Need Help?Sweater Success - Replay Live Archive
No matter what your experience or what machine you are using, successfully knitting sweaters requires experience, skill and meticulous planning. Join us as we explore what's needed to knit a sweater for yourself or others.
Log In
If you need to join our site - Its FREE and easy.
Please Login
Before you can watch this replayed event, you must login.If you need to join our site - Its FREE and easy.
Links mentioned in the Meeting
Cochenille Garment DesignerDesignaKnit
Classroom: Ease
Classroom: Swatching for Success
BLOG: Pattern Formats
Analyzing Sweater Styles
Knit it Now Glossary
What yarn goes with what machine?
| Sue J The only one I've ever used is Silver Needles, you an find them used, they are no longer being made |
| Sue J @suzi. I'm sorry I don't know of an inexpensive cone winder |
| Loretta M Thanks! |
| Linda D Thanx! |
| Edith M Thanks, Sue |
| Marie-Jo C No cristicism at all! See you next month, Sue |
| Misty T Sue, Matt and crew Thank you |
| Pauline P Being a member is worth every penny - sorry dollar! |
| Tina B Thank you |
| Sandra T Thanks |
| Maurie H Yes we can and she answers real quick |
| Annette V Thank you Sue! |
| Matthew F Thank you all for being Members. If you have not yet become a member at knititnow.com please consider joining. We have so much to offer! |
| Cherie S Thank you again Sue and Matt for another great session! |
| Anna H Thank you Sue! |
| Jacqueline O Thank you Sue |
| Pauline P Thanks Sue. Great advice as always. See you soon. Bye everybody. |
| Maurie H I love ribber work , mine never come off my four machines. |
| Anna H susi: https://erlbacherknitting.com/product/drill-winder/ |
| Karin R No map today? |
| Susi W Thanks Anna |
| Colleen W Excellent advise that I need to follow. |
| Anna H For cone winder, I have a small attachment for my drilling machine, it's like a rod with a cone shaped rubber plug in the end. It fits inside the cone and makes the cone spin |
| Pauline P Love the checklist too. |
| Tina B Love the checklist. |
| Joan W I always swatch. Some yarns stretch more on the machine, meaning cardigan fronts much longer than fronts. Some yarns much worse than others. |
| Rebecca L Im a handknitter but trying to start using my knitting machines more to give my hands a break |
| Eugenia S Hello from Costa Rica. Little late but enjoying |
| Hayley P Do you block Acrylic. |
| Susi W Off topic a but but do you have a favorite, not too expensive cone winder? |
| Tina B It may depend on the yarn. I plan a beautiful edge, but it did not work with my yarn, so it be an other choice |
| Linda A Good Morning from Govan, |
| Joy G Don't measure your garment on the machine |
| Marjorie M I use a sheet of styrofoam house insulation covered with a regular checked gingham fabric. Probably an absorbent layer below gingham might have been better. |
| Maurie H pre wash that canvas, it has a mind of it's own and if you use steam on it , it can shrink , I know It happened to me. |
| Pat Y Stretcher bars / frame |
| Pam S Stretcher bars |
| Anna H KnitQ is exactly what I have. pretty affordable |
| Rebecca L canvas frame |
| Susi W Canvas |
| Karin R I use the "KnitIQ" mats that are a bit like a puzzle, interlocking pieces so I can vary the form |
| Marie-Jo C Every time I block a garment, when I take off the pins, it rolls again ! |
| Pauline P Thanks Anna. I have seen those on the internet. |
| Cherie S I guess, gingham fabric will work after you prewash it and turn it into a table cover |
| Hayley P Childrenâs play mats are good for blocking. |
| Anna H I have the puzzle-like board. Its nice since I can adjust the size depending on the pieces to be blocked |
| Cherie S I like your blocking board-- Is it fabric? |
| Cynthia Q Won't blocking on the bed allow for that moisture to go into the mattress? |
| Tina B Block on playmats, on a madrass, you can block on the carpet, i heard, too |
| Tina B Wash and handle it like the ready garment. Do you machinewash your skirt, machinewash the swatch, too. And hang it to dry to mimic the weight of the fabric. |
| Linda F sorry im late too |
| Pauline P What type of blocking board is best for knitting and where do you buy them? |
| Colleen W Sorry I am late. |
| Rebecca L I would wash it before and after so you know how the yarn behaves |
| Edith M Do you have to wash the swatch before measuring? |
| Annette V Thanks Karin! |
| Karin R Annete V: Try raglan sleeves! |
| Rebecca L even hand knitters dont want to do swatches |
| Misty T Thank you all!!!!! |
| Maurie H Misty have them measure a sweater that they really like. nd make sure they give you the right measurements are and go from there, I have done it lots of times |
| An V Hello from belgium |
| Tina B let your recipient come with their dearest sweater and copy it. |
| Nancy E For sewing I had my no present family member measure an existing shirt. It worked |
| S C My last hand knitting teacher said to use measurements off of any clothes that makes you feel pretty. |
| Annette V With small, sloping shoulders and a large bust, shoulder seams alway hang way down. any tips? |
| Tina B I also skatch it out. Then maybe it goes throug DAK, maybe throu the KIN-pstterngenerator, maybe just measured and sketched by hand. But i sometimes change my mind in the process. |
| Venita H Great question Misty, I have the same issue. |
| Misty T What do we do when we are making for someone who is not present? |
| Annette V Thanks, Maurie! |
| Maurie H I sketch mine out. |
| Annette V Sue, when you plan your sweaters, do you sketch it out with notes or what's the best way to do that? |
| Pauline P I cheat with sewing up because I have a Hague linker! |
| Maurie H When I get a pattern that to me does not make sense , be it hand or machine knitting I have my daughter read it to me and follow allow the steps by hand or machine and it works. Last month my girlfriend ran into one such problem, she read to me and I did it, but it took two days until we figured out there were two rows of explanation the did not fit. |
| Tina B Sure, you are right., that applies to the experienced knitter |
| Karin R I always plan ahead. But sometimes I change my mind while knitting :-) |
| Nancy E I, too, like and have done crochet edges, it can take a plain top to a nice/fancy top. |
| Tina B not planning to the end has some advantages, but also disadvatages. ... |
| Chrys M Practice with "air knitting" |
| Joy G I do the same as Tina... But I do get a bit fed up having to finish everything lol ð ð |
| Marie-Jo C I like very much the crochet-like edge! |
| Tina B I often decide on the edges afterwards. It is easier to imagine the ready sweater that way |
| Venita H Ice does great on both my standard and mid-gauge but I've found that it needs a looser tension |
| Maurie H Will have to check out Ice Yarns from Turkey am going there in June. |
| Karin R I love merino, alpaca and such. But the yarn I use most is a cotton/acrylic blend with lots of color choices. By now I know very well how it "behaves" |
| Nancy E I have a friend who uses Ice Yarns for hand knitting....he loves it |
| Maurie H Yes I do. |
| Venita H Ice Yarns from Turkey does wonderful blends of non-wool |
| Natalie I Love wool blends but am very allergic to it. |
| Maurie H Wool does not like me so I tend to return the favour, When I knit with wool I have to wear a mask and gloves. |
| Brenda L Thank you |
| Brenda L Thank you! |
| Matthew F That is the Knit Picks Catalog |
| Anna H knit pick? |
| Brenda L What is the name of the magazine again, please? |
| Rebecca L of course im biased since I have 5 woolies in my backyard haha |
| Rebecca L I love wool!! but it depends on the breed and how it was processed |
| Nancy E Pauline, I have the same problem with wool....acrylic it is |
| Pauline P I cannot wear wool, so I have to substitute with acrylic or another yarn. |
| Karen K Hi! Karen from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Marjorie M Hi! Marjorie from Michigan. |
| Natalie I I am new to machine knitting. From Alberta, Canada. |
| Rose Marie A Rose Marie from Ilinois |
| Matthew F I think I can do it... we can try it. just say the word |
| Betty E J Hello from Alabama |
| Karin R All those years ago my first real machine knitting project was a baby sweater. Fast and not much lost when something goes wrong |
| Matthew F tell me if you want to try... it should work |
| Matthew F I think we can do the map |
| Geraldine B Geri B Hello from Rye Beach, NH |
| Maurie H just did the side ways sweater for my great-grand daughter, just have to sew up the side seams. pattern from knit it now |
| Anne B Hi Anne FromYorkshire Uk |
| Brenda L Wisconsin |
| Rebecca L Hi from Ohio |
| Brenda L Welcome Nancy E! |
| Nancy E Hi all, Nancy E. From Waco, Texas area. 1st time here |
| Anna H Hi from Sweden! |
| Edith M Hi from Cologne, Germany |
| Kim R Hi from Ontario Canada |
| Marie-Jo C Bonjour Maurie, and hello to fellow knitters! |
| Margaret C Hi from Fredericksburg, VA |
| Pauline P Sorry, but what is a St. John sweater? |
| Misty Ohh myyy I hope I am logged in again |
| Cherie S Hello from BC, Canada |
| Maurie H Hello from Mississauga , Canada, finally made it again, Bonjour Marie- Jo.onjour |
| Pat Y Hi, From Nova Scotia , Canada |
| Venita H Hi - Venita from Yucaipa |
| Hayley P Hi, Hayley from North Lincolnshire, UK |
| Loretta M Loretta here in Tulsa, OK |
| Lena F Lena from DC |
| Annette V Hi Annette here in Anaheim |
| Tina B I would like to see the map again, too |
| Matthew F We did but had time zone issues LOL |
| Pauline P Hi Matt, great that you're here. Pauline |
| Joan W Good morning from New Zealand |
| Matthew F Marblehead Ma |
| Matthew F Good Morning... Matts in the house |
| Joy G Hi from France ðð |
| Pam S Pam from Granger Indiana. |
| Tina B yes |
| Marie-Jo C Hello, Marie-Jo from France (Franche-Comté) ! |
| Nancy M Howdy from Turner Valley, Alberta, Canada |
| Pauline P Hello Sue, Pauline from Surrey here UK. Nice to see you and I hope you had a good Easter. Hello to everybody and welcome to new members. You'll be pleased Sue that I'm getting on well with my machine knitting and will let you know more soon. |
| Tina B Hei, its Tina from Norway today. Glad to be here today. |
| Misty T Misty, Barbados |
| Karin R Hi from Germany! |
| Sue J We'll be starting in a few minues. Please let us know where you are from |
| Sue J Hello! We |
Need Help?
