Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to knit a sweater for a while now, and I finally decided to take the plunge! I’m not gonna lie, it was a bit intimidating at first, but I figured a raglan style would be a good starting point since there’s less seaming involved.
First off, I gotta say, finding a decent pattern online wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. There are tons out there, but a lot of them are either super complicated or just not my style. Finally, I stumbled upon one that seemed pretty straightforward, so I decided to give it a go.
Next up, the yarn. Oh boy, the yarn. I spent hours browsing online and in local shops, feeling up every skein I could get my hands on. I finally settled on a soft, chunky wool in a beautiful shade of gray. It was a bit pricier than I was planning on spending, but I figured, hey, I’m making a whole sweater here, might as well go for something nice, right?
Then came the needles. I already had a set of circular needles, but I realized I needed a few different sizes for this project. So, back to the shop I went, picking up the sizes I needed. Pro tip: make sure you have the right needles before you start, otherwise, you’ll be making a trip to the store like me.
Alright, so, pattern, yarn, needles, check. Time to actually start knitting! I cast on the number of stitches the pattern called for and started working on the neckline. It was a simple rib stitch, nothing too fancy. I have cast on many projects before, and this one is not very special.
Once the neckline was done, it was time to start increasing for the raglan shaping. This is where things got a little tricky. I had to place stitch markers to mark where the increases should go, and I had to pay close attention to the pattern to make sure I was increasing in the right places. I messed up a few times and had to rip back some rows, but hey, that’s part of the learning process, I guess.
- Increase round one is K1, YO, K to marker, YO, SM, K1, SM 4 times, K to end.
- Increase round two is Purl all stitches.
After a few inches of increasing, it was time to separate the sleeves from the body. I put the sleeve stitches on some scrap yarn to hold them, and then continued knitting the body in the round. This part was actually pretty relaxing. Just plain old stockinette stitch, round and round.
Once the body was the length I wanted, I bound it off and moved on to the sleeves. I picked up the held stitches and knit each sleeve in the round, decreasing as I went to create a tapered shape.
The Final Touch
Finally, after what felt like forever, both sleeves were done! All that was left to do was weave in the ends and block the sweater. Weaving in the ends is my least favorite part, but it’s gotta be done. And then, the moment of truth: blocking. I soaked the sweater in some lukewarm water, gently squeezed out the excess, and laid it flat to dry, shaping it to the right measurements.
And there it was, my finished raglan sweater! It’s not perfect, there are a few wonky stitches here and there, but I’m so proud of it. I actually made a wearable piece of clothing with my own two hands! It’s super cozy and warm, and I’ve been wearing it non-stop since I finished it. I’m already thinking about my next knitting project. Maybe a cardigan next time? Or maybe some socks? The possibilities are endless!
