The day I showed off my first ever sweater

“This summed up everything I had been investing my time in, and it really felt like it paid off” - Katherine, 34

A Friday night dinner, and a sweater I had never worn outside

It was a Friday night...

My college friends and I had finally lined up our schedules to see each other after many years.

Some of them had moved to other cities, and between work and life, it had been really hard to get all of us together.

So we planned a dinner at a nice restaurant here in New York.

For me, this was a special night, so I wanted to look good and classy.

And I thought this was the perfect opportunity to show off my newest skill: knitting.

I had a handmade sweater, my first one actually, that I was dying to show off.

And I had been waiting for the right occasion.

I had never been good with this type of manual activity, so I knew that if I got it right, it would impress my friends.

The thing is, I didn’t know if the sweater was right, since I had never worn it outside.

What happened next wasn’t what I expected at all...

The day I started my first sweater

How it all started

First, let me give you an introduction to how it all started

I had become obsessed with knitwear a couple of months earlier. I loved the minimal, classy style it gives you. You can dress it up or go for a more casual look.

And in my obsession, I came across knitting.

I always thought knitting was a grandma’s hobby, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

My Instagram reels started showing me a lot of women my age knitting and making some beautiful pieces.

So I thought, why not?

If I’m really into buying knitwear this winter, I might as well knit it myself and have a one-of-one piece.

Something I can personalize for myself.

The Sweet Rose Sweater I saw online

But isn't it hard?

To avoid straying too far from the story, I’ll simplify this, because I think it’s worth sharing.

Knitting is fairly easy. It looks way harder than it is.

I saw these ads from Sierra Yarn where they showed off a beginner kit called the Sweet Rose Sweater.

It’s a boxy sweater with a wide neck.

This is where I found out that a sweater doesn’t have to be super complicated to be beautiful.

The kit came with everything I needed to finish it: yarn, needles, a video tutorial for the sweater, and video tutorials for every single basic technique.

I’d say I learned all the basics within 1 hour. Knitting speed just came with time, and while I was working on the sweater there were some trickier techniques, but the video tutorial walked me through them.

See the Sweet Rose Sweater KitYarn, needles and a video for every step

After 6 weeks, I finished it. Some days I knitted a lot, others I did just 20 minutes. It became my daily ritual.

I ended up loving the process, but the result...

I was ASTONISHED.

The yarn from the kit is a blend of baby alpaca and Pima cotton, and you can see the quality as soon as you start knitting.

This matters because it directly affects how the finished sweater drapes and looks.

It doesn’t look like those cheap sweaters with a lot of acrylic, which I was tired of.

So here I was, 6 weeks later, with my sweater finished and the perfect occasion to show it off.

“Where did you buy it?”

We got to the restaurant, and after some small talk while waiting, we finally got our table. Lisa, who was sitting next to me, touched my arm and said:

“This is beautiful. Where did you buy it?”

And Mia immediately said, “I wanted to ask the same! I love the color. I think it fits you really well. Where is it from?”

I was shocked. It felt like those 6 weeks of consistent knitting had finally paid off.

They thought I bought it. Which is amazing, right?

“I knitted it,” I said.

“What? You made that? That’s amazing. I was going to say it looks really expensive,” said Ashley.

“Yeah, it feels so soft. I also thought it was from a boutique,” said Lisa.

“It feels soft because of the fiber, which is a blend of baby alpaca and Pima cotton. And it took me about 6 weeks, following a video tutorial. I’m really proud of it,” I said.

“I love that! You should teach us how to knit. I’ve seen some videos on TikTok and it looks so relaxing, right?” said Lisa.

“We should get together again so you can teach us. We should all get kits, but send us the exact one you bought so we don’t have to guess,” said Mia.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I always thought knitted sweaters looked like something a grandma made, but this looks amazing. I’m shocked,” said Ashley.

A couple of weeks later, once their kits arrived, we met again at a cafe to knit together, and they all loved it.

This Is the Exact Kit I UsedThe one my friends ordered after dinner

Why nobody thought it was homemade

This is the part I want everyone to understand, because I think it’s the most important one.

When most people hear “hand-knit sweater,” they picture something lumpy and itchy that obviously looks homemade.

And a lot of the time, that’s because of the yarn.

You could pick the most beautiful design in the world, make it with cheap acrylic yarn, and end up with something you’d never wear in front of people. It’s stiff, it has that cheap shine, and after a few wears it starts pilling.

Since my first experience went so well, I recommend starting with 100% natural fiber yarn. Baby alpaca (not made from babies) is really soft, and since Sierra Yarn injects air into the yarn, it’s surprisingly light. And it drapes, which is what makes a sweater look expensive.

That’s why they thought it was from a boutique. Nobody thought it was homemade.

I’m really glad I invested my time in something I’m proud to wear, because I’ve read stories of people who knit an acrylic sweater and then throw it in the closet and never use it again. I feel that’s a waste of time.

So if you’re going to put weeks into a sweater, the yarn is not the place to save money.

Knit It in 60% Baby Alpaca, 40% Pima CottonAirJet spun, so it won’t split, pill or itch

So, where do you start?

I’m going to oversimplify this:

1. Pick a kit by design, something you’d actually want to wear. Just make sure it’s beginner-friendly and comes with a video tutorial.
2. Get good, 100% natural fiber yarn. It’s what makes people think you bought it.
3. Be patient with yourself. Mistakes happen, and the videos will get you through them.

Sierra Yarn has the first 2 covered. The third one is on you.

Here’s the kit I made my sweater with: