guest post: hannah fettig
Hannah Fettig wearing her Sophie pullover designed by Pam Allen
We kicked off Knitbot Month on October 1st, and we're having a ton of fun. Come join us! We're having a Knitbot KAL over on the Quince Ravelry group!
Today our featured guest is none other than Hannah Fettig, the designer and knitting junkie behind Knitbot. Read on for more about her designs and all that goes into developing a new collection like Home & Away: One that is both classic, timeless—qualities we love about handknit garments—yet also offers something new to the modern knitter.
Take it away, Hannah!
Ever since Whisper Cardigan was published in 2008, I’ve been striving to design wearable sweaters for modern knitters. Featherweight Cardigan turned out to be a home run on that front. It’s lightweight, making it suitable for all climates. It can be dressy or casual, and it is knit seamless from the top down.
In 2009 we had entered a time when knitters were crazy about seamless sweaters. Many knitters still prefer this method. However, many have begun to turn back to or discover the seamed sweater. While seams require extra finishing, the benefits can outweigh the extra work. This is something I thought a lot about when putting together Home & Away: Knits for Everyday Adventures.
So, we have two camps of knitters: Those who prefer the ease of seamless, and those who prefer the added structure of seams. Wouldn’t it be great to please both parties? When developing the patterns for Home & Away, we took the time to write the patterns both ways. Whichever way you choose, you will end up with the same finished sweater.
You might find it interesting to know how my technical editor and I approached writing the patterns. With the exception of Georgetown, the sweaters began as top down designs. I can write a pattern knit in this method in my sleep! The original samples were knit and photographed. We then set out to write the designs knit in pieces. A discovered benefit of this exercise: Thinking about each sweater in a different way was a great help in double checking stitch counts and measurements. This cuts way down on the chance of errata popping up later. We all like that!
There is a lot of support in Home & Away in the form of educational content.
My hope is that it boosts your confidence as you try a new technique. I’ve noticed on Instagram several knitting their first sweaters from the book, with impressive results! If you are new to sweater knitting, I recommend spending time on the section on gauge, and also the section on fit. If you can successfully knit your first sweater, AND it fits you, well, I feel I’ve done my job.
No matter what skill level you are, if you’re casting on this month I encourage you to join the Quince KAL. There’s nothing like learning from others as they work on the same project!
In conclusion: though it’s so cliché, happy knitting! Because why do it if we aren’t having fun?
Thanks for all that you do, Hannah!
Stay tuned to the blog for more guest posts from Hannah during Knitbot Month. If you haven't already seen our month-long promotions, check out our kickoff post from Thursday for all the delicious details. Our Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest contests are running until the 6th!
And yes, don't forget to come knit along with us on the Knitbot KAL thread on Ravelry! Use hashtag #quincekal for your progress and FO pictures on Instagram.
