A long time ago, when I was just starting on my knitting journey, I had the idea in my head that the whole point of knitting was to get exactly the garment I wanted. This was very frustrating, as nothing ever seemed to be quite right – the shape was wrong, or it had too much cable or was in the wrong yarn. I was never satisfied with what I knitted. This week, I have had a couple of customers in the shop who seem to have the same approach to their next projects which inspired me to come up with some suggestions to help you with your decision making.
Consider what you want to make
This is not as weird as it sounds. You would be amazed how many people pop in and tell us they want to knit something, but they do not know what. It helps, I think, if you know what you want to make: whether it is a garment for yourself, or a baby cardigan, or a shawl or a pair of socks. That makes a good start. Then think about what you want to make it in. Wool, or something else? Thick or thin? Summer or winter? Colourful or not? Do you want a project you can knit in front of the TV or something that will really challenge you? What do you like knitting? Lace? Cables? Colour work? Do you prefer knitting in the round or flat? Do you want something quick or something that will take a while? Is there a particular yarn you would like to try out? Do you have something in your stash you would like to use up?
Have a look at Ravelry
My guess is that many of our customers are already familiar with the website Ravelry, which is the most used pattern website out there. It has been a game changer in my own knitting journey. I now have a list as long as your arm of patterns that I want to knit at some time in the future, from top down sweaters, to cardigans, to neckerchiefs. Some people say that they will never be able to knit all the patterns they have liked on Ravelry. You can search in all sorts of ways, and I recommend the filters as well. So, if you know you want a sweater, start with that and then filter for the weight of yarn you want (DK or Aran or whatever). Or don’t bother and just see what catches your imagination. Some people start with their favourite designers – the most popular are Petite Knit (elegant simple garments), Tin Can Knits (good for beginners), Caitlin Hunter and Isabell Kraemer (amazing colour work), Kate Davies (everything is lovely), Cinthia Vallet for toys and of course our favourite Stephen West for all things colourful and amazing, and that is only the very smallest tip of the iceberg. Ravelry conveniently lists the hottest selling patterns if you want to see what everyone else is doing. And you can look under ‘Projects’ when you are thinking about a pattern to see what other people have done with it. One of the most popular patterns of all time is the Ranunculus by Midori Hirose – a lovely easy top which can be knitted in any size in almost any yarn, good for winter or summer. I have knitted it twice, and I am not a person who likes to knit the same thing more than once! Mandy has knitted even more, including the pretty one in the picture below.
Look at the patterns offered by the yarn brands
Most brands will offer patterns alongside their yarns. We have a wide range of patterns from West Yorkshire Spinners (books and single patterns), Lang Yarns and Knitting for Olive in the shop and they are very popular. If we do not have the pattern available in hard copy, or if you only want one of the patterns in a book, we can often get hold of it for you via Ravelry. Obviously the upside of choosing a pattern from a brand is that it is easier to find the yarn for it and it is less necessary (although we always recommend it) to do a gauge swatch. Usually we will have the patterns relating to any samples that we have in the shop – we find that samples can be quite inspiring too.
Books and Magazines
Even in this day of easy access to the internet, books and magazines are still popular. We stock books from Laine Publishing as well as their quarterly magazine, Laine, which are very inspiring. My current WIP is from their The Art of the Sea book, and their recent publication, 52 Weeks of Sweaters, has been very popular. I have a monthly subscription to The Knitter Magazine as well, as it gives me a good idea of what is popular and often has some excellent patterns in it. We also have a range of other books for you to help inspire you.
Talk to other people
If you have not done so already, consider joining a knitting group (or starting one of your own). One of the things I like best about our Social Stitchers sessions is that people exchange ideas and inspire each other to do different patterns, and often to try things that are a bit out of their comfort zones. I have watched people really gain confidence and produce some amazing garments that they might not have otherwise tried just because they have seen someone at the group knitting it. And the groups are really supportive of people who are starting something new or are struggling with something a bit difficult. I should imagine the same applies for any local Knit and Natter group, if you are not near us, so give it a go. Our groups meet at least once a week, at different times, and there are usually people hanging out in the shop on Saturday afternoons between 2 and 4pm, unless we have a workshop going on.
Talk to us
There is nothing Mandy and I enjoy more than helping people choose a pattern and yarn for their next project. We would happily spend hours with people, helping them decide what is right for them. So come in and see us and we will do the best we can to help you on your way!
As for me, I no longer try to create some garment that only exists in my head, but allow myself to explore the amazing designers out there who have done all the work for me. I have discovered that I have a preference for colour work and thinner yarns, but am prepared to challenge myself with other techniques. And if you want to know my list (after that gansey), it includes another Stephen West shawl, the next Shetland Wool Week hat and the Alpine Bloom by Caitlin Hunter who designed the Halibut Sweater that I recently finished. I love it so much that I am thinking about making it the subject of our next knitalong, whenever that is, especially as it is a pattern for a summer garment. Let me know if you would be interested.
One last thing – do not look to AI to write patterns for you. It can’t. And anything it does produce will have been stolen from designers who are trying to make a living from their creations. This is something I feel very strongly about!