Well, I’ve already got several items off my needles at the start of 2025 and this first one really made me think about my knitting. I liked the colorwork on Caitlin Hunter’s Bergman sweater and decided I wanted to cast on after Christmas. But as I was knitting it, I realized I wanted to make some changes. (Link to my Raverly project page)
I decided to knit my Bergman using Illimani Amelie yarn for my MC, it’s light and very cloud like with a silk and alpaca blend (there was lots of white and pale gray fluff floating around) and for my CC I used Berroco Wizard yarn. Both yarns are chainette yarns, my favorite kind of yarn so I knew they would work well together. Plus the Amelie yarn is light and fluffy and feels amazing on the skin without being overwhelmingly hot. What I didn’t love as I was knitting the yoke was how the color pooled at the neckline because of the placement of the short rows, how high the initial neckline was on me (I don’t like things too high since I don’t have a lot of neck) and I felt like my gauge was a little too tight.
When I did this initial try on when I split for sleeves I knew I wasn’t going to be happy with this knit. And if I’m not happy with it, I won’t wear it. So what did I do? I decided to start over with my modifications. I made my neckline lower and decided to wait and add short row shaping to life the back after I separated for sleeves, so it is essentially at the bust. While I was unraveling, I also decided to go up a needle size and what a different a few changes made!
This was after my revisions and before I separated for sleeves and I already knew it was immediately a better fit and I made the right choice to start over. So many knitters hate starting over or frogging, I’ve had people tell me it makes them feel like they’ve failed. Instead I think of it as a learning opportunity and making sure I get the right fit and the knit that I want. I have knit enough sweaters now to know what I like and don’t like and how I want to modify things for myself and that just takes time and practice. But now, I have a Bergman sweater I love and will actually wear!
And isn’t that what knitting is all about?
Yards of Happiness 
Great sweater. Like the colors so much! Choosing Colors is a struggle for me..
I love your sweater. So amazing. I am learning so much from you. Thanks Professor🥳
What a gorgeous sweater! And I agree that making the modifications is so worth it because if you don’t, you’ll be wasting a whole lot more time knitting for no gain.
Great job, Dana! It really pays to be fearless and to work to get your sweater the way you k ow you’ll love it! ❤️
LOVE your Bergman! Your mods really make it work for you, and it’s amazing what a difference the changed needle size made.
One of the hardest things I have to do in knitting is to listen when that little voice inside says “you are NOT going to be happy with this” fairly early on in the process. And as a result, I have way too many complete frogs and a couple of given-away FOs in my knitting history!
Thanks for reminding us how important it is to trust our own judgment, and congrats on a great start for 2025.
Your discussion today was just the bell of reminder that I needed to not be discouraged when I realize that I am not happy with what I am knitting. The sweater is so pretty with the changes you made (it feels very courageous to me to step away from following the pattern exactly) and your comment about actually wearing something you like really struck home.
Thanks for sharing this experience. It really helps to see the difference your modifications made. Sweater looks great!
Stunning! It looks great on you!
That is a GORGEOUS sweater – definitely going to consider that pattern in the future. Thanks ! for the inspiration 🙂
My sister and I joke when we knit or embroider, we frog about as much as we stitch. We’re constantly asking ourselves how happy we’ll be with it later. It we’re unsure, out it comes! You consider your pattern, buy quality materials, you’re pouring all this time into this work, you owe it to yourself to make sure at the end of the day, you’ll be happy with the project.
That’s a beautiful sweater! I love the colors (Berroco Wizard is lovely stuff) and you’ve definitely worked it at the right gauge. I just finished a project with Wizard; I went down a needle size from the recommended. I tried one size further down than that, and nope! The fluff in the chainette does not want to be compressed. Airy is key.
The only Caitlin Hunter sweater I’ve knit is Soldotna Crop. I love it. I also skipped the short row shaping (at the neck?). I actually never did any short row shaping at all, and it’s a good fit for me.
Enjoy your sweater! It looks great on you.
Gorgeous sweater! You are truly the boss of your knitting!