What yarn should I use for my sweater?
These sweaters can be knitted with any yarn that is the correct thickness. Wool, cotton, silk, acrylic, hemp or any other fiber yarns can be used. The top down sweaters look best knitted at a slightly loose gauge. If the pattern calls for 4 stitches to the inch, look for a yarn that has a recommended gauge of 4 or 4 1/2 stitches to the inch. This information should be on the ball label. If it is not, ask the person in your shop, who can look up this information.
You can also combine yarns to get the gauge. A strand of fingering weight yarn combined with a sport or dk weight yarn often knits great at 4 to the inch. Just make sure that you do a swatch and that it is loose and drapey.
Please don't use a bulky yarn, and knit it on a smaller needle to get 4 to the inch. It makes a stiff sweater!
If my yarn is too thin, can I double it?
If your worsted weight yarn is too thin to get 4 stitches to the inch, doubling it will make it into a bulky yarn that will be very stiff knitted at 4 to the inch. Better to add a strand of fingering weight yarn.What size should I make?
Some people like their sweaters quite close fitting, and some like lots of room in theirs. As you know from shopping, not all size medium tops are the same size.The best way to choose which size to make for yourself is to measure a sweater that fits the way you like. The photo at the right shows how to measure the finished chest of a sweater that fits the way you like. Pure and Simple patterns have finished chest measurements in the beginning of the pattern. Just choose the size closest to your perfect sweater, and make that size. If you don't have a sweater that fits you as you like, go shopping, find one, and measure that one.
The children's sizes are based on commercial clothing found in department stores, leaning toward roomy.
Why did my sweater (or socks, or hat)come out too big?
Two things will make your sweater fit the way you expect it to. 1- Choosing the correct size.
2- Getting the correct gauge.
Choosing the right size, but guessing about gauge, will often lead to disappointment.
I know that gauge was a subject that I avoided when beginning knitting. Sounded way to complicated! But then I learned that it was as easy as using a different needle size!
The photo to the left shows how to measure gauge. I use the ruler with the little window, so that it is easier to see halfs and quarters of stitches. If you are knitting too loose or tight, even a tiny bit, change your needle size. A larger needle will make your gauge looser, a smaller needle will make it tighter.
Make sure you do your swatch in the round if you will be knitting in the round. Most knitters purl looser than they knit, so a swatch that is purled and knitted is often looser than one knitted in the round.
A small difference in gauge will make a LARGE difference in the finished sweater.
For example-
200 stitches knitted at 4 to the inch will be 50 in. around.
200 stitches knitted at 4 1/2 to the inch will be 44 in. around.
So if you do a swatch, measure carefully, you will be much happier!
Why did my sweater come out too small?
See above!Are the sleeve numbers reversed in my pattern?
This is the most asked question. Pure and Simple patterns are written differently than some, and this causes confusion. But sleeves do not need to get longer as a person gets bigger around. The mid back to wrist length stays the same. The average for a woman is 28 inches. So as the body gets larger around, the sleeve needs to be shorter. Of course, all of the top down patterns have sleeves that are easily made just the length you want, by trying on the sweater and knitting until they are the length you like.
How do I cast on stitches at the end of a row?
Here is a link to a site that shows you how to do this-What does it mean when you say measure from the top of the shoulder?
At the left is a photo of where to measure.
The bottom edging flips up. How can I correct this?
Blocking will correct this the majority of the time. You can either wash the sweater, and while damp, pat into shape, or steam the edge. To steam, hold your iron just above the fabric and let the steam go in. Do not touch the iron to the yarn.I am knitting my first sock, and am on the heel section. When I finish the first row, there are stitches left unworked! Is there an error?
No, there will be stitches unworked for a few rows. Just leave them there, turn the work, and keep following the row by row directions, and you will have a heel!
I am knitting pattern # 275, the childs bolero. I am having trouble picking up the number of stitches required at the front!
Lots of knitters pick up stitches by grabbing a strand of yarn along the edge of their knitting and putting that strand on their needle as a stitch. This is not how picking up stitches is taught by most sources and will not work when you need to pick up more than one stitch per row of knitting.
I learned from expert sources many years ago how to pick up stitches neatly, without distorting the edge of your knitting. For this pattern, you need a large number of stitches for the front band, so that the front of the sweater does not pull up, but makes a nice curve.
Below are some photos of how to pick up 2 stitches in one row.
I have used a contrast color yarn so that the stitches picked up are easy to see.
