There are things in a man's wardrobe that are valued not only for their appearance, but also for their functionality. And if such clothes are handmade, they carry a positive charge, keeping the warmth of the hands of the person who made them. Knitting a men's sweater with knitting needles means doing a large, complex job. But the effect that a hand-made thing makes on others is worth the effort.
The nuances of choosing yarn
Before you start working on a men's sweater, you should choose a suitable pattern, and for it - the appropriate threads and knitting needles. When it comes to knitting a warm sweater, the first thing that comes to mind is wool yarn. This is a great option for pullovers, vests, turtlenecks and turtlenecks. Natural wool provides the necessary air and moisture exchange, and retains heat perfectly. The pattern on such fabric looks clear and expressive. The negative aspect is the ability of wool to shrink when washed, form pellets when worn constantly, and stretch along and across the pattern.
Fashionable varieties of woolen threads today are merino, Shetland yarn, cashmere, mohair, angora, alpaca. Such threads are thin, look noble, and are wear-resistant. Products made from them are elegant and attractive. Of the artificial substitutes for wool, acrylic is used today, which is much stronger and easier to dye.
A knitted men's sweater for the warm season can be made of cotton. However, the yarn is not elastic and can be very twisted, for example, "Iris". The second option for natural threads is cotton and silk. Due to the high cost, yarn manufacturers often add viscose to such a base, which also gives a slight shine. A modern option is bamboo, which has excellent absorbent properties and a slight bactericidal effect.
The second stage is choosing the knitting needles. The larger the pattern you intend to knit, the thicker the knitting needles should be. The same applies to choosing the thickness of the thread. If you plan to make a light, airy pattern, then you need to take thin threads and knit with knitting needles No. 1.5-2. For voluminous, massive models, choose thick yarn or fold a thin thread 2-3 times.
Before knitting the main product, you need to try to execute the chosen pattern on a small number of cast-on stitches. This is the only way to avoid further disappointment from choosing yarn.
Knitting techniques and patterns
In order for a thing to look elegant, warm and comfortable, you need to choose a suitable pattern for a men's sweater. Much depends on the age, build and style of clothing of its future owner. Models knitted with arans or cords are always masculine and elegant. They make the figure slim and visually add height. At the same time, the volume of intertwined elements creates the impression of strength and self-confidence. Classic sweaters can be knitted with just ribbing or with designs based on it. For those who want to look less formal, you can knit a white sweater this way or choose interesting color combinations.
If the master has sufficient practical knitting skills, he can safely choose openwork patterns, patterns of crossed loops, plaits, braids and others, for example, "ear on a net", "bean sprouts", a pattern with broaches, "spikelets", a volumetric net. For beginners, the front surface, "waves", "cells", "checks", other "lazy" patterns with knitting needles, which are based on alternating front and back loops, are suitable.
A white sweater knitted with patterns such as “caterpillars” or “springs” looks elegant and fun at the same time – a good youth option, will go well with jeans or breeches.
Measurements and calculations
A men's sweater, just like a women's one, should fit the figure perfectly; it should be knitted according to a pre-made pattern. To do this, you need to take the following measurements:
- neck circumference;
- chest circumference;
- hip circumference;
- distance from the seventh cervical vertebra to the waist;
- sleeve length;
- sleeve circumference;
- length of the product;
- shoulder length;
- depth of cut (if planned).
The knitting pattern looks simpler than the sewing pattern, because the pattern has the ability to stretch and take the shape of the figure. The main stages of constructing a basic pattern:
- Draw a vertical line equal to the length of the product, measure horizontally from it the lines of the neck, chest, waist, and hips.
- In the corner, draw a neckline and from it draw a shoulder line with a mandatory fit.
- Draw an armhole line and connect it with the hip and waist lines.
- Draw the sleeve separately, shaping its cap in accordance with the volume of the arm in the biceps area.
To get beautiful products, when knitting a pattern, you need to periodically apply the knitted fabrics to the pattern. In places where narrowing is expected, the loops are reduced. To expand the fabric, there is a special technique for adding them.
Stages of knitting fashionable models
Men's sweaters can be knitted on circular needles or in sections. In the first case, special knitting marks are used to avoid confusion. General steps:
- knitting a trial piece of fabric in order to calculate the required number of loops;
- casting on stitches and knitting elastic, if the style requires it;
- knitting the main pattern, comparing the resulting fabric with the dimensions of the pattern;
- knitting sleeves, patch pockets, collar – depending on the chosen model;
- assembly of parts;
- steaming;
- if the threads are white, then easy wash;
- ironing;
- decoration.
Men's sweaters can be classic, for example, with cords, or made in a youth style - chainmail, oversized. Knitted bright kimonos, fitted jackets with stripes or prints are popular today. It all depends on the guy's style and his personal preferences.
Made from thick yarn
Knitting a men's sweater with arans:
- We take NAKO Nakolen threads, knit a test sample, measure how many loops there are in 10 cm of knitting.
- We calculate the number of loops and cast on them.
- We make an elastic band, starting from the bottom, using knitting needles No. 3.
- When we move on to the drawing, we take knitting needles No. 4.
- We knit the front, back panels, and sleeves according to the patterns.
- We design the neckline and collar.
- We assemble the components into a single whole.
- Steam lightly and sew on buttons.
For size 52 you will need 7 skeins of yarn.
With textured braids
To make a men's sweater with cables, you will need knitting needles No. 3.5 and 4.5, as well as 750 g of terracotta merino yarn. The patterns used are: front surface, back surface, 2 x 2 elastic band and fantasy pattern. Step by step, the work looks like this:
- For the back, cast on the required number of stitches and knit 5 cm of elastic with 3.5 mm knitting needles.
- We switch to 4.5 mm knitting needles and make braids with a fantasy pattern.
- Please note that the knitted sweater has a raglan sleeve, so the pattern differs from the classic one in its shape.
- We knit the front and back panels according to the pattern, close the loops.
- For the sleeve, take 3.5 mm knitting needles and make a 5 cm elastic band.
- We switch to 4.5 mm knitting needles and make a sleeve.
- Using 3.5 mm knitting needles, make a 3 cm strip in a 2 x 2 pattern.
- We make raglan seams, sew on the placket, and design the neckline.
- We sew the product along the side seams.
- Steam and iron lightly.
Knitting a men's sweater is not easy, but it is enjoyable. By putting his skills into it, the master gives a person a positive feeling, hoping that he will enjoy the comfortable wearing and beauty of the product.
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