Introducing: The Building Blocks Sweater. Your guide to knitting a stylish, customizable first sweater.

I’m a firm believer in building one’s knitting foundation. Gather the basics--simple stitches, construction techniques, and measurements--and you’ll form a perfect toolkit for endless creativity. Since I started knitting sweaters, I’ve gathered a foundation of my own. So i’m here to share it with you in all its seamless, size inclusive, delightfully basic, and still-stylish glory. A breezy, boxy silhouette that’s a joy to work up and primed to customize.

So, here we are! The Building Blocks Sweater. This is a beginner-friendly breeze to knit, perfect for first-time sweater knitters and seasoned pros alike. It’s written in nine sizes suitable for any body with a chest circumference between 28” and 68”. We love.

This sweater is worked from the bottom up with plenty of moments to pause and tailor measurements to best suit you. After working up through the bottom hem and lower half of the body, we’ll separate our work into front and back midway up the torso and do some basic neck shaping to ensure the final fit is just right. A simple ribbed collar from picked up stitches puts a bow on the body. From there, we’ll pick up stitches for the sleeves and work our way down to the cuffs.

And there you have it! Easy enough, right? Speaking of easy, this one’s a beginner-accessible easy knit (1 out of 5). You only really need to know a small handful of techniques, and these few techniques are among the most beginner-friendly out there. Plus, we’re using big yarn that’s easy and quick to knit up. Trust me, you’ve got this!

You’ll need 2-4 skeins of super chunky wool in your main color, and 2-3 skeins of super chunky wool in your contrast color. I recommend So Woolly (Premier Yarns), Simply Super Chunky (Paintbox Yarns), and The Wool (We Are Knitters). Gauge is 7 stitches per 4”, so any yarn that achieves that gauge will work! Be sure to have a stitch marker and tapestry needle on hand, too!

Happy knitting!!