5 Reasons to Knit a Sweater

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“Wait, just five?” That’s what I said when we were discussing this post, because there have to be at least a hundred reasons to knit a sweater, right?

We’re deep into sweater season here in Spokane, we’ve had rain, sleet, snow, and yes, a few peeks of sunshine. Our fall was really cut short by an early freeze; the leaves froze on the trees and are just stuck there, dead and droopy. No fall colors, no Sunday drives to enjoy the season. So sad, but that leads me to the first reason to knit a sweater.

1. Bring some color into your life!

When the cold, gray weather of winter arrives, you can combat it with colorful knitwear. There are myriad ways to knit a colorwork sweater: stranded knitting, mosaic knitting, stripes, intarsia, you get it.

My recommendation here is the Summit Pullover by Kristen Jancuk.

A modern take on the traditional Fair Isle yoke sweater, the Summit Pullover is my favorite construction, top-down, transitioning from a stranded-colorwork design on the yoke into the body. Then take a trip to Sleeve Island, and you’re done!

I love the touches of color on the sleeves, and the two-toned yarn really adds a lot to this sweater. If you’re going to knit a sweater, bring in the color like designer Kristen did here.

2. Lose yourself in cables

I love cables. LOVE THEM. They bring me joy in knitting, wearing, and simply looking at them. It’s simply magical how a few stitches worked out of order create such impressive dimensional texture.

The Haloclasty Pullover by Estefania Espindola is a fine example of this.

This cozy turtleneck features diamond-shaped cables run down the center front and around the sleeve and body hems. The high relief of this cable pattern is simply stunning. For more chic style, Estefania designed three-quarter-length sleeves and a straight silhouette (no shaping!) for a comfortable, easygoing fit. This is a truly unique sweater project. I love it.

3. Immerse yourself in a large project.

I remember when I knit my first sweater, after a couple of years of making scarves, hats, and shawls. It was scary, but as I worked on it over a couple of months, I realized that I enjoyed the “largeness” of the project. It became my friend, and the anticipation of finishing it was so motivating.

Sweaters give you such a sense of accomplishment, too! Take the Sandness Cardigan by Mone Dräger, for example. This one will keep you company all winter! (Plus, more cables!)

4. Learn lace with a sophisticated sweater.

Some knitters consider lace work their personal Everest. As a newish knitter, it wasn’t quite Everest, but maybe Rainier. One of my friends knit an allover lace cardigan and I was so envious of it, but I thought it was too much lace for my knitting level.

When I saw the Danae Smith’s Marmoset Pullover, I thought it would be the perfect first lace sweater project.

Marmoset has a repeating lace motif on the upper front and back and on the sleeves; the body is worked in smooth stockinette, so you have a relaxing reward after you finish the lacework. This sweater is so gorgeous, and it spans the seasons with its openwork top—just add a blazer and Mormoset will take you from fall to winter. It’s also a great wardrobe builder for your sort-of-snazzy occasions.

5. Learn a new technique and challenge yourself!

There comes a time in every knitter’s life where they just need a challenge. These aspirational projects not only build skills and confidence, they’re often works of art in their own right.

The Akerlof Jacket by Mary Anne Benedetto is one of these designs. It looks fairly simple, but there are lots of design details that step it up mightily.

A bias twisted-rib collar and asymmetrical fronts add visual interest and knitting complexity to the Akerlof Jacket. All this is super cool, but the twisted rib detail that starts at the raglan seams and continues down the sides is what puts this jacket over the top for me.

I know there are many more reasons to knit a sweater, but these five should get you started!

Cheers,
Kathleen

Originally published 11/19/2020. Updated 10/30/2021.

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Favorite Sweaters to Knit