Christie C. After my rough go at knitting using my own pattern hacks and substitutions, I decided to take a break from experimenting and start knitting actual tested patterns. After writing Revisiting My First Sweaters, I noticed a trend: I actually wore the sweaters that came from tried and true patterns.
I have plenty of wear from my Tweed Raglan Turtleneck and my Bohemian Pullover. So, as part of my “Making My Own Clothes for a Year Challenge,” I decided not to experiment with pattern hacking when it comes to knitting and crocheting. Despite being great at reading a pattern, I still need a lot of practice designing one.
Knitting several unwearable pieces will humble you…
So, after smashing up my pride (and binge watching Rosery Apparel and her delicious clothes), I decided to purchase a knitting kit! I tried Wool and the Gang’s Sometimes Sweater Kit!
Now, I am currently not sponsored by this company, but I have been a lurker of their website and have sporadically purchased their Jersey Be Good Upcycled T-Shirt Yarn, which I have used to create some cool crocheted projects in the past.
Wool and the Gang’s (WATG) kits can be on the pricy side, but I am not one to complain considering the reality that many of us in developed nations have been far removed from the actual cost of manufactured goods. We have been conditioned into a lifestyle of cheap products and cheap labor (I’m looking at you, SHEIN!) at the expense of environmental and human rights.
So, when you think about how much natural wool you’re getting, the labor put into creating the knitting pattern, and the quality wooden needles, the kits (I think) are fairly priced. Plus, they do occasionally go on sale.
About the Kit
SIZING: The sizes offered run from 2 to 24 US (6 to 28 UK) for women, or 34-36 to 48-48 for men. If your size is not available, you can e-mail WATG and they will try to accommodate you.
TIME TO MAKE: This project takes about 12 hours to knit. It can take more or less depending on how quickly you knit. I didn’t count how long it took me, but I worked on it for roughly a half hour to an hour a day for two and a half weeks—which is the estimated time frame.
KIT CONTENTS: The kit comes with the amount of wool you need to complete the project, the pattern, and even a cute tag to put on your garment when you are finished knitting! Optional accessories include needles (which I did purchase).
THE YARN: The yarn is called Crazy Sexy Wool (gotta love that name), which is 100% Peruvian Wool. It is a super chunky yarn that comes in 200g (80m) balls. It comes in a variety of fun and versatile colors. For my particular sweater, I chose Heritage Green.
About the Pattern
The pattern comes in a nice little booklet with a section for a ruler and notes. The pattern is wonderfully written for beginners AND experts. Even though I’ve been knitting for over a decade, I appreciated the plain language of the pattern because knitting abbreviations are still a pain in the butt.
When you are done, you can record your “time trial” results to see how long it took you to knit the project.
The Final Verdict…
I give the Sometimes Sweater a 10/10.
Overall, the Sometimes Sweater was SUPER fun to knit. Despite the sweater being mostly stockinette stitch, it was enjoyable to watch a sweater knit up quickly with just enough shaping to not feel monotonous. It also kept me excited about knitting when I needed a break from my more complex and time consuming projects.
This sweater was the perfect project to break up the slow creation of the vintage Aran sweater I am also working on. And, surely enough, after taking a break from the Aran sweater to make the Sometimes Sweater, I am back to being excited about the Aran and knitting in general.
The Sometimes Sweater was also the very first sweater I knitted where I paid very close attention to the gauge, my personal measurements, and the measurements of the finished garment. I was very worried that I would not like the finished project, hoping it would be wearable in the end. It is, after all, an extremely bulky piece.
Fortunately, my fears about the finished look diminished when I tried on the sweater and it fit like a glove. The sleeves were even, the vertical invisible seams evened out the look, and nothing is lopsided. Additionally, the color is so heavenly. I absolutely love green, and it is piece that matches my wardrobe plan. As of right now, it’s my favorite of all the sweaters I ever knitted.
How I plan to wear the garment
The Sometimes Sweater is so thick and chunky that I wear it more as a coat than as a garment for the indoors. This thing isn’t just warm—it’s HOT. This toasty piece is meant to be worn on winter days when the temperature is quite chilly.
But, that’s what I like about it. After moving out of NYC, I found that I’m not always in the mood for a coat because they can be restricting. This piece easily replaces a coat because it is knitted up with deliciously warm wool. It makes for an excellent final layer for the outdoors, especially when paired with some jewelry or a light scarf.
I highly recommend trying it out, especially if you’re a beginner or an experienced knitter with limited time.
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