A Machine-Knit Sweater with Fun Details

I know most of you are not machine knitters, but I love the designs that Donatella at Inspiration and Realisation comes up with so I wanted to share this one anyway.

What I love about her stuff is that she’s always inspired by the runways and things she sees in fashion, and shows how it’s possible for a home knitter to get the same look.

In this case she took on a Jil Sander sweater, which is relatively simple and could absolutely be knit by hand, too. The detail that’s so interesting in this piece is the little split neckline, which gives a plain sweater that’s perfect for lounging just a little more interest. This was actually her stepdaughter’s first machine knit project, and I think it looks great.

I hope looking at this inspires you to play with patterns, to look at what you like in garments off the rack, and to see if you can find a pattern or come up with a way to do what you like in your own projects.

Have you ever come up with a design or altered a pattern based on something you saw in fashion or on a rack in a store? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Inspiration and Realisation.]

Looking for knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Looking for pullover and sweater patterns? Check these books out.

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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