A deviation from my sewing obsession to discuss a different kind of making (apologies to dedicated seamstresses if you were hoping for something more fabric related.) We Are Knitters send out kits with everything you need to create something knitted from their very large range of patterns. They supplement their instructions with videos on YouTube, and have enough sales not to have to wait too long for a bargain. I have never even held knitting needles before diving into this so if you are a beginner too, this is what it's really like!
Why knitting?
Honestly....This all came about because I'm so susceptible to advertising and it popped up on my Instagram feed. I happened to be going through a patch of slow sewing mojo where I wasn't particularly inspired to make any of my sewing list. I also don't have a dedicated sewing space so I have to get the whole kit out any time I want to sew, which was getting to be a pain. I fancied something a little more portable and easy to pick up, something I could do in an evening. So when an advert for the Lemon Tee Kit popped up I decided to give it a go.Who or what is We Are Knitters?
We Are Knitters sell wool, needles and kits for making specific patterns. They stock their own brand of wool which you can buy separately or as part of a kit, which will be matched to the pattern you have picked. They have a lot of kits to pick from, classified in various ways; by fibre, skill level or item category. You can choose from crochet or knitting as well as other techniques like petite pont and arm knitting. The videos are all for free on their YouTube channel so you can check them out if you want a flavour of what their tutorials are like.Wool and the Gang are another company with a similar offering. When I bought mine, We Are Knitters had a significantly better discount so I went with them, but do check out both and see which ones you fancy. Personally I prefer the videos by Wool and the Gang.
Not one to do things by halves, I ordered two kits. The Lemon Tee was the one that I really wanted to make. it's labelled as advanced, but I had fallen in love. As a stepping stone up to this I picked the 'easy' Selene scarf to get me going. You have the option to include or leave out needles in these packs; as they used the same size needles I only needed to include these in one pack which cut down the cost of the other.
Side note...
In the end though, I was getting bored with the Selene scarf that I started, mainly as the Lemon Tee was what I really did want to make. I reasoned that everything was advanced to me right now and it was all a case of learning. In my sewing I try not to think of things as advanced, but more involved and will take more concentration, so applied this to my new knitting. The back of the Lemon Tee is 4 rows of ribbing then entirely stockinette stitch, which I felt was better me for as a beginner than the Selene pattern, so I got down to it.
What's it like?
There is a lot on YouTube that can help. We Are Knitters have their own channel, though I used the cast on and stitch videos from Purl Soho which I felt were more clearly explained. I also used the beginner knitting guide from Blissfully Crafted which I wholeheartedly recommend to newbie knitters as she explains everything in a lot more detail.I needed the WAK video for the Estonian Button Stitch for the front of the Lemon Tee, which definitely was clear enough to follow.
As a new knitter, I felt that the patterns are straightforward enough (even the advanced one) to get going with. Everything took a few goes to get right, which is totally expected. As I progressed I got faster and learned more. I am used to a lot more hand holding in indie sewing patterns and missed this a bit, but then knitting patterns are a little different. I was doing a lot of online research at the same time. Wool and the Gang have a great 10 tips for knitters video that was really helpful, and I also managed to discover continental knitting which I found to suit me a little more on this item.
The type of wool (yarn?) that comes with the kits was easy enough to work with and feels nice to wear in the finished product.
If you are thinking of taking up knitting after having been used to sewing, I would suggest going for a scarf, hat or other accessory item. I was frustrated by how long it took to make a garment, and how difficult it is to modify to my style after having been used to sewing for so long.
What I liked:
The wool was the right weight and quantity for the pattern.So were the needles.
As a beginner this is a whole new language and system to learn that was helpful to have some guidance with.
Knitting is a lot more portable than sewing.
What I didn't likeI don't care for stickers - I'd rather they were left out and the kit was cheaper..
The videos are okay. I used other tutorials more, which I found to explain what to do a little better.
The Lemon Tee kit doesn't have a cable needle, which is required to fashion the Estonian button stitch, so you don't have everything you need in a kit!
It takes a long time to make a tee! (Remember I'm used to sewing)
What next?
Next I want to move on to circular needles as these look more lightweight and easy to manage.I'd love to make socks using some of the beautiful hand dyed yarn I've seen - I know this is advanced but they have classes on Craftsy!
Or a fade shawl....
and something to use the three balls of We Are Knitters Pima Cotton that I'm not using to finish the Selene Scarf, Suggestions welcome!!!!!
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