Inspiration
The Fine-Gauge Sweater: Go for It!
Dear Kay,
I’m knitting a cardigan on size 2.5 needles. I know. It’s bonkers. But I couldn’t help myself. And I’m here today to make the case for knitting a sweater on size 2.5 needles.
I’d settled on vacation knitting of socks, happy and quick. But on the day before our departure, a lumpy paper parcel was crammed into our mailbox, the sort that has a customs declaration and British postage. This discovery resulted in a massive hard pivot to a project I’ve dreamed of making for years.
The yarn. Ammonite is the yarn that turned up in my mailbox, a new yarn just out from Rachel Atkinson, the wonderful Yorkshire yarnmaker whose Daughter of a Shepherd has been a favorite of mine.
It’s British wool, milled in Yorkshire, undyed, deliciously lanolin scented, wow. It’s 437 yards in 100 grams, a lot of yardage in there.
The pattern. Skipwith from Rachel’s book Daughter of a Shepherd, Volume 1: Beginnings. (Currently half price, a steal!)
© Rachel Atkinson
Skipwith is a light, airy, absolutely beautiful design. My size calls for three skeins of Ammonite. Picking a color was a breeze given that Ammonite comes in exactly one color.
The gauge. Skipwith’s gauge of 6 stitches/inch (10 cm) is larger than the average 8-stitch/inch gauge of a sock.
Why we should all knit sweaters on size 2.5 needles. OK. Here’s the sermonette portion of this program.
I have heard people say they won’t knit a sweater with fingering-weight yarn. “I’d never finish it.” “It’s too hard.” “I don’t have time for that.” Phooey! I say. We love to knit, right? It’s not like you’ll never finish it; it’s just more of the thing you love to do. This sweater I’m making is the equivalent of three pairs of socks.
We make socks at a smaller gauge than this all the time, and once finished, we literally walk on our knitting. A sweater lasts far longer than a pair of socks.
It is the height of economy to knit a sweater in fingering-weight yarn. You get so much knitting for such a relatively low investment in yarn.
The sweater that results from knitting with fingering-weight yarn is so comfortable to wear. You don’t have to wait for a blizzard. You don’t have to crank the AC. It feels great.
You should order up some Ammonite. It’s extraordinary.
And if you’re craving color, we have a yarn in the MDK Shop that would be brilliant for Skipwith, and it happens to be on sale right now: Tvinni by Isager. A sweater’s worth of Tvinni is $50 to $60 or so.
I hold up my Skipwith in progress from time to time and think about Hebridean and Exmoor Blueface sheep in Yorkshire, about John Arbon Textiles who spun those fleeces, about Rachel capturing her home in a skein of yarn.
And I think about how this light sweater is going to last forever, and how Future Me will look at it someday and think Wow, I can’t believe I made that!
Love,
Ann
Thank you for this eulogy to knitting with fine yarns on small size needles. My hands have always felt uncomfortable when knitting with needles larger than 4 mm and these days, I mostly knit with sizes 2.25 to 3.5. My sister is different and prefers to knit Aran and thicker yarns, so she can finish relatively quickly. However my experience is that the thicker the needles and yarn, the slower and more clumsy my hands become and the less satisfying the knitting experience. Another factor is that I live in a city in a fairly temperate country (UK). While it’s good to have a couple of thick sweaters for very cold weather or country walks, generally speaking a fine cardigan, like the lovely one that you’re knitting, is far more useful for everyday living to layer with a shirt or dress.
In order to get gauge on a Gansey cardigan, I had to go down to a size 1 needle with my sport yarn, which sounds crazy. However, I love the resulting sweater and it was worth all the time to make it.
Please don’t brag about the number of socks equivalent! Those of us of a more Rubinesque body shape may take 4 or 5 pairs to achieve the completed garment. So, it’s not a quick knit. But it is worth it.
Yes
I made Skipwith in Daughter of a Shepherd Heritage 4-ply. My experience dovetails with your essay. This is a sweater that I love and loved making.
I think I’d love that. It’s gotten so when I use a needle larger than a US 5 it feels huge!
Beautiful!
I see another WIP in my future!
I love that weight sweater! I also find larger needles much harder on my hands for long stretches of knitting. Another advantage – color work at that gauge can be so much more detailed and interesting both to knit and look at.
Yes, I completely agree! Colorwork is my favorite and I’m motivated by just one more row, to see the design. I too find smaller needles and yarn are easier on my hands, my movements are smaller. I enjoy the process so much that it doesn’t matter to me how long it takes.
I totally agree Ann- plus then there’s the bulk factor: I feel I LOOK better in the lovely fabric you make with fingering yarn on a small needle. Joji Locatelli’s Like a Cloud took me forever to knit- but it is one of my favorite things I ever made. Many of the quick knit bulky sweaters I’ve made have me looking like a linebacker for the Jets!! (I love them too, but…..)
I love fine gauge sweaters! I would enjoy making this. Are 3 skeins plenty for most sizes?
Probably 3 skeins will do for sizes up to a bust of 42-44. Always check your pattern!
Oh my goodness, yes!!! After finishing my current pair of socks, I was wondering about sweater-knitting on such fine needles because I really enjoy their littleness. You’ve given me such inspiration here! And I LOVE Daughter of a Shepherd. Thank you, Ann!
This gauge is new to me but am just finishing a sweater in this weight. It’s cloud light and I’m so excited to assemble and wear it. Nothing compares.
It appears there are at least 44 more people on Ravelry who agree that size 2.5 needles is NOT too small for a sweater!
You could convince me to do anything.
Bless your heart Ann! But my motto is I don’t care to knit string with toothpicks and I don’t do socks ;-D
Until recently, I didn’t own a needle size smaller than US #4! To each his/her own
I’m with you! 6-8 needles are my sweet spot. I do go smaller and larger but I’m happiest knitting in that range
Amen sister!!!
Love s fingering weight sweater!!
Time for a stash dive. Although I do love the idea of this in Tvinni. Hmm.
I absolutely love knitting with fingering weight yarn! However, I’ve never done a sweater on 2.5 mm needles…..but now you have me super excited to do one! Thank you. Your sweater looks lovely.
I agree! Fingering weight sweaters are worth the time investment! They tend to be my most worn garments. I love my Citrus Dream and Like a Cloud cardigans. I live in a warmer climate so I can wear them for at least 3 seasons.
Just finished a highly personalized version of the Morning Fog cardigan knit with Shibui Pebble and some mohair… so clearly I *needed* to buy some Ammonite for a next lightweight sweater. 🙂
Fingering and even lace weight sweaters are some of my favorites to knit and wear!
Beautiful sweater, beautiful yarn – you go girl!
Oh my goodness. I’ve already been over to the site, drooling and calculating costs. It’s right up my alley. My birthday is coming up…
I’ve made numerous sweaters using the Flax Light pattern by Tin Can Knits with various sock yarns for my grandchildren. Economical, easy care, and the kids love them as they’re super comfortable. And lots of opportunity for me to knit and explore color combinations. Fun!
Fine gauge sweaters are so lovely, and can be worn in more temperature ranges. I enjoy working with fine yarn and needles, too.
When I think of all the hours I spent knitting a closet full of bulky sweaters I don’t wear, it’s no contest for me – fine gauge wins every time 😀
Back when dinosaurs roamed the ear–,er, September 2019, I started a fingering weight Boxy on US#4 needles. I had never attempted something so big (3X) using such fine yarn and small needles. It has been sitting, 70% done, for a couple-three years. But I have a (cunning!) plan. I am signed up for a 3-day sweater camp in February, and that is when I will finish it. There are few things more reassuring than Having A Plan.
Loved your post. I do love Having a Plan.
A fellow 3X-er
Some years ago in a yarn store a young woman was carefully and lovingly picking out one skein of lace weight wool with the comment, “It gives me more knitting per dollar.”
Ha ha! Your “we literally walk on our knitting” in reference to making socks made me laugh out loud. I don’t knit socks, but I do weave rag rugs, and sometimes people ask why would I make something for the floor. It’s the love of doing. Aside from that, your letter makes a compelling case for making a sweater like that. I also loved how you gave the figure for what the yarn would cost for the sweater– sometimes I get my panties in a twist when I look at a per-hank price, and you are right, $60 for the pleasure of making and wearing a sweater is really so worth it! Maybe as soon as I finish my Shakerag Skirt in your creative linen, which I am loving…
It looks good so far, and I’d bet that will be an airy, yet cozy, sweater. An added bonus is that the color of the yarn should camouflage the “fashion accessories” that Kermt sheds!
Ann, you have convinced me. Such a lovely pattern. I’m jumping in!
Diane B.
I prefer fine yarn and needles as my arthritic fingers find it easier to cope with and I get an evenings knitting. Twenty minutes with Aran weight is as much as I can manage
When I learned to knit I was always in a hurry from the sheer excitement & addiction of knitting to wanting to wear whatever it was. Once I discovered luxury yarns, the projects got smaller to afford the yarn so no sweaters & the needles got smaller. At some point I was no longer in a hurry, loving the process more than anything, not caring how long it takes. 40 yrs in I mostly use small needles (0–4s) but sometimes it’s nice to do something w/7s. It’s all good!
I recently finished Romi Hill’s Wildspring Cardigan in Neighborhood Fiber’s Rustic Fingerling and LOVE it! The yarn was delicious and the sweater pattern was interesting and fun. It’s short sleeved and the lower half is lace, so it’s easy to throw over a sleeveless dress this time of year when the air conditioning is set to “meat locker.”
I hadn’t done a fine gauge sweater before and this one might not be my last!
And I laughed at the “we walk on our knitting” reference to socks. My teenager just handed me a hand knit sock with a hole in it and a request for me to “please, please fix it.”
Well now I want to see if I can find this yarn when I’m in Scotland! ::)
Gosh, do I feel silly. Just a short time ago I was bragging in The Lounge about starting to knit with lace yarn and feeling like I was treading into waters where few dared to go. But today’s post showed me that there are many out there who are not afraid of the small needles and fine yarn. I should have realized that you sock knitters are way ahead of me. This sweater sounds fantastic–a challenge for me. And I do love a challenge. Congratulations on your choice and thanks for the encouragement. I see a fine knit sweater in my future.
Have been looking for Ammonite and you pointed out – just go to the source! Ordered and the book too. Am determined to find gauge and become proficient at knitting sweaters this year. Thanks for the push!
As usual, I could totally relate to this post! In December 2021 I decided I HAD to start Andrea Mowry’s Birch pullover, in allover half-fisherman’s rib. I had the perfect fingering weight yarn in my stash. At some point, maybe when I had to buy 47-in size 2 needles, I did question what in the world made me want to knit a whole sweater in fingering weight! It took 8 months to finish 🙂 I will do it again, though, because the sweater is much more practical in NC, and I can have fun with brioche, colorwork, and interesting ribbing without getting weighed down. It also makes an easier to wear garment – I knit one of Andrea’s brioche shawls in DK, and while beautiful, it looks like I’m wearing a blanket around my neck (how does she do it?!) Fingering weight also makes for a portable project! I just finished a worsted weight Ranger (Jared Flood) cardigan for my husband, and after I attached the sleeves, I could only work on it at home. Even then it was heavy and cumbersome. I had to take sock knitting breaks to give my hands a rest!
Well this is timely. I just started a Ravello on size 3 needles. With your inspiration, I hope to finish it by next summer.
I am currently about to start this beautiful fingering weight colorwork sweater.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kismet-4
What pattern is the gray sweater. I understand the sock yarn and 2.5 needles. I’d love to buy the pattern. I didn’t see where I could choose it?
I’m currently working in fingering weight on US 4s. Not so fine a gauge but similarly light in the end I hope.
I just had the same talk with myself! I knit a sweater on 3 and 2.5 needles and I think it is my favorite sweater so far. Once I got over the commitment of the small needles I enjoyed knitting it and love the result- a very wearable sweater!
You convinces me!
I love it your enthusiasm is worthy of the effort. Enjoy wearing your garment
Sold!!!
I congratulate you ma’am for being so spirited in knitting such finely spun yarn on your 2.5 needles.
I am a male knitter and soinner in the centre of Australia and I can’t understand why more knitters do not take it upon themselves to also embark on spinning at least some of their own yarn for their knitted garments as the kongevity of such knitted garments would reveal themselves to be highly worthwhile because they will far outlast anything purchased from ANY department store.
In fact I have a jumper I made from a hand spun Polworth fleece I purchased in 1971 and knitted into a beautiful aran design and here we are in 2023 and of course being quite horridly ashamed to admit that I have overlooked that moths have taken to grazing on at some point, I can hopefully make repairs that can give the jumper further life to outlast yours truly.
Kind regards: Ray K
Hmmm….you are giving me ideas right now!! :-). Love my little needles, but I haven’t tried a grown up sweater on them-just a baby one here and there!
Appreciate this avenue. Right now After making the Shetland Wool week beanie on little needles, i am off on an Aran tangent w farm grown yarn. Telling the guys out in the field how much they are appreciated, double-stranded, gives me the same idea- connection to them and later looking back to this moment of making.
I just love knitting with light weight yarn and the yarn being produced by small holders is magnificent to work with. There are many knitters out there doing shawls on small needles, jumpers are less fiddly. I say go for it!
I love your common sense, thoughtful reasons- 3 pair of socks. I can do this! Thanks for the read.
Love this
Bravo, Ann! Keep enjoying that knitting. I’m currently knitting a top in fingering, first one ever, but decided I need to use the thinner yarns for garments if I ever hope to be able to wear it comfortably!
John Arbon!…..riches beyond the dreams of avarice
Im convinced! You make great points. I’ll have to go shopping for yarn and cast on with my sock needles 🙂
I have 2 cardigans knitted in sock yarn and am about to start a third. However all the sweaters I knit in England were done in 4ply (sock) as my mother was of the opinion that double knitting was “common” ( not what nice people used…) I did knit my first sweater at age 9 so that was quite a lot of 4 ply sweaters…Moving to America in 1980 it was hard to find ANY yarn and I got into the thicker stuff…but I knit fast…why do I need a “quick knit”? So happy the last decade or so when yarn has been more readily available here
Most inspiring! You’ve got me thinking seriously about this….
Many thanks!
Kathy Fisfis
Inspiring sermon! I have this very sweater, one inch knitted in Heritage, in my ufo closet. I started it before a trip to Scotland last year and when I realized it wouldn’t get done by then, off it went into solitary. I too prefer knitting on smaller needles. Going to pull this UFO out today and get reacquainted with it.
I love love love fingering weight and any needle size below a 6!! I agree with everything mentioned in this article- cheaper to buy fingering and I get more time with the thing I love-knitting!
You have convinced me to try a sweater on small size needles, something I’ve avoided like the plague! I love working with fingering weight yarn for the much more delicate look of the finished product, which is so evident in the photos you have included, and now that I have the little brain trick of equating the time needed for a sweater compared to 3 pair of socks, I’m a convert. Thank you for opening my eyes, and giving me a whole new perspective on sweater knitting!
I just finished a cardigan in sock yarn and love it. It is light , warm and just right for layering for someone with hot flashes. The construction was top down with knitted in sleeves so no finishing except to add a button band. I have not knitted myself a sweater in a while because they are too heavy and warm but this one is a keeper. It was also easier to carry along while traveling – only 4 skeins and one set of #3 round needles and one set of #3 4 points for the sleeves.
This was a fun read and an inspiring comment section. Lately I find myself veering toward longer projects: small needles, small yarn, lots of fabric. A quick knit is fun, but no one I know needs another hat? These longer projects still keep my hands busy but produce fewer final products, which seems good for sustainable efforts, too.
Well I just took a look at Tvinni yarn, people must have read this and bought it up before I had my first coffee (though I am on Pacific time, you easterners get a head start!) there are 8 colors out of stock!
Beautiful, Ann!
Smaller needles can made a soothing project! I’m working on a pullover for my tall son that is taking awhile but – isn’t relaxation what knitting is for?
loved the ‘sermonette’ about the fine gauge. Preaching to the choir. You get a more finely crafted garment, as you can be so much more detailed in the shaping and finishing. I made a lacey pullover from wool bought in Nice in 1984 after I came home from the trip. I had to do the math to pick the size from a Pinguoin pattern designed for a heavier cotton. The fit is great and I still get compliments when I wear it which I do a number of times each winter.
Beautiful! ❤
This was a timely post for me! A few days after reading it I had to frog a pair of socks I had started. I started to feel a little despair and then I remembered your words and thought – now I just get to do more of what I love, knitting! So thank you 🙂
Anne, I just had to let you know that I was able to order some Ammonite from the UK to knit my Skipwith cardigan. I’m so excited. All thanks to you.