Fun
Red Alert: Bang Out a Sweater Is Coming
Dear everybody,
What’s that? You’re feeling that twingle of anticipation?
Even as we are in the midst of the colorful, fabulous Kaffe-along, we bring news of next month’s exhilarating annual group-knitting extravaganza.
Yes, knitters, your Spidey Sense is right: Bang Out a Sweater is on the horizon.
What Is Bang Out a Sweater?
It is our annual mad dash—knitting a whole sweater during the shortest month of the year. In previous years we have banged out a Stopover, a Hadley, a Carbeth, and a Norah Gaughan.
It’s really, really fun.
What Are We Banging Out This Year?
More than ever, we crave a cocoon of a sweater that we can climb into during the deepest part of winter.
We are certain that this year’s design is the most bangable of all—the fastest, most satisfying, git-r-done pattern yet.
The Main Squeeze Cardigan by Jen Geigley.
It’s a highlight of MDK Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy. It’s a sweater that comes together at a deliciously zippy pace.
Features of this sweater include:
A cozy silhouette.
Beautiful textures.
Easy finishing.
Pockets!
No buttons!
Designer Jen Geigley will be along with tips and tricks for us. Her enthusiasm is so contagious!
Bang Out a Sweater: The Details
Dates: Needles up on Saturday, February 1. Aim to finish by Saturday, February 29.
Get the pattern. Jen’s design appears in MDK Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy—immediately downloadable to your Ravelry library. Or order a print edition (which includes a digital ebook download so that you can add it to your Ravelry library).
Think about modifications. We love the pattern as written, and we also love it when a clever knitter plays around with it. Our social media maven Cristina Shiffman made a cropped pullover version of the Main Squeeze Cardigan that we absolutely love. Watch for her post detailing her modifications, coming on January 22. (If you’re yarn shopping or stash spelunking, Cristina needed half the number of balls of Big Wool specified for the Main Squeeze Cardigan in her size.)
Choose your yarn. As always with our knitalongs, feel free to use any yarn that you like. We happen to be keen on the fluffy fluffitude of Rowan Big Wool. Chunky and lightweight, it’s basically a hug in wool form.
Our fourteen shades range from quiet to exuberant. Which is your favorite?
We’re offering a special Bang Out a Sweater discount through February—save 10% on Rowan Big Wool when you use the coupon code MAINSQUEEZE at checkout.
Sharing Our Progress
We’ll have a conversation set up in the MDK Lounge. (Until then, TeamBig is still going strong!)
Share your work on Instagram at #BangOutaSweater2020 and #BangOutaMainSqueeze.
Kay made one in a week. It’s conceivable she could make four during the month of February. Remember, it’s a leap year! We even get an extra day.
We hope you’ll join us—this is going to be big fun.
Love,
Ann and Kay
YES! I have been anxiously awaiting this announcement. This is fantastic and I am wondering if I can knit both the cardigan and Cristina’s cropped pullover both in February. Let me start clearing off my needles in anticipation!
That shouldn’t be a problem for you!
Oooohh!!! I’m excited about the cropped pullover!!
YES! GIRL! YES!! I’m so ready for this! Count me in!
Ok – I’m stepping outside my newbie comfort zone and doing this one…. Question though please…. I’m going to treat myself and order the recommended wool (and a printed field guide) but the variation in the number of balls needed due to 11 size choices is a wide range (and for ease, I just want to place one order)… can we get the yarn to size recommendations so orders can be placed now? Thanks – and so excited!!!
All that information is on the Ravelry pattern page for this sweater.
So glad you’re joining Bang Out a Main Squeeze! Here’s that info: Big Wool by Rowan [100 g balls, each approx 87 yds (80 m), 100% wool], 9 (10, 11, 11) (12, 12, 13) (14, 15, 15) balls. For Bust: 39.25 (40.25, 43.25, 45) (46.5, 48.25, 51.25) (53, 56.25, 57.75, 60.25)“ [99.5 (102, 110, 114.5) (118, 122.5, 130) (134.5, 143, 146.5, 153) cm]
Although I am excited to make this sweater, my challange is that I am a left handed knitter, or a mirror knitteras some say. Do you have a resource or suggestion as to how I can rearrange the pattern to accomodate my knitting style. I have been a knitter for over 36 years and find that man patterns become impossible. Any suggestions?
Are you familiar with Staci Perry’s videos and her VeryPink.com site? She’s got one on mirror knitting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIo-m6vfd-U
Let us know if it helps, and thanks for knitting along!
Love the cardigan ! This would make a wonderful stash busters !
Oh, I’ve been tempted by this sweater, but trying to stay focused on my current projects. Now I think I have to do it!!
I am making mine out of yarn from a frogged sweater that I brought with me, half-completed, 6 years ago when I came to Oregon! I am so giddy at the idea of giving it a brand new life with such a gorgeous new pattern! Thank you, ladies! And the occasional gentleman!
Perfect timing ladies!! I had to frog my first attempt, at 2/3 complete. Then haven’t gotten back it due to Christmas knits. I’ve got my Lopi and swatches and I’m ready to begin again;)
Will the stitch definition be good with Lopi?
‘Cuz I’ve got Lopi and I’ve got the Field Guide…
I am wondering about lopi too. I have a ton of it and would like to find a project for it.
Very excited to participate – Main Squeeze has been on my list since I bought Field Guide #12. I have 2000 yds of handspun I am planning to use.
I am so excited about this. I just switched from crochet to knitting, and am still learning – but this looks very do-able. This will be my first sweater and will fulfill a goal that I set for this year. I really appreciate the opportunity to get some help and guidance through this in a “group” setting.
I just finished this sweater. It was a great knit and I think it will be one that I will wear a lot!!! I kind of wished I hadn’t blocked it. The sweater got super large and I struggled with getting it back to a reasonable size. The pattern will not be as pronounced as if I had steam blocked it.
Ok, well, I’m going to be a rebel. I will join the knitalong for the first time, but I’m doing a completely different sweater. I’m sure that will be ok with you knitters, right? I owe my daughter a sweater and this will help me getter done!!
Me too! I’m doing a completely different sweater. I doubt I will get it finished, but at least I will get it started!
Me too too! I’m trying to use up yarn I already have and nothing I’ve got fits that gauge.
I am in for @christina’s version. I only missed one Feb KAL and I still want a carbeth!
Btw, great choice of image for the header. Are they waiting for the Beatles, or for . . . ?
I have the yarn for a Carbeth cardigan just waiting for me, I just need to finish a lace wrap I’m making for my mother-in-law for Christmas. I’m almost half way…
YAY! I have never finished a cardigan, so this will make me do it. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to bang out a sweater before February 28, but that extra day will make all the difference! 😉
All right….I’m going to do this! First knitalong-type event ever!
I do wish…I’ve tried. I’m just not a fast enough knitter. I’m knitting a sweater in bulky weight right now and it’s four weeks of knitting and only about 30% complete. I’ll look forward to seeing others completed projects…sigh.
Okay, I think I am ready to make my second sweater. I am very excited about this cardi and think I might just have the perfect yarn somewhere in my stash. A comfortable Oregon coast grey. Yummy! And who knows, I might even actually get this one completed within the month.
Nervous newbie here! This will be my first sweater. I’m hoping the chunky weight will make it a little easier. I had hoped to knit a sweater by the end of 2019, but life got in the way. I just graduated with my Master’s degree and I splurged and bought the recommended yarn (I already own all the field guides). Any pro-tips and words of encouragement are appreciated, and needed!
Antt, no pro-tips, but as a first-timer, too, I can provide lots of encouragement! Others will speed past us, and create unbelievably gorgeous sweaters in no time…while I (we?) will chug along and at least make progress.
I think I will try this. I’ve been knitting blankets and endless amounts of infinity scarves for almost ten years. It’s about time I knit something better. I did try and very simple cardigan several years ago and it came out ginormous! So I’ve been too scared since.
Mary, I am with you 100 percent! I, too, have a cardigan that didn’t work (mine is TOO SMALL) and I just can’t bring myself to either finish it or frog it. Yarn substitution is a tricky business and yes, I swatched, but…well, I don’t have a good answer for why it didn’t turn out. It will someday be a lovely cardigan in someone else’s size. I decided that sweater knitting was just not for me. But I’m trying again! I hope you do too. We will encourage each other.
I am super excited about this! I have been dying to knit a bulky sweater but I couldn’t find the The One. I’m going to keep it as a button-free cardi but crop it. I ordered Big Wool in Pantomime (the magenta one).
I’m looking forward to all the great designs and classes
Help needed. So I am fairly new to knitting and this will be my first sweater. I have looked high and low and cannot find a consistent answer on how to measure for the correct sweater size. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
So want to do this knit along! This would be my first! Need explanation on how to participate.
Please
How many Main Squeezes are being lovingly knitted??? I am curious and happily watching mine growing by the day!
is there a suggested ease?
Is it a unisex design
I think so! It’s up to the knitter or wearer, I’d say.
Okay, I’m in! First time communally knitting. I thought about doing the Main-Squeeze-Cardigan-converted-to-Main-Squeeze-Pullover, but then went looking on Ravelry for something a little simpler for this, my second-ever sweater. (I’m not confident I can follow the original pattern and the adaptation at the same time without messing it up.) So I picked “The Easy Bulky One” on Ravelry, and am using Golden Olive Rowan Big Wool that I bought here. My order arrived yesterday but I’m not opening it until 2/1.
I’m hustling to finish a couple other projects – a corrugated scarf I’m doing for myself w/ Barnyard Knits Succulent Mini-skeins – so I can dive into the sweater project guilt-free!
I don’t love the Main Squeeze, but I am itching to cast on a cardigan, and I’ve picked Ankestrick’s Big Love. The yarn is on its way from Denmark, and I hope it will be here by Feb. 1 which, incidentally, is my birthday! It’s all very propitious. This will be my first (sort of*) adult sweater, so I’m pretty excited but also concerned, because my first attempt at a cardigan turned out to be very much too small. It’s still in my UFO bag, without sleeves, while I decided whether to frog it or find a tiny person to wear it. (It’s fingering weight, so I’m not eager to rip it apart.) Wish me luck!
So, I got my wool and my Field Guide at VKLNYC. I’m sitting here, reading through the pattern, circling the stitch counts etc for my desired size. I’m finding the pattern a little difficult to understand, will there be some hand holding for the less confident amongst us? Maybe some helpful videos? Pretty please?
Yes there are lovely, clear videos by the designer (Jen Geigley), right here:
https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/big-joy-knitting-videos-from-designer-jen-geigley/
We will be sure to share them again during the knitalong, early and often.
Brilliant. Thank you Kay.