Rowan Sweater Hack Along PT2 - Getting started

August 21, 2020

Jump to the previous post in the hack along: Rowan Sweater Hack Along PT1 - Inspiration & interview with Kim. Jump to the next post in the hack along:Rowan Sweater Hack Along PT3 - Sizing & adjustments

Hi everyone! I hope I’ve you're all excited about our upcoming Rowan Sweater Hack-Along! This weekend will be all about gathering your supplies, browsing the stash and maybe ordering some new goodies, before the actual Hack-Along will start next week, Saturday August 29th. This gives you a good week to get ready, but you can join in whenever you want if you need more time! Let’s dive in!

Pattern Preparation Supplies

Rowan Tee pattern  - You can download the Rowan Tee pattern for free here! In preparation of this Hack-Along, we’ve recently updated our Rowan Tee pattern - we’ve added an additional crew neck finish (which is a bit higher and more fitted than the original scoop neck, perfect for fall!) and lengthened the long sleeves. The pattern now also comes with an A0/copyshop file in layers and a projector file! The tutorial was also updated to reflect all these changes. So even if you have an older version printed out, it might still be a good idea to have browse through!  If you’ve downloaded the Rowan Tee in the past, you should have received a pattern update via email!

Design template - What better way to get those creative juices flowing by sketching out some ideas? We’ve created 4 different templates - two based on the inspiration for this Hack-Along, the Rowan dress hack designed by Kim (you can read more about it here!) and two blank templates to design your own colorblock! You can find the design templates in the files section in our FB group.

Measuring Tape - Notorious for being missing in action, I urge you to find it now! In Dutch we like to say “Meten is weten” (measuring is knowing) and I strongly recommend measuring your child! Remember, the Rowan Tee has an oversized fit, so it’s important to take some accurate and current measurements! We will talk more in depth about this in next week’s post!

Ruler, paper scissors, pencils, tape and pattern paper  - All your basic supplies for tracing, lengthening/shortening and adapting your pattern pieces!

Sewing Supplies

Ball point or jersey sewing needles - If you're sewing your Rowan Sweater Hack on a regular machine, using a ball point or jersey sewing needle is highly recommended! These needles are designed specifically for knits, with a slightly rounded point for sliding between the knit fibers and not cutting through them!

Twin needles for stretch fabrics (Optional) - Finishing your hems with a twin needle makes for such a professional look! When you sew with a twin needle, the top side will look like two parallel rows of neat straight stitches – the underside will be zigzagged. If you decide to use a twin needle, make sure to use one designed for knit fabrics. Alternatively you can finish your hems as described in the tutorial with a small zigzag stitch.

Your favorite cutting tools - fabric shears, pins, cutting mat, rotary cutter, paper weights…

Fabrics and matching thread - This is the fun part, right! Colorblocking creates a great opportunity to potentially use some of those beloved scraps in your stash. So I urge you to have a good browse through!

But.....we’ve also teamed up with Anouck from Ansje Handmade - for the duration of this weekend, Anouck has generously provided us with a discount code: ROWANHACK - taking 15% off summersweat & french terry (excluding Mereen and Mieli design fabrics) and C. Pauli sweat & Nicky Velours! Here are some of my personal current favorites from her shop:

Astrokatze Lava Look Summer sweat - Stoffonkel Neon Green French Terry - Stoffonkel Black Frenh Terry

Bloome CPH Rainbows Summersweat - Stoffonkel Pink French Terry - Stoffonkel Stillwater Blue French Terry

Whether you're browsing your stash or shopping for some new goodies online, here are some things to keep in mind when it comes fabric selection:

• Recommended fabrics are: sweatshirt fabrics, French terry, cotton lycra. 

• Always pre-wash your fabrics! You don’t want your beautifully designed sweater to shrink on you! And certain knit fabrics can shrink by as much as 10%!

• Try to use fabrics with a similar weight for all the pattern pieces. Avoid mixing heavier knit fabrics (Sweats & French Terry) with lighter jersey knit fabrics (like, cotton lycra). 

• Alternatively, you can line a lighter weight fabric with an additional layer to give it more weight to match your heavier weight fabrics. 

We'll be checking back in next Saturday, August 29th, kicking off the actual Hack Along with our 'Sizing & adjustments' blogpost. This should give you enough time to gather all the needed supplies and find your perfect fabric combination! 

Happy hunting,
XO
Elles

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