171 comments on “Learn to Knit a Men’s Sweater”

1. Hi Staci, thanks for the effort to demo the pattern. Couple questions. I need to take this up to a 54, maybe a 56. Your best reco on how to do this? Also, I overheat so need easy off & on with sweater. You see any reason not to work sweater as cardigan and just work icord edge bottom and use full length zipper? Thanks for your advice.

2. Hi Kevin – one of the beautiful things about top-down raglan sweaters is that you can continue with the raglan increases to get to whatever size you need. If you do this, you will no longer be able to use the specific instructions I give for maintaining the rib pattern, but it’s not that difficult to figure out.

   If you choose to make a cardigan instead of a pullover, you might want to watch how I work the icord edge down the front of the Women’s Zippered Letterman’s Jacket video.

   I can’t provide you with much support on modifications (I really need to write a new pattern and test knit it myself to confidently give you answers), but I hope these guidelines are enough to get you going.
   Good luck!
   S t a c i

3. Hi Staci-
   Are the decreases at the bottom of the body specific to the rib pattern? Should we still do them if we’re knitting the pattern in plain stockinette?
   Thanks.

4. Robyn – The decreases at the very bottom of the sweater are there just to prepare for the icord bind-off. Nothing to do with the ribbing.

   S t a c i

5. Staci, I’m a brand new knitter and have loved your videos – watch them over and over! I saw the Andes tweed and loved it, then found your tutorial, so I’m fired up to give this a try. I’m wondering how much ease this pattern has? My husband’s actual chest measurement is 48.5″ at the fullest part – not snug up under the arm, and I don’t want it to look baggy on him I were to make the XXL. Also, have you tried machine washing this?

   Thanks.

6. Hi Tami – thanks for the note. The sweater has 2 inches of ease – you can see how it fits on the model. It is a casual fit.

   The yarn I used in the sweater is not machine washable! Hand wash only.

   You say that you are a brand new knitter – welcome to the club! This sweater may be too advanced for you, but it’s up to you to decide. Watch the videos, and see how comfortable you are with the techniques I demonstrate. If you feel you need more practice before you tackle this one, most my other sweater patterns are more easily handled by a newer knitter.

   Hope that helps. Good luck!

   S t a c i

7. oh MY! You are the best teacher I’ve ever seen in action.
   I consider myself as an intermediate, and always try to learn more, but never met no-one, or read no book, here in italy – where craftsmanship is a business (and people try to keep their secrets) – that seems so confident and put things in a clear, straight and “simple” way, as you do with this tutorial.

   Also as a non-english-speaking I find your speech really easy to follow and ejoyable.
   Do you also provide in the pdf a metric conversion chart (like inches to centimeters)?
   gabri

8. Hi Staci, I bought this sweater pattern and tutorial last week and I just got my yarn. I’m looking at the sizes and there is no 40″ chest size. My husband is 40″ and if I made the 38 it will be too small, and if I made the 42 it will be way to big. Why is there no 40? Is it a misprint. Help not sure which size to make. Thank you for your help. P.S. I love your videos. Becki

9. Hi Becki – don’t get caught up too much on the exact chest measurements. The model in the photo is a chest size 40″, and he wanted “ease” in the sweater, so I knit him the 42. The exact number of increases to work serves most people well, but when it comes down to it, you really need to slip the sweater on to scrap yarn to determine exactly when to separate for the sleeves. With a top-down raglan sweater, the wearer’s shoulder width comes in to play, too – so trying on is the best way to know you have a good fit.

   You have a choice here – to knit the 38″ or the 42″. I would decide based on your husbands neck – does he have a thinner or thicker neck? Because beyond the collar (cast-on), the exact size can be determined by you.

   Hope that helps!
   S t a c i

10. It’s 2 weeks before my husbands birthday and he’s just declared that he only has 3 sweaters and they are all wearing thin. I would describe my skill level as intermediate and my speed as moderate. (I knit a pair of DK socks in 24 hours). Do you think I stand a chance of getting this knit up for him in time for his birthday?!

11. Hi Claire – I can’t really answer that…it depends on how much time you have to devote to the sweater, and how big of a sweater you’ll need to knit to fit your husband. For most people, an adult sweater is going to be more than 40 hours of knitting.
    🙂
    S t a c i

12. HI Staci,

    I am just finishing up the woman’s summer t shirt sweater pattern and watching the men’s sweater videos while I am knitting to get ready to tackle this one next. I also watched all the video for the zipper letterman jacket too and can’t wait to challenge myself with all that separate construction. Anyway, I love what Anne Boleyn is wearing. I searched all the comments to see if you said what pattern that is but maybe Im the first to ask. So what pattern is that gorgeous shawl/wrap?
    Thanks,
    Jessa

13. Hi Jessa – thank you for the note! Sorry, I didn’t list out the sweater pattern on Anne Boleyn. It isn’t my design, but it’s a great sweater pattern. You can find all the info to the project here:
    http://www.ravelry.com/projects/verypink/ecuador

    S t a c i

14. Hi Staci,

    I love this sweater pattern and your video instructions are so easy to follow! I do have a question about the sleeves. I am making the XL size and have separated the sleeves, done the backwards loop cast on (1 st) and knit one round. There seems to be a gap between where the sleeve will eventually come together and the first round I knit. Is this normal? I don’t want to continue if I did something that needs correcting.
    Thanks,
    Kerri

15. Hi Kerri – don’t worry, what you’re experiencing is totally normal. When you knit top-down raglan sweaters, regardless of how perfect your tension is, you’ll always end up with small gaps under the arms. But never fear! You have ends to weave in there, and when you weave in the ends, you can close up those gaps. Totally normal and expected.

    🙂
    S t a c i

16. Hi Stacy, is there instruction about sewing the zipper in? Regards, Petra

17. Petra – yes. In the video, I cover how to turn the zipper into another “knitted piece”, so that it can be easily sewn in. You can watch that part of the video here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21xeuYggYoU#t=25m26s

    S t a c i

18. I so love everything you show. Staci my grandson and grand-daughter’s husband have been begging me to knit a hoodie for them. I’m sure you must have a great pattern for me to follow.

19. Hi. I just purchased this pattern to make for my son. I have not yet watched all the videos so I apologize if my question is already answered. My son is 6’9″. He has to wear a XXL Tall. I see the pattern goes up to XXL but how can I adapt for the length.
    Thank you for the beautiful pattern and the help. I can’t wait to get started.
    Kate

20. Kate – the pattern is easy to adapt for length. You’re just going to knit the body and sleeves longer. I don’t have yarn amount estimates for added length, so just be sure to have several more balls of yarn than the pattern calls for.

    That’s a lot of sweater you’re about to knit! Good luck.
    🙂
    S t a c i

21. Yes, I am planning for large quantities of yarn! Thanks for the quick response!
    Kate

22. Hello again. As I mentioned in my earlier question, I am planning on making this for my very large son. Is there a way to change the weight of the yarn used? I am thinking it might knit up so much quicker in a bulky weight yarn.

23. Kate – using a different weight yarn would require rewriting the pattern to accommodate the new gauge. Sorry. If you’re interested in making a men’s sweater in bulky yarn, I suggest you search Ravelry for a pattern that fits that bill. I’ve gone ahead and done a filtered search for you…all of these patterns are for adult men, and they all use Aran, Bulky, or Superbulky yarn:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#pc=sweater&view=captioned_thumbs&fit=male%2Badult&craft=knitting&weight=bulky|aran|super-bulky&photo=yes&sort=popularity

    S t a c i

24. Ciao Staci,
    I can’t belive it.I’ve just finished!!It’s my first sweater!!A lot of work but I’m very happy. I’ve learned a lot of things. I didn’t use the i-cord bind off for the sleeves and the body but the tubolar bind off and I used the tubolar bind off for knitting in flat because I don’t know how to work it in round.Is the procedure the same?(sorry for my english..)A big big big thank you Stacy,you are a wonderful teacher.
    Grazie.Ciao
    Antonella

25. Good job, Antonella! To answer your question, yes – the tubular BO is worked the same, whether your work is flat, or in-the-round.

    S t a c i

26. Hi Stacey

    Would like your help if possible. I’m about to embark on an Aran Sweater for my husband. I am going to use circulars (never have before) and need to know what length I should use. (there will be 129sts for 46″ chest. Would I use 24″ or 32″ length cable and is that including the needles? Many thanks. Carol.

27. Carol – I’ve never knit a sweater for a man with a 46″ chest! But you will be fine using 32″ needles. You can cram a TON of stitches on circulars, and 32″ will be comfortable. If the cord is too long for the beginning of the sweater (at the neck) you can always use the magic loop method to carry you through, until the stitches fit around the needles:
    https://verypink.com/2012/10/17/simple-magic-loop/

    Regarding actual cord/needle length – it varies with the different needle companies. They are usually measured from tip to tip, including needle…but they are also usually based on the metric system, and never really match up with inches.

    S t a c i

28. Hi, I love your videos (so thank you for them!) and I’m really excited to try this pattern which I have already purchased. I have just 1 question. It’s probably a silly one but its probably better I check. For the gauge you just say 5 sts = 1 inch and I was wondering if you obtained that with the size 6 or 7 needle? I’m sure its the 7 as you use that for the body but I want to check as I don’t want to put all this effort in and find out I made a stupid mistake.
    Thank you.

29. Not a silly question. 🙂 The gauge is listed in the larger needle size.

    S t a c i

30. Hi Staci, I would like to knit this sweater for my dad he is a little bigger in the belly then in his chest, should I go up a size or will it fit him if I do the actual size of his chest?

31. Hi Melissa – yes. Since there is no shaping in a men’s sweater, for a most accurate fit, you will want to use whichever measurement is bigger (chest/belly) to choose the size you make. And since this sweater has no shoulder seams, the top of the sweater should still fit well.

    S t a c i

32. Hi,
    Great tutorials you have here!!! Can’t wait to get started! I have one question: how do i establish where to put the markers for the sleeves? Is there any trick?

    Thank you for the videos, they help a lot!

33. Alexandra – the stitch marker placement is different for each size, and it’s explained in the pattern!

    S t a c i

34. Thank you so much Staci! I promised my husband i’d knit him a sweater 15 years ago, with your help, i’ll have a nice surprise for him under the Christmas tree this year! 🙂

35. Hi Staci! Thank you for yet another great pattern! I’m knitting this sweater for my dad, but using my husband as the model because my dad is bed-ridden. My husband is 6’1 and my dad is about 6’0-6’1. I measured the length of their arms from the underarm and came up with 19″ for both of them. This is a bit longer than your pattern. Would you recommend sticking to the length in your pattern, perhaps because the sleeves would “grow” once blocked, or should I knit to 19 inches instead? Thanks!

36. Megan – it will depend on the yarn you’re using, and how it behaves once it’s blocked. The 100% wool I used in my sweater didn’t “give” much with blocking, so I knit the sleeves the exact length I wanted them. You will want to swatch, then wash and block your swatch to see if the knitted fabric stretches once it’s wet.

    Hope that helps!
    S t a c i

37. Hi! I used WOTA merlot heather on the sweater. I knitted the sleeves to a little over 19 inches this weekend and they’re perfect. I don’t expect they’ll “grow” when I block the sweater.

    I have one more question, I accidentally skipped the decrease round when I bound off the hem. Now it is curled up. Can this be corrected during blocking, or should I rip out the I-cord bind off and fix the mistake? I did knit it correctly at the bottom of the sleeves. I appreciate your guidance!

38. Hi Megan – the decreasing at the bottom of the sweater has more to do with than anything else. With the yarn you used, the bottom hem should block out flat without curling. If I remember correctly, I actually pinned it flat and let it dry that way. Parker has worn the sweater for a couple of winters now, and the bottom hem has never tried to curl.

    S t a c i

39. Hi Staci! I love your videos and have really progressed in my knitting ability since finding your site and tutorials! I have purchased this pattern and am ready to buy the yarn. My husband hates wearing wool so I’m looking for a softer alternative. Would organic cotton work well for this pattern? Or, should I invest in 100% alpaca? Would 80% alpaca/20% acrylic blend work?
    Thanks again for all your great videos and help!

40. Hi Glynda – I highly recommend using an animal fiber for this sweater, you’ll be much happier with the results! An alpaca, or an alpaca/acrylic blend will be very nice. It depends on the yarn, but cotton will add too much weight to this pattern, and make the sweater hang heavy.

    S t a c i

41. Thanks so much Staci! I will try the alpaca or alpaca/acrylic blend. I can’t wait to get started now!

42. Hi Staci,

    I am workking on the mens sweater and I have a question on row 13. The increase gives me 8sts between marker.Am I wrong?

    Thanks

    Warm regards,
    Yanna

43. Yanna – you should have more than 8 stitches between the markers, since you started with more than 8 stitches between the markers. Each increase round increases by 8 stitches – hopefully that answers your question!

    S t a c i

44. Thanks Staci,

    Have a wonderful day, since is 7:15 here Wednesday morning.

45. Wow, I am really excited to get started on this sweater. I just started knitting so am a little intimidated right now but hopefully I will feel better about taking on such a big project in time to have it done by February 28th (my other half’s birthday). About how long does something like this typically take? THANKYOU!

    (hot model by the way)

    Amanda

46. Amanda – it’s impossible for me to give a “typical” answer for how long this sweater takes. Adult sweaters usually take me about 40 hours to make, but that’s just me.
    I hope you love the pattern!
    S t a c i

47. I don’t know how to read a pattern yet but will learn with this one. Purchasing now! 🙂

48. Is there any chance of writing a pattern for a men’s sweater using a 5 ply yarn. As my son in law is quite small (often gets mistaken for a student) I find that a 10ply is too large for his frame. I have looked on ravelry and all men’s sweater appear to be the larger ply, with absolutely nothing in a finer knit.

49. Virginia – I just did a filtered search on Ravelry for you…here is 185 men’s sweaters knit with 5 ply (sport weight) yarn. There is a nice selection!
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#craft=knitting&weight=sport&fit=adult%2Bmale&view=captioned_thumbs&sort=popularity&pc=sweater

    Hope that helps!
    S t a c i

50. Almost done. It is SO beautiful. Just one quick question: At the bottom of the sleeves, before the I-cord bind-off, do I k2 together every ribbing panel as I did on the body before bind-off?

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