Ice and a discussion...

Well, no co-op today... which means no playing Sheep Trip with the kids and no creative little kids making their own creative version of a useful art project.

See, it snowed rained iced again last night and things are a bit treacherous this morning so co-op was canceled. Schools are delayed/closing and the highways are a mess.

So I'm wandering around the house trying to shift gears from co-op to staying home and getting something done. I let the kids go play for a while to wear off the disappointment of not going to co-op.

So here's the discussion part...

Did you see Elizabeth's new project? Way cool!

So it got me thinking, really, on a topic I think about regularly anyway, sweater construction.

I know that if you ask 10 different knitters you're bound to get 10 different answers but:

How to you really feel about the way a particular sweater is constructed in a pattern?

I'm severely attached to top-down everything, raglans being my favorite, but I'm not adverse to seaming either. Knitting in the round and then having to split for fronts and backs is okay too but I've heard from lots of knitters that they see a huge difference in their gauge when they switch from the round to flat so much so that they avoid those types altogether.

So tell me... how much does a sweaters construction affect your decision to knit it?

Do you avoid certain styles and if so which ones and why?

Do you seek out particular construction methods because you prefer them?

If you've never done a certain style, like maybe a top-down, will you try it so you can learn something new (provided the pattern is well written enough to explain the construction in detail) or do you tend to avoid things you are unfamiliar with?

Does construction style really matter to you at all or is it just more of a "I like this sweater" decision?

Really, I want to know. Give me your view point on the whole deal. I know its relatively quiet here but I also know how many hits I get in a day so I know you're out there... quit lurking and make your opinions known:-)

Edited to add...

If there is something you avoid... like seaming for instance... is it because you just don't like it or because you aren't sure how to do it?

Comments

[Ihna]

I haven't gotten to much in the way of larger projects (being largely a self-taught knitter and crazy-busy college student) and have not quite gotten up the courage to start a sweater or any garment for that matter.
I did manage to sort of 'invent' the mattress stitch for myself when Mom taught me to sew and make pillows as a way to close the final seam. I now revert to that as my default 'close the hole/rip/seam' stitch. It worked better on my deck box knittings than on the repairs I did to the torn cuffs of my boyfriend's hoodie that he won't be getting back.
Perhaps once I've learned/practiced different types of stitches I'll apply them to something bigger than the ribbed dice bag or deck boxes...

[Amy]

Lurking? Ok, guilty. I've been lurking around here for a looong time. I also really like raglans - it might be just my sucky seaming in general, but I find raglans look neater when done. I used to avoid things I wasn't sure about but then realized I was becoming a boring knitter, and I've been making more of an effort to try new and challenging things. So I am working a sweater completely in the round now for the first time. We'll see. I tend to like sweaters that are knit in pieces better, even if I suck at seaming. I find that for me, they block out nicer. I have been shying away from steeks, but there's a Dale of Norway pattern I really like that may become my next "long - term" project, so I hope to conquer those as well, and then I'll have a much better idea. But with all these kids running around....I may be old and grey first!

[poops]

I was thinking the same things, sort of, after elizabeth's latest post. I suddenly feel the need to get Knitting from the Top. I haven't in the past because the cover looks so 80's and dated. Now, I'm rethinking...

I prefer top-down knitting, and so far the only kind of top-down sleeve I've managed is raglan. Sadly, I didn't realize there were other ways of doing knitted-in sleeves.

I don't like set-in sleeves, not because of the sewing involved but because of the fact that I can never quite seem to get the sleeve to line up properly with the hole. It always seems to come out somewhat puckered or stretched, no matter how spot on my gauge is. And I'm a seasoned seamstress so setting in sleeves in sewn garments doesn't phase me in the least. But sweaters? Meh!

Personally, I want to be like elizabeth when I grow up...

[Laura]

It seems that the people I meet are looking for ways to avoid finishing. I personally seek out instruction on finishing techniques as well as fly by the seat of my pants sometimes, which is usually a big mistake. I emphasize finishing techniques to my students who are beginning knitters and when the class structure allows I always include a demo on mattress stitch. Demystifying something like seaming from the beginning will hopefully empower them to choose knitting patterns that might otherwise intimidate them.

[Jennu]

I don't avoid new techniques, but I do worry about my seaming skills sometimes. I'm also teching myself how to do a top-down set-in-sleeves sweater since I think it'll fit me better than a top-down raglan. It looks like a magic trick and I'd love to see some patterns written up that way.

[mel]

Great questions!

I will knit a sweater if I like the design, regardless of the construction. But, as a newer knitter, I have knit a limited number of sweaters and haven't really developed a favorite format yet (but I tend to think that I will always want to knit a flattering design regardless of the construction technique). I'm currently attempting my first sweater with a steek - and the pattern instructions also indicate that the top of the bodice should be knit back and forth due to a square collar. I plan to try it the way it's indicated, but have contingency plans in case it goes awry (smaller needle size? Adapting to include a steek for the neckline as well?) - either way it will be educational! I'm all for jumping right in - I love to try patterns with new skills and it's an absolute bonus if clear instructions are given on technique, but I have knit some patterns where clear direction is not given. In that case I'm willing to do research in online resources or books to figure it out, and so far I haven't minded, I think it makes me a stronger knitter (and also gives me an idea of the kind of direction I might like to provide in my own patterns). I often will research anyway to see if there are alternatives, or why one method may be better than another, etc. I think this attitude is pretty common among knitters, but I think it's just as common to desire clear direction, and for some patterns with particularly high level skills I might also.

[Beverly]

I have only made a few sweaters in my time, but my limited experience has been enough for me to know that I do not like seaming. I will do it, but I suck at it, so if a pattern has only a few, or no, seams, then all the better. Otherwise, I don't really consider construction when deciding on a sweater. If I like the way it looks, I will make it no matter the construction (cussing all the way if I don't like the construction much). I love trying new techniques. As long as the pattern is well written and the technique is easy to understand and replicate, then I'm all for learning something new. I love the challenge.

[Rodger]

I like seamless sweaters for the sheer instant-ness of them. It's like...just add knitter. When the knitting is done, there's just ends, and then you have a sweater! Holy carp! I don't avoid seamed sweaters, but I design most of my stuff myself so when I knit I tend to already be thinking "Seamlessness" because it's the mode of design I am most familiar with.

[Wanda]

I tend to prefer top-down raglans, but I will knit sweaters bottom-up, thus far, not my favorite. Sweaters that need to be seamed are fine with me as well and I will try a different method

[Michelle]

OK, I'm de-lurking here. *takes deep breath to get over teh stage fright*
I absolutely hate seaming. With a passion. Partly because I'm not very good at it (despite classes, and your tutorial), and partly because it just feels tedious. Having said that, I usually prefer to knit flat because I don't care for the heft of a sweater knitted in the round, and for me, I have a harder time envisioning the three dimensional piece when it's in the early stages....and when I am most likely to misplace an increase or something, which makes it difficult for me to fix, or even just try to alter the shape a bit.
So, having said all that, I choose what to knit based on whether or not I like the look firstly, second, on whether I want something complex or simple to do while I'm waiting for kids at activities, etc. But mostly I knit in pieces and endure the seaming with a glass or two of wine and a good friend!

[Tammy]

I really like the top-down seamless approach the best. But seaming won't stop me from making something else. The one thing I tend to avoid is too much stockinette. (Yawn)

[Dani]

I like to learn new things, so the construction of the sweater isn't as important to me as the chance to try something new. However, when given the choice, I will almost always pick the top-down option. I find that I get bored by the time I'm working working the last couple pieces on a seamed sweater. The finishing doesn't bother me at all though. There's something strangely satisfying about it.

So in a nutshell, I prefer top-down, but if I like the design, I'll knit it no matter what.

[LadyJayde]

I've never knit a sweater that needed to be seamed. Well, unless you count seaming the underarms on a "Hand to Hand" sweater or sewing sleaves into steeks. My first knitting book was Elizabeth Zimmerman's _Sweater Workshop_, so that probably contributed...

I've done top down and bottom up, I'm not really attached to either of those. Seams though, ugh!

[Kristen M.]

I've not knit too many sweaters yet. In fact, only the daisy for my 2, Lutea for myself, and I've just finished Morestripes for myself. I thought top-down in a small size was good for a first sweater. I worked on short-row shaping for the Lutea (IK2007...I think Spring). I worked a steek for the Morestripes. My goal is to really learn at least one thing new with each project. I'm not really afraid of anything. But, I figure I have a lot to learn about my body type and fit before I try some serious cables on a sweater. I do aim for mindless knitting in the round because after a tough homeschooling day that's about all my head has left. And that really calms me.

[Lara]

I prefer in the round. To the point of routinely converting flat patterns to in-the-round, especially for any colorwork. However, seaming has a bit of fun, too: so for baby things I don't mind.

[Karen]

I tend to jump in because I like the sweater and then my true preferences are more visible. My favorite sweater, the one I pull out of the closet time and time again, is a top-down cardigan. My knitting slows down as I get to the end of knitting a sewn together sweater. I don't like putting them together because I've never learned the correct way. My knitting time and budget are limited so I tend to knit what I love, not that I am always satisfied with the results.

[Marie Grace]

Nettie I totally agree that a class on finishing is a great idea. Things just make sense once you give it a try. I've also had quite a few requests for a class on reading a pattern. Its something that seems very mysterious to those that have never done it and are trying to graduate from small projects like scarves to something more involved.

[bezzie]

I prefer top down raglans. If I don't look good in raglans like some people claim happens to them, I guess I don't see it on myself. I like the quickness. I'm all about instant gratification of a top-down. I'll seam if I have to, but it's so much less time consuming to not have to.

[Knitting Nettie]

Oh, and one more thing...I know I am not alone in this. We have an entire group of women requesting a knitting class on just finishing techniques. Everything from weaving in ends to kitchener. We think it is a great idea so we are going for it!

[Knitting Nettie]

I tend to like learning new things. I tell people all day long to try and learn something new with each project. Having said that, I have been well into a project and thought "oh yeah, I don't like this part"...I adore a quick top down raglan, or a Knitting Pure and Simple seamless. Not so much into seaming, but that is only because I have not mastered it...in spite of your great tutorial and pictures. I need to make time to just practice the finishing because I do believe that will make or break all the knitting effort right there! Finish strong, right?