Not sure how to get started? For your first CustomFit sweater, we recommend keeping things super simple.
- Choose your yarn first. Make sure you've gotten a good sweater fabric - check out this video to learn what that means! - and that you're happy with your yarn. You'll be knitting a lot of it!
- Choose a design from CustomFit's already-ready options. Start with one of the (many!) patterns already built into CustomFit, and knit your first CustomFit sweater as written - save the "tricking out" for later sweaters!
- Get a good set of basic measurements. Check out our measurement videos to learn how to take the Essentials (and maybe Extras) measurements you need for the sweater you've selected, or visit one of our great yarn stores. They're pretty easy to take!
For more information on abbreviations and other basic sweater topics, see the links below. Looking for some more advanced design information? Click here!
How-to Guides
- Blocking. Blocking is a critical step to creating a beautifully finished sweater. It makes seaming easier, and when done correctly, ensures a great fit. Your CustomFit sweater is constructed differently than most sweater patterns, and you’ll want to block it in a way that preserves the 3-D fabric shaping. Read this to find out how.
- Seaming. Seaming refers to “sewing” your garment pieces together. This isn’t like traditional sewing, however, and there are special seaming stitches used in knitting that create beautiful, invisible seams. Here’s a great seaming guide, which has all you need to seam your entire garment together.
- Buttonholes. We include instructions for eyelet buttonholes, but here are some other methods you might want to choose.
- Short rows. A technique that creates extra length for only a portion of the width of the fabric, created by knitting and turning your work before reaching the end of the row. We give specifics on the numbers involved in every pattern. But if you want to know more about how to actually form the short rows? Here’s a step-by-step guide.
Abbreviations
- CO = Cast-On. If you’re not sure which one to use, we generally recommend the long-tail cast on. Here’s a great video tutorial on how to do it (and a few other great cast-ons as well).
- BO = Bind-Off. This basic bind-off will be suitable for the vast majority of your knitting needs.
- k = Knit. Make a knit stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
- p = Purl. Make a purl stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
- m1R = Make 1 Right. Increase 1 right-leaning stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this. (Scroll halfway down the page.)
- m1L = Make 1 Left. Increase 1 left-leaning stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this. (Scroll halfway down the page.)
- ssk = Slip Slip Knit. Decrease 1 left-leaning stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
- k2tog = Knit 2 Together. Decrease 1 right-leaning stitch. Click here for a video on how to do this.
- RS = Right Side. This is the side of the fabric that you intend to face outward for all to see when you wear the garment.
- WS = Wrong Side. This is the side of the fabric that you intend to face inward against your body when you wear the garment.