KID’S KNITS MADE EASY!

Love filling your needles with tiny knits for your special littles? Our expert advice makes sure they’ll adore wearing their new wardrobe…

1 Let them choose their own colours

Spread out all the yarn in your stash that has enough yardage to make the sweater, and let your kids pick their own colour. If they want two colours, use them – it could turn out to be a happy surprise! If they choose a light shade, consider casting on and working the cuffs and hems in a dark colour, as it’ll keep them looking clean for longer.

2 Double-up on toughness

Children are naturally tough on their clothes, so consider working the cuffs and hems with the yarn held double. This trick, part of the traditional construction of a hard-wearing fisherman’s sweater, will help to stop edges from fraying and add some extra warmth.

3 Consider natural fibres

Cotton is cool and wool is known for being cosy, but did you know wool stays warm even when wet? It can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water without feeling damp, and is naturally water-repellent, which means it doesn’t get dirty as quickly as other fibres – it resists absorbing dirt and grease is also naturally fire retardant too.

4 Choose an easy-wash fibre

Take a closer look at easy-to-wash yarns when you pick out your yarn colours. With cotton, superwash wool and acrylic, you should be able to put them in the washing machine. Do check the ball band, though – superwash may mean machine washable at 30°C rather than the expected 40°C, and the last thing you want is a super-tiny sweater!

5 Get the fit just right

Be sure to check the difference between the ‘blocked’ chest and the ‘actual’ chest measurements and go with the larger option. Some patterns have a small difference between the two. The heavier the yarn used, the greater the difference should be. This makes the sweater comfier, and also allows for that all-important room to grow!

6 Take a fresh look at sock yarn

Sock yarn is popular for children’s garments, particularly for baby cardigans. It’s soft, strong, usually superwash, and shouldn’t be itchy. Sock yarn usually has some nylon content, which some children are allergic to, so if in doubt, use a pure wool sock yarn instead.

7 Get their seal of approval

Very young children won’t be able to tell you if they don’t like the feel of a certain fabric so knit a little sleeping bag from your intended yarn for one of their small teddies. If teddy is never in the bag, then avoid using that yarn again.

8 Go for layers

Knitting for cold days? Kids don’t like clothing that restricts their arm movement so consider a finer yarn than you might usually choose for their sweater. To keep the body core warm knit a matching gilet using double strands too, making the armhole depth an inch longer.

Want to get kids knitting?

Start them off with finger knitting and see how they get on! Check out our How To Do Finger Knitting article over on our website – www.gathered.how/finger-knitting