First sweater question...

[whatcoloredeyessee]

I really want to make the Owls sweater for a friend. It'll be my first one and I'm super nervous as I make my choice of yarn and read pattern mods and everything. Is this a good choice for a first sweater? What measurements do I need? Is there any thing else I should know before embarking on such a thing?

Comments

[pensnest]

I'm looking to knit that one for my niece, although I haven't examined the pattern in any detail yet.

I'd say that picking a pattern that fills you with delight, and having a person to give it to, is a good choice for a first sweater. Doing something simple and dull would not be—that's what Doctor Who scarves are for. I would recommend putting in 'safety lines' before anything complicated comes along, so that if you have to frog it, you don't have to rip it back all the way. And don't be afraid to rip it back, either—you'll want this to be a sweater you can be proud of, otherwise every time your friend wears it, you'll notice THE FLAW.

So, good luck!

[doushkasmum]

I made that one as my first jumper. I had knitted a bunch of socks, I found it pretty easy and it made up very fast.

[tree_and_leaf]

The key meaurements are the bust, also length desired from the underarm to the bottom of the sweater, and arm length would be useful too.

My main bit of advice is, don't be tempted to skip knitting the tension square/ swatch. If your tension is wrong, so will everything else be.

[liseuse]

owls was my first proper sweater. I'd knitted a cardigan before that, and a lot of square things. And I really enjoyed knitting it! Measurements wise you definitely need the desired length from the underarm to the bottom, and sleeve length. You need the bust measurement as well, because that will tell you how many owls you need. I think my main piece of advice is to just trust the pattern - I had so many moments where I just thought it was all going wrong, and this couldn't possibly be right, and then I carried on with the pattern and it all turned out beautifully.