Design Your Own Tee

Why constrict yourself to a pattern when you can design your own basics? In this class, learn how to construct a bottom-up basic—with options for a vest or sleeveless or cap-sleeved tee—in the fabric of your choice. We'll customize the shaping, neckline, armscye, sleeve length (or sleeve edging) and consider the little design decisions that go into a custom-made garment. You can choose to knit your tee in any stitch pattern that comprises only knits and purls—no cables, no lace, no brioche! See list below for some ideas.


Schedule:

• 5/13 - Talking through fabric choices, edgings, casting on
  • Come to class with your swatch knit and blocked
• 5/27 - Separating front and back, shaping armholes
  • Come to class having knit your body up to the desired length from the armholes
• 6/3 - Shaping neckline
  • Come to class having worked the front up to the desired beginning of neck opening
• 6/10 - Shaping back neck and three needle bind off
  • Come to class having knit to about 1” less than desired back length
• 6/17 - Picking up for first sleeve (edging)
  • Come to class with body completely finished and seamed
• 6/24 - Picking up second sleeve and weaving in ends
  • Come to class with first sleeve finished

Materials for the first class:

• Yarn: DK or worsted weight yarn. Your yardage will vary depending on the stitch pattern you choose and your design choices, but poke around on Ravelry for comparable shapes in the yarn weight you choose and your size to get a sense of yardage. This is a great time to go stash diving.
• Needles: Use the size suggested on the yarn label for your main body fabric; go down one or two needle size for ribbing. You'll want 32” circulars for the body and 16” circulars for the neckline and sleeves.
• Stitch markers, darning needle, and barber cords.

Textured stitch ideas: Any kind of rib (1x1, 2x2, 3x1, etc), broken rib, texture stitch, roman stitch, interrupted rib, woven stitch, beaded rib, seed stitch, box stitch, basket rib, checkerboard rib. Bear in mind that the wider your pattern, the more decisions you’ll have to make while designing. In other words, broken rib or beaded rib are going to be more straightforward than checkerboard, for example. You could also do majority stockinette with a single design detail down the middle or sides.


***Homework for the first class***
Please come to class having knit and blocked a gauge swatch in the texture of your choice. If you don't block it, it won't be accurate! We'll measure and calculate casting on in class. The yarn label should have some suggestions for gauge; cast on 10 more stitches than what they suggest for 4 inches and go from there, and don’t include any edging stitches like garter: the entire swatch should be the pattern you’re knitting, i.e all broken rib, all checkerboard, etc. For more guidance and photos, Ysolda has a lovely in-depth explanation on how to knit and block your swatch here. Block your swatch as you’re going to wash it (likely handwashing with a few drops of Soak)—here’s a tutorial on the quick-dry burrito method.


By registering for this class, you are agreeing to the terms of our class policies. Please review them here before registering.

Skill Level:	Intermediate
Skill Details:	You should have at least one sweater under your belt
Requirements:	Please know how to knit, purl, cast on using the longtail method, cast off in pattern, knit in the round, increase, and decrease
Instructor:	Stephanie