A thing knitted with your own hands is always distinguished by its originality. There are many wardrobe items that can be created from yarn at home. A striking example is an oversized knitted sweater, which is especially popular today. This model is suitable for both everyday wear and for a holiday in a cozy, friendly atmosphere. The main thing is to choose an interesting design and high-quality material, and also be patient.
Selecting yarn
Before you start knitting an oversized sweater, you should choose the right material. There are many yarn options on the market. They can include both natural and synthetic fibers. It is possible to combine them in different percentages.
For a warm winter option, experts recommend using yarn with added wool. In this case, you should take into account possible stretching when wearing or shrinkage after washing. Therefore, you should handle a wool sweater delicately. Mohair and angora sweaters are also considered an excellent option. For a light summer sweater, it is advisable to use thin natural yarn with the addition of synthetic fiber. Such a product has breathable properties and is at the same time quite wear-resistant. At the same time, you can experiment with colors, creating new bright color combinations.
In addition to the composition, it is necessary to take into account the structure and thickness of the yarn. It should be smooth, without roughness. When using large knitting, it is advisable to give preference to a thread of maximum or medium thickness. The product will be voluminous and warm. By choosing white, you can create a delicate oversized pullover, in which you will always feel comfortable and cozy.
Experts recommend creating an openwork pattern using thick woolen thread for winter or thin yarn containing cotton for summer.
Knitting tools and methods
To create an oversized sweater with knitting needles, you should first acquire all the necessary tools. This will greatly simplify the knitting process. It is recommended to have:
- Schemes with description of the selected model.
- Suitable type of yarn.
- A pair of main knitting needles that match the size of the yarn.
- Circular knitting needles (if needed).
- An additional knitting needle if you have chosen a braid as your pattern.
- Markers. The best option is considered to be pins or multi-colored paper clips.
- Row counter.
Using regular knitting needles, a straight piece is knitted, after which the oversized jumper is assembled using additional seams. The tool is a paired product equipped with limiters at the ends. Circular knitting needles are universal. They can be used both for circular seamless knitting and for creating a straight piece that requires subsequent assembly. The tool consists of a pair of short straight knitting needles that are connected with a flexible smooth cord or fishing line.
Knitting needles should be selected based on the yarn and pattern. As a rule, the recommended thickness of the tool is indicated on each skein of thread. For woolen thread, metal or plastic models with a smooth, sliding surface are more suitable. And for thin yarn - wooden knitting needles.
Properly selected tools will allow you to easily perform a variety of knitting techniques. The most popular for creating voluminous sweaters is considered to be large knitting using thick yarn. At the same time, men will like pullovers with decorative braids. As for the fair sex, the choice of techniques is much wider: purl straight, face with a slope, openwork, cobweb, with a relief pattern, with small braids, arans.
Measurements and calculations
In order for knitted items to fit well, you should take measurements correctly. An oversized sweater is usually characterized by the presence of a raglan, which is a single piece of sleeve with a shoulder. To create the product, you will need the following parameters:
- chest circumference;
- hip circumference;
- armhole width;
- wrist width;
- raglan length;
- height of the product.
It should be remembered that an oversized sweater should be approximately 1.5-2 times larger in volume. Therefore, the obtained measurements should be multiplied by this indicator. The exception is the length of the raglan (add 5 cm) and the height of the product (remains unchanged).
After measurements and calculations have been made, you need to decide on the number of loops. To do this, experts recommend knitting a test section to convert centimeters into loops. The procedure is as follows: knit a small sample of about 10 × 10 cm, calculate the number of loops at a distance of 1.5 cm and 10 cm, calculate the average value. Then the test section of the sweater should be slightly stretched and the procedure repeated. From the two obtained values, the number of loops per centimeter is determined by simple mathematical operations.
Stages of knitting simple models
The knitting pattern for each item is strictly individual. However, there are a number of general recommendations for creating a basic version of a jumper. It is advisable to knit the back first. The sweater edging is easiest to design with an elastic band (alternating front loops with back loops).
The front part of the product is knitted in the same way as the back, or is decorated with a separate pattern. At the same time, do not forget that the neckline in the front starts a little earlier than in the back, about 5 centimeters before the shoulder cut, if there is one. For beginners, an elastic band using circular knitting needles is recommended for knitting the neckline and the bottom of the sleeve.
When all the parts are connected, you should proceed to the assembly stage. The middle of the sleeve cap is connected to the shoulder seam, sewn to the main part. After this, the side cut and the bottom of the sleeve are closed with a single seam. If a more complex oversized sweater model is chosen, then adjustments must be made based on the features of the style.
Made from thick, large knit yarn
To create a large knit model, it is recommended to use thick yarn with the addition of wool. The needles are straight, smooth, and the threads are appropriate in size. The product will turn out not only voluminous, but also very warm. The main thing is to understand the pattern, which can be traced in all the elements of the sweater. The algorithm of actions is quite simple even for beginner needlewomen:
- A test section is knitted. This will help to subsequently determine the number of loops based on the required size in centimeters.
- Making the front and back. According to the pattern, the front and back of the sweater are knitted separately. At the same time, do not forget about the different heights of the beginning of the neck. The back neckline is always narrower, located higher compared to the opposite side of the jumper.
- The sleeves are knitted using the same pattern.
- Assembling the product. The front and back parts are connected by means of a longitudinal seam. The sleeves are sewn in the same way. After this, the parts are assembled into one product.
- The oversized sweater made of thick yarn is ready.
When all stages of work are completed, you should take care of the collar design. It is knitted on the finished product using circular knitting needles. As a rule, an elastic band is used.
Summer cotton
To create a summer oversized sweater model for women, thin cotton yarn and three techniques are used: garter stitch, openwork pattern, patent elastic. The needles of the appropriate size are selected. The algorithm of actions with diagrams and descriptions is as follows:
- Making the front part. Two rows are knitted with garter stitch, then the transition to the pattern is made, which will subsequently decorate the bottom of the product. Having knitted one height, you should move on to the patent elastic technique, using it until the end of the fabric.
- Making the back. It is made in the same way as the front part.
- Making sleeves. Cast on a number of stitches equal to the specified width at the wrist. Make four rows of garter stitch. Then knit an openwork pattern of the same height according to the schematic image. The rest of the fabric is knitted with a patent elastic band.
After all the elements have been created, they should be assembled together. For this purpose, it is recommended to use a longitudinal seam. Finally, the neck is formed using an elastic band on circular knitting needles.
Seamless on circular needles
To create a seamless women's sweater, you will need smooth circular knitting needles of the appropriate size for the yarn. First, take measurements. Then the following algorithm is suggested:
- Making the front and back parts. The specified number of loops is cast on with circular knitting needles. Four rows are knitted in a circle with an elastic band. Then about 25 loops are added. The loops are not hidden, since they give the product a certain charm. The next four rows are knitted using the same technique. Then comes the transition to the main pattern. According to the pattern, the fabric is knitted to the middle of the product. It is important to control the number of loops and rapports.
- Making a sleeve. The first row is cast on with the number of loops required for the given girth. Four rows are knitted in a circle with a rib pattern. Then about 10 loops are added, four rows are knitted. The transition to the main pattern of the product is made. In this way, half of the sleeve is created.
- Creating a raglan. Characterized by circular knitting according to the same pattern with the sleeve and main part united into a single whole. At the same time, at the junction of individual parts, a decrease is made.
When the main part of the seamless oversized sweater is ready, it is necessary to work on the neck. It is decorated with an elastic band. The first four rows are knitted with the same number of loops. In the next 4 rows, a decrease is made. Knitting is closed by creating an elastic edge.
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