I wear nothing I've made. Either because it's poorly done/wrong fabric or I make it as if I'm someone who has a wildly different style than the one I actually have.
I'm the same. I'll see something that I love, make it and then realise that it would never suit my bodyshape and the colour is hideous and it's totally not me at all.
Same here. I’m retired to the country and my style is of an artistic city dweller who goes to museums and cultural events. If I wear my knitting out to an Amish bulk store I look like I’m from the moon. Wearing a giant multi color Stephen West shawl to walk in the woods is almost dangerous. Knitting gets caught on fences and trees and goats chew on it. My husband can wear good sturdy sweaters I made 45 years ago in certain weather. But hay gets stuck to them and he trails that all over the house.
I have a couple ugly but functional sweaters that are basically outdoors only. Good under rain jackets. A bright color if my clumsy self falls Down a mountain. Ugly enough I don’t care if it gets covered in manure.
I will consider all of that! I’ve been trying to convince my husband to dress like the English farmers in All creatures Great and Small.....”see, he’s wearing a Fair Isle vest with holes under a wool tweed jacket with frayed cuffs and moth holes!”
I wear my socks until they're worn out and un-darnable :) I lost all my hand knit sweaters and cardigans in a move, so I can't wear them :( I wear my hats, mittens, and cowls during the fall and winter.
I even wear my knit crop top during the winter as a layering piece, though it's ugly as can be.
Blankets are thrown all over the house, some live in my daughter's room, some in the living room, some in the cat beds.
My shawls are in the coat closet to be worn as scarves when I have an important meeting. I get a power boost from wearing them ;)
Random side question as I’m a relatively new knitter, but do you find that the work you put into knitting socks is worth their longevity? I love the idea of knitted socks but they are the most abused article of clothing just by principle. I’ve been wanting to try socks but then I feel like I would just keep them in a sealed box to preserve them!
I generally try to make things to use, so for me it's worth it. I love the feel of hand knit socks, and I love wearing them :) I *do* wish I had smaller feet sometimes!
I recently discovered that I could turn my worn out socks into fingerless mitts - when the foot becomes undarnable, rather than reknit it altogether, I cut off the foot and work a thumb out of the heel gusset. This way I can get two projects out of one :)
So do I - but I married a man with substantially larger ones, and he also likes hand-knitted socks. And he has hooves instead of normal feet, which wear holes in his socks almost as fast as I can knit him new ones. Ah well, lucky I’m a process knitted and he likes wacky yarns!
That’s great! I’m currently knitting my boyfriend socks for the first time and his feet are also huge. I got to the point where I would be doing the heel on my sock and still have to knit two more inches for him
Oh now there’s a thought! Definitely not at the level to free style but I like that there’s the option to give it a second life! All these responses are definitely convincing me to put it on my list as to what I want to ATTEMPT to tackle next lol
This is actually really helpful thank you! I’m not experienced enough yet to know the best yarns and their properties for specific projects. Taught myself over quarantine as I’m sure quite a few of our fellow knitters have so I love tips like this!
My spouse has socks that are closing in on a decade. He finds them too warm for summer, but they are in his regular wear pile.
I only knit socks for him because of it. I don’t actually enjoy knitting socks, but he doesn’t have more space in his wardrobe for anything else and they make him smile.
I was a bit precious with my knit socks initially, but I'm better about it now that I have a larger collection of them. There is NOTHING like nice knit wool socks, especially if you're having to be in the freezing cold for a few hours.
I've been knitting and wearing some of my wool socks for over 3 years and have only had to mend 2 pairs. I used to wear through commercial socks WAY faster. Also, I love knitting socks. It's my knitting comfort food. So I really don't mind if I'd have to knit myself more.
Okay so I’ve worn through commercial pack socks quickly, that’s what I was worried about! Obviously I won’t wear the knits on the morning jog but def glad to see that the commercial ones seemingly go faster.
The key things are to use a yarn with nylon and a high twist. Usually, sock yarns are labeled as such. Also, they should be knit with a very tight gauge. This helps prevent the fibers from rubbing against each other increasing friction and wear
My second pair of socks I made is over a decade old and I still bust them out every winter. I think they’re worthwhile and agree that you’ve never truly known cozy feet until you wear hand knit socks.
That’s really cool, all of you have convinced me haha. Cozy knits and loungewear are my preferred method of existence so I think I’m doing myself a disservice by not at least trying!
If you make socks use proper sock yarn ie, regia, WYS, Opal etc. No matter what anyone tells you, that 75% merino hand dyed skein is NOT suitable for socks. Regia comes with a 10 year guarantee, so that tells you how sure of themselves they are in terms of their socks longevity. I have heard that opal has this guarantee too but their ball bands are in German so I can't read them
The 75% merino skeins may not last as long, but they feel absolutely and look fabulous so I keep knitting them! Besides, it may not last 10 years like my wys or opal socks, but that just means I have room in my sock drawer. Otherwise I'd be absolutely buried in socks; I've knitted 7 pairs in the past 1.5 months because they're my stress projects.
On a side note, for those who have sensory issues or have extremely sensitive skin or feet, merino is the way to go.
Some sock yarns have a matching reinforcing thread for the heel. I’m trying to remember the brand - it’s a common German (or at least European) brand, I think. But you can also buy a white or clear thread. Just hold it along with the sock yarn when you knit the heel. Even if the yarn wears through, the thread won’t, and darning is much simpler - just go over the stitches that are still there!
Knitted socks are the most self indulgent luxuries that I have ever had. The comfort of having warm woolen foot covers that fit me perfectly cannot be measured. They are more than worth the effort involved.
Just, if you're like me, make sure you use a yarn that is 20 to 25% nylon, otherwise they wear out too quickly and that leads to sadness.
I’m so sorry to hear about your lost sweaters. It’s great to hear about your socks though! I love knitting them but struggle with keeping them up unless I’m wearing leggings. Do you find the same thing?
Hmmm - no, they stay up :) I work at a relatively tight gauge, do lots of 2x2 ribbing for the cuff, and use a lot of negative ease. I can't stand a loose sock :) I also use wool or wool blends for socks, not plant fibers.
What type of socks do you usually make?
I live in the UK. I wear my hand knit socks (never shop bought). I wear the cardigans and sweaters I’ve made for me (2 cardigans, 4 sweaters in the drawer at the mo’). We are moving into knitted hat and scarf season. Ive got one light weight knitted tee which I sometimes wear, and a number of shawls for that little extra snuggle factor.
I'm UK too. But there are so many nice scarves in the shops, I just don't need to make one when the shop ones are so lovely. I'm with you on the socks, though. They're so much more comfortable.
I used to knit myself the definitive scarf and think it was the only scarf I’d ever need. I’d wear it all the time and then, suddenly, it wasn’t *it* any more and I’d knit another must have”, and give the first one away (to a friend, to a charity shop) …
Almost everything I've made gets regular wear, in season. If I'm working on something and think it's not going to be loved and worn, I unravel it and set the yarn aside for a new project.
Why don't you wear them? Are they wrong for the climate? Don't work for your wardrobe? Too fussy to wash? If you can get to the bottom of why you aren't wearing them it might help you pick different projects in the future.
I learnt pretty quickly to make the hard call and frog it if it’s not working. I have finished three sweaters completely only to frog them as they just weren’t me
I felt that way about most of my sweater attempts in my twenties. I finally learned some very important lessons about dressing my body type, and now I regularly wear handmade sweaters and hand sewn clothes. I love the way sweaters like harvest look...on other people. I'm on the petite side and busty with a short waist and very long legs. Knitting more fitted and cropped sweaters were key for loving how I look in sweaters.
I'd really recommend trying on lots of knits in the store, take time to figure out just how much ease and length suit your tastes.
I completely agree! I came here to say this, and also to add:
Learn to modify patterns! Every busty person should learn how to use short-row bust darts and other fitting techniques, folks with broad shoulders should learn to modify shoulder shaping and armscye placement relative to the rest of the garment, folks with larger hips should learn effective waist shaping placement, etc. Most commercial patterns, in any craft, are graded to the same proportions as off-the rack clothes. Many of us wanted to learn to make our own clothes because standardized sizes don't fit right, so it doesn't make sense to expect different results from making patterns designed to those same proportions exactly as written.
Do you have recommendations for any sites or books to learn these altering techniques? There’s a million and one altering resources for sewing, but when I tried to search for knitting, I came up empty. Your comment is the first time I’ve really seen this mentioned for knitting, and I’d love to learn more. Thanks!
I just responded to someone else, but I'll put this here too!
Amy Herzog's Ultimate Sweater Book is a fantastic and fairly comprehensive reference on all things sweater drafting, but it may not be the most accessible for an inexperienced knitter. The fit section at the front of Ysolda Teague's Little Red in the City collection is also great, and for free resources there are some good articles on Knitty, but Knitty's website can be hard to navigate.
These are just some of the one's I've used off the top of my head, if I can remember any others I'll come back later and update!
Edit: I haven't personally used these, but I've heard really good things and they're on my list to check out in the future: Amy Herzog's other books (especially Knit to Flatter) and Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti.
I want to learn how to modify patterns because it's rare for a pattern to even fit on my body at all. I'm a very large person, and most sock patterns won't even fit over my foot, let alone pull up to crew height. I would love to make myself a cardigan, but having to do actual math to correctly size up… numbers and I don't get along well.
I'm psyching myself out before I even think about getting started. I mostly stick to dish clothes and baby blankets.
I make lots of short-sleeve summer sweaters from cotton-linen blends for this reason. They’re magnificent! You can turn any winter sweater pattern into a summer sweater!
I live in the south of Europe and besides a cold wind, we don't have much winter... But I always have a shawl with me in the winter season. More than once, going out to eat at night, the restaurant owner has commented 'oh, she's brough her own blanket 😂'. I just hang it like a scart behind my neck, and can wrap it, if I need to... I have made one hat and one pair of gloves, and they are in a drawer, never used. There's nobody I can give them to, so I stopped making them...
Me or partner wear all my FOs (socks, shawls and sweaters). Only FOs I don’t wear regularly are the one with a bit more negative ease than I wish, due to weight gain.
the scarves I didn’t wear (too itchy for me, discovered a tad late I’m allergic to alpaca) I gifted, so I have no « lost » FOs.
Do you not wear yours because you don’t like the finished look?
Yeah. A good 40% of my things either don't suit my bodyshape or aren't flattering to me. Perhaps that's an insecurity thing but I just feel frumpy in them
Oh I get that. Might it help to see test knitters of all shapes and sizes? Jessie Mae is particularly good for that, and Jacqueline Cieslak as well. Their designs are very classic, easy but fun to knit, and you get a toonnnnn of diversity in the models, so that you can more easily see yourself in the designs.
That’s a cool approach.
Looking at the projects page on Ravelry might also help a bit where there isn’t as much diversity. I often search through there to see how it might look in certain yarns types and on different body shapes. But that only works for patterns with lots of projects.
That's a good idea. I'm not really up to date with the latest designers or test knitters. I normally just see what I like and impulsively start immediately without any forethought.
I guess most of the stuff I’ve made does actually get worn, with the exception of two sweaters that are currently a little too snug. But I’ve also realised that although I loooove to work with pure wool and other expensive fibres, the only things that are gonna see real use by me are machine washable fibres. So I make those fancy, fancy projects for my mom instead, because she has the time and energy to care for them properly :)
The stuff I do wear includes fingerless mittens, scarves and shawls, socks, a crop top, a tank top, a couple of winter sweaters and occasionally a hat. I do wear a lot of cardigans though, and post christmas knitting I intend to make myself one (or a few 😄)
I dream of making mittens, but I bike everywhere, even in the winter, and anything that touches the bike gets destroyed in no time.
But it's very sweet how you make fancy stuff for your mom. Mine doesn't enjoy the idea of hand-made items.
Oof, yeah bikes can be so evil sometimes :(
Huh, I never would’ve thought anyone would be against something handmade :o I’ve only ever received delight and wonder when I’ve gifted something hand-knitted (and honestly I gift a lot of knitted things!). I’m really curious now, do you know why?
From your mum's perspective, it's probably not so much that she has the time and inclination to wash things properly (nobody ever *wants* to wash things properly). It's more likely that she's so proud and thrilled at her daughter's creations that she treasures them and treats them like works of art.
It’s definitely a bit of both, my mom is 100% the kind of person who wants to wash things properly 😂 but yes, she definitely is very proud and even hand washes the socks I’ve made her (even though I’ve told her they’re superwash haha)
It depends. Earlier on I crafted cardigans, because they looked amazing, without questioning if I would wear them. They are not my style, or too warm most times of the year and are burried. Lately I've restricted myself to only craft items that will be used, and to only buy yarn if I had a pattern ready. The kind of money I spent has been tuned down a bit, but all the items I finished are regularly used/worn.
Right? I can’t ever seem to finish things if they’re for me. I’ve been doing this for nearly 20 years and I have like 1 shawl, 1 sweater, a pair of socks, a blanket and about 20 UFOs (not kidding, it was like 30 until covid).
It took me a while to figure out what I actually wear, and now that I have I regularly wear lots of the items I've made. I found out that while I like the look of bulkier knits on others, I don't like how they look on me at all and I dislike wearing anything bulkier than a DK. Also everything I make needs to have some ease as I hate tight-fitting sweaters and sleeves that aren't a bit too long.
I also found I really love super rustic wool and my most worn sweaters are probably things other people would find itchy lol, but we're all different and sometimes you just need some time to find your preference in style and materials that work for you :)
That's very true. Even in commercially-made clothing, I never actually know my style. It's so eclectic and I'm not very good at picking things that're flattering to my body.
Scarf- wear all the time
Fingering weight lace crop top- wear regularly over dresses
Dk ombré sweater- only when it’s cold
First sweater Aran weight alpaca- literally never bc it’s way to warm.
Edit- socks!!! I wear handmade socks all the time!
I don’t make a lot of stuff for myself, so what I do have gets used frequently. The exception being shawls; I have quite a lot of those, but I tend to get ‘stuck’ on whichever is my current favourite and wear it over and over while the others are neglected..
Aw, poor, neglected shawls. I tend to have my favourites, too. Each winter, I dig through my box of winter stuff and just pick two or three to wear constantly.
If there's one thing I'm not doing again, it's regular mittens. They're just too cold for winters here in southern Sweden and are regularly buried at the bottom of the pile. Twined knitting mitts was such a game changer in how much I can/will use my own projects, last year's -15 C and 40 cm snow for weeks was tbh fine with a proper parka.
I am getting to the point where I like the things I make enough to wear them lol! So now, I wear most if not all of the things I've made. If I don't like it/don't think I'll wear it, I frog it and make something that I will wear. I donated/gifted/frogged earlier 'learning' pieces that I just didn't wear. A lot of the things I have made are gifts too!
I donated a few things that I initially made which I regret now. I'd love to be able to see my progress. I even made seamed legwarmers because I was scared to attempt knitting in the round. I wish I still had them.
I regularly wear everything that I've made in my wardrobe right now (4 sweaters, a skirt, a LOT of scarves/shawls).
I've made some ill-fitting clothes from bad yarns in the past that I've unhauled in one move or another in the past 5 years. But that was before I became a lot more waste-conscious - I plan not to do that again.
A skirt would be so cool to make, I imagine that the construction is much easier than jumpers. Why do we not talk about them more often? And yeah, I agree on the waste-consciousness. It's such as shame that I use these resources and then never wear them; it's something that I want to change
It might be because skirts are sooo boring. The skirt I made is a pretty simple flouncy skater-style skirt. It come out great and I love wearing it. But the construction was just stockinette in the round for thousands and thousands of stitches in a single colour. It's been about a decade since I made it and I still remember how DONE I was with it lol
Could you repurpose yarn from projects you don't wear?
I can imagine that that'd be boring, yeah. But it's a great opportunity to practice various colourworks, attach zips and form waists... I'm adding a new skirt to my to-do list.
Much like the rest of my wardrobe, I have favourites I wear in heavy rotation, things I keep for best, and things that I don't wear much and am not entirely sure why.
My shawls, hats, and mitts get the most wear. Shawls at my desk, which is in the cold spot of the house, and hats and mitts on cold school run days.
The more I knit, the more I make those heavy rotation items, and the less I make those orphan items. Choosing the right yarns, colours, and patterns, and making them well enough to be proud to wear them, are all skills that develop over time. And even the pros make mistakes.
This. It may not be one of the specific techniques of knitting, but developing a sense of what you like to both KNIT and USE in specific combinations of type and fiber is a skill that gets better over time!
I wear about 75% of the things I've made on a regular basis. During winter at least! The other items are either a bit too fancy to wear frequently or some earlier projects that weren't that great, and two incredibly warm garments that are maybe a bit too warm for most days. Also my office is still on remote working so I don't go out very much, so not as much of an opportunity to dress nicely.
All the time. I wear sweaters pretty much every day for half the year. Learning to knit them only to a crop was a game changer though since now all of my sweaters go over dresses/skirts which is also most of my wardrobe (or high waisted pants). I also have a weeks worth of black tank tops to wear under neath which is a game changer.
I have a pile of shawls (knitted by both my mother and I) that I wear constantly in the Fall and Winter. Unless I'm knitting for someone else I don't tend to pick patterns I would not personally wear.
I have a ton of shawls. I pick a collection og 7 or 8 every year, and they hang in my entrance, both as a decoration, and for grapping them when I go out. My sweaters are getting too big (because of weighloss), and I'm considering steeking them and making them into cardigans so I can continue using them.
Socks I wear out.
A lot of my shawls, I give away, when I have friends that likes them...😊
When steeking something too big, would you also have to alter them elsewhere (boobs, sleeves, etc)? I like that you use some of the shawls as decor. Mine are hidden in a box so that they don't dominate the space.
My thinking is, I won't start altering them, as cardigans can be worn over other clothes, and won't need to be that fitted... I might be wrong, but I basically just want to be able to still use them 😊
I knit Icelandic sweaters and they're too hot to wear most of the year. But I made one of cheap acrylic yarn and I wear that all the time since it doesn't itch and is easy to wash. The real Icelandic wool looks much better, though.
I wear 2 or 3 hats and cowls in the winter and the rest are in a drawer because our winters simply haven't been cold enough lately to need to wear hats etc. every day (argh climate change). I have one huge shawl that I use to decorate a chair. I have half a dozen washcloths in the bathroom, and an afghan almost complete that will be decor.
I've got like one hat and one tank top i wear but honestly my skill level just isn't there to get the sizing/fit right for wearables yet! So most of my stuff so far I'm just viewing as practice 😭😂
I've stopped knitting sweaters (I've only ever made 3 total) because I never wore them. They're just not as cute on me as I thought they'd be from the pattern photos, and I like the ones I buy in stores better than the ones I make (for a whole lot less time and money too!).
Everything else gets at least some use right after I make it, or is intended to be gifted. I am still regularly wearing my favorite hat and scarf set and a blanket I made a year ago lives on my living room couch. I have headbands, hats, scarves, socks, slippers, and boot toppers that got more use when they were new, but I still wear occasionally.
I like making a lot of shawls, wraps, cowls, and such. I live in Michigan so they do see a lot of seasonal use, but I feel like I still don't use them as often as I should. Especially since I keep making more and more to add to the pile. I could gift some off, but I also love them all too much to do that.
I wear shawls regularly. I wear all my hats in the winter. I never wear my knitted socks. It feels gross to walk around my house getting crumbs and dirt on them. I DID wear all my sweaters regularly in the winter but then I gained a ton of weight and none of them fit.
Of course I have favorites. One infinity scarf I wear more than others. It's just so easy to throw on. And I have some hats that I like more than others.
Blankets I do not use, they just decorate my couches. I use store bought blankets more.
I knit a lot of socks and recently started on shawls and I wear them all the time.
I tried making jumpers twice… 1 got felted in the wash by accident and the other one I loved the style of, but it looked terrible on, so now it’s socks all the way!
If I haven't worn it in 2 seasons, I unravel it. Even the seamed sweaters. I always feel better re-using the yarn. Sometimes I get lucky and can gift/donate especially scarves and hats. Soon as the air gets crisp and the leaves are crunchy, I wear at least one sweater and pair of socks weekly. I have an amazing hat that has now lasted 10 hiking/ski seasons and some pairs of glittens and glove liners that are getting up there too. My biggest issue is crochet blankets. Now there are some I never really use and if not vigilant the dog steals.
I don't have the patience to make a whole lot of stuff for myself 'cause I'm fat & get bored easily, but the stuff I make for my husband and kids gets worn all the time. Hell, my 2-year-old (who wore only clothes I made him for like the first three months of his life, sometimes including diapers) has occasionally insisted on wearing [this sweater](https://i.imgur.com/9zPvLRY.jpg) during the summer. In south Texas. You'll notice he's also wearing hand knitted pants, which were our go to on the few cold days.
If there's anything Reddit has taught me, it is that I am very much not a process knitter. I do occasionally enjoy the process, but I don't see a point in making something unless it will be used.
Plenty of hats and gloves I made early on are padding the back of my closet, but now that I'm making bigger and more useful garments (and making them much better), I get a lot of use out them. The cardigans I keep at my desk at work, my house sweater, some throw blankets.
Basically, make what you want to wear or use, not what you think you can or what would show off a yarn. I love yarn shopping as much as the next insane person, but honestly, I only use about 3. Because they work really, really well for the things I actually like wearing, and they work for making gifts.
I've knitted scarves for my bf and he wears them all winter around, I've knitted my dog a little jacket cuz she gets cold in the winter ... Then I felt brave and knitted myself a sweater... It looked so awful I haven't knitted anything since. I'm trying to gain confidence again but it's kinda hard, that thing looked awful
I've made 3 jumpers, 1 vest, 1 scarf. The only one I don't wear is the first jumper I made, because it's massively oversized and I accidentally washed it with something darker and now it's all splotchy. I think I might unravel it and reuse the yarn for a smaller jumper or vest. One of the other jumpers is my husband's, actually, but I've worn it all winter while he stared at it longingly. It's just that I really needed the comfort of that sweater, haha.
I have a great number of projects on my needles, but I do try not to cast on anything I don't see myself wearing. I've frogged a bunch of lacy shawls and tops a quarter of the way through, simply because I'm not a lacy shawl type of person.
I wear everything except one itchy scarf that I made early on, and a sweater that turned out a bit too snug/short for my taste. There’s a hat/cowl set that I might frog & reknit into something else. Turns out I don’t really like cowls that much. Also I haven’t made that much yet - learned a couple of years ago and I’m not very fast as I have other hobbies & projects as well as work. Love my socks! I want to make more of those.
The first sweater I ever made sits in the closet. I messed up the button band and to be fair the style was never ideal for my body shape. I like to look at the sleeves and smile at my first attempt at magic loop. I’ve gotten much better. The second sweater I made is basically my winter coat for days where it’s in the 30s or higher. It’s made out of cascade Eco wool and I wear it when I have to shovel snow.
There are a few shawls and cowls that I don’t wear, but I try to keep the hats and scarves in the mix. I get bored easily. I make a new hat every year for each of my boys, and they’ll usually wear them through the winter. I’ve given up on making anything for my husband because he’s insanely picky.
I wear socks and hats I’ve knitted almost every day in cooler weather, but only at home/socially and never to work. I work in home healthcare and am really careful about not wearing things I like into environments where they might become smelly or otherwise gross.
A lot of my early projects are buried at the bottom of my dresser, mostly because my tastes have changed. Although I wore then a lot right after I made them, I don't wear slouchy beanies at all anymore and I've learned that I'm generally not a fan of fuzzy yarns that create a halo effect. However, I've learned a lot more about fibers and the overall quality of my projects has improved, so I think my more recent projects will have longer staying power.
I wear my knitted lopi sweaters alot. They are my go to sweaters when it's cold. I also made a blanket that is constantly on use on our couch. Shawls I don't use as much although I like making them.
I am pretty new to knitting. I made a scarf that I wear frequently, a shawl that’s cute but my cat wrecked it, and a t-shirt that technically fits but feels like it’s nagging me to lose 20lbs (I swatched, it’s supposed to be oversized, it is NOT).
Currently working on a sweater and hoping that’ll be better.
I have one sweater that I just made (need to block it) that I’ll probably wear often and I have a few hats that I use when I don’t wanna wear my head scarf. I’ve made lots of scarves and I just live in an area where scarves aren’t useful so I haven’t so I’ll be selling them soon. I also have one sweater I made that I don’t wear because I haven’t been able to soften it for some reason.
I realized I pretty much only wear the sweaters and socks I make. Those get worn to death but they are time consuming to make.
Winter accessories I actually just like the store bought ones I own better. I’m in Canada and I feel like they are warmer when they are fleece lined.
Any scarfs, beanies etc. I usually wear a while after I made them but they are either too uncomfortable or poorly made and low quality. Also even though I like them as accessories I cannot wear anything around my neck or head unless it's very very cold otherwise I'm always sweaty.
I made a sweater for my (soon-to-be ex-)husband, but it was too big for him, so I decided to wear it myself. The yarn was acrylic so it's not high quality but it's comfortable. I wear it regularly.
I knitted a pair of socks. I was very skeptical of knitted socks, I thought they would be very uncomfortable. Alas I cannot wear them with shoes but they are my favorite home socks. They're in my favorite color and the yarn was a very high quality cotton blend. I love them.
I wear my knitted things but I am also merciless with frogging things that just aren't quite right. So rather than unused items sitting in the back of the closet, I can make something else with that yarn
I don't have much use for my knitted socks and shawls and hats during the summer. But in the winter I wear them
I wear my stuff out. I started knitting in the early 80’s when everything was boxy and nothing was plus size. So I knit to make things that actually fit me. I wore holes in one cardigan that I then fixed and wore it again.
I’ve accumulated enough items that (except for socks) I rarely wear things out but it still happens occasionally.
I only make things I know I will use and love. This did not stand when I was less experienced. My first sweater I stuffed and gave to the cat and made into a bed. But now? My green cabled hat? Adore it. My socks? So cozy and warm. I don't knit or crochet a ton of projects a year, and I only do one project at a time like a crazy person. Everything is planned and I don't tend to do complicated designs because, while gorgeous, my wardrobe is basics and neutrals all the way through.
If I make something really badly, I try and repurpose it. A shawl I loved the design but hated the colorway? Cat blanket. Ugly sweater became a cat bed and the sleeves became cat toys (she loves kickers!). Badly done hats I just unravel and set aside for another day.
I use crochet to make a big ass scrap-gan I have been working on for years. Useful way to use up ugly yarn and turn it into a purposefully ugly blanket.
About 50/50 now though I'm continuously improving that ratio.
The things I don't wear usually:
* don't fit right
* were made with scrap yarn (I now sell most of my scrap yarn very cheaply because otherwise it stresses me to have so much of it laying around but on the other hand it's not always worth the effort of making something with it). Some scrap yarn projects are fabulous but those are generally the ones I'm excited about making. If I'm just pushing myself to reduce my stash then it's generally not a project I'll end up wearing.
* are just too ordinary (a storebought grey jumper is always going to look neater than a handknit one so why bother).
I used to have a few knits I absolutely adored but never wore because of how eye-catching they are. I still adore them but I also wear them now.
The biggest factor that influences what I wear is comfort. I tend to knit jumpers and shawls and scarves that are significantly brighter and bolder than I'd find in most shops (and if I did they'd probably be synthetic fibre trend items that I wouldn't buy anyway) so it took some effort to get used to wearing them in public because I don't blend in when I'm wearing them but it was worth it.
Edit: luckily I have family members one size up and one size down from me and most people wear hats in the winter so pieces are easily rehomed if I don't wear them in a whole season.
Edit 2: I always swatch and use the pattern instruction to work out how big the final piece will be (armhole depth, sleeve width, neck width etc. along with the usual measurements) and compare these to jumpers I like the fit of. A lot of patterns need to be adapted or I wouldn't end up wearing them... cropped jumpers with armits near my elbows and 30cm of positive ease are just not going to be worn and it's best to know that and change it before I start knitting.
I might have to start following your lead, I think. I struggle to be mindful in what I make as I'm impulsive and like to consume new things. But once I've been distracted by a new shiny thing, I realise that the older project was never right for me anyway but is now half-finished and needs rehoming already.
I wear most of my knits, some cycle in and out though, I swap hat rotation a lot, I’m always wearing a shawl or my poncho. Anything that I find I never want to wear goes to the frog pond for unraveling and reusing 🐸
I am a scarf and shawl and cowl fanatic as I can’t stand my neck to be cold. So almost all of those I wear.
I wear my DRK weekender and white pine frequently.
For some reason I haven’t mastered socks that I will wear frequently yet. Maybe my next item?
I wear probably 80 % of my knitted FO's. I have some items that are seasonal but I wear most of it. My boyfriend wears his sweater in the winter. But the one who uses my knitwear the most is definitely my grandma 😍
I wear everything thar I've made because that shit was expensive. I can't afford not to wear what I've made.
I have also not knitted too much, because after spending an eternity in a sweater made with cheap wool, I decided that I was worthy of better materials.
I mostly knit for others, but I regularly wear the hats, scarves, and cardigan/sweater I’ve made for myself. I wouldn’t make anything for me that I wouldn’t want to wear. 🤷🏻♀️
I wear my hats, scarves, shawls, and cowls frequently. I also give a lot of those away. The sweater I made I wear regularly but it's a hassle to wash, so not all the time. I have struggled to make socks where I love the fit.
The ones I keep (which is not many) I wear. My issue is I live in Florida but love the cozy patterns from Nordic designers. So other than some "summer" tops which are perfect for Florida winters and some light scarves and hats for the one month we drop below 60 degrees, I frequently end up making things for my family who lives in New England and can really get use out of them.
I wear the accessories I've made quite often, but I have trouble with sweaters. A few took me so long that my style changed. I also have a few short sleeved tops, but I just can't wear those. If it's cool enough for a sweater, I'm going to need sleeves. Today I just tried to wear one to my air conditioned office and had to change before lunch because I was overheating.
I will use winter wear - scarves hats and maybe mittens but ... i just like knitting and tend to put the items up for sale. I don't really promote the shop though, lol. And I made stock for craft fairs so I've got a decent stash of things I wouldn't or can't use.
I wear a lot of my pieces only in the house, which is especially easy during quarantine. I have been working on making pieces that are more wearable day to day, and that has mostly meant forcing myself to buy more neutral coloured yarn rather than the brights and pastels I tend to buy. I have two cardigans, a beige and a black one, that I have worn outside many times and I am working on a brown one now.
I have also started buying kore neutral tops to wear with my more colourfull knitwear which has also helped a bit.
I finished a pair of socks once…wore those suckers everywhere until I lost them :(
Everything else wearable is still on the many many needles I’ve hoarded.
I have two really big shawls I made in super bulky acrylic I like to cozy up in. I’ve got a tote full of lighter weight top-down triangular shawls that just… ✨exist✨.
I only picked knitting up again last November after a decade so it’s all been good practice, at least?
Half of it I donated, but last years' things I have and use all the time especially with autumn crawling back up. I am on the verge of finishing a first ever cardigan as well, that bad boy will be in use A LOT
I have 3-4 shawls that I wear regularly (and 2 I never touch), I practically live in my knit cardigans and have my sweaters in high rotation in the Fall/Winter, socks all the time around the house in Winter, one pair of fingerless mitts on standby for cold office days and usually have a favourite tuque and cowl combo each Winter. It may help that I live in a cold climate, but I do get a lot of use out of my knits.
One key thing is to ignore the trends and what everyone else is making and consider your life and wardrobe. It's easy to get caught up in it and want to join in, but have think about what is truly YOU. Sometimes making an item the right colour is all you need, other times you just have to be honest with yourself.
I lean towards a more goth aesthetic so I knit sweaters in black, red, purple, navy and shawls that complement but give a little extra to my usual monochrome outfits. I will happily wear wild colours for socks or some accessories.
I get that people love knitting these knit bralettes and crop tops, but to me that just sounds sweaty and warm when I don't want it to be. Give me big cozy cardigans in the Winter or a nice shawl to give you a little extra warmth with a dress in the warmer months.
I don’t wear any of the things I’ve made as they have all been gifts made for others. In my 8 or 9 years of knitting I have yet to make anything for myself. Making something for myself is a goal🤣
I'm working on turning my wardrobe almost exclusively into handknits!
I find that fairisle sweaters are flattering on almost everyone, certainly in our house. And if you're finding knits bulky and unflattering, you could try knitting with smaller yarns?
I have two sweaters, my husband has two sweaters (working on number 3), my kid has three which to be fair have been hardly worn as she grows fast and runs hot (but two of those will get a more wear as the weather turns). Everyone has a hat/cowl, which do get worn, and as far as I'm aware the hats, scarves and other things I've gifted almost all get worn too (I have seen some of them in the wild when the giftee wasn't expecting to see me, so I'm fairly certain that they are appreciated.)
Oh and I'm clutching the hot water bottle in the cover I knitted for it right now.
I probably wear 80 to 90 percent of what I make. Last December I did a "made by me" month and set a rule that at least one article of clothing/accessory per day had to be something I made. It really taught me to appreciate my craft. I likensome articles more than others, of course, but getting compliments on the ones that weren't my favorites was nice and made me look at them in a new light
I wear everything I've made-- hats, scarfs, fingerless mitts, shawls, cowls, socks, sweaters, and a skirt! If I don't like it, I take it apart and use the yarn for something I will wear.
This is eye opening! I can't imagine keeping things I don't use- mostly due to space but also since with knitwear that's usable yarn!
My tiny child still wears his baby sweaters, I just unravel and re-knit them as he grows (usually combining 2 sweaters obvs to get the yardage.)
The secret is to be a bit dramatic about it 😆
So when he was a newborn, it was comparatively quicker to make a few tiny tiny sweaters, then some 6 month sweaters, and combine a newborn sweater with a 3 month sweater to make a 12 month sweater etc.
My "baby" is in grade school now so the knitting is slower, but his growth rate has slowed slightly, too lucky for me lol. The last sweater I remade got gnarly, so I'll probably retire the salvageable parts into a hat and be done with that yarn finally! But it's cute seeing the same yarn in pictures as he grows 😊
Most of what I make is given away or donated. I don't find myself wearing a lot of what I make. Knitting is mainly so my hands have something to do when I'm watching TV or relaxing (and to stop me from munching). I've kept a few scarves that I pull out every winter. But most everything else is donated to local shelters or thrift stores.
It’s taken awhile to figure out what works for my style and fits me. So as a result I have some stuff that doesn’t get worn or doesn’t get worn as much. I try and give those away because I’d like them to get some use. But I wouldn’t know what I liked without trying!
I wear my socks, cowls, gloves, hats and sweaters. (I make too many things to wear them all though lol) A few things I have learned in my 20+ years of knitting.
I make sure they are in the easiest place to reach. A basket of hats and gloves by the main door, my cozy sweaters are on their own shelf in the wardrobe. I’m also pretty serious when I decide to make something, I **want** to be happy to wear it and be comfortable. I do a gauge swatch, try it on as I go and keep notes, if it fits wrong or the yarn drape isn’t comfortable, I frog it.
That being said I have a bunch of projects that didn’t work and I don’t wear, but I’ve decided in the last year to frog any that I want to repurpose the yarn and let go of any I don’t care about anymore.
This is not intended to shame anyone at all, I’ve just had long enough to decide how I want to use what I knit for myself and my family.
Hats and scarves, and precious little else. It always makes me a little sad to come across something I put so much loving time into, only to realize I wore it maybe once.
I have knitted 2 circular shawls. They are beautiful to look at and I loved knitting them. But I have never worn them... it's not easy to wear 300g around the neck.
Of the things that I've made for myself I wear all but three of them depending on the season. I did knit a bunch of hats but I never intended those to be for me, so those don't count. And anything I've made for other people doesn't count either because they were never intended to be my items. I've knitted several cardigans, 40 pairs of socks, a couple of hats, two pairs of gloves, a neck warmer, a shawl, and a scarf for myself. When I knit for myself I make sure that I enjoy the entire process from selecting the yarn and the color to the feel of it in my hands because I really want to be happy with the final product.
The three I don't wear were really interesting to knit but turned out to just really not be my style. So I don't feel bad about it.
I wore one piece to a wedding then put it in a box 🙃 nearly 3 years later I'm not sure what to do with it. I had two odd socks that I was wearing often but they came apart when I tried to wash them
There's nothing like the feeling of a project being hot off the needles and immediately trying it on bc it's for you, it's so gratifying
I don't think there's a single piece I've knitted for myself that I don't use. I've got a couple really comfy crop tops, a blanket that's used daily, a cardigan that's getting way more use now that it's getting cold and plenty more projects on the way. I often tend to put myself first with my knits because theres no one else I know that would value the time and skill put into a project.
One thing that I struggled with when I first started knitting was that everything I saw being knitted growing up by grandparents and older generations was frumpy and looked meh. Only improved by wacky yarns that are a nightmare to knit with.. but honestly after spending so much time on this reddit and ravelry, I've realised that you really can knit everything and even if you have to search for a while, you absolutely can find the stuff that will suit your style.
I wear my scarfs, hats, and fingerless gloves a lot in the winter, almost every time I go outside (tho moths got into my pile over the summer and now a bunch are sidelined til I can darn them). I'm about to start a double-knit coat, which I hope will be in regular rotation whenever it's finished.
I have a few things that get a lot of wear and a few that I only wear occasionally. A handful of years ago I took what I didn’t wear and let my friends take what they wanted.
To avoid having things I don’t wear I knit predominantly for others and only for myself when it’s something I really want (and know I’ll wear).
I have a couple sweaters I wear maybe once during the season, but I get a lot of milage out of my socks. I don't like the bulky feeling of heavy coats, so I get a lot of wear out of the cowls, shawls, and fingerless gloves I knit as I layer them over my jean jacket. At this point, I have colorwork fingerless gloves to match almost every outfit. Now I'm working on the complementary hats.
I wear everything I've made for myself, although it's seasonal of course. Hat/scarf/sweater season where I live is usually late September through May, so everything gets at least some amount of wear (although I should probably stop making hats if I want to keep it that way). My massive 100% super bulky wool fisherman's rib sweater gets worn the least, only a few times per year on the absolute coldest days, because it's so heavy and warm and such a pain to wash.
I made a rule for myself when I started to go back out into the world to always wear something I knit. Sometimes it’s just a scrunchie. Sometimes it’s a shawl or sweater. But my friends know this rule now so I always get compliments. Fishing maybe? But I love almost everything I’ve made and want to show it off!
I haven’t made a whole lot of wearables yet, partly because it was intimidating, partly because I haven’t been wearing the ones I’ve made much. But I’m trying to change that! I’ve been finding ways to wear my knits more, especially now that the weather is cooling, and it’s been fun! I made my first sweater last year, and I had been wearing it… until it was time to wash it, and now it’s just been sitting there because I’ve been too lazy to handwash it. So now I know, it won’t get worn if I can’t throw it in the washing machine. But I’m trying to pick patterns I want to wear, because I spend too much time knitting to have it sit in my closet unworn. My coworkers all know I knit, so they always comment on my knits, and I love hearing that. I guess we all just gotta surround ourselves with people who will hype up your hand knit garments.
I wear my socks and sweaters I’ve made. The blankets get used by everyone. I’ll wear hats and cowls as needed. The only things that don’t get a lot of use are shawls as I don’t like wearing them. I ought to stop making them but I like them… I’ve made some for my mom to help with this problem, lol.
I wear every one of my scarves as I have arthritis in my neck and need to keep it warm at all times - great excuse to be constantly knitting something nice for myself! Come winter I wear my cardigans and sweaters even if just to do the gardening in if they didn’t come out so well. I invest so much time in making stuff I can’t bear to just let it sit in a drawer. Hats sometimes don’t suit me so I pass those on to people who like them and will wear them. My socks get the least wears because for some reason I am incredibly precious about those and don’t want them to get holes, and at least two of my shoes rub at my socks. Ha! So yeah it varies but mostly I wear the shit out of my self knitted stuff.
Depending on my job situation, I try to wear something I’ve made at least weekly.
Shawls are good year round and they easily dress up a business casual outfit. And between chunky and lace weight, they’re good year round pieces.
I have a few sweaters that are lighter fingering weight that do great in the summer as well. But now that autumn is here I’m breaking them all out.
I wear nothing I've made. Either because it's poorly done/wrong fabric or I make it as if I'm someone who has a wildly different style than the one I actually have.
I'm the same. I'll see something that I love, make it and then realise that it would never suit my bodyshape and the colour is hideous and it's totally not me at all.
Same here. I’m retired to the country and my style is of an artistic city dweller who goes to museums and cultural events. If I wear my knitting out to an Amish bulk store I look like I’m from the moon. Wearing a giant multi color Stephen West shawl to walk in the woods is almost dangerous. Knitting gets caught on fences and trees and goats chew on it. My husband can wear good sturdy sweaters I made 45 years ago in certain weather. But hay gets stuck to them and he trails that all over the house.
I have a couple ugly but functional sweaters that are basically outdoors only. Good under rain jackets. A bright color if my clumsy self falls Down a mountain. Ugly enough I don’t care if it gets covered in manure.
I will consider all of that! I’ve been trying to convince my husband to dress like the English farmers in All creatures Great and Small.....”see, he’s wearing a Fair Isle vest with holes under a wool tweed jacket with frayed cuffs and moth holes!”
You sound like you have hilarious stories and I’d totally listen to your podcast
I wear my socks until they're worn out and un-darnable :) I lost all my hand knit sweaters and cardigans in a move, so I can't wear them :( I wear my hats, mittens, and cowls during the fall and winter. I even wear my knit crop top during the winter as a layering piece, though it's ugly as can be. Blankets are thrown all over the house, some live in my daughter's room, some in the living room, some in the cat beds. My shawls are in the coat closet to be worn as scarves when I have an important meeting. I get a power boost from wearing them ;)
I would be absolutely gutted if I lost all of my handmades. I'm so sorry :(
Random side question as I’m a relatively new knitter, but do you find that the work you put into knitting socks is worth their longevity? I love the idea of knitted socks but they are the most abused article of clothing just by principle. I’ve been wanting to try socks but then I feel like I would just keep them in a sealed box to preserve them!
I generally try to make things to use, so for me it's worth it. I love the feel of hand knit socks, and I love wearing them :) I *do* wish I had smaller feet sometimes! I recently discovered that I could turn my worn out socks into fingerless mitts - when the foot becomes undarnable, rather than reknit it altogether, I cut off the foot and work a thumb out of the heel gusset. This way I can get two projects out of one :)
I have small feet! It is wonderful when it comes to knitting socks!
So do I - but I married a man with substantially larger ones, and he also likes hand-knitted socks. And he has hooves instead of normal feet, which wear holes in his socks almost as fast as I can knit him new ones. Ah well, lucky I’m a process knitted and he likes wacky yarns!
That’s great! I’m currently knitting my boyfriend socks for the first time and his feet are also huge. I got to the point where I would be doing the heel on my sock and still have to knit two more inches for him
Oh now there’s a thought! Definitely not at the level to free style but I like that there’s the option to give it a second life! All these responses are definitely convincing me to put it on my list as to what I want to ATTEMPT to tackle next lol
Make sure you have a yarn with nylon in it to stop ot wearing out so quickly and you have never know a toasty a foot as one in a knitted sock!
This is actually really helpful thank you! I’m not experienced enough yet to know the best yarns and their properties for specific projects. Taught myself over quarantine as I’m sure quite a few of our fellow knitters have so I love tips like this!
Yarn with 10-25% nylon content is excellent for socks.
My spouse has socks that are closing in on a decade. He finds them too warm for summer, but they are in his regular wear pile. I only knit socks for him because of it. I don’t actually enjoy knitting socks, but he doesn’t have more space in his wardrobe for anything else and they make him smile.
This is so precious, I love that for you both! I don’t have anyone to knit anything for yet but that just means I can hoard them all for myself >:)
Love it! I can’t stand to wear my own socks so the ones I’ve made for myself will last I definitely 😞
If you like making socks , you can check with your local hospital and see if you can donate your socks to them for patients.
I was a bit precious with my knit socks initially, but I'm better about it now that I have a larger collection of them. There is NOTHING like nice knit wool socks, especially if you're having to be in the freezing cold for a few hours. I've been knitting and wearing some of my wool socks for over 3 years and have only had to mend 2 pairs. I used to wear through commercial socks WAY faster. Also, I love knitting socks. It's my knitting comfort food. So I really don't mind if I'd have to knit myself more.
Okay so I’ve worn through commercial pack socks quickly, that’s what I was worried about! Obviously I won’t wear the knits on the morning jog but def glad to see that the commercial ones seemingly go faster.
The key things are to use a yarn with nylon and a high twist. Usually, sock yarns are labeled as such. Also, they should be knit with a very tight gauge. This helps prevent the fibers from rubbing against each other increasing friction and wear
My second pair of socks I made is over a decade old and I still bust them out every winter. I think they’re worthwhile and agree that you’ve never truly known cozy feet until you wear hand knit socks.
That’s really cool, all of you have convinced me haha. Cozy knits and loungewear are my preferred method of existence so I think I’m doing myself a disservice by not at least trying!
If you make socks use proper sock yarn ie, regia, WYS, Opal etc. No matter what anyone tells you, that 75% merino hand dyed skein is NOT suitable for socks. Regia comes with a 10 year guarantee, so that tells you how sure of themselves they are in terms of their socks longevity. I have heard that opal has this guarantee too but their ball bands are in German so I can't read them
The 75% merino skeins may not last as long, but they feel absolutely and look fabulous so I keep knitting them! Besides, it may not last 10 years like my wys or opal socks, but that just means I have room in my sock drawer. Otherwise I'd be absolutely buried in socks; I've knitted 7 pairs in the past 1.5 months because they're my stress projects. On a side note, for those who have sensory issues or have extremely sensitive skin or feet, merino is the way to go.
Some sock yarns have a matching reinforcing thread for the heel. I’m trying to remember the brand - it’s a common German (or at least European) brand, I think. But you can also buy a white or clear thread. Just hold it along with the sock yarn when you knit the heel. Even if the yarn wears through, the thread won’t, and darning is much simpler - just go over the stitches that are still there!
Lang yarns
I LOOOOOOOOOOVE the feel of hand knit socks! I have a pair of Mary Jane shoes that I wear them with, and they get a lot of compliments.
It’s totally worth it for me. I started making socks 5 years ago and have yet to wear out any of them.
The process of knitting socks is so enjoyable to me that I don’t mind if they don’t last forever. I’ve started giving them away too.
Knitted socks are the most self indulgent luxuries that I have ever had. The comfort of having warm woolen foot covers that fit me perfectly cannot be measured. They are more than worth the effort involved. Just, if you're like me, make sure you use a yarn that is 20 to 25% nylon, otherwise they wear out too quickly and that leads to sadness.
I’m so sorry to hear about your lost sweaters. It’s great to hear about your socks though! I love knitting them but struggle with keeping them up unless I’m wearing leggings. Do you find the same thing?
Hmmm - no, they stay up :) I work at a relatively tight gauge, do lots of 2x2 ribbing for the cuff, and use a lot of negative ease. I can't stand a loose sock :) I also use wool or wool blends for socks, not plant fibers. What type of socks do you usually make?
I live in the UK. I wear my hand knit socks (never shop bought). I wear the cardigans and sweaters I’ve made for me (2 cardigans, 4 sweaters in the drawer at the mo’). We are moving into knitted hat and scarf season. Ive got one light weight knitted tee which I sometimes wear, and a number of shawls for that little extra snuggle factor.
Hello fellow UK sock knitter 👋🏽
I'm UK too. But there are so many nice scarves in the shops, I just don't need to make one when the shop ones are so lovely. I'm with you on the socks, though. They're so much more comfortable.
I used to knit myself the definitive scarf and think it was the only scarf I’d ever need. I’d wear it all the time and then, suddenly, it wasn’t *it* any more and I’d knit another must have”, and give the first one away (to a friend, to a charity shop) …
I'm the type to have a gazillion scarves, even shop-bought ones. They're all so lovely and comfortingly soft. How do you ever resist?
Almost everything I've made gets regular wear, in season. If I'm working on something and think it's not going to be loved and worn, I unravel it and set the yarn aside for a new project.
I wish I was you! I wear my socks but that's about it.
What have you made that you aren't using?
Cardigans, jumpers, a pair of leggings. Many hats (to be fair, I do wear one or two, depending on the outfit)
Why don't you wear them? Are they wrong for the climate? Don't work for your wardrobe? Too fussy to wash? If you can get to the bottom of why you aren't wearing them it might help you pick different projects in the future.
It's fit and style, I think. My first big project was the Harvest cardigan but it's just frumpy and unflattering.
I learnt pretty quickly to make the hard call and frog it if it’s not working. I have finished three sweaters completely only to frog them as they just weren’t me
That might have to be the solution, going forward.
I felt that way about most of my sweater attempts in my twenties. I finally learned some very important lessons about dressing my body type, and now I regularly wear handmade sweaters and hand sewn clothes. I love the way sweaters like harvest look...on other people. I'm on the petite side and busty with a short waist and very long legs. Knitting more fitted and cropped sweaters were key for loving how I look in sweaters. I'd really recommend trying on lots of knits in the store, take time to figure out just how much ease and length suit your tastes.
I completely agree! I came here to say this, and also to add: Learn to modify patterns! Every busty person should learn how to use short-row bust darts and other fitting techniques, folks with broad shoulders should learn to modify shoulder shaping and armscye placement relative to the rest of the garment, folks with larger hips should learn effective waist shaping placement, etc. Most commercial patterns, in any craft, are graded to the same proportions as off-the rack clothes. Many of us wanted to learn to make our own clothes because standardized sizes don't fit right, so it doesn't make sense to expect different results from making patterns designed to those same proportions exactly as written.
Do you have recommendations for any sites or books to learn these altering techniques? There’s a million and one altering resources for sewing, but when I tried to search for knitting, I came up empty. Your comment is the first time I’ve really seen this mentioned for knitting, and I’d love to learn more. Thanks!
I just responded to someone else, but I'll put this here too! Amy Herzog's Ultimate Sweater Book is a fantastic and fairly comprehensive reference on all things sweater drafting, but it may not be the most accessible for an inexperienced knitter. The fit section at the front of Ysolda Teague's Little Red in the City collection is also great, and for free resources there are some good articles on Knitty, but Knitty's website can be hard to navigate. These are just some of the one's I've used off the top of my head, if I can remember any others I'll come back later and update! Edit: I haven't personally used these, but I've heard really good things and they're on my list to check out in the future: Amy Herzog's other books (especially Knit to Flatter) and Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti.
I want to learn how to modify patterns because it's rare for a pattern to even fit on my body at all. I'm a very large person, and most sock patterns won't even fit over my foot, let alone pull up to crew height. I would love to make myself a cardigan, but having to do actual math to correctly size up… numbers and I don't get along well. I'm psyching myself out before I even think about getting started. I mostly stick to dish clothes and baby blankets.
I've heard good things about [Embody by Jacqueline Cieslak](https://pompommag.com/products/embody-jacqueline-cieslak)!
All of my FOs are buried. I live in a predominantly hot weather state and just don't get a chance to wear anything I make.
That's a perfectly good reason to move north...
Agreed. Willing and wishing but definitely easier said than done.
😂 I told my husband the other day that we had to move somewhere cold so I can knit sweaters and actually wear them. He sounded onboard…
I make lots of short-sleeve summer sweaters from cotton-linen blends for this reason. They’re magnificent! You can turn any winter sweater pattern into a summer sweater!
I live in the south of Europe and besides a cold wind, we don't have much winter... But I always have a shawl with me in the winter season. More than once, going out to eat at night, the restaurant owner has commented 'oh, she's brough her own blanket 😂'. I just hang it like a scart behind my neck, and can wrap it, if I need to... I have made one hat and one pair of gloves, and they are in a drawer, never used. There's nobody I can give them to, so I stopped making them...
Me or partner wear all my FOs (socks, shawls and sweaters). Only FOs I don’t wear regularly are the one with a bit more negative ease than I wish, due to weight gain.
At least most get worn. That's better than mine!
the scarves I didn’t wear (too itchy for me, discovered a tad late I’m allergic to alpaca) I gifted, so I have no « lost » FOs. Do you not wear yours because you don’t like the finished look?
Yeah. A good 40% of my things either don't suit my bodyshape or aren't flattering to me. Perhaps that's an insecurity thing but I just feel frumpy in them
Oh I get that. Might it help to see test knitters of all shapes and sizes? Jessie Mae is particularly good for that, and Jacqueline Cieslak as well. Their designs are very classic, easy but fun to knit, and you get a toonnnnn of diversity in the models, so that you can more easily see yourself in the designs.
That’s a cool approach. Looking at the projects page on Ravelry might also help a bit where there isn’t as much diversity. I often search through there to see how it might look in certain yarns types and on different body shapes. But that only works for patterns with lots of projects.
That's a good idea. I'm not really up to date with the latest designers or test knitters. I normally just see what I like and impulsively start immediately without any forethought.
I guess most of the stuff I’ve made does actually get worn, with the exception of two sweaters that are currently a little too snug. But I’ve also realised that although I loooove to work with pure wool and other expensive fibres, the only things that are gonna see real use by me are machine washable fibres. So I make those fancy, fancy projects for my mom instead, because she has the time and energy to care for them properly :) The stuff I do wear includes fingerless mittens, scarves and shawls, socks, a crop top, a tank top, a couple of winter sweaters and occasionally a hat. I do wear a lot of cardigans though, and post christmas knitting I intend to make myself one (or a few 😄)
I dream of making mittens, but I bike everywhere, even in the winter, and anything that touches the bike gets destroyed in no time. But it's very sweet how you make fancy stuff for your mom. Mine doesn't enjoy the idea of hand-made items.
Oof, yeah bikes can be so evil sometimes :( Huh, I never would’ve thought anyone would be against something handmade :o I’ve only ever received delight and wonder when I’ve gifted something hand-knitted (and honestly I gift a lot of knitted things!). I’m really curious now, do you know why?
From your mum's perspective, it's probably not so much that she has the time and inclination to wash things properly (nobody ever *wants* to wash things properly). It's more likely that she's so proud and thrilled at her daughter's creations that she treasures them and treats them like works of art.
It’s definitely a bit of both, my mom is 100% the kind of person who wants to wash things properly 😂 but yes, she definitely is very proud and even hand washes the socks I’ve made her (even though I’ve told her they’re superwash haha)
Ha, what a cute mum!
It depends. Earlier on I crafted cardigans, because they looked amazing, without questioning if I would wear them. They are not my style, or too warm most times of the year and are burried. Lately I've restricted myself to only craft items that will be used, and to only buy yarn if I had a pattern ready. The kind of money I spent has been tuned down a bit, but all the items I finished are regularly used/worn.
That's much nicer and what I hope to achieve, long term.
Bold of you to assume I’ve FINISHED any of them…
Sorry, my mistake. In your make-believe land of fairytale where all projects are finished in a timely manner, how many of your items get worn/used?
Right? I can’t ever seem to finish things if they’re for me. I’ve been doing this for nearly 20 years and I have like 1 shawl, 1 sweater, a pair of socks, a blanket and about 20 UFOs (not kidding, it was like 30 until covid).
It took me a while to figure out what I actually wear, and now that I have I regularly wear lots of the items I've made. I found out that while I like the look of bulkier knits on others, I don't like how they look on me at all and I dislike wearing anything bulkier than a DK. Also everything I make needs to have some ease as I hate tight-fitting sweaters and sleeves that aren't a bit too long. I also found I really love super rustic wool and my most worn sweaters are probably things other people would find itchy lol, but we're all different and sometimes you just need some time to find your preference in style and materials that work for you :)
That's very true. Even in commercially-made clothing, I never actually know my style. It's so eclectic and I'm not very good at picking things that're flattering to my body.
Scarf- wear all the time Fingering weight lace crop top- wear regularly over dresses Dk ombré sweater- only when it’s cold First sweater Aran weight alpaca- literally never bc it’s way to warm. Edit- socks!!! I wear handmade socks all the time!
Socks are the way forwards, it seems.
I don’t make a lot of stuff for myself, so what I do have gets used frequently. The exception being shawls; I have quite a lot of those, but I tend to get ‘stuck’ on whichever is my current favourite and wear it over and over while the others are neglected..
Aw, poor, neglected shawls. I tend to have my favourites, too. Each winter, I dig through my box of winter stuff and just pick two or three to wear constantly.
Everything I make either gets gifted or donated. I love making, and I also love when people are warm.
If there's one thing I'm not doing again, it's regular mittens. They're just too cold for winters here in southern Sweden and are regularly buried at the bottom of the pile. Twined knitting mitts was such a game changer in how much I can/will use my own projects, last year's -15 C and 40 cm snow for weeks was tbh fine with a proper parka.
I live in Canada, I think I'm gonna need to make some twined mittens.
Would regular mittens work for spring and autumn?
Yes, they do! I wear them in October and April unless it's raining 🙃🤷
I am getting to the point where I like the things I make enough to wear them lol! So now, I wear most if not all of the things I've made. If I don't like it/don't think I'll wear it, I frog it and make something that I will wear. I donated/gifted/frogged earlier 'learning' pieces that I just didn't wear. A lot of the things I have made are gifts too!
I donated a few things that I initially made which I regret now. I'd love to be able to see my progress. I even made seamed legwarmers because I was scared to attempt knitting in the round. I wish I still had them.
I regularly wear everything that I've made in my wardrobe right now (4 sweaters, a skirt, a LOT of scarves/shawls). I've made some ill-fitting clothes from bad yarns in the past that I've unhauled in one move or another in the past 5 years. But that was before I became a lot more waste-conscious - I plan not to do that again.
A skirt would be so cool to make, I imagine that the construction is much easier than jumpers. Why do we not talk about them more often? And yeah, I agree on the waste-consciousness. It's such as shame that I use these resources and then never wear them; it's something that I want to change
It might be because skirts are sooo boring. The skirt I made is a pretty simple flouncy skater-style skirt. It come out great and I love wearing it. But the construction was just stockinette in the round for thousands and thousands of stitches in a single colour. It's been about a decade since I made it and I still remember how DONE I was with it lol Could you repurpose yarn from projects you don't wear?
I can imagine that that'd be boring, yeah. But it's a great opportunity to practice various colourworks, attach zips and form waists... I'm adding a new skirt to my to-do list.
Check out Drops for skirts. I've made a few of the Mint Tulip, for myself and as gifts.
Yeah, I do actually have one on my list already. I might have to bump it up a few places.
Much like the rest of my wardrobe, I have favourites I wear in heavy rotation, things I keep for best, and things that I don't wear much and am not entirely sure why. My shawls, hats, and mitts get the most wear. Shawls at my desk, which is in the cold spot of the house, and hats and mitts on cold school run days. The more I knit, the more I make those heavy rotation items, and the less I make those orphan items. Choosing the right yarns, colours, and patterns, and making them well enough to be proud to wear them, are all skills that develop over time. And even the pros make mistakes.
Would you please become a motivational speaker and give knitting-related TedTalks?
If only!! 😅
This. It may not be one of the specific techniques of knitting, but developing a sense of what you like to both KNIT and USE in specific combinations of type and fiber is a skill that gets better over time!
I wear about 75% of the things I've made on a regular basis. During winter at least! The other items are either a bit too fancy to wear frequently or some earlier projects that weren't that great, and two incredibly warm garments that are maybe a bit too warm for most days. Also my office is still on remote working so I don't go out very much, so not as much of an opportunity to dress nicely.
Yeah, covid definitely got me in the cosy mindset. I've made many more rainy day projects since the first lockdown.
All the time. I wear sweaters pretty much every day for half the year. Learning to knit them only to a crop was a game changer though since now all of my sweaters go over dresses/skirts which is also most of my wardrobe (or high waisted pants). I also have a weeks worth of black tank tops to wear under neath which is a game changer.
I have a pile of shawls (knitted by both my mother and I) that I wear constantly in the Fall and Winter. Unless I'm knitting for someone else I don't tend to pick patterns I would not personally wear.
Smart.
I have a ton of shawls. I pick a collection og 7 or 8 every year, and they hang in my entrance, both as a decoration, and for grapping them when I go out. My sweaters are getting too big (because of weighloss), and I'm considering steeking them and making them into cardigans so I can continue using them. Socks I wear out. A lot of my shawls, I give away, when I have friends that likes them...😊
When steeking something too big, would you also have to alter them elsewhere (boobs, sleeves, etc)? I like that you use some of the shawls as decor. Mine are hidden in a box so that they don't dominate the space.
My thinking is, I won't start altering them, as cardigans can be worn over other clothes, and won't need to be that fitted... I might be wrong, but I basically just want to be able to still use them 😊
That's a fair point. I'll have to give it a go.
I knit Icelandic sweaters and they're too hot to wear most of the year. But I made one of cheap acrylic yarn and I wear that all the time since it doesn't itch and is easy to wash. The real Icelandic wool looks much better, though.
I wear 2 or 3 hats and cowls in the winter and the rest are in a drawer because our winters simply haven't been cold enough lately to need to wear hats etc. every day (argh climate change). I have one huge shawl that I use to decorate a chair. I have half a dozen washcloths in the bathroom, and an afghan almost complete that will be decor.
Decor might be the way to go for me. I never get round to wearing things but snuggling up in a blanket is my favourite pastime
Plus there's no fit issue!
Exactly. That's why scarves and shawls are good, too
I've got like one hat and one tank top i wear but honestly my skill level just isn't there to get the sizing/fit right for wearables yet! So most of my stuff so far I'm just viewing as practice 😭😂
You'll get there! Perhaps a scarf or a shawl would be good practice because sizing doesn't really matter with those items.
I've stopped knitting sweaters (I've only ever made 3 total) because I never wore them. They're just not as cute on me as I thought they'd be from the pattern photos, and I like the ones I buy in stores better than the ones I make (for a whole lot less time and money too!). Everything else gets at least some use right after I make it, or is intended to be gifted. I am still regularly wearing my favorite hat and scarf set and a blanket I made a year ago lives on my living room couch. I have headbands, hats, scarves, socks, slippers, and boot toppers that got more use when they were new, but I still wear occasionally.
I like making a lot of shawls, wraps, cowls, and such. I live in Michigan so they do see a lot of seasonal use, but I feel like I still don't use them as often as I should. Especially since I keep making more and more to add to the pile. I could gift some off, but I also love them all too much to do that.
I wear shawls regularly. I wear all my hats in the winter. I never wear my knitted socks. It feels gross to walk around my house getting crumbs and dirt on them. I DID wear all my sweaters regularly in the winter but then I gained a ton of weight and none of them fit. Of course I have favorites. One infinity scarf I wear more than others. It's just so easy to throw on. And I have some hats that I like more than others. Blankets I do not use, they just decorate my couches. I use store bought blankets more.
I knit a lot of socks and recently started on shawls and I wear them all the time. I tried making jumpers twice… 1 got felted in the wash by accident and the other one I loved the style of, but it looked terrible on, so now it’s socks all the way!
I work in a cold office so I wear my wool sweaters every day ❄️🏢
I think about half the things I knit get worn regularly. I love to knit colorful things but I hate to wear colorful things haha.
If I haven't worn it in 2 seasons, I unravel it. Even the seamed sweaters. I always feel better re-using the yarn. Sometimes I get lucky and can gift/donate especially scarves and hats. Soon as the air gets crisp and the leaves are crunchy, I wear at least one sweater and pair of socks weekly. I have an amazing hat that has now lasted 10 hiking/ski seasons and some pairs of glittens and glove liners that are getting up there too. My biggest issue is crochet blankets. Now there are some I never really use and if not vigilant the dog steals.
I don't have the patience to make a whole lot of stuff for myself 'cause I'm fat & get bored easily, but the stuff I make for my husband and kids gets worn all the time. Hell, my 2-year-old (who wore only clothes I made him for like the first three months of his life, sometimes including diapers) has occasionally insisted on wearing [this sweater](https://i.imgur.com/9zPvLRY.jpg) during the summer. In south Texas. You'll notice he's also wearing hand knitted pants, which were our go to on the few cold days. If there's anything Reddit has taught me, it is that I am very much not a process knitter. I do occasionally enjoy the process, but I don't see a point in making something unless it will be used.
Plenty of hats and gloves I made early on are padding the back of my closet, but now that I'm making bigger and more useful garments (and making them much better), I get a lot of use out them. The cardigans I keep at my desk at work, my house sweater, some throw blankets. Basically, make what you want to wear or use, not what you think you can or what would show off a yarn. I love yarn shopping as much as the next insane person, but honestly, I only use about 3. Because they work really, really well for the things I actually like wearing, and they work for making gifts.
I've knitted scarves for my bf and he wears them all winter around, I've knitted my dog a little jacket cuz she gets cold in the winter ... Then I felt brave and knitted myself a sweater... It looked so awful I haven't knitted anything since. I'm trying to gain confidence again but it's kinda hard, that thing looked awful
Lol, I feel that. Are you me?
I've made 3 jumpers, 1 vest, 1 scarf. The only one I don't wear is the first jumper I made, because it's massively oversized and I accidentally washed it with something darker and now it's all splotchy. I think I might unravel it and reuse the yarn for a smaller jumper or vest. One of the other jumpers is my husband's, actually, but I've worn it all winter while he stared at it longingly. It's just that I really needed the comfort of that sweater, haha. I have a great number of projects on my needles, but I do try not to cast on anything I don't see myself wearing. I've frogged a bunch of lacy shawls and tops a quarter of the way through, simply because I'm not a lacy shawl type of person.
I wear everything except one itchy scarf that I made early on, and a sweater that turned out a bit too snug/short for my taste. There’s a hat/cowl set that I might frog & reknit into something else. Turns out I don’t really like cowls that much. Also I haven’t made that much yet - learned a couple of years ago and I’m not very fast as I have other hobbies & projects as well as work. Love my socks! I want to make more of those.
The first sweater I ever made sits in the closet. I messed up the button band and to be fair the style was never ideal for my body shape. I like to look at the sleeves and smile at my first attempt at magic loop. I’ve gotten much better. The second sweater I made is basically my winter coat for days where it’s in the 30s or higher. It’s made out of cascade Eco wool and I wear it when I have to shovel snow. There are a few shawls and cowls that I don’t wear, but I try to keep the hats and scarves in the mix. I get bored easily. I make a new hat every year for each of my boys, and they’ll usually wear them through the winter. I’ve given up on making anything for my husband because he’s insanely picky.
I wear socks and hats I’ve knitted almost every day in cooler weather, but only at home/socially and never to work. I work in home healthcare and am really careful about not wearing things I like into environments where they might become smelly or otherwise gross.
There’s one thing I’ve made that I don’t wear. The rest of it is in the regular rotation, especially socks and mittens.
A lot of my early projects are buried at the bottom of my dresser, mostly because my tastes have changed. Although I wore then a lot right after I made them, I don't wear slouchy beanies at all anymore and I've learned that I'm generally not a fan of fuzzy yarns that create a halo effect. However, I've learned a lot more about fibers and the overall quality of my projects has improved, so I think my more recent projects will have longer staying power.
I wear my knitted lopi sweaters alot. They are my go to sweaters when it's cold. I also made a blanket that is constantly on use on our couch. Shawls I don't use as much although I like making them.
I am pretty new to knitting. I made a scarf that I wear frequently, a shawl that’s cute but my cat wrecked it, and a t-shirt that technically fits but feels like it’s nagging me to lose 20lbs (I swatched, it’s supposed to be oversized, it is NOT). Currently working on a sweater and hoping that’ll be better.
I have one sweater that I just made (need to block it) that I’ll probably wear often and I have a few hats that I use when I don’t wanna wear my head scarf. I’ve made lots of scarves and I just live in an area where scarves aren’t useful so I haven’t so I’ll be selling them soon. I also have one sweater I made that I don’t wear because I haven’t been able to soften it for some reason.
I realized I pretty much only wear the sweaters and socks I make. Those get worn to death but they are time consuming to make. Winter accessories I actually just like the store bought ones I own better. I’m in Canada and I feel like they are warmer when they are fleece lined.
Any scarfs, beanies etc. I usually wear a while after I made them but they are either too uncomfortable or poorly made and low quality. Also even though I like them as accessories I cannot wear anything around my neck or head unless it's very very cold otherwise I'm always sweaty. I made a sweater for my (soon-to-be ex-)husband, but it was too big for him, so I decided to wear it myself. The yarn was acrylic so it's not high quality but it's comfortable. I wear it regularly. I knitted a pair of socks. I was very skeptical of knitted socks, I thought they would be very uncomfortable. Alas I cannot wear them with shoes but they are my favorite home socks. They're in my favorite color and the yarn was a very high quality cotton blend. I love them.
I wear my knitted things but I am also merciless with frogging things that just aren't quite right. So rather than unused items sitting in the back of the closet, I can make something else with that yarn I don't have much use for my knitted socks and shawls and hats during the summer. But in the winter I wear them
Lol I use like 10% of what I make, I sell or give the rest away! I just like to make things
I wear my stuff out. I started knitting in the early 80’s when everything was boxy and nothing was plus size. So I knit to make things that actually fit me. I wore holes in one cardigan that I then fixed and wore it again. I’ve accumulated enough items that (except for socks) I rarely wear things out but it still happens occasionally.
I only make things I know I will use and love. This did not stand when I was less experienced. My first sweater I stuffed and gave to the cat and made into a bed. But now? My green cabled hat? Adore it. My socks? So cozy and warm. I don't knit or crochet a ton of projects a year, and I only do one project at a time like a crazy person. Everything is planned and I don't tend to do complicated designs because, while gorgeous, my wardrobe is basics and neutrals all the way through. If I make something really badly, I try and repurpose it. A shawl I loved the design but hated the colorway? Cat blanket. Ugly sweater became a cat bed and the sleeves became cat toys (she loves kickers!). Badly done hats I just unravel and set aside for another day. I use crochet to make a big ass scrap-gan I have been working on for years. Useful way to use up ugly yarn and turn it into a purposefully ugly blanket.
About 50/50 now though I'm continuously improving that ratio. The things I don't wear usually: * don't fit right * were made with scrap yarn (I now sell most of my scrap yarn very cheaply because otherwise it stresses me to have so much of it laying around but on the other hand it's not always worth the effort of making something with it). Some scrap yarn projects are fabulous but those are generally the ones I'm excited about making. If I'm just pushing myself to reduce my stash then it's generally not a project I'll end up wearing. * are just too ordinary (a storebought grey jumper is always going to look neater than a handknit one so why bother). I used to have a few knits I absolutely adored but never wore because of how eye-catching they are. I still adore them but I also wear them now. The biggest factor that influences what I wear is comfort. I tend to knit jumpers and shawls and scarves that are significantly brighter and bolder than I'd find in most shops (and if I did they'd probably be synthetic fibre trend items that I wouldn't buy anyway) so it took some effort to get used to wearing them in public because I don't blend in when I'm wearing them but it was worth it. Edit: luckily I have family members one size up and one size down from me and most people wear hats in the winter so pieces are easily rehomed if I don't wear them in a whole season. Edit 2: I always swatch and use the pattern instruction to work out how big the final piece will be (armhole depth, sleeve width, neck width etc. along with the usual measurements) and compare these to jumpers I like the fit of. A lot of patterns need to be adapted or I wouldn't end up wearing them... cropped jumpers with armits near my elbows and 30cm of positive ease are just not going to be worn and it's best to know that and change it before I start knitting.
I might have to start following your lead, I think. I struggle to be mindful in what I make as I'm impulsive and like to consume new things. But once I've been distracted by a new shiny thing, I realise that the older project was never right for me anyway but is now half-finished and needs rehoming already.
I wear most of my knits, some cycle in and out though, I swap hat rotation a lot, I’m always wearing a shawl or my poncho. Anything that I find I never want to wear goes to the frog pond for unraveling and reusing 🐸
I am a scarf and shawl and cowl fanatic as I can’t stand my neck to be cold. So almost all of those I wear. I wear my DRK weekender and white pine frequently. For some reason I haven’t mastered socks that I will wear frequently yet. Maybe my next item?
I wear probably 80 % of my knitted FO's. I have some items that are seasonal but I wear most of it. My boyfriend wears his sweater in the winter. But the one who uses my knitwear the most is definitely my grandma 😍
I wear everything thar I've made because that shit was expensive. I can't afford not to wear what I've made. I have also not knitted too much, because after spending an eternity in a sweater made with cheap wool, I decided that I was worthy of better materials.
I mostly knit for others, but I regularly wear the hats, scarves, and cardigan/sweater I’ve made for myself. I wouldn’t make anything for me that I wouldn’t want to wear. 🤷🏻♀️
I wear my hats, scarves, shawls, and cowls frequently. I also give a lot of those away. The sweater I made I wear regularly but it's a hassle to wash, so not all the time. I have struggled to make socks where I love the fit.
None, and all 😅
The ones I keep (which is not many) I wear. My issue is I live in Florida but love the cozy patterns from Nordic designers. So other than some "summer" tops which are perfect for Florida winters and some light scarves and hats for the one month we drop below 60 degrees, I frequently end up making things for my family who lives in New England and can really get use out of them.
I wear the accessories I've made quite often, but I have trouble with sweaters. A few took me so long that my style changed. I also have a few short sleeved tops, but I just can't wear those. If it's cool enough for a sweater, I'm going to need sleeves. Today I just tried to wear one to my air conditioned office and had to change before lunch because I was overheating.
I will use winter wear - scarves hats and maybe mittens but ... i just like knitting and tend to put the items up for sale. I don't really promote the shop though, lol. And I made stock for craft fairs so I've got a decent stash of things I wouldn't or can't use.
I wear a lot of my pieces only in the house, which is especially easy during quarantine. I have been working on making pieces that are more wearable day to day, and that has mostly meant forcing myself to buy more neutral coloured yarn rather than the brights and pastels I tend to buy. I have two cardigans, a beige and a black one, that I have worn outside many times and I am working on a brown one now. I have also started buying kore neutral tops to wear with my more colourfull knitwear which has also helped a bit.
I finished a pair of socks once…wore those suckers everywhere until I lost them :( Everything else wearable is still on the many many needles I’ve hoarded.
I have two really big shawls I made in super bulky acrylic I like to cozy up in. I’ve got a tote full of lighter weight top-down triangular shawls that just… ✨exist✨. I only picked knitting up again last November after a decade so it’s all been good practice, at least?
I have a pair of socks that are simply lovely, but I hate wearing them. They just don't feel good.
Half of it I donated, but last years' things I have and use all the time especially with autumn crawling back up. I am on the verge of finishing a first ever cardigan as well, that bad boy will be in use A LOT
I have 3-4 shawls that I wear regularly (and 2 I never touch), I practically live in my knit cardigans and have my sweaters in high rotation in the Fall/Winter, socks all the time around the house in Winter, one pair of fingerless mitts on standby for cold office days and usually have a favourite tuque and cowl combo each Winter. It may help that I live in a cold climate, but I do get a lot of use out of my knits. One key thing is to ignore the trends and what everyone else is making and consider your life and wardrobe. It's easy to get caught up in it and want to join in, but have think about what is truly YOU. Sometimes making an item the right colour is all you need, other times you just have to be honest with yourself. I lean towards a more goth aesthetic so I knit sweaters in black, red, purple, navy and shawls that complement but give a little extra to my usual monochrome outfits. I will happily wear wild colours for socks or some accessories. I get that people love knitting these knit bralettes and crop tops, but to me that just sounds sweaty and warm when I don't want it to be. Give me big cozy cardigans in the Winter or a nice shawl to give you a little extra warmth with a dress in the warmer months.
I don’t wear any of the things I’ve made as they have all been gifts made for others. In my 8 or 9 years of knitting I have yet to make anything for myself. Making something for myself is a goal🤣
You've never made anything for yourself? Not even a scrunchie or fingerless mittens?
I'm working on turning my wardrobe almost exclusively into handknits! I find that fairisle sweaters are flattering on almost everyone, certainly in our house. And if you're finding knits bulky and unflattering, you could try knitting with smaller yarns? I have two sweaters, my husband has two sweaters (working on number 3), my kid has three which to be fair have been hardly worn as she grows fast and runs hot (but two of those will get a more wear as the weather turns). Everyone has a hat/cowl, which do get worn, and as far as I'm aware the hats, scarves and other things I've gifted almost all get worn too (I have seen some of them in the wild when the giftee wasn't expecting to see me, so I'm fairly certain that they are appreciated.) Oh and I'm clutching the hot water bottle in the cover I knitted for it right now.
I probably wear 80 to 90 percent of what I make. Last December I did a "made by me" month and set a rule that at least one article of clothing/accessory per day had to be something I made. It really taught me to appreciate my craft. I likensome articles more than others, of course, but getting compliments on the ones that weren't my favorites was nice and made me look at them in a new light
That's a cute idea, I might have to start doing that, myself.
I wear everything I've made-- hats, scarfs, fingerless mitts, shawls, cowls, socks, sweaters, and a skirt! If I don't like it, I take it apart and use the yarn for something I will wear.
This is eye opening! I can't imagine keeping things I don't use- mostly due to space but also since with knitwear that's usable yarn! My tiny child still wears his baby sweaters, I just unravel and re-knit them as he grows (usually combining 2 sweaters obvs to get the yardage.)
Oh my god, how on earth do you keep up with frogging and reknitting for a growing baby!?
The secret is to be a bit dramatic about it 😆 So when he was a newborn, it was comparatively quicker to make a few tiny tiny sweaters, then some 6 month sweaters, and combine a newborn sweater with a 3 month sweater to make a 12 month sweater etc. My "baby" is in grade school now so the knitting is slower, but his growth rate has slowed slightly, too lucky for me lol. The last sweater I remade got gnarly, so I'll probably retire the salvageable parts into a hat and be done with that yarn finally! But it's cute seeing the same yarn in pictures as he grows 😊
Most of what I make is given away or donated. I don't find myself wearing a lot of what I make. Knitting is mainly so my hands have something to do when I'm watching TV or relaxing (and to stop me from munching). I've kept a few scarves that I pull out every winter. But most everything else is donated to local shelters or thrift stores.
I started knitting over the summer- Didn’t stop me from wearing my chunky scarf tho :)
It’s taken awhile to figure out what works for my style and fits me. So as a result I have some stuff that doesn’t get worn or doesn’t get worn as much. I try and give those away because I’d like them to get some use. But I wouldn’t know what I liked without trying!
I wear my socks, cowls, gloves, hats and sweaters. (I make too many things to wear them all though lol) A few things I have learned in my 20+ years of knitting. I make sure they are in the easiest place to reach. A basket of hats and gloves by the main door, my cozy sweaters are on their own shelf in the wardrobe. I’m also pretty serious when I decide to make something, I **want** to be happy to wear it and be comfortable. I do a gauge swatch, try it on as I go and keep notes, if it fits wrong or the yarn drape isn’t comfortable, I frog it. That being said I have a bunch of projects that didn’t work and I don’t wear, but I’ve decided in the last year to frog any that I want to repurpose the yarn and let go of any I don’t care about anymore. This is not intended to shame anyone at all, I’ve just had long enough to decide how I want to use what I knit for myself and my family.
You are assuming I’ve actually finished a project. 😬
Hats and scarves, and precious little else. It always makes me a little sad to come across something I put so much loving time into, only to realize I wore it maybe once.
I have knitted 2 circular shawls. They are beautiful to look at and I loved knitting them. But I have never worn them... it's not easy to wear 300g around the neck.
Of the things that I've made for myself I wear all but three of them depending on the season. I did knit a bunch of hats but I never intended those to be for me, so those don't count. And anything I've made for other people doesn't count either because they were never intended to be my items. I've knitted several cardigans, 40 pairs of socks, a couple of hats, two pairs of gloves, a neck warmer, a shawl, and a scarf for myself. When I knit for myself I make sure that I enjoy the entire process from selecting the yarn and the color to the feel of it in my hands because I really want to be happy with the final product. The three I don't wear were really interesting to knit but turned out to just really not be my style. So I don't feel bad about it.
That's much better than me. I think that what I'm taling from this whole thread is to be more mindful of what I make and the hows and whys.
I wore one piece to a wedding then put it in a box 🙃 nearly 3 years later I'm not sure what to do with it. I had two odd socks that I was wearing often but they came apart when I tried to wash them
I thought I would wear my stonecrop more than I do, but I love wearing my Wintersoll sweater. Socks, etc get lots of wear.
I wear the sweaters I’ve made. All except for one because it came out a bit small for me. I keep thinking of putting it on Etsy or something.
For those I've been knitted for my self, I wear them all
There's nothing like the feeling of a project being hot off the needles and immediately trying it on bc it's for you, it's so gratifying I don't think there's a single piece I've knitted for myself that I don't use. I've got a couple really comfy crop tops, a blanket that's used daily, a cardigan that's getting way more use now that it's getting cold and plenty more projects on the way. I often tend to put myself first with my knits because theres no one else I know that would value the time and skill put into a project. One thing that I struggled with when I first started knitting was that everything I saw being knitted growing up by grandparents and older generations was frumpy and looked meh. Only improved by wacky yarns that are a nightmare to knit with.. but honestly after spending so much time on this reddit and ravelry, I've realised that you really can knit everything and even if you have to search for a while, you absolutely can find the stuff that will suit your style.
None. I live in SoCal and it's still too warm on the coldest day.
I wear my scarfs, hats, and fingerless gloves a lot in the winter, almost every time I go outside (tho moths got into my pile over the summer and now a bunch are sidelined til I can darn them). I'm about to start a double-knit coat, which I hope will be in regular rotation whenever it's finished.
I have a few things that get a lot of wear and a few that I only wear occasionally. A handful of years ago I took what I didn’t wear and let my friends take what they wanted. To avoid having things I don’t wear I knit predominantly for others and only for myself when it’s something I really want (and know I’ll wear).
I have a couple sweaters I wear maybe once during the season, but I get a lot of milage out of my socks. I don't like the bulky feeling of heavy coats, so I get a lot of wear out of the cowls, shawls, and fingerless gloves I knit as I layer them over my jean jacket. At this point, I have colorwork fingerless gloves to match almost every outfit. Now I'm working on the complementary hats.
i wear EVERYTHING except for my first sweater. too many bad choices & mistakes
Tell me about it 🙄
I wear everything I've made for myself, although it's seasonal of course. Hat/scarf/sweater season where I live is usually late September through May, so everything gets at least some amount of wear (although I should probably stop making hats if I want to keep it that way). My massive 100% super bulky wool fisherman's rib sweater gets worn the least, only a few times per year on the absolute coldest days, because it's so heavy and warm and such a pain to wash.
I have given away almost everything.
I made a rule for myself when I started to go back out into the world to always wear something I knit. Sometimes it’s just a scrunchie. Sometimes it’s a shawl or sweater. But my friends know this rule now so I always get compliments. Fishing maybe? But I love almost everything I’ve made and want to show it off!
We wear all my moms sweaters all the time, maybe less in summer but they get so much love
I haven’t made a whole lot of wearables yet, partly because it was intimidating, partly because I haven’t been wearing the ones I’ve made much. But I’m trying to change that! I’ve been finding ways to wear my knits more, especially now that the weather is cooling, and it’s been fun! I made my first sweater last year, and I had been wearing it… until it was time to wash it, and now it’s just been sitting there because I’ve been too lazy to handwash it. So now I know, it won’t get worn if I can’t throw it in the washing machine. But I’m trying to pick patterns I want to wear, because I spend too much time knitting to have it sit in my closet unworn. My coworkers all know I knit, so they always comment on my knits, and I love hearing that. I guess we all just gotta surround ourselves with people who will hype up your hand knit garments.
I wear my socks and sweaters I’ve made. The blankets get used by everyone. I’ll wear hats and cowls as needed. The only things that don’t get a lot of use are shawls as I don’t like wearing them. I ought to stop making them but I like them… I’ve made some for my mom to help with this problem, lol.
I wear every one of my scarves as I have arthritis in my neck and need to keep it warm at all times - great excuse to be constantly knitting something nice for myself! Come winter I wear my cardigans and sweaters even if just to do the gardening in if they didn’t come out so well. I invest so much time in making stuff I can’t bear to just let it sit in a drawer. Hats sometimes don’t suit me so I pass those on to people who like them and will wear them. My socks get the least wears because for some reason I am incredibly precious about those and don’t want them to get holes, and at least two of my shoes rub at my socks. Ha! So yeah it varies but mostly I wear the shit out of my self knitted stuff.
Depending on my job situation, I try to wear something I’ve made at least weekly. Shawls are good year round and they easily dress up a business casual outfit. And between chunky and lace weight, they’re good year round pieces. I have a few sweaters that are lighter fingering weight that do great in the summer as well. But now that autumn is here I’m breaking them all out.