Knit a sweater with Cynthia Donahey!
Wed, Sep 11
|Fibershed Yarn and Fiber Arts
Have you been wanting to make a simple sweater that actually fits? Come learn some handy tips and tricks from Cynthia while making the James sweater by Amy Miller.
Time & Location
Sep 11, 2024, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Fibershed Yarn and Fiber Arts, 111 S Lake St, Boyne City, MI 49712, USA
About the event
This class meets 3 times on Wednesday afternoons 3:00- 5:30pm.
September 2 for initial measurements and discussion of swatches and desired fabric.
The next meeting is a week later on September 11 to assess progress.
The last class is October 2 to help troubleshoot and get to the finish line.
This class is for knitters who know the basics of knit, purl, knitting in the round, increases/decreases and pattern reading, but need a little help getting started to knit a sweater that actually fits!
The James Sweater by Amy Miller is an easy pattern to follow and very simple design, so appropriate for beginners wanting to make thier first sweater. Sweater pattern can be found at Fibershed or on Ravelry (Fibershed does in-store Raverly sales).
Students will be asked to come to the first session with a guage swatch already knitted to the following specifications:
Gauge swatch for Sport weight with needles you are testing out
Be sure you use the same needles you will be using on the sweater. In our case it will be 2 circular
needles (24" and anything longer to start out). Decide on bamboo, metal plate, aluminum, wood,
cubix, carbon fiber, etc. Use the same thing for your swatch!!!!!! It can make a difference!!!
Try to be as relaxed about your swatch as you are when you are just sitting and knitting for pleasure
If you know how to do a swatch In the round while stranding across the back, you can do that. If not
don't desnair we'll do our best to convert it to an in-the-round estimate.
Using long tail cast on, cast on 36 stitches
Row 1 (rs); Knit
Row 2 (ws): Knit
Row 4: Knit
Row 6 and subsequent wrong side rows: K3, purl to last 3 sts, K3
Row 7: K3, (K2tog, YO) the number of times that matches your needle size, Knit rest of row.
Say you are using size four needles you would do (K2tog, YO) 4 times.
Rows: same as row
Continue repeating Row 5 and Row 6 until you have more than 4 inches of clear stockinette height for
If you like this fabric and the gauge is good. You can stop. Do not cast off, we will continue to use this
swatch in class.
If you think the yam may change in wet finishing, you can put a string through the live stitches and wet
finish the piece. No need to cut yarn it you think you may need what is In the swatch later. Just keep
the ball out of your wash pan.
Take measurements betore you wet finish and after. Wnite them down!!!!!!!!
Needle size ___
Number of stitches In 4 " before___, after ___
Number of rows in 4 "before___, after ___
If your gauge is not matching pattern, continue on with a new needle size.
If you have too few stitches in your 4 inches, you need to go DOWN in needle size.
If you have too many stitches in vour 4 inches, you need to go UP in needle size.
Stitches/4 inches is more important than rows/4 inches for what we are doing.
Start with row 7 again on our swatch piece, and make a new swatch above your first one.
Do this as many times as necessary to get an idea of the fabric you will be making and the gauge that
you get.
Bring swatch to first class for analysis.
Also bring a sweater and/or sweatshirt that you enjoy wearing because of the fit.
Bring whatever type of garment you think you would normally wear under the sweater you will knit.
Materials list:
Pattern for Amy Millers, James sweater - (for sale at Fibershed).
Circular needles in sizes you swatched with. You will need at least a 24" and 32" circular. A 40" will be
most helpful as you work down the sweater and it you want to do Magic loop instead or 2 circulars
Sport weight yarn of vour choice.
Your Knitting kit: scissors, stitch markers, tapestry needle, etc
Notebook and pencil/pen