Options for Increasing Stitches

This time of year I’m always thinking about the basics of knitting and the little things we can do to make even simple patterns look a little more interesting and beautiful (see my post “On the Importance of Details” for more on that).

So when I came across this article on increasing from the Twist Collective I knew I wanted to save it and share it. Most of the time knitting patterns will tell you what sort of increase to use, but if they don’t or you just want to change up the look of your project there are a lot of ways to add stitches. It can be as simple as a knit in the front and back or a decorative eyelet or get slightly fancier with a make 1 or a lifted increase.

None of these is difficult to execute, but they do all bring a different look to your project, so it’s worth having a bunch of increases (and decreases, though that’s a talk for another day) in your repertoire so you can use whatever a pattern calls for or whatever increase you like the look of best.

[Photo via Twist Collective.]

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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