Get Sporti with this Gender-Neutral Knit Collection

Knit fabric made with ribbing is magical. It’s super stretchy, of course, and while it can be clingy it does so in a way that’s super comfortable.

Ribbed projects automatically look kind of sporty, and that’s the idea behind the Sporti collection by Jacqueline Cieslak.

This pattern in two parts is actually three different pieces. There’s a sweater that can be knit to full length or cropped to a shrug (or really any length in between) and a coordinating tank top that can be worn with the shrug or sweater or on its own.

Both projects call for fingering weight yarn, which makes them lightweight and easy to wear and layer with.

The patterns are size inclusive and include gender-neutral sizing, so you can choose the fit you like without being labeled as men’s or women’s sizing.

The sweater/shrug has nine sizes to fit an upper chest circumference of 30 to 62 inches (75 to 155 cm) and has options for wide and narrow shoulders. There are lots of tips in the pattern for getting a good fit and what to do if you are between sizes. There are also instructions for optional bust darts if you need them.

The tank top has the same size options and optional bust darts. Both projects are worked from the top down so you can try them on as you go for a custom fit. Because they are ribbed you will want to choose a size with at least some negative ease to get a good fit.

I love patterns like this that offer lots of options because you can knit them over and over in different ways, and make them match or not. The patterns are both available on Ravelry (sweater|tank) and if you buy them at the same time you can get 50 percent off the tank top pattern price.

[Photo: Jacqueline Cieslak]

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I’m trying to include more knits for kids in my posts because I know a lot of people do a lot of their knitting for the little ones in their lives.

This child’s striped vest from Lion Brand Yarn is not only cute and great for kids who might find a full sweater too hot, it’s also an easy project if you’ve never knit a garment before.

Lion Brand rates it as level 2 easy/beginner +, probably just because there’s a little shaping and seaming invovled, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.

The pattern comes in three sizes that are meant to be for ages 6, 8 and 10. The finished chest measurement is 30, 31.5 or 33 inches, which is 76, 80 and 84 cm respectively. This makes the vest a little roomy and makes it easy to slip on over a T-shirt or other top.

It’s worked in two pieces from the bottom up, with the neckband and armhole bands worked in the round after the body pieces are sewn together. One benefit of knitting stripes on a project like this is that it’s easier to make sure your pieces are the same length because you can just count the stripes (it’s also a little easier to seam because you’re always lining up the stripes).

If you’re knitting the smallest size, you only need one skein each of the two colors you choose, and for the larger sizes you will only need two, making this project a pretty good value. The suggested yarn is Color Theory, a worsted weight acrylic yarn that comes in 18 relatively muted colors. Of course you can use any worsted weight yarn you like. Keep it acrylic for easy washing or use wool to make this a warmer garment for kids who live in cooler climates.

You can grab the pattern for free from the Lion Brand website, or get a kit that includes the yarn you need (and needles if you don’t have them already). I think this would be a great basic to knit a kid for back to school in their school colors, or make it holiday with red and green, or whatever colors the child likes.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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