My First Knitted Sweater

At the beginning of 2019 I finally learned how to knit! One of the first things I decided to knit was a sweater. Yeah, most people start with hats or socks, but I decided a sweater was the way to go. I did manage to finish it, even if it did take me over a year to do it!

This sweater was a knit along put on by Marly Bird back in 2019. It was called the My First Sweater Knit Along, which seemed like the perfect challenge for a new knitter! I used Red Heart Hygge Charm in the color Fireball & I think it made a great knitted sweater.

My First Knitted Sweater

This sweater was made by knitting a front & back panel, then two sleeves. To start off, I had to knit 3″ of ribbing, that seemed to take forever!

Once I got past the ribbing & into the main body of the sweater, things went a little faster. Then I realize I had made some “imperfections” in my knitting…

Do you see those purl bumps in the front when they should be in the back? Well, I had gone to far to be bothered with correcting them. Going backwards in knitting is not for the faint of heart! I just considered that a “learning to knit” memory & moved on.

When I finally got to the top, I realized I had gone too far! This was something I had to take out or the sweater wouldn’t go together right. Besides, I had to knit a whole other side & I didn’t want to do all those extra rows on that side.

I wove in a “safety line” & hoped I had caught all the stitches. It was a little nerve wracking to pull out those rows, but it all worked out in the end.

I bound off my stitches & stood back to admire my work. Not too bad for a beginner I think!

The Finished Sweater

There were some places that I could see wonky stitches, but my tensions seemed pretty good overall. Of course there were random dog hairs as well. I call that dog glitter! : D

I immediately started the second panel after finishing the first. It seemed to go much faster! Then it was time to do the sleeves, which seems like it should have been easier. I even knit them two at a time, but they lingered and lingered and lingered.

After a good year of marinating, I did finally finish them! Then I had to sew together all the parts. Getting the sleeves aligned took a bit of back and forth, but I eventually got them right….

I can’t wait for the weather to get cold enough to wear this! It really just amazes me every time I look at it. My first knitted sweater turned out better than I ever imagined! I feel very vindicated after years of trying to learn to knit. Silly, I know, but it was something that I struggled to conquer in my crafty endeavors.

Crochet will always be my first love, but it’s nice to have a different option for using up my hoards – err – collection of yarn. I do have a shawl on the needles and plans to knit socks & hats. There will also be more knitted sweaters, but I think I’ll try a pattern with no seams next time. : )