Okay, let’s talk about making a sweater using the Addi knitting machine. It’s something I wanted to try for a while, moving beyond scarves and hats.
Getting Started
First thing, I had to figure out what kind of sweater. I didn’t use a super complicated pattern, just something basic. I looked at some simple drop-shoulder designs because they seemed easiest for machine knitting – mostly rectangles, you know? I found a basic idea online, looked at the measurements, and sort of adapted it in my head for the machine.
Then, yarn choice. This is important. You need something the machine likes. Not too fuzzy, not too thick, not too thin. I went with a worsted weight acrylic blend I had lying around. Did a test swatch first! Always do a test swatch to check the tension and how many rows make an inch. Wrote that down.
Knitting the Pieces
I decided to make flat panels for the body. It just felt easier to manage for sizing and seaming later.
- Back Panel: Cast on the stitches needed for the width. Then it was just cranking. Lots of cranking. You have to keep an eye on it, make sure no stitches drop. Crank, crank, crank until it was long enough. Then carefully took it off the machine using waste yarn.
- Front Panel: Pretty much the same as the back. Cast on, cranked away. I didn’t bother with any fancy neckline shaping on the machine this time, kept it simple. Maybe next time. Cranked until it matched the back panel length, then off it came.
- Sleeves: For the sleeves, I decided to try knitting them as tubes. Cast on, set the machine to circular knitting. Crank, crank. This felt faster. Made two identical tubes, long enough for sleeves. Cast those off too.
So now I had four knitted pieces lying there: a front, a back, and two sleeve tubes.
Putting It All Together
This is where the handwork comes in. The machine does the bulk knitting fast, but assembly takes time.
First, I laid the front and back panels flat, right sides together. I seamed up the shoulder seams using a mattress stitch. Took my time with this to make it neat.
Then, the side seams. Stitched those up from the bottom hem towards where the armpit would be, leaving openings for the sleeves. Again, mattress stitch worked well.
Next, attaching the sleeves. This is always a bit fiddly. Lined up the top-center of the sleeve tube with the shoulder seam. Pinned it in place around the armhole opening. Then carefully stitched the sleeve into the armhole. Did the same for the other sleeve.
Finishing Touches
The neckline was just a raw edge from the machine. I decided to fold it over inwards and stitch it down loosely to make a simple, clean edge. Could have picked up stitches and hand-knitted a ribbing, but I wanted this done quickly.
Same for the cuffs on the sleeves and the bottom hem of the sweater – just folded the edge under and stitched it down.
Finally, I wove in all the loose ends. There are always so many ends!
End Result
And there it was. A finished sweater! It’s pretty basic, a bit boxy like I expected, but it’s wearable and warm. Using the Addi definitely sped up knitting the main fabric. The assembly still takes patience, but seeing those big panels come off the machine so quickly is really satisfying. It’s not perfect, but it was a good learning process for making a garment on the machine.
