HOW TO KNIT THE WILDERNESS SWEATER FOR BEGINNERS 😀
Welcome to my little course in how to knit the Wilderness sweater! You can also use this guide to knit my other sweaters with circular dec.
The pattern for the Wilderness Sweater can be found HERE. For other knitting help on how to knit Wilderness Sweaters, you can ask in our Facebook group HERE
Yarn
As a beginner, the first sweater is a project that is likely to have some mistakes so my advice is to buy a affordable yarn and rather spend some money on your second sweater: D Drops Eskimo or Hobby yarn from Viking yarn is a good choice for your first wilderness sweater. (Warning!i My english is not the greatest).
Some yarn tips for your second sweater:
The yarn types I usually use for the Wilderness Sweater are Alafosslopi from Istex, Blåne and Troll from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Alafosslopi is an Icelandic yarn that contains top and undercoat from the sheep. This makes the sweater water-resistant and perfect for tough conditions. Troll and Blåne are also great yarns for outdoor use.
If you are going to use the sweater indores you can try yarn made of alpakka = Brushed alpaca from sandnes yarn, bris from viking yarn, drops melody, Pus from DSA.
Needles:
New knitters often knit either very loosely or very tight. People who knit tight often prefer metal pins or pins made of polished birch because the yarn glides better on the pin. If, on the other hand, you knit loosely, bamboo sticks are a better choice. So you can almost just try it out and see what you like best 😀
Different types of needles:
There are sooo many different needles , but do not fear! Which needles you need is written in the pattern. It`s important to mention that the needle size is only a suggestion. And the reason is that everyone knits differently and one uses the needle size to adjust the size of a stitch. In the pattern for the Wilderness Sweater there are 13 stitches of 10 cm and that just means that you have to use the needle size that gives you the correct gauge. So if you knit super tight without adjusting the needle size you get a tiny sweater. It is also very common to knit much tighter on colour work, so if that`s the case you have to increase the needle size when you knit colour work.
Do you think knitting tension was a little scary, I recommend that you knit your first sweater and you can also worry about knitting strength for sweater no. 2!
( How to knit the Wilderness Sweater for beginners)
How to find the right size for you?
When I want to find the right size, I measure around the chest and put on between 7 and 10 cm to find the right width. The reason for this is that I find that tight-fitting wool sweaters are very uncomfortable to wear. Also, I want there to be room for some clothes under the sweater. If you are going to use the sweater a lot out in the rain and snow, the sweater will also contract (this only applies to wool yarn). so it is better that the sweater is a little too big, than a little too small.
If you knit the sweater too tightly, the sweater often slips up on the carrying piece and you have to constantly pull it down, which can be an annoyance.
In order for the sweater to be the right size in relation to the stated size, it is important that the number of stitches of 10 cm matches, also on the pattern. And therefore you may need to increase the needle size of the pattern so that the sweater does not become too tight 😀
The sizes given are standardized. All bodies are different, and it is possible that you will have shorter or longer sleeves and a body on your sweater. It is completely impossible to create a size that fits perfectly on absolutely all body shapes, so when you have become more experienced you can do tricks and mix a little. Maybe you want a swing in life? Then you can go down in pin size in the middle of the body so that it becomes tighter right there. In other words, you can use both number of stitches and needle size (knitting tension) to make the sweater exactly the way you want it. But as a completely fresh knitter, it is wise to stick to the pattern.
How to knit bol
How to cast on stitches(How to knit the wilderness sweater)
I use the method "long tale cast on" (search on youtube if you are unsure how to do this) when I put on masks. This is the most common method of putting on masks in Norway. I usually calculate that an arm's length with yarn is about 50 stitches. So if I am going to cast on 200 stitches, I calculate 4 arm lengths of yarn plus a little extra to be absolutely sure that I have enough yarn to cast on before I make a loop, which is the first stitch. Put the stitches on Pinne 4.5 mm. When I count the number of stitches, I first count 50, place a marker, count 50, place a marker, etc. If you count everything at once, you get out of counting quickly, and especially if someone tries to talk to you while you count. All knitters know how annoying it is
If you find it difficult to put on, I can happily tell you that most fresh knits think that this is the most difficult part of the whole sweater. Note! try to cast on so that you can pull the yarn back and forth on the needle, not too loose, but also not too tight.
Rib table
Now start knitting rib. The purpose of the rib is to make a kind of "elastic" at the bottom, but also that the body should not curl.
The sweater is knitted round and round so the first stitch you are going to knit is the very first stitch you put on. Make sure that the stitches have not spun on the pin. If you start knitting with a spin on the stitches, you get a kind of pastry that is impossible to save. In the change on the Wilderness sweater, knit 1 straight and 1 purl stitch. Straight stitches are shaped like a V, while purl stitches are just an inverted straight stitch, and it has a kind of "pearl". Many new knitters find ribs difficult and a little confusing. If you feel that you lose all motivation of rib, knit it a little shorter than what is in the pattern.
Tip: If you have a tendency to knit very loose ribs, you can knit "Twisted straight" or "twisted purl" to make the rib tighter. I like the ribs really tight so I often knit twisted purl.
Pattern
After rib, change to Pinne 6. Do this by knitting over the stitches in stockinette st on a circular needle 6 mm. Smooth knitting only means that you should knit only straight stitches. And now you are ready for diagram A. The diagram is read from right to left. You can put a post it note over the rows you have not yet knitted to get a better overview of where you are in the chart. Move the post it note upwards as you finish a round.
There are many different methods to knit a pattern. Some like to have the threads on the pointers, while some like to have one in each hand. Search youtube for "fair isle knitting" or "how to knit colorwork". Find the method that suits you best. It is very common to knit much tighter with several threads, so try to relax your hands. You may also want to increase the needle size of the pattern to get the right knitting tension.
Be constant with where you have the colors. The dominant color should be closest to the knitting so that it is highlighted and "pops". If you change the space on the threads, the result will be uneven. I usually have a skein lying to my left, and one to my right so that they do not spin together.
If you are completely fresh and have not quite gotten the knitting into your fingers yet, I recommend that you drop the pattern at the bottom and knit body and sleeves in one color so that you get the straight stitches into your fingers before you start on the pattern on the carrier piece.
The rest of the book(How to knit the wilderness sweater)
Hurray! You are now done with the tiring bit. Now you should only knit solid-colored straight stitches for the body when the stated size. With new knitters, it is common to lose stitches, or to make new stitches along the way. Count that the number of stitches is correct. If you have lost stitches without retrieving them, take a small needle and thread with yarn and retrieve the stitch. Then sew the stitch together with the stitch above and sew in the thread on the inside of the sweater. If, on the other hand, you have managed to increase the number of stitches by accident, these must be folded together by knitting stitches evenly on the next round. You cast off stitches by knitting two stitches together.

How to knit sleeves (How to knit the wilderness sweater)
Rib on the sleeves
You start by pulling out stocking pins in size 4.5 mm. Tights are also called set pins, and in English they are called DPN`s (short for double pointed needles). The first thing you do is put on stitches. A set of stocking sts consists of 5 needles where you will cast on stitches divided into 4 needles and use the fifth needle to knit with. There are so few stitches at the bottom of the sleeves of the Wilderness sweater that I usually use only 4 needles on the rib (I cast on 3 stitches and use the fourth to knit).
There are two different ways to put stitches on stockings. You can either add them all on one Pinne and distribute them on 3 needles afterwards, or you can place the stitches evenly on the needles at once. I usually put the stitches evenly distributed right away.
The sleeve is knitted round and round, like the body. Make sure nothing has spun before you start! The first rounds are a bit tough! here the needles often fly around a bit and it feels a bit chaotic, but it gets better eventually: D When you have finished knitting the stitches on a Pinne , just continue knitting on the next Pinne . Be sure to tighten a little more when you start knitting on a new one Pinne . It is easy to get a little loose in the transitions and you want to avoid that. Continue round and round until rib measures the correct length.
Increases after rib
When you have finished knitting the rib, you must both change the needle size and increase the stitches.
You do this by knitting the stitches on stocking sts 6 mm while at the same time increasing the number of stitches given in the pattern evenly distributed. Here you have to knit over the stitches on 4 needles (and not 3 as on the purl stitch) as there are more stitches on the needle. You increase stitches by lifting the small "bridge" between two stitches and knitting it twisted. It is important that you knit the stitch twisted so that it gets a little "spin" to avoid holes in the knitting. If you are unsure of how to increase masks, you can search for "make 1" on youtube.
The pattern at the bottom of the sleeves
Knit pattern at the bottom. It can be a little tricky to knit a pattern with stockings and it is easy to get a little tight. Make sure that the threads on the inside do not become too tight. Try along the way. If you find it a little confusing to knit a pattern, you can use a post-it note and cover the rows you have not yet knitted. Move the post-it note upwards for each round.
Increases
After the pattern, start increasing stitches. The stitches should be increased under the sleeve so that they are less visible. Begin by marking the middle stitch under the sleeve (first stitch on the round). You should now increase one stitch on each side of this stitch (two stitches increased) every 8 rounds until you are given the number of stitches. I tend to use right and left turns increases. If you are unsure how to do this you can search for "make 1 left" and "make 1 right" on youtube. Youtube is a beginner's best friend when it comes to knitting, but one must know what to apply for. As you get a little more stitches on the stocking sts, you can change to a small circular needle 6 (40 cm long). Knit the sleeve to the stated, or desired, length: D
Here I have knitted rib, increased sts after rib, knitted pattern and started the increase.
How to put the sleeves on the body
Many people think that it is super difficult to put the sleeves on the body. It's insanely easy! The sweater looks like this = Sleeve, front, sleeve, back. The beginning of the round is behind the left sleeve.
How to do it = When you have finished knitting the sleeve, put the specified number of stitches, from the underside of the sleeve, on a thread as the picture shows.

Take out the body and put the specified number of stitches on a thread. Then knit over the sleeve on the same Pinne as the ball.



Now continue to the other side of the body and put the specified number of stitches on a thread. Knit over the next sleeve in the same way and continue until you reach the beginning of the round.

How to knit the carrier piece
My pattern on the front of the sweater
The beginning of the round is behind the left sleeve. So to find out where you need to start to get the pattern centered, you must first mark in the middle of the front of the sweater.
The easiest way to get the pattern centered is to mark each and every stitch to be knitted in pattern color from the middle of the front of the sweater until you get to the beginning of the round.
The report is on 6 stitches so then you mark a stitch, count 5 and mark the 6 stitches, count 5, mark the 6 stitches etc. until you get to the beginning of the round. Now you know exactly which stitch to knit in pattern color first.
When knitting the paws, do the same. The report is 16 stitches so then mark 16 stitches in the middle of the front, mark 16 stitches again, etc. until you get to the beginning of the round.
Trap evenly distributed
After you have finished knitting the first part of the diagram, cast off evenly. (There are apps you can use to make this as easy as possible if you prefer.)
I do it like this =
If I have 200 stitches on needle and have to cast off 40 stitches I divide 200 on 40. Then I get 5. that means I have to cast off every 5 stitches. Then I start knitting 4 stitches. Feller. The mask I now have on the right Pinne counts as 1 stitch since it was the previous stitch you cast off, and not the one you now have on the needle. So then I count 1 (the one you have on the needle), 2, 3, 4 and cast off the fifth stitch. Repeat.
If you find that you have to cast off for example every 4.3 stitches, it may be a good idea to note how many stitches you have counted with a row counter.
You can also use stitch markers to mark every 5 stitches so you know exactly where to cast off, and you do not have to count during casting. This takes a little longer, but then you are sure to drop the correct number.
Twist threads and trap in diagram
When you knit the paws, the threads can become very long on the inside. I usually do not usually twist the threads so often when I knit with lopigarn because it feels good on the inside of the sweater, but behind (and between) the paws the distance is so long that here it is a must. It's as basic as it sounds. You only need to make a small sturr at the back so that the thread stays close to (as the picture shows) l. Be sure to tighten a little more when you continue knitting with the yarn you have picked up. If the thread becomes too loose, it may become visible on the outside of the sweater.
When knitting the paws, cast off in diagram. A "V" represents 1 stitch so you only knit these two stitches together. tadaa so simple it was.
Now you have finished knitting the sweater: D

Sew together under the sleeves
Now place the stitches under the sleeve on 2 sock pins (6 mm). I usually pick up 2 stitches in each side so that there are no holes. Then turn the sweater over and fold it under the sleeves from WS. If you are unsure how to do this, you can search for “Three Pinne bind off ”on youtube. When sewing threads afterwards, use a little thread and "seal" if there are holes. Sew in loose threads.
Rinse freshly knitted garments
Newly knitted garments that are knitted in wool (Not super wash) should be rinsed up after they have been knitted.
There are several reasons for this. Newly knitted sweaters are very stiff and uncomfortable to wear. The pattern is also often a bit dented. After washing, the fibers "relax" and the wool becomes softer and the pattern becomes completely even. When the wool is wet, you also have the opportunity to stretch in shape. I usually stretch the support piece so that it is completely even.
The yarn can also contain remnants of excess color that are a good idea to get out.
I usually put the sweater in a bucket or in the bath in lukewarm water. Then I squeeze all the air out of the sweater. Then I let it drain a little and squeeze the excess water out of the sweater. Finally, I put the sweater on a towel and roll the towel into a sausage. I usually do this a few times (with a new towel) before I finally dry the sweater flat. You dry wool garments flat because wet wool stretches, which is quite nice to know if you actually want it longer in some places. Alafosslopi spends some time drying, so if you have a warm bathroom floor you can dry it there.



Congratulations! You have now knitted your very first sweater: D