This week Kelley was working on the Tsubaki Pullover by Hiroko Fukatsu, a paid-for pattern on Ravelry. While sharing the pattern in this week's Technique Tuesday, she gave her top advice for things to consider when knitting a sweater. Everything from the yarn to the pattern itself! 

Things to Consider When Knitting a Sweater

1. If it’s your first sweater, don’t buy the most expensive yarn for your first project as the end result may not be perfect. That’s to be expected as you need time to develop your skills. Be easy on yourself! Make it fun!
2. Raglan sleeves are the easiest to knit, Kelley recommends starting there. Brick by Claire Lee is a free pattern on Ravelry which she thought was easy to follow and clearly written. Meg recommends the Winston Pullover by Jane Richmond for a quick and easy raglan sleeve sweater.
3. What style do you usually wear? See this previous article on picking a pattern that matches your personal style. 
4. Never skip checking gauge when knitting a fitted item!!! For example with this project, Kelley's pre-blocked measurements were 6” across the top of the ribbed collar and 16” across the sweater from sleeve cap to sleeve cap. Post-blocking measurements were 8.5” across the top of the ribbed collar and 19.5” across the sweater from sleeve cap to sleeve cap.
5. A viewer suggested practicing with baby and children's sweaters that follow the same design structures as adult sweaters. This is a great way to practice the techniques and structures without using a large amount of yarn! 

What pattern did you use for your first sweater project?