making more sweaters the past few years. And really? Since I took up spinning – nothing like hand spinning a sweater’s worth of fiber and then making it into a sweater – my heart is happy any time I’m wearing hand spun clothes.
    Thanks so much for this blog! It is SO inspirational!

  345. I am a sweater knitter but I also knit lots of other things: socks, hats, mittens, shawls. I’m hoping to knit more sweaters this year.

  347. I’m a sweater knitter…for family dogs. Not kidding. It all started with my dog who needed a sweater that would fit her long and lean body. It was my first knitting project and I was very proud of it. Then my family wanted one for their dogs.

    And now I’m trying to knit a sweater for me. I have attempted few times in the past but I wasn’t happy with them. Hopefully, this time I will succeed. If not, I will keep trying. You are an inspiration to me.

    Sometimes I knit hats. They are fun and easy.

  348. I’m a two project at a time knitter. I keep a sweater on the needles and an accessory too. I give most of the accessories away as gifts and the sweaters are for me (almost always). I end up knitting 2-4 accessories to every 1 sweater that I knit. Once a year I knit a big shawl.
    I don’t like knitting socks or scarves. Small diameter knitting in the round annoys me and scarves usually bore me.

  350. A good friend and I learned to knit in college – about 50 years ago. We each knit a scarf and then, hilariously, decided to knit a dress together to share. She knit the front and I knit the back. This was back in the days of super short mini skirts and dresses. Not wanting to waste time or money, we knit something super short, so short that neither of us could sit or bend when it was our turn to wear this dress. Happily, we have more patience now and also more disposable income. We have both expanded our repertoires to sweaters, shawls, vests, hats, mittens, gloves, baby blankets, and baby clothes. I particularly enjoy cables and textures and also color work. I will knit anything if the pattern appeals and has some challenge. I love knitting for myself and for family and friends. Fortunately, they love receiving knitted gifts. I have also knitted for homeless. Loved the look on a little girl’s face when she put on a sweater I had put a lot of effort into – lots of colors.
    Really enjoy your posts. I think it’s wonderful that so many people are enjoying knitting now.

  351. Thanks to you I am a sweater knitter. Amanda was my first. Yikes! It takes me a while, and I will throw knit hats, scarves, etc. in between.

  352. I have been knitting a few years. I’ve made hats, scarves, cowls and shawls. I’ve knit several lace patterns that keep me on my toes. I jumped in feet first making my first sweater last Summer. I asked to test knit Lindsay Inouye’s (standardknits) lovely Gambier cardigan that you have featured here a couple times. It was an ambitious first sweater, but I made it through and absolutely love it! I am about to begin what should have been my first introduction to sweater knitting, the Ramona cardigan. For me, I am much more concerned about a sweater not fitting well, so I’m not as gung-ho to just knit sweaters. I find I need a break between big projects, and smaller quick project fill that time. I’ve learned that I need something to keep me interested in the project i.e. a challenging pattern etc. I don’t enjoy just plain mindless knitting as much. My way of making my Ramona sweater more interesting to knit, I plan on making it striped. Thank you for your helpful posts on so many sweaters and other fun things to think about!

  353. I would love to be a sweater knitter. As a college student (and yarn snob), it’s hard to buy sweater-quantities of yarn as often as I would like. However – the goal is a handmade wardrobe, is it not? Onwards!

  354. I used to mostly knit scarves and shawls, but have since become a sweater knitter for sure! I’ve made at least 4 cardigans for myself that I’m proud of and one for my mom along with a few pullovers. I find that cardigans are a little easier than pullovers since I have a larger chest, but I’m working on getting better at gauge and measuring and all that.

  355. Yes, once I knit my first sweater a couple of years ago (an improvised top-down with guidance from Maggie Righetti), that’s almost all I want to knit. Also, if no one has said this yet, my totally uninformed guess is that your readers are a skewed sample, both because you are so inspirational in the ability to knit a sweater and how much blog content is sweater-knitter focused. Or, you might actually be contributing to the turning tide of sweater-knitting.

  356. I have knit everything. I love to make sweaters most of all. I have great love of the process, but when it comes to completing a project- nothing beats putting on your sweater and going to the yarn shop for more…

  357. My name is Johanna and I have knit one adult sized sweater and three child sized sweaters in my 14 year knitting life. So no, I am not a sweater knitter. (But I’ve only knit one pair of socks, so I am really not a sock knitter!)

  358. I’ve knit 3 sweaters in my life – a blue Ganesh pullover for a boyfriend (didn’t know about getting the ring first), a cardigan for me that I ripped and knit with the 3rd one fitting and a EZ BSJ. I haven’t knit any more because I keep reading about how to get the perfect fit and it’s overwhelming and I’m truly afraid to try to knit one to fit me.

  360. Sweater knitting in hand…Now I’m a sweater knitter but I never was before. Last year I decide I would knit my first sweater and by the end of the year I had four more. Now, and partially influenced by your posts, I have decided that I will no longer buy any sweaters. Instead, I looked for gaps in my wardrobe and created a list of sweaters to knit based off the season. I still knit hats and accessories for others but this year my goal is to also complete a sweater for my husband and sister.

  361. Yes I’m a sweater knitter. I like to knit one each year. There is something very satisfying about knitting a sweater or cardigan. I also knit socks and shawls and have knit a few hats but I really love planning for the next sweater.

  363. I knit everything. But accessories seem to dominate because of special requests or my own gifting. This year I have 3 sweaters on my project list, so maybe they are trending for me.

  364. My first reaction was, no, because I have knit sweaters and they are not “quite right”. I do wear them because I like them, mostly cardigans, and I do like to knit them. I live in a warm southern state and rarely wear pullovers. So, after a while I would say, yes, I am trying to be a better sweater knitter!
    Though, I like sock knitting best of all.

  365. Yes! Sweaters, shawls, hats, blankets… and also crochet, too, just tiny motifs for garlands and such.

  366. No, I’m not a sweater knitter — yet. But I want to be! However, since I live in San Antonio, I don’t know if I can justify knitting very many sweaters, even those made of cotton and linen. And the reason I’m not yet a sweater knitter is that I just haven’t taken the time to sit down and concentrate on doing one from start to finish. I’m retiring in about a month and knitting my first sweater — preferably a cardigan — is definitely high on my list of things to do!

  367. Sweaters, scarves, hats & sock (yes, only 1 sock, sooo not at true sock knitter). Sweaters are my favorite!

  368. Yes! Sweaters, started with hats and mittens for kids every winter. Have 1 hat project on needles, and trying to find a good pattern for some beautiful Malabrigo yarn I bought on sale.

  369. I am definitely a sweater knitter, and have been for ages. I’ll knit other things, but my true knitting love is sweaters for life.

  370. I am and have always been a sweater knitter. I tend not to wear many accessories, though I have been known to knock out some mitts, a hat or a cowl as needed. Living in the PNW, sweaters just make sense in the fight to keep the damp at bay. Sweaters are more interesting in relation to construction, more of a commitment and therefore a labour of love. They’re also usually statement pieces, or else they fill gaps in my style. I find knitting a hat can be gratifying, especially as it’s usually an exercise in texture and a quick project. I suppose on the other end of the knitting spectrum (from one perspective), there are people who like to knit shawls I don’t know that I’ll ever really understand people who get a kick out of knitting shawls and the like. I’ve never seen a shawl used as a shawl outside of historic re-enanctments I’ve encountered. They get all scrunched up when they wear them as a scarf, thus (in my mind) defeating the purpose of elaborate texture and openwork. A sweater, though, is always front-and-centre. They just make sense, and will get worn.

  372. I just started knitting again about three years ago. I started off with scarves and hats, then a simple lace shawl, and it’s been shawls ever since. I don’t wear them (yet?) but give them to family and friends. When I was younger, I made a few sweaters and the sizes were all over the place. And that’s my stumbling block–conquering gauge. I’d like to try again, but I have so many lovely shawls I want to make, that it will be a while.

  373. I am not a sweater knitter, except for tiny humans. I would like to be, but for my size, it takes too much yarn, the patterns are mostly uninspiring, and I’m terrified at doing all the knitting and finding it a poor fit. I’m getting closer, though! I’m paying attention to gauge now, and collecting books and tips to make it easier when I get up the courage. I even have several sweater quantities of yarn in my stash.

    As for accessories, I don’t wear make or wear hats. I love making shawls but tend to not wear them. I don’t like the shawlettes (from negative body image) and don’t wear cowls because I don’t like things too close around my neck. My recent passion is socks (although I’ve only knit two pairs) because I love the infinite variety of patterns and yarn, I can make them to fit my calves, and most importantly, I WEAR SOCKS. It’s the perfect thing for me to knit!

  374. A KIDS sweater knitter plus hats & mittens mainly…the occasional non-triangular shawl to be used as a wrap or scarf as well.

  375. Hi, I’m Kristen, and I’m a sweater knitter. Not all the time, f course–all sweaters and nothing else makes Kristen a dull girl. I like to knit my sweaters in the round as much as possible, because I hate sewing the parts together. When I’m not knitting sweaters, I knit socks, hats, cowls, fingerless mitts, scarves, shawls, and right now, I’m in the middle of my first blanket (Hue Shift afghan). I’m also experimenting with crochet and with Tunisian crochet, because I like a challenge.

  378. A sweater knitter first and foremost, since I first picked up needles in 1957! For me, for family and friends, now for my first grandchild. I also do knit (and felt) tote bags, an occasional hat or scarf. But it’s sweaters that call my name!

  380. I knit what I need (and sometimes for loved ones); socks, hats, sweaters, whatever. Right now I could really use a couple more nice looking sweaters! I’m working on one, but it takes me a long time to knit a sweater—I love textures which slow me down, I’m a perfectionist about fit at this point, and I tend to use patterns only as a loose inspiration, which means I can expect some ripping and re-knitting of tricky sections or when I fail to measure adequately. And also I’ve just accepted the fact that I love knitting while traveling, and while hanging out with friends, etc., but I don’t want to sit and knit for hours by myself. If I have time & space & quiet, I’d rather do something more mentally involved (usually garment sewing, dyeing/printing or experimenting with something new).
    So that’s a long way of saying that I will knit sweaters as long as I need sweaters, and I’m thankful for my small wardrobe, since one sweater per year is about the maximum I’m likely to knit!

  381. I’m an equal opportunity knitter-got hooked on accessories and now also include a sweater here and there. Always have a sock on the needles though!

  382. I think of myself primarily as an accessories knitter — blankets, hats, Christmas stockings — but this past year I’ve been making a ton (70+) of the Azel Pullovers that are so popular on Pinterest. Not quite a sweater, more of a poncho. I’m planning to make my first sweater in awhile starting tomorrow, though!

  383. I am definitely a sweater knitter.

    I have noticed that my knitting friends who knit mostly accessories seem to be avoiding the fitting that accompanies sweater knitting. They like quickly knitting a scarf, a shawl, etc., because they don’t want to worry about measurements.

    On the other hand, I now have more sweaters than I can wear in a moderate climate (Virginia), so I may start knitting more accessories.

  384. Totally a sweater knitter. My non-knit wardrobe is really very basic and I love to just throw a sweater over whatever I’m wearing and call it good. I wear sweaters almost every day of the year. (but just in the morning and evening in the summer) I read on Ravelry that the most knitted object in 2016 was shawls. I just can’t picture myself using a shawl much, although I would like to knit at least one lacy one just for the beauty of it. Hats: I’m really picky about how they fit and can’t stand them looking too loose or too shallow and I think super tight hats look so silly, also hats that too are wide yet too short all at once. Ugh! I need to find the perfect hat. To be honest I’ve never made a hat for me that I’ve been happy with.

  385. If I am honest, I have been more of an accessory knitter, mainly because the projects don’t take as long. I have knit sweaters for me and my 2 adult daughters but they aren’t numerous. I knit more sweaters for me in my early knitting years because that was the late 80’s and early 90’s when shaping them was easy – it was the box shape – and my weight was a lot less and fit wasn’t a problem – I don’t mind knitting sweaters and would like to knit more for me, but I have 2 problems – most sweaters are too warm for me – although I could do short sleeve tops – but the other big problem is the fit – I usually have problems and need help and they don’t turn out the way I feel they should so I feel like banging my head against the wall – the last sweater that I knitted for myself was made out of Euoflax – 100% linen using a Custom Fit pattern of Amy Herzog – it was a long process because I kept running into problems with gauge – Amy even looked at the back (that was all I had knitted because I wasn’t sure it was going to work out) when I took a class of hers at Madrona and she thought that it fit and encouraged me to continue – I did – but the front cowl just kept growing – I wore it once or twice and hated it – it is now in the pile to frog and do something else with the yarn – I can’t remember how much I wrote in the notes section, but feel free to go read about the disaster – it should be easy enough to find in my project page on ravelry – I am frogsalot – a very appropriate name for me. Don’t know how well I answered your question for a yes or no as I feel like I need to say more no than yes, but I do knit sweaters.

  387. Primarily a sweater knitter. I need longer projects, otherwise I’ll produce more than I know what to do with.

  388. No! I don’t wear sweaters unless they’re super fine gauge, way thinner fabric than is possible to create by hand. The bulk doesn’t look good on me and I get too warm, even here in frigid Vermont.

    Despite knitting for almost 15 years now, I’ve only ever finished 3 garments- one was a gift, and it turned out perfectly. One was a horrible failure of a weirdly designed cardigan from Vogue 10 years ago and one was a self designed, ill fitting tank top. I will be re-visiting and fixing the tank top design again this spring.

  389. Yes, I knit sweaters. I love sweaters. But I also feel like I have to do a lot of prep for sweaters, so I end up defaulting to hats and the occasional lace piece more often than not. Can’t wait to see your assessment of all these answers!

  390. I knit sweaters. 8 last year, but I also knit several cowl/scarf/shawls and 22 pairs of socks among other things (quick Ravelry project check)

  391. I do knit sweaters and I like them, but (until my recent convalescence from surgery) just don’t usually have time to fool with big projects – I make a ton of socks, mitts and mittens and have just now gotten into hats, with a few sweaters thrown in.

  392. I’m a crocheter, but my mother’s a knitter, and both of us love to make sweaters. I’m just getting started but I’ve already made myself a pullover that I’m happy with, and she’s been making sweaters for the whole family for years.

  393. I’m definitely a sweater knitter. I make smaller projects for Christmas gifts, but for the majority of the year, I’m knitting cardigans and pullovers for my family and me. It’s my happy place.

  394. Yes, Sweaters…I promise myself socks and I bought special needles, luxury yarn but ..look at that pullover..cardigan..I don’t like cowls, this is southern CA …….no not cowls( here, I will just wrap this boa constrictor around my neck)….shawls, (alright, Cat, Let It GO!) well, I will make them for other people, rarely. Sweaters, I can spend a great deal of time reading patterns, picking colors, yarn, which is just next to knitting.

  395. I’ve knit some Beach Tanks and am currently knitting my first garment with sleeves sooo… kind of? Working towards becoming a sweater knitter but hats and shawls are my comfort knitting.

  396. Hi – I do tackle smaller projects but the ones that give me more satisfaction are sweaters (cardis are on my to do list!), so I guess I am sweater knitter! The problem with that is where to store all the lovely goodies :)

  397. Well, I’m new knitter. Though I’ve crocheted for years and the third thing I cast on was a sweater. A simple top down raglan that I’ve been working on for two months (other project thrown in too) and I LOVE IT!!! I’ve made a couple crochet garments including 2 sweaters but was looking for a new challenge in knitting. Basic knitting is easy but I want to learn the hard stuff. =)

  398. I’m a sweater knitter :) I also knit socks and whatever else catches my eye! When I look for patterns though, I’m mostly looking for sweaters, hats, scarves, socks & mittens mostly come from my head & stitch libraries.

  400. Definitely a sweater knitter – for me, my grandchildren, my husband, and my sister usually. Occasionally card and spin the wool for my sweaters. I live in New Zealand so 95% of the time, I need a sweater at some time during the day or evening.

  401. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. Still hoping one of them will be perfect! No set in sleeves and I need to learn to use the same yarn the pattern calls for!

  402. Yes to sweater knitting! I think its part thrill of the chase, part unhappiness with the sweater options available to me in RTW shops.

  403. I’ve done a few sweaters. Intend to do more. Especially since I’ve maxed out on accessories. I certainly don’t need any more scarves! But I will always and forever need socks.

  404. I’m a sweater knitter, I love the one I made and wore them often. Sometime, this is a lot of math to find the perfect fit but that worth it. I’m also knitting accesories and socks for the familly.

  405. Yes, I am a sweater knitter, but I am slow. Two, possibly three per year at the most. I prefer classic designs by Anne Hanson (Knitspot) or Thea Colman (babycocktails). I also love vests!

  406. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. I also make accessories, baby blankets, baby clothes, socks, afghans, etc. I have so many sweaters now I am careful about what I make, making sure that it fits in the wardrobe and will be flattering.

  407. I am fairly new to sweater knitting (within the last year) but now it’s all I want to knit! I will throw a hat or scarf in the mix.

  408. Unfortunately not, now that I live in Queensland, Australia I have little use for sweaters. I only have use for scarves/cowls etc for our short mild winters, I miss it :(

  409. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter, but I knit more accessories than sweaters. Usually one sweater a year for myself, and one or two for grandchildren.

  410. I love knitting sweaters and do now expend the majority of my knitting energy on sweater knitting. But I still have a soft spot for hats! So, I keep a hat project going for “travel,” (car time, waiting in lines, appointments, etc), and work on my current sweater at home.

  411. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter! Sweaters are my preferred projects – mostly because I am a selfish, product knitter, and sweaters are the most useful knitted objects for me. Currently I live in a hot climate, so while I can wear lightweight sweaters, I really don’t need cold-weather accessories or even socks; I also work in a formal office where handknitted scarves/shawls don’t quite fit in. But I also really love the different kinds of sweater construction and knitting in the round, and don’t really enjoy knitting (or wearing) lace, so sweater knitting fits what I enjoy making as well as having once it’s done.

    However I’m moving back to a cold climate so I’m interested to see how my knitting changes. I’m excited to have even more opportunity to knit and wear sweaters, so I don’t think that will change, but I’m looking forward to making more hats, maybe a cowl or two, and I want to try to get into knitting socks, because I think wool socks in winter must be so comfortable (so far I don’t much enjoy small circumference knitting so I may need to learn to do two at a time).

  412. I am definitely a sweater knitter. I knit other items too but don’t feel complete without a sweater on my needles!

  413. Yes, I am a sweater knitter – but on about a one-two per year basis, because I also knit socks (many pairs) hats, baby clothes, shawls… Yes, I am an accessory knitter as well.

  415. I usually knit a sweater a year, but mostly I knit socks. I loathe making hats but I will if I have to. I’ve started making more cowls and shawls, and now that I’m learning to spin I expect to do more of that sort of thing.

  416. Almost 30 years ago, I started knitting sweaters. First baby sweaters, then adult sized. I still knit 2-3 sweaters a year. I just started knitting socks and accessories in the past 8 years. It’s fun to get a hat done in a week, and accessories make great gifts, and are very portable for travel knitting.

  417. Yes! I also knit accessories but feel almost odd when I don’t have a sweater on the needles.

  418. I’m currently mostly a not-sweater knitter, due to living in a semi-tropical climate & just not needing that many sweater-type garments. That said, even when I lived in a colder climate I was often disappointed by the end result of making a sweater pattern versus the effort put in, and so more often made smaller items to use myself or gift. With smaller patterns I am more willing to make a first version and then tweak & amend it to suit me, so I end up with the perfect pattern for my tastes. I’ve never had enough crafting energy or know how to do that for larger items.

  419. I suppose I’m a sweater knitter. They’re what I think about making most, but as far as actual things produced? Way more accessories – hats, socks, shawls, etc.

  420. I’d rather knit up smaller items but an occasional sweater does get created by me, especially baby sweaters. My big hang up is the seaming.

  421. I like the long term commitment of a sweater. Much more satisfying. I sometimes think it is about the process and not the result. It’s like returning to an old friend

  423. Yes, I knit sweaters! I’ve gone through phases where I’m interested in knitting just about everything, but for the last year or two, sweaters are the only things I’ve been enthusiastic about. Maybe because I wear them more than everything else (except socks, which I got bored of but want to get back to). Maybe because there are so many beautiful patterns, idk.

  424. Yes! I usually have 3 projects on the go at the same time of which at least one is a sweater of some kind.

  425. I just finished my first swearer last fall, so I’m a new sweater knitter. I have plans to knit 1-2 more for myself this year. I have been knitting for a long time (15 years now!) mostly hats, baby blankets, mitts and mittens. I love knitting hats for gifts.

  426. I’ve knitted one sweater coat and was terrified the whole time! It turned out great in the end.

    I think the switch is caused in part by companies wanting to sell more yarn. It takes far more than to make a sweater than an accessory, so they tempt us with more yummy sweater patterns.

  427. Yes. And accessories to knit while waiting and in meetings. I love to knit everything.

  429. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter! I also work at an online/brick & mortar yarn shop and spend lots of time getting knitters sweaters on track –measurements, gauge, yarn choices, strong opinions, and general cheerleading–there are lots of us!

  430. Yes, a sweater knitter here, but also socks, shawls, scarves, children’s knits, blankets, hats, mitts. Can you spell obsessive? As I live in Australia AND California, what I knit sort of depends on where I am. There are lots of months in Australia when I couldn’t abide having a heavy sweater in my lap. In California, I might be knitting just about anything, at any time! Really feel like the woman whose blog was called Never Not Knitting…

  431. I’m a beginning knitting and have a half finished hat and a lace shawl that I’m working on. I’ve started many projects but only a few have made it to fruition. I enjoy the process of knitting, but also want to make things I’ll actually wear. Years ago I knit a cowl that I loved with several colors of bulky acrylic yarn. When I made it I didn’t know how to secure ends, so after many wears it started coming apart at a color change. My next cowl was a basket weave knit in green wool that I cast on and begun at my college graduation ceremony. My fellow fiber art program grads and I decided to bring a fiber project to work on during the speeches. I actually finished it and wear it often and it will always be tied to the memory of that day. I’ve gotten more mindful of materials and one thing that holds me back from tackling sweaters is the cost of yarn I really want to use. At this point in life, it’s easier for me to get enough good stuff to make small things. I aim to conquer a sweater in the future and am collecting patterns in anticipation.

  433. I am most definitely a SWEATER knitter. I don’t knit socks or lace shawls. I also knit a lot of hats & bags to be felted & embellished.

  434. I am a sweater knitter in my heart. When I didn’t have kids, the only thing I wanted to knit was a sweater. When I had kids, I started to knit hats and mittens and scarfs as well as those were needed. But in my heart, no sock or hat pattern lights my spirit the way a beautiful sweater pattern does. In the magazines – the sweater patterns are those I see!

  435. Yes! I got really into knitting sweaters after I took a gauge class with Patty Lyons and made one successfully. I’ve taken a break to work on smaller projects, but I think another sweater is not far off.

  436. I am both a sweater knitter and a sock and cowl knitter although I’ve been leaning a bit more to the sock side in the last few months. I enjoy knitting all three.

  438. Hi My name is Karen (really!) and I am a sweater knitter…. and a shawl knitter and a sock knitter. I always have a few of each on my needles.

  439. I am a (for me) sweater knitter, a (not for me) baby sweater knitter – a hat, mitten, and keep the neck warm knitter.

  440. I am a sweater knitter AND everything else but socks (that’s because my sister knits them for me).

  441. I’ve only been knitting 13 months so things may change, but so far I’m firmly in the sweater knitter camp – 7 so far. I live out in the country on Vancouver Island, where winters are long and damp and sweaters are way more practical for outdoor chores than anything else. I also always have a pair of socks on the go for long drives and knitting on lunch breaks when a whole sweater might be too bulky to haul around.

  442. Not yet! I am an accessories knitter, but I started my first sweater this month and hope to knit many more sweaters.

  443. I am a fairly new sweater knitter — currently working on my fifth one. I really enjoy the process, but I have yet to make one that I actually wear and/or that fits in with the rest of my wardrobe! Still searching for the finished sweater happy place. (And I should say I’m not exclusively a sweater knitter — while I have consistently had one on the go for the past couple of years, I also knit hats, mitts, socks, and other accessories in between/concurrently.)

  444. I started knitting again in October last year (last time was over 15 years ago when I was in high school) and the goal has always been to contribute well-thought and well constructed garments into my wardrobe. The first project I tackled was a Sonic sweater from WATG, and I’m hooked. Learning more about what suits my body, how different yarns drape and the longevity each piece will bring. About to start my first ‘grown up’ sweater soon with yarn from Brooklyn Tweed – moving away from the chunky knit kit projects that gave me the confidence to even try.

  445. I’ve just finished the swatch for my first sweater! I’m very excited about joining the sweater-knitting ranks :)

  446. Yes, I’m a sweater knitter.

    I think I became one as soon as my knitting confidence got that far (started with baby sweaters). I also knit other stuff, and enjoy doing so, but I spend by far the most energy and dreaming time on sweaters. Why? I’m a sweater wearer. I’d never have worn shawls if I weren’t a knitter, and the same goes for fingerless gloves, and most scarves and hats (I live somewhere not that cold). But I wear sweaters regardless, year round (the fiber composition changes). So it always feels like the most meaningful and satisfying purpose to which to put my knitting time.

  447. Yes! I would consider myself a sweater knitter, though I’m only now working on my second one. I wish I had more time and money (grad student life, ugh) to knit alllllllllllllll the sweaters though. My ravelry que is absolutely stuffed with sweaters and I feel like there are constantly more coming out that I am just dying to cast on. One day, I tell myself. One day.

  448. Yes, but I have only knit one adult-sized sweater and multiple kids-sized sweaters. I knit more scarves and shawls than anything else. I do have one sweater WIP, along with two shawls. I have a huge Ravelry sweater favorite list. And I too feel like there are more and more sweater patterns out there. I would love to knit more, but it isn’t all that cold here (so I don’t need too many sweaters), sweaters seem to take longer than shawls/scarves, and I like to buy minimally processed, sustainably raised wool, so a sweater’s worth is very spendy (worth it, but spendy).

  449. New-ish knitter – so far mostly cowls, scarves and hats, but a sweater is on my project list for 2017! Inspired by all the posts that I’ve seen here…

  450. Yes, I love knitting sweaters! I would knit a sweater over an accessory any day. That being said, I also knit hats, scarves, mitts, socks, shawls, toys, and blankets.

  451. I have always been a sweater knitter. Knitted a sweater in 4-H at age 9. Knitted many sweaters throughout the years. Knitted six sweaters for me last year: 4 cardigans and 2 pullovers. Knitted at least 3 baby sweaters. Also knit a lot of hats, a few shawls and a few pair of socks. Because I have knitted so many sweaters throughout the years I really don’t think of it as a big deal, just another project.

  452. I am not a sweater knitter. Mostly knit accessories and baby items. I would like to knit sweaters, but the finishing/seaming has me pretty paralyzed.

    I wonder if these results will be skewed because of your readership and the fact that your content is often sweater based and more advanced.

  453. I am a very new sweater knitter. I used to make scarves etc because I was worried about fit. But now I have worked it out I like sweaters and I wear them. Many of today’s styles are unshaped so the fit is less important. But I like a good fit.

  454. I’ve only knit a couple of sweaters and have mostly been an accessories knitter. One of my goals for 2017, however, has been to knit more sweaters (and to make more garments in general). I’ve been trying to make time to work on an Improv Sweater based on your tutorial so that I can better understand the construction. I feel like once I’ve got a firm grasp of sweater design, it should be much easier for me to make them. Thanks for all your guidance — it’s been really helpful!

  456. I used to be an accessories only knitter as I had failed at trying to knit sweaters a few times.
    About 2 years ago I decided to fight my fear of sweaters : I’m always (!) scared that the sweater might not fit in the end, after spending weeks and weeks knitting it.
    So far I’ve knitted 9 sweaters for myself and unravelled only 1. The shape is not always exactly like I wished, but they fit and I’m very proud when I wear them. And most of all : I’m warm and comfortable !
    But I must admit that I’m still a little anxious everytime I start a new sweater, which is something I never feel when starting a new shawl.

  457. I am knitting my second sweater ever. I love it, but I feel as though I cannot say I am a sweater knitter…yet. I am slowly converting myself into being one though!

  458. Tried a sweater vest cardigan, but so ill fitting (huge) that I haven’t tried again. Busting out accessories!

  459. I am totally a sweater knitter. I knit accessories on occasion, but accessories are extras, sweaters are clothes!

  460. Definitely a sweater knitter. If I knit accessories it’s just to use up yarn leftover from sweaters. :)

  461. Generally no (just a couple of simple sweaters that I basically never wear) – I love knitting gifts for people, so accessories are perfect for that! Hat knitter for life.

  462. I am a sweater knitter, but I seem to knit more socks and shawls than sweaters these days. I have 5 or 6 sweaters at various stages on my needles; having to knit the sleeves seem to be the main reason that they are not finished.

  463. I’m intrigued by your hypothesis, Karen. If you’ve noticed pattern collections leaning more toward garments, there are many designers on Ravelry who almost exclusively design shawls and have mad followings. I’m thinking of Melanie Berg, Ambah O’Brien, Martina Behm and so many others. There are legions of sock knitters too. Quince and Co. puts out an annual shawls and scarves collection. So I think there really is a lot of diversity out there. You might be seeing what you want to see, not that there’s anything wrong with that in this instance. :)

    As for me, I knit everything. I’m currently knitting an Alafosslopi cardigan, my first steeking project. I tend to knit fewer sweaters because I am always hoping I will get smaller…sigh. I also make accessories because they provide instant gratification. I make a lot of hats, and seldom wear them. I make a lot of shawls and scarves too, and wear them a lot. I haven’t knit socks in a while, but I will go back to them.

    • Exactly. What’s (anecdotally) happening on Ravelry — the popularity of single shawl patterns being the most notable — seems the opposite of what’s happening with the collections.

  464. Yes, have been a sweater knitter since the 60’s. I also knit lots of dishcloths, afghans, and accessories (shawls, cowls, hats, mittens) but not often socks. Usually have a variety of things on my needles. Different situations call for different kinds of knitting.

  465. I just finished my first sweater I will keep without frogging! I’m already planning my next sweater because it’s exciting that I feel like I’m starting to gain those knitting skills.

    That said, triangle shawls will always be my True Love and socks are so satisfying to make.

  466. Interesting! I am mostly an accessories knitter, having only completed one adult sweater and two baby sweaters in my life. The adult one I completed was bottom up (and SO confusing to me) and I have another almost complete bottom up sweater that I may never finish at this point because I have put it down for so long that I am alllll messed up around the neck region. I wish I had researched your blog more before embarking on those two patterns! I would have loved a better sweater knitting experience and would probably have a few more in my closet by now. I’m determined to not let those experiences stop me entirely, although the idea of having to figure out gauge, size, etc., and then making sure it fits as I go is a bit overwhelming to me still.

    You’re an inspiration though for sure! Every time I see a sweater of yours I get a little more desire to make one for myself. Xo

  467. Yes I am a sweater knitter but its not everything I knit. (lots of hats)
    I wonder if people putting out the magazines are catering to the audiences that pay for the magazines as there are many more free accessories patterns available now (as they are generally smaller projects) and people are more willing to shell out money for patterns etc for the larger items?

  470. Yes, sweater knitter…among other things. Inspired by your posts, I’m being more strategic in my sweater knitting and planning some wardrobe basics that I will wear frequently. On the needles now, a basic black pullover. I’m also trying to slow down and take the time to swatch properly, think about sizing and how I want the sweater to fit, etc. I knit hats when I need to feel a sense of accomplishment…especially cables and lace. Living in the upper Midwest, there’s always someone to knit a hat for.

  471. No – I’ve tried many a time to start one (ok just once) and I’ve bought yarn for a few sweaters, but I much prefer smaller/quicker projects. For the longest time I only knit socks, but now I’m in a strong hat/scarf kick. I even tried my hand at baby sweaters, but I just couldn’t get though it. I like knits where I don’t need to glance at the pattern every 2 mins and I just don’t have the skills to do that sweaters yet.

  473. Yes, I am a sweater knitter. Learned to knit 3 years ago to knit sweaters. Started with scarves and hats, then to tank tops and now sweaters. Still hats and scarves also. I love to knit anything new and different.

  474. I am very much a sweater knitter. When I first learnt to knit over 13 years ago, I only ever knit sweaters. Now, I make accessories when I need them, but still prefer to knit garments.

  475. yes I am a sweater knitter. But my default is always hats, despite not wearing that many. I always love a good, interesting hat pattern.

  476. Yes, I am a (fairly recent) sweater knitter.

    It was all hats, cowls and scarves until two and a half years ago, when I saw Cheryl Burke’s gorgeous Mirry-Dancers and WANTED it so badly I actually resolved to learn how to make sweaters. I thought it would be wise to have a trial run before tackling a multicoloured yoke (I hadn’t done any fair isle knitting either), so I knitted a fairly simple cotton top-down sweater from a German knitting magazine. It was a raglan, not a circular yoke, but I didn’t know the difference yet. I inmediately learned an important lesson: fit is everything. And if you don’t know how to alter the fit, you’re at the mercy of the pattern (this one didn’t have a schematic, yikes).
    So before I tackled my Colour Riot, I took Amy Herzog’s Craftsy class on how to make adjustments to patterns and fit your knits to your body, and that was it. I’ve changed every single sweater pattern I’ve ever knitted (apart from the slightly unfortunate first one) and it gives me great pleasure to know that all I need is a gauge swatch and a bit of maths to make something that will fit me well and that I’ll love to wear.
    Sure, whenever I experiment with new materials or different construction methods, there’s a chance things will not be perfect at first try (alpaca: it grows), but I really don’t mind frogging and doing things over. It’s all part of the process.

    I literally knit everything (hats, cowls, scarves, blankets, mittens, socks) apart from triangular shawls. Everything about them baffles me (how to wear them / the amount of yarn / the temporal investment / the boredom of those long rows). I realise they have many fans and many designers have made a name for themselves with them, but I don’t quite get it. But that’s alright. Each to their own. 😊

  477. I am NOT a sweater knitter…. yet… I’m working up to it…but honestly being a plus sized woman (size 18) I find it hard to find patterns that are tailored to my shape. I am sticking my toe in the water by working on a baby sweater right now. I’ve made lots of blankets and scarves and shawls and hats so far. I like to see a variety of patterns whether I end up making them or not. Still a little intimidated by garments.

  478. YES!! I am a sweater knitter, primarily cardigans but lately I’ve done a few pullovers too!
    I really enjoy making tees as well, just because I live in a warmer climate and want to wear my FO’s

  480. Yes! Sweaters are all i think about knitting. Even though i will knit other items (mostly socks lately) and i wish i had a few more shawls, all i want to spend my time on are sweaters and cardigans. I feel like they are the items that would best enhance my wardrobe since i became more cognizant of slow fashion.

  481. So far I’ve been an exclusive accessory knitter – years of shawls, fingerless mitts, cowls, and some socks. Economical projects (meaning not requiring a sweaters worth of yarn) with fun colors. I’ve attempted one cardigan and a vest, which have been frogged. Lately I’ve felt a shift and have been wanting to knit a garment. Top down sweater is in the que.

  482. Pingback: My First Sweater: Anna Dianich | Fringe Association

  483. I’m a sweater knitter! Although I’ve been obsessed with shawls lately, I’ve declared 2017 The Year of the Sweater.

  484. My name is Paige and I’m a sweater knitter. My first project 30 years ago was a sweater. On my needles right now is a sweater. Yep, I’ll make the occasional accessory, but I knit sweaters. Short sleeved, long sleeved, cardi, pullover, on size 0s, on size 35s. I dream of sweaters and I make them.

  485. Maybe it would have been quicker with a poll ;-) yes, a sweater knitter, and socks, and accessories, and blankets, everything really. But knitting all of my own sweaters is my ultimate goal (both pullovers and cardigans).

  488. I am a sweater knitter for sure! I love crocheting tops also but for some reason I’m drawn to sweaters, both cardigans and pullovers. I just started knitting in 2013 but I’m pretty sure I’ve got enough patterns to keep me busy for several lifetimes. I will venture off and make little dresses and hats for my little grand daughters but I’ve only made 2 scarves ever! Too boring.

  489. Ok, ok, I’ll comment too. I am most definitely a sweater knitter. And I also will most definitely contribute a large part of that to the encouragement and inspiration received through your blog. But mostly it’s because sweater knitting is the best.

  490. Pingback: January’s FO’s – Yards of Happiness

  491. Hi Karen :) sweaters were the reason I started knitting! I’ve just never been interested in knitting accessories (except socks, I love socks!)

  492. Yes, sweaters. They are useful staples in my wardrobe, and I never tire of exploring construction and technique. My first real sweater was a Mariah (Knitty, Jodi Green) in 2004. I still wear it occasionally. I’ve knitted boatloads of hats and was obsessed with socks for a couple of years until I wore holes in them and reconsidered the work/longevity ratio. Can’t seem to muster the raging enthusiasm I see on Ravelry for shawls… so I think I’m really a solid sweater girl.

  494. Not a sweater knitter. (I have made sweaters in the past, and intend to do so again someday when I get around to it.) I am a sock knitter. I also like making hats and various other things. Knitting sweaters feels like work.

  495. I want to be a sweater knitter! I’ve been knitting for two years and am obsessed! I recently made my first baby cardigan and am working up to an adult sweater/jumper/cardigan. I have favourited so many different patterns that I’m not sure which I’d try first. I’m in love with the Levinwick cardigan, but might have to go with something more basic for my first go. I am learning new skills by knitting accessories, but I have a feeling that once I’ve finished my first sweater/cardigan, I’ll have been bitten with the “bug” and not be able to stop. I think the toughest bit is that they require many more skeins of wool than accessories; it’s quite an investment!

  497. I’m definitely a sweater knitter. I also live in the sweaters for at least six months a year. It probably helps that I sewed clothes for a few decades before picking up knitting; there was no intimidation over sewing seams or fit by that point.

  499. YES. Sweaters are my favorite things to knit. I love being able to customize my clothing, and there is something so satisfying about completing a large project. When I first started out years ago I did pretty much exclusively scarves, of course, and then graduated to hats and mittens, but once I finally took the plunge on my first sweater (I was freaked out by complexity and by the amount of yarn I had to buy) I never looked back. I still do hats and other accessories occasionally, but they definitely do not give me the satisfaction that I well designed sweater does.

  500. Not a sweater knitter… I’m a thrifted-sweater WEARER for sure, but I know that the cost of quality yarn plus my impatience with patterns would only give me heartbreak!
    I love making fingerless gloves and other accessories, stuffed balls and toys, and especially blankets.

  501. Yes I have knit ONE sweater. I’ve only been knitting actively for a few years and a sweater was near the top of my list of projects to try so I went for it! It took me so long I’ve gone back to do doing smaller accessories just to feel more accomplished though ;)

  502. Not an adult sweater knitter. Made one last year. I will knit baby sweaters often.

    On Fri, Jan 27, 2017 at 8:08 AM Fringe Association wrote:

    > Karen Templer posted: ” I know I’ve asked you all before what you knit the > most of, but I have a very specific subset of that Q for You at the moment, > which is: Are you a sweater knitter? Here’s why I ask. I haven’t made a > scientific study of it or anything, but I would s” >

  503. Yes! I guess I’d characterize my sweater knitting as “sometimes”, but I expect the frequency to increase now that I’m a bit more experienced as a knitter (just learned 2 years ago. Have done 2 adult sweaters and 4 child sized so far). Almost all of the new patterns that excite me are sweaters. My current WIP is stopover by Mary Jane mucklestone.

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