Knitting

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Some Sweaters that Might Not Inspire Your Own Sweater Knitting

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1970s sweater knitting patternsThe introduction to this slideshow of sweater knitting patterns from the 1970s makes me smile in light of what we’re talking about this month. It’s talking about how everyone seems to knit these days, but they mostly just knit scarves and baby blankets.

However, not a single knitter I know has found the time to make a sweater, let alone a skirt or pair of pants. And matching sweaters for the whole family? Forget about it!

Well, I’ve never knit matching sweaters, but I can crank out a couple of sweaters a season (especially since my daughter is still pretty small) and I’ll bet you can, too.

The post suggests that people knit more sweaters back in the day because they didn’t have other distractions like the Internet. But watching television is a great way to get more knitting done, so cozy up with this slideshow for inspiration (even if it only inspires laughter and an understanding of what you don’t want to make) and get ready to knit your own awesome, much more fashionable sweaters.

And if we’re being honest, I would totally knit a couple of these. But those pictured would be much better for an infant, and probably fit better, too. How about you?

[Photo via Collectors Weekly.]

 

Comments

  1. Those little sweaters are better than the hugely oversized ones of the ’80s (or whenever it was). We traveled to Scandinavia while our daughter was in college. She gave us measurements, so we could buy a sweater to bring back to her. My husband commented, “She’d better marry a football player, so he can wear it after oversized goes out of style!” Wonder whether she still has it?

Have you read?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

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]