If you’re signed up for this great class, here’s your homework.  If you’ve got skeins of beautiful homespun and don’t know how to transform them into the amazing sweater of your dreams, there’s still time to sign up.  Using Jackie’s practical and easy to follow system, you’ll be designing your own patterns in no time or tweaking a pattern you’ve found that needs to be adjusted for that perfect fit.

THE SWEATER WORKSHOP w/JACKIE FEE

DESIGNING SWEATERS OF HANDSPUN – Or ANY YARNS!

The Sweater Workshop Mind-Set:

You are not knitting a sweater –

You are knitting a fabric in the shape of a sweater.

Bring to the Fiber College class your fabric sample/s.

Select any yarn.**

Take it to two straight needles of a size that you think might produce a Happy Fabric:

Definition of a Happy Fabric:

1. It looks good.

2. It feels good.

3. It was comfortable to work.

Cast 30 stitches onto your chosen needles. Work 6 rows of Garter Stitch (knit every row).

Change to Stockinette Stitch (Knit 1 row, Purl 1 row) for about 2 inches, or work in a particular pattern.

Is the fabric happy?

If yes, work another inch or two – do not bind off. Leave the stitches on the needle.

If no, * work a purl row on the outside of the sample and change to either a larger or smaller needle and work another 2 inches* Continue * to * til you and the fabric are happy.

Note: For future reference, it is a good idea to work a number of purl stitches corresponding to the number needle size on the outside of each section. Separate the purl stitches w/a knit stitch for ease in counting.

Bring a favorite fitting sweater, or measure one from underarm to underarm on a flat surface, and double the number of inches.

** It is best to avoid one-ply yarns – to be discussed.