Should you try to change (or adapt) a sweater pattern to fit you?

In a couple days, we have a big Sweater Knitting Weekend event happening.

And BY FAR the #1 question people have about knitting a sweater is how to how to make changes to a sweater pattern so it fits better.

While it is possible to make some adaptations to a pattern, I think there’s a better way to get a sweater that fits.

But before I get into that, lets discuss some of the reasons why I don’t think you should try adapting someone else’s pattern.

Why adapting a sweater pattern isn’t worth it

One of the first sweaters I ever knit was the Easthale Cardigan by Alexis Winslow.

It was featured in an issue of Knitscene Magazine and I loved everything about it.

There was one small problem though…

The magazine did not have a size that fit me.

So I took it upon myself to resize the pattern and scale it up.

I’ll get into the detail of that experience on Day 2 of the Sweater Knitting Weekend.

But let’s just say that it went very poorly.

Why?

Because I didn’t have any clue what I was doing.

I had knit one sweater before.

I knew nothing about sweater construction, arm hole shaping, making shawl collars, or even making sure the sleeve were the right length.

To be honest I’m surprised the sweater looked wearable in the end, considering all of the mistakes I made.

Adapting a pattern as a new sweater knitting is like taking a chisel to Michelangelo’s David, thinking you’re somehow going to improve it.

What you really need is a new block of marble to practice on, so you can learn how the craft works first.

How do you learn the rules of sweater knitting?

There’s a lot of people who want to know how to take a sweater pattern they like and knit it with a completely different weight yarn.

Is it possible?

Sure.

But not without understanding the underlying structure of that sweater pattern.

In fact there are 7 basic sweater constructions (we’ll be focusing on Raglan construction during the Sweater Knitting Weekend).

And the only way to learn them is to knit them.

You don’t have to knit a full size adult sweater.

It could be a child’s size sweater or even a sweater ornament.

But you have to do the knitting to gain the experience and understanding.

Once you can SEE how the sweater works, it’s much easier to start shaping and moulding it to your needs.

The BEST way to learn the basics of sweater knitting

I’ve been teaching sweater knitting bootcamps for over a decade.

In that time I’ve discovered you don’t have to use a pattern to knit a sweater that fits.

There’s a WAY easier method.

One that will allow you to knit a perfect sweater, using any yarn, for any size or age person.

It’s called a Percentage Sweater.

And on Day 1 of the Sweater Knitting Weekend I’m going to break down how a Raglan percentage sweater works**.**

I’ll show you everything you need to know to knit them.

Plus they’re way easier to adapt and make changes to than messing around with someone else’s pattern.

Conclusion

I’m not saying you shouldn’t make changes to a sweater pattern.

If you’re confident with adding length, adapt the sleeve shape, or changing the collar then go for it.

And you can learn a lot from trying things and making mistakes.