How To
4 Letter Sweater, Four Ways
When knitters’ lives are busy—for example, when their first-ever yarn festival is a week away—we like to add on a large and ambitious deadline knitting project.
I don’t say this is sensible, but I know it to be true.
Team MDK currently has more last-minute lists of joy-making, festival-enhancing details to nail down than we’ve ever had. Our to-do lists have to-do lists.
That’s why we have four oversized sweaters on the needles that are definitely going to be finished in time to wear at Nash Yarn Fest next weekend. Definitely!
Presenting, in Various States of Done-ness
Ann’s 4 Letter Sweater
Ashley’s 4 Letter Sweater
Ashe’s 4 Letter Sweater
Kay’s 4 Letter Sweater
The main color for all these sweaters is MDK Atlas, as is the color for Ashley’s and Kay’s letters; Ann’s and Ashe’s letters are in a highly compatible yarn we are calling Please Hold: We Can’t Tell You Just Yet.
(This yarn has already launched to MDK Society members, because membership comes with special things, and it will launch to the world at Nash Yarn Fest on March 14-15.)
Many Paths to the Top of Mount Intarsia
Something funny happened: each knitter chose a different method to knit their four letters. We didn’t intend to conduct a controlled experiment on colorwork methods, but that’s what happens when four knitters are doing their thing and having a fabulous time.
This is one of my favorite thing about knitting and knitters. We’re always eager to learn another way to do something, and we also love to do it our way.
Ann went with duplicate stitch, which looks like this on the wrong side:
Give Ann a tapestry needle and put her in a quiet corner for a few hours, and she’s going to duplicate stitch something.
Ashley—gasp—followed the pattern! She used the traditional intarsia method: one length of yarn for each letter and one length of yarn for the background color between the letters.
Weaving in ends does not bother Ashley one little bit.
Ashe went for stranded colorwork.
Long floats do not bother Ashe one little bit. (Her word: OKAY.)
And I took my maiden voyage on the good ship Ladderback Jacquard, using this YouTube video.
There is so much to talk about with these four methods: comparing and contrasting, discussing the pros and cons of each one.
But did I mention we have Nash Yarn Fest coming up, and our bullet journals are exploding like George Costanza’s wallet?
If you’re coming to the festival, you’ll see us running around in our 4 Letter Sweaters, and you’re welcome to ask for a peek at the wrong side.
I’ve got a lot more to say about Ladderback Jacquard—all of it good, although I’m not sure I got it right (I kept lapsing into stranded colorwork), or that it was the best technique for the straight columns of the 4 Letter Sweater’s distinctive font.
I sure had fun learning it; it’s very intuitive. Easy to do. Hard to explain.
Knit and learn!
I’m reading and re-reading this article at 5:15 am, there’s a lot to look at and learn and discuss! For example, thank you for letting us know all the words, techniques and (almost) all of the yarn being used.
If I were to make one I would have “knit” on the front side and ” learn” on the back, but then I would get stuck figuring out which word should be on the front/ back.
You always have such great information! I have casted on the back of this sweater as I had a road trip and knew it would be easy knitting! I originally thought I would do stranded color work, but now I’m not sure! I will reread this several times! The photos are great and so very helpful!
Thank you for this!
Lol!
You’ve got us ALL re-reading this one!
My 1st question was whether y’all planned this “each to their own” technique splitting but, upon re-reading, you’d already told us!
So, my 2nd question is this:
What would each of you do differently (if you’d do anything differently) on your individual technique when/if you do another 4 character* sweater?
*I’m now calling it 4-character instead of 4 letter bc, despite my own chosen 4 letter word being “RAGE”, what I’m seeing in all of yours, individually & collectively, is “JOY!”! So, in the spirit of Cynthia’s 1st post, my front & back, kind of mirroring my life right now, would be “RAGE” on the front (sadly I *AM* leading with rage right now) and “JOY!” on the back bc I am very much endeavouring to spread joy when & where I can as a direct counter to all the angry nasty hate-filled ugly that’s just bloody everywhere right now. I’ve upped my volunteering efforts and am doing more to practice random acts of kindness to show love to folks around me hurt by all this through no fault (or vote) of their own.
LOVE these sweaters Team MDK!
now I wish I’d put rage on the back of mine <3
Duplicate stitch?
Team Duplicate Stitch here to say it’s never too late! Just sew that RAGE right on there—cathartic!
Please show all the sweaters once they are blocked?
Interesting seeing all these methods. Cannot wait to see the sweaters at NASH
i’m also on Team 4Letter Sweater Not Done Yet But Will Be Wearing for Nash Yarn Fest.
part colorwork part intarsia
may be a sleeveless pullover and a look of not enough sleep but damned if i wont finish the front and back in time !
jacquard who?????
So interesting! Isn’t this all the best part of knitting?! Always something new to learn and stretch our skills. Bravo to each one of you!
Love these!!!
I think I come to MDK as much for the witty writing and joyful spirit in everything you all do, as the KNITTING! Here Kaye is throwing this huge yarn festival in a week AND knitting ambitious sweaters and then sharing her experience with US!
So. Much. Fun!
See you at NASHFEST!!!
I’ve not heard of Ladderback Jacquard before, so thank you for starting me down a happy rabbit hole! I was perilously close to doing housework on this very raining day.