Beginner Knitting Journey: My First Sweater + Free Patterns I’m Eyeing Next

In my pursuit of collecting all the hobbies I can, I’ve taken up knitting!

Now, I’ve dabbled in knitting before but never made it anywhere. At 9, armed with a book of basics and big, plastic needles, I quickly got frustrated. I tried again at 15, but luck and patience weren’t on my side. Again. In college, I managed to learn to cast-on and knit stitch, leaving me with a few half-finished scarves. Fast forward to 2025—after a fun detour into quilting—I’m trying knitting again. This I’m much more patient and determined to actually make something!

Current Knitting Project Overview

For my comeback project, I chose a sweater. I know that’s ambitious, but the more excited I am to finish a project, the more likely I am to stick with it. After many a night scrolling Instagram and TikTok for beginner knitting projects, I discovered the Step-By-Step Sweater pattern by Florence Miller (find it for free on Ravelry here). One of my requirements for a first project was a video tutorial as well as a pattern. The video tutorials are a lifesaver for a beginner like me!

I’m using Big Twist 100% acrylic yarn from Joann’s. 

(I snagged it at 30% off during the liquidation sales so this project would be affordable if I decided I didn’t actually enjoy knitting 😂) 

I went with Lilac for most of the sweater and added Soft Purple stripes for a little pop of color. The pattern is straightforward—a top-down sweater with raglan sleeves, 1x1 ribbing at the neckline/collar and the hem. Simple, yet perfect for easing back into knitting. Here’s a pic of the yarn colors I chose:

I started the project in March and I’m still working on the yoke. Finishing the neckline was a huge milestone; it was the moment I realized, “Damn, I’m actually knitting a sweater!” So far, progress isn’t linear. I was using safety pins as stitch markers that weren’t quite the right size. I dropped one of them during the raglan increases and that left that side a bit wonky. 

The first time doing anything, I just chalk up moments like that to learning. Every first project has those mistakes!

Then, I was invited to a game night, so I took my knitting with me. I made tons of progress while everyones dogs jumped in and out of my lap. (They have the sweetest pups!) But the next day, I discovered I’d been knitting on the wrong side—resulting in a few rows of purls where I wanted knits. I must have gotten turned around after one of the dogs jumped out of my lap! 

I’m now experimenting with an afterthought lifeline. I’m going to take the opportunity to fix the wonky raglan increase mistake, too. So I’ll be redoing about 16-17 rows. What’s a project without a little backtracking, right?

Here’s where I’m at before I pull out the rows and back track:

After I Finish This Sweater, What’s Next?

Even though this sweater has my full attention, I’m already dreaming about future projects—especially for the colder months. I’ve been searching all the free patterns on Ravelry and here are the top 3 I’m considering:

• Layering Piece Options:
  Is it a vest, a sweater, or maybe a cape? Whatever it is, I need one ASAP. Maybe in a navy or deep berry color? You can check it out here: CB19 Jumper N05.

• Winter Hug Hood:
  I’m always on the hunt for something cozy that I can wear with my coats. This pattern– the Winter Hug Hood– looks both warm and like a great skill builder for someone still

• A New Sweater with Colorwork:
  I’d love to dive into colorwork. This one: The Haze Sweater, looks like something I could do, I think. It would be a pretty big jump from this first sweater, but knowing how to read the patterns a bit better now and knowing how to look up tutorials for each stitch should be enough to do it. Imagine this in a hunter green base and white accents in the colorwork or a navy base with red accents. Wouldn’t that be perfect for Christmas? 

I’m especially excited about learning colorwork and managing multiple yarns at once. It feels like the next logical step in my knitting journey!

Personal Reflections & Tips

This go-around with knitting I’m having way more fun and actually learning something! When I was little, I lacked the patience. In college, I was terrified to be a beginner—afraid that showing I sucked would hold me back from truly learning.

Now, with all the helpful YouTube videos out there, I feel more confident than ever to try new hobbies and embrace the learning curve. Every dropped stitch and mis-marked row is a step forward.

A few tips if you’re diving into knitting for the first time:

• Embrace the Process: It’s easy to get caught up in wanting the finished product now. And I get it– you want to wear what you’re making! But focusing too much on the outcome might keep you from truly getting the meditative benefits of knitting. Take a deep breath, enjoy the process.

• Celebrate Small Wins: Cast on done? Celebrate. Neckline done? Celebrate. Learn a new, tricky stitch for the first time or finish a tricky section? Celebrate. 

• Keep It Fun:, I even knit for an episode of The West Wing (it’s my first time watching it!)—a perfect way to wind down.

Wrapping Up

I’m still in the midst of my sweater’s yoke, and while there have been plenty of bumps along the way, I’m loving every moment. 

I’d love to know: What are you working on right now? Do you knit or are you crafting away on something else? 

Share it with me in the comments!