There is a lot of talk in the knitting world about being a process knitter vs. a product knitter. Do you knit because you love to knit or do you knit because you love the knitted item you have created? I see no reason to choose between the two, I love the finished knit because I loved knitting it! I especially love seeing my knits, that I so enjoyed making, adorning my loved ones. Friends and family who have a warmer head, toasty hands, or a cozy sweater to wear.
In my zeal of knitting though, I don’t always consider whether or not I will wear something. I knit bright pink cowl because that colour looked great in the skein and I was itching to cast on a cowl! Will it go with the orange vest I wear all the time? Nope. Didn’t stop to consider that at all…..
While I have no regrets (I loved knitting that cowl, and it will look great on whoever I gift it to), I thought I might take a stab at creating a knit wardrobe that coordinates with my actual wardrobe. That isn’t to say I won’t design an outfit around a knit, I mean, that makes a lot of sense to me, but I want to focus on knitting things for myself that I will get a lot of wear out of. This is particularly true of sweaters.
I am a limited wardrobe kind of girl. I wear a lot of black, almost exclusively wear leggings or jeans, love plaid, and my grey hoodie collection is solid. So, I’m on a mission to create some knitwear for myself that goes with some of those things.
This idea started last year as I knit up my lovely warm brown Antler cardigan. I was inspired by my friend Natalie (@eastvanjam) and her beautiful Antler cardigan to create a tweedy one of my very own. I picked up some Brooklyn Tweed Shelter on a trip to the Beehive in ‘pumpernickel’ with a specific outfit in mind. I wanted to wear it with jeans and either a t-shirt or maybe a plaid shirt. I wanted to knit something that fit in my wardrobe!
I finished the Antler and immediately saw the error of my ways. The Antler has a more open neckline…..but I don’t want to wear it that way. I wear my sweaters a little snugger around the collar. So the button bands came off, the ribbing and the cabled decreases came out. I added 2 repeats of the cable before the decreases and decreased an extra 8 sts just before the ribbing.
Voila! A sweater that is just what I want it to be! It may be just a boring brown sweater, but to me it is perfect. Each yard of yarn flowed through my hands, each stitch was created by me. It is a sweater that will last and that will always look good with a pair of jeans. A realistic wardrobe staple!
More cabled knits from TCK:
June 17, 2017 @ 1:39 am
Your Antler is beautiful and looks great on you! That ripping back bit would have left me with a wip for a year, at least! Very good food for thought about realistic knitting. I only wear my own knits anymore and it is so satisfying (meaning that I don’t purchase knits from a store).
June 16, 2017 @ 2:35 pm
I’m really both a process and project knitter. I almost always cast on with some sort of purpose in mind — if it’s not a project for me, it’s a project specifically for someone else.
That said, I love the process of knitting as well!
I’m also quietly trying to make a knit wardrobe that will work with what I already own. It’s harder then I thought it would be!
June 16, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
Your knits are so beautiful I can’t decide which one to choose! Thanks for sharing.
June 16, 2017 @ 2:19 pm
Perfect blog for me! Exactly how I feel about knitting. About to take a stab at my first ever sweater fully expecting it to be a wardrobe staple😍
May 30, 2017 @ 6:23 am
I am so a process knitter! I’m sad when the project comes off the needles. Sometimes, it will remain unfinished (ends, seams and buttons needing to be sewn) for a couple of weeks and I am well into another project before I can finish it.
May 29, 2017 @ 12:48 am
I am mostly a product crafter (mostly crochet) but I love the process otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I don’t think you need to choose between the 2 :)
May 28, 2017 @ 7:47 pm
Ah, the elusive Alexa has shared photos of her in knitwear! I recently discovered how pathetic my own wardrobe is when I couldn’t find my favorite tank top because my laundry basket was a sea of black shirts. The most colorful item of clothing I currently own is one brick-red tunic top. That said, I guess it’s time to cast on a few Me sweaters.
May 28, 2017 @ 5:50 am
I am, depending on project, both a process and product knitter, though I love the quick hit of finished product a hat or fingerless gloves give me. I, too, am starting to really think about what I can knit that will truly be for me.
May 27, 2017 @ 8:23 am
I have been knitting since I wad going 10 years old. I am really good at it now. Take it everywhere I go. Also it blesses my income. And I always have a gift to give anybody. It’s a blessing from God to me.
May 27, 2017 @ 6:53 am
I’m finishing an Antler for my great niece and I love it. Now I have to finish the Gramps for her brother and block a Stiorr for her sister and then I can make an Antler for me. I like the blog posts with how to modify and better way of doing different techniques – great jobs guys!
May 27, 2017 @ 6:21 am
You look adorable in plaid and the Antler. I am totally inspired to knit one for my own. Thank you so much. :)
May 26, 2017 @ 11:03 pm
Thanks for sharing! I’ve become a recent fan of TCK, as I’ve only been knitting seriously for less than a year. I’ve done most of the simple line & learned lots of stitches & techniques. I love that you adapted the sweater to fit you. I want to try a sweater for myself – but like you said something that I can enjoy on a regular basis! Thanks again, your work is amazing!