5 Ways to Get the Most Out of a Knit-Along

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There’s nothing like knitting along with friends! We’re so excited to kick off our next knit-along (KAL) in a little over a week, on September 26, 2022. We’ll be knitting Karen Bourquin’s Tonquin Wrap as an Interweave team, and we want you to join us! We’re offering a free pattern, a running giveaway from our sponsors Plymouth Yarn Company and Clover, and hosting a discussion in our forum here on Interweave—you can get started and learn how it works here. If you haven’t done a KAL before, or if you have knitted along but didn’t feel you really “got it,” we’re here to help. We’ve got some great tips for knit-alongs that will help you make the most of the experience.

Above: Image source – Getty Images

Knit-Along Tips for Knitters of All Levels

These tips will help you with the Tonquin Wrap KAL, with other Interweave Knit-Alongs in the future, and with KALs you join elsewhere in the knitting world.

1. Gather Your Materials Early

While you can start our Interweave KALs anytime during the window (for example, the Tonquin Wrap pattern is available now until the end of the official KAL on November 7), we recommend casting on along with everyone on the official start date, which is September 26 for the Tonquin Wrap KAL. That means it’s time to get your materials together!

I’m very lucky that our generous sponsor, Plymouth Yarn Company, sent me my yarn for the Tonquin Wrap directly so I wasn’t able to put it off. I’m using the Homestead yarn called for in the pattern, in the gorgeous Federal Blue colorway.

2. Bring Along Your Friends and Family

While an Interweave Knit-Along offers a built-in community, it can be even more fun if your personal knitting friends or family participate too. It’s the perfect supportive environment for less-experienced knitters—we’ll be there to help in the forum! We carefully choose projects for our knit-alongs that appeal to knitters of all different skill levels.

3. Make a Swatch and Make It Your Own

I wouldn’t usually swatch for a wrap, but I’m planning to make one this time for two reasons. 1) I’ve never worked reversible cables before and I want to make my initial mistakes in the swatch, not in my wrap. 2) I’ve been reading Kim McBrien Evans’ series on fit and her article about starting projects by thinking about fabric has inspired me. I really want to make sure I end up with fabric that drapes the way I want it to.

Our Technical Content Editor, Sandi Rosner, learned a lot from her swatch. If you want to skip swatching, be sure to check out her article and soak up her knowledge. Sandi also shares info on ways you can modify your shawl for a custom design. Change up the picked-up collar, use a different finish than fringe to finish the edges, twist the stitches in your ribbing and cables—or do something else entirely that makes it perfectly “yours.”

4. Plan Some Designated Knitting Time

Once you cast on, the really fun part of the KAL begins: the knitting! I think of a knit-along as a great excuse to really prioritize knitting in my life. “Yes, I do need to be watching this show and knitting right now and NOT doing my laundry—it’s for the KAL!” Think about what works for you and your schedule. Would you prefer to knit a repeat of the pattern each day? Or work just a few rows on most days with longer sessions on Wednesday nights when you have time to yourself each week? Or are you the type of knitter who won’t touch a project during the week at all, but will spend literally all weekend in your comfy chair with your favorite movies? All of those approaches are great paths to success.

We absolutely don’t want you to stress about time during your knit-along experience, but it can be fun and rewarding to set progress goals for yourself once you know how quickly you’re working through the project.

5. Jump In and Join the Conversation

While all KALs have a social element, what makes Interweave Knit-Alongs really special is the online forum we offer to facilitate discussion. We use our Interweave+ platform to host the discussion, but you do not need to be an Interweave+ member to participate. You will need just a regular login to our site so you can access the forum. From there, you can talk with all of the other knitters working on the project!

We won’t judge you for lurking, but we love when people share lots of progress photos, encourage each other, and really have fun with it. You can also use the forum to ask any questions you have along the way. It’s the perfect place to learn a new-to-you technique!

Bonus: Don’t Stress About Time!

As I said above, there’s absolutely no reason to stress about time during the knit-along. If you don’t finish within the six weeks we have set for the KAL, no worries at all! You don’t have to finish to be entered to win a prize in the giveaway. I have a long and proud history of finishing my KAL projects about three weeks after we officially wrap up. There’s no shame to be found here.

The KAL forum stays open after we officially wrap, so you can share your finished project anytime. We also hope you’ll share on social using #TonquinWrap. Even if it takes you years to complete the wrap, we still want to see your finished object.

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I’m getting so excited to kick off the Tonquin Wrap KAL, and I hope you are too! And if you’d like to knit along with us in the future, don’t forget to bookmark our Interweave Knit-Alongs page so you can find out what we’re up to next!

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Projects from Past Interweave Knit-Alongs: Free to Interweave+ Members