Wardrobe Planning
Plan your knitting projects with confidence!
11/24/20253 min read
Why is it important to plan your knitwear wardrobe? We generally want to avoid knitting pieces that don’t get worn. Avoiding the guilt of having a hand-knit sweater sitting in a drawer is another reason. My goal with this post is to help you feel more confident and knit intentionally when choosing projects for yourself. If you’re looking to make a gift for someone, they can go through this process too!
Assess Your Current Wardrobe
Look through the clothes you own, whether hand-knit or store-bought. Pick out a few of your favorite pieces, the ones you wear the most often. What do they have in common? What do you like about them? Take note of how they fit, how they feel, and what colors they are. What fibers are they made of? What textures do they have that appeal to you? Now turn to your least favorite items, the ones you tend to avoid. Think about why you avoid them, and take note of their properties. What made you knit or buy them to begin with? What about them do you dislike? Next, take a full inventory of what you have, and think about any gaps you have in your wardrobe. What is missing that you could use often?
Your Personal Style
What patterns did you see when assessing your current wardrobe? What styles do you wear all the time and which ones do you prefer to admire on other people? Are there certain color palettes that you gravitate towards? How do you like your clothes to fit? What necklines do you prefer? Are there particular fibers you like better than others? Take note of all of these, and you can even use Ravelry favorites or a Pinterest mood board to save pieces you like for inspiration.
Lifestyle-Based Planning
Your lifestyle can inspire your wardrobe as well. Think about how you use your clothes in different situations. For example, if you work in a chilly air-conditioned office, you might want some cozy cardigans or shawls that are work appropriate. If you have young children or pets in your care, you probably want knits that are durable and easy to care for. If you live in a warm climate, most of your knits should probably be made mostly of cotton or linen to keep them lightweight. Whatever your lifestyle looks like, you will want to consider your real-life needs.
Choosing Projects with Purpose
Evaluate a pattern before you decide to make it. Will it fit in with your current wardrobe? Does it coordinate with pieces you already own? Is the construction compatible with your preferences? Or is it modifiable? Does it fill any of the gaps in your current wardrobe you found earlier? Consider whether you need more statement pieces, seasonal pieces, or basics that you can wear any day.
Yarn and Color Planning
Choose yarns that have the fiber content that you prefer, and that give you the drape you want from that particular piece. I recommend swatching new yarns to check drape and density in addition to gauge. Remember to wash and block your swatch to get an accurate feel for the fabric! Build color palettes that fit your preferences and needs. You may want some bold accent colors for statement pieces, and you may want to keep your basics neutral to match any other colors you add. To me, this is one of the most fun parts of planning a project!
Balancing Creativity with Practicality
We have mostly discussed the practical parts of planning your wardrobe, but don’t forget that this is still a creative process. This process should not be restrictive, there is still plenty of room for fun, joyful knitting projects. Pick projects that complement each other, especially with pieces that can be layered or worn together as an outfit. Use up scrap yarn by adding accent colors to your knits, or experiment with marling or using different weights of yarn together.
In addition to this blog post, I have created a printable wardrobe planning worksheet to help you through this process, available here for only $2! Happy stitching!
