Ready to tackle your first garment? Choose one of four top-down raglan patterns to start your handmade wardrobe! In this class, we will discuss the construction of raglan sweaters and the importance of gauge, tackle short rows, picking up stitches, and Magic Loop. If you can knit, purl, increase, and decrease, you can make a sweater!

I recommend choosing solid or semi-solid colors, as this will make it easier to read your knitting while you’re learning. That being said, choose the yarn that makes you happy!

Advanced Beginner option: Sypressi

Skills needed:

• Knitting and purling flat and in the round
• Increasing and decreasing

Skills learned:

• Picking up stitches
• Short rows
• Magic loop

Materials:

• Bulky weight yarn:
• Main Color: 580 (640, 720, 800, 870) (960, 1050, 1140) yds
• Contrast Color: 130 (155, 175, 200, 230) (260, 295, 325) yds
• We recommend De Rerum Natura Cyrano or Manos del Urugay Cardo
• US 6 32” or 40” (for ribbing)
• US 8 32” or 40” (for body and sleeves)
• DPNs or small circumference circulars in both sizes if you’d rather not do Magic Loop!
• Stitch markers
• Waste yarn
• A copy of Sypressi by Veera Valimaki

Preparation:

Gauge swatch in the round! If you do not get gauge, change your needle size accordingly.

Intermediate Option: Cozy Classic Raglan

Skills needed:

• Knitting and purling flat and in the round
• Increasing and decreasing

Skills learned:

• Picking up stitches
• Short rows

Materials:

• Fingering and Lace (mohair) weight yarn held together, OR DK weight held single:
• Fingering: 689-792 (844-971, 909-1045, 1093-1257, 1177-1354){1378-1585, 1501-1726, 1715-1972, 1800-2070} yards
• Lace Mohair: 659-758 (808-929, 870-1000, 1046-1203, 1126-1295){1319-1517, 1436-1651, 1641-1887, 1722-1980} yards
• DK: 689-792 (844-971, 909-1045, 1093-1257, 1177-1354){1378-1585, 1501-1726, 1715-1972, 1800-2070} yards
• We recommend Knitting for Olive Merino held with the Soft Silk Mohair, Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors held with Wolke, Salty Blonde DK, or Julie Asselin Leizu DK
• Ribbing: US 3 – 3.25mm 24-40” circular needles, and preferred small circumference needles for sleeves if not using magic loop.
• Main Body: US 7 – 4.5mm 24-40” circular needles, and preferred small circumference needles for sleeves if not using magic loop.
• You are welcome to use DPNs for the smaller circumferences if you prefer
• Stitch markers
• Waste yarn
• A copy of the Cozy Classic Raglan pattern by Jessie Mae

Preparation:

Gauge swatch (!!) in the round, and finish the neckband, ready to work your short rows.

Intermediate Option: Journey Cardigan

Skills needed:

• Knitting and purling flat and in the round
• Increasing and decreasing

Skills learned:

• Picking up stitches
• Button holes and placement

Materials:

• Aran weight yarn:
• 821 (887, 996, 1107, 1221, 1319, 1418, 1556, 1676, 1773) yds
• We recommend Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Tweed, Jill Draper Makes Stuff Empire, or Knitting for Olive Heavy Merino held together with Knitting for Olive Silk Mohair
• US 8 (5mm) 16”, and a 32” or 40” 
• US 7 (4.5mm) 16”, and a 32” or 40”
• You may omit the 16” if you’d like to use magic loop, or get a US 8 and US 7 in DPNs if you prefer that to magic loop for the sleeves.
• 8 Stitch markers
• Waste yarn
• 6 1” buttons
• If you’d like to shorten the length of the cardigan, you can get 4 or 5 buttons instead.
• A copy of the Journey Cardigan by Jill Zielinski

Preparation:

Gauge swatch flat. If you do not get gauge, change your needle size accordingly.

Adventurous Intermediate: Straw Cardigan

Skills needed:

• Knitting and purling flat and in the round
• Increasing and decreasing
• Basic cabling

Skills learned:

• Cabling without a needle

Materials:

• DK weight yarn:
• 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) balls of STRA by Woolfolk

OR

• 951 (1115, 1279, 1443, 1607, 1771, 1935, 2099, 2263) yards of another light worsted weight or DK weight yarn
• We recommend Woolfolk STRA, Kelbourne Woolens Scout, or Croft DK 
• US 6 circular needles, about 32” long
• US 4 circular needles, about 32” long
• US 4 circular needle 40” long for the buttonband
• You may also get a US 6 and US 4 in DPNs if you prefer that to magic loop.
• 8 Stitch markers
• 2 cable needles
• Waste yarn
• 5 1” buttons
• A copy of the Straw Cardigan by Joji Locatelli

Preparation:

Gauge swatch flat. If you do not get gauge, change your needle size accordingly.