Picking a Knitting Pattern

I’ve been thinking a lot about sweater knitting lately. I don’t rate myself as particularly experienced in this department. But I’ve knit 2 cardigans and 2 pullovers in the past 6 months. So maybe it’s time to re-evaluate? While I still feel anxious about picking a knitting pattern, maybe I’m more skilled than I think. Sharing what you know is a great way to boost your own confidence. It (almost) always leads to the insight that you know more than you thought. So I’m giving it a try. Let me know what you think …

Where to start the pattern process?

Seasoned sweater knitters don’t hesitate when choosing a pattern. If they like the picture they’ll quickly jump in. The idea of using a different yarn, adjusting the fit, or adding their own details is not a huge challenge because they’ve done this many times before. If you’re that person you probably aren’t reading this. So let’s talk from the perspective of a slightly newer knitter.
We are inundated with inspiration all the time. Which can be frustrating if you aren’t confident in your technical abilities. So if you’re planning a first sweater try to keep it simple. You may have yarn friends with suggestions, or get ideas from your local yarn store. Even so, I highly recommend using Ravelry to do your own research on any suggestions you receive. There is a lot of free info to explore before you commit to a purchase.
Ravelry’s Advanced Search feature is an awesome tool to find a pattern. Or just use the pattern information page to explore the details of a pattern someone has suggested.

Who to trust?

It’s tempting to dive in with a knitting pattern someone has suggested. But do they know how you learn? What your knitting skill level is? And what you’re hoping to achieve?
I love sharing things I’ve enjoyed, and often get carried away with my own enthusiasm for something. So my recommendation might have been great for me, but perhaps it’s not what you need.

First and foremost, trust yourself! Even if I have pattern recommendations I explore the details on Ravelry.
If you need video tutorials then use the Attributes feature in the pattern search to make sure you’re choosing a pattern where these are included. The more specific you are about what you want the smaller the list of search results. And scrolling through images of patterns that actually meet your criteria is a much more satisfying process than randomly browsing on Pinterest or Instagram, then feeling frustrated because you can’t work with what you find.

How to pick a pattern?

Ultimately, picking a knitting pattern is a personal choice and you have to make the decision. But doing your homework can help to make you feel a lot more confident in the choice you are making. The great things about using the advanced search function is that it’s really easy to remove criteria if you don’t find what you are looking for. I didn’t think I was looking for a knitting pattern as I have several in my project queue. But I have been wondering about one of Jacqueline Cieslak’s patterns, and her Rift pullover came out on top of my list. I selected a sport weight yarn, so any of our Merino Twist colours, since we are heading into warmer weather. But it’s very easy to adjust your search criteria once you have a list of results.

There’s probably a good reason for that. I love being able to see pictures of other people’s projects to get an idea of the pattern worn by different shaped and sized people. And the clarity and difficult ratings are pretty helpful too!

Happy searching, and even happier knitting!