How Much Does It Cost To Knit A Sweater?
If you’re considering starting a new hobby or are ready to branch into a bigger project of knitting a sweater, you’re likely considering what your costs are going to be.
How much does knitting a sweater cost? The reality is that the cost of constructing a homemade sweater is going to vary depending on various factors. However, most sweaters will likely cost between $60 and $150 to make (but it can cost a lot more).
We’re going to go over all of these factors below so that you can determine just what you’ll need to invest financially to produce a handmade sweater of your own.
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A Quick Breakdown Of General Costs
Before we dive into all the different types of yarns and needles that you can choose from, we’re going to start by discussing the general costs involved in the practice of knitting. These include the following:
- Knitting Needles
- Yarn
- Stitch Markers
- Stitch Gauge
- Stitch Holders
- Scissors
Most of these pieces of equipment are necessities to ensure that you get a nice finished project. If you’ve been knitting for a while, you may not need to use markers or gauges. However, most newbies will need to have these helpful pieces of equipment when knitting their very first sweater.
Knitting Needles
At the basis of the knitting hobby is the knitting needles that are utilized to stitch up the project. Many novices to this hobby picture two straight sticks with a point on the end as the needles. These are referred to as straight needles and are just one of many different needle types that knitters have to choose from.
Straight
These are the most popular type of needle as they’re used for many flat knitting projects. Flat projects are considered those where you knit the right side of the work, then turn it around and knit the wrong side. These straight needles come in a variety of sizes and materials. In general, the bigger your project is going to be, the longer you’ll want to have your needles.
Circular
Circular needles tend to be the best option for beginners as they’re very versatile to use. These needles come with a pair of straight knitting needles that have the non-pointy end attached to a flexible cable. This cable connects both knitting needles together and helps to hold the weight of the yarn when knitting. Circular needles are preferred for instances when you’re required to knit in the round.
Double Pointed
Abbreviated as DPNs for short, double pointed needles are just as their name describes with points at both ends. They’re typically sold in packs of four or five needles. These work similar to circular needles when it comes to stitching things like cuffs, sleeves, tops of hats, mittens, and socks. Instead of working as a circular needle does, these work in rounds.
Interchangeable
Interchangeable needles are a combination of both straight needles and circular needles. They have detachable cables that allow you to work with two straight needles or one circular needle. They also allow you to switch out the cable length that connects the two needles together which can be very helpful when working on a variety of knitting projects.
Cable
Described as oddly shaped, short double pointed needles, cable needles are ideal for holding stitches when you’re creating a cable. While you can interchange these needles for a different tool, such as a double pointed needle, they’re much easier to work with. Beginners to the knitting world should have some cable needles handy so they can have great results when constructing knitting cables in their project.
The cost of knitting needles is going to vary depending on the style you buy, the size, and the material that they’re made out of. If you stick to wood materials, you can expect to pay around $10 to $15 for a set of six needles. If you opt for heftier metal material, you can expect to pay $20 to $25 per set of six. In general, the larger the needle size you purchase, the more expensive it’s going to be.
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Yarn Materials
Next up, we have yarn which is going to be a large portion of your cost investment. There are many different fiber yarns out there to choose from. Depending on how you want your sweater to feel, one fiber is going to be better over another. The most popular fibers include:
- Cotton
Cotton is ideal for making lighter feeling garment because it’s a breathable and light fiber. However, this yarn is very unforgiving when it comes to hiding irregularities in your stitches. This material is best left to those advanced knitters out there. Expect to pay anywhere between $4 and $8 per skein. - Cashmere
This is a very fluffy material that is also soft. It’s not a very strong material, so it shouldn’t be used for garments that are getting worn on a regular basis. Cashmere does tend to run on the more expensive side. This expensive material costs between $20 and $35 per skein. - Alpaca
This yarn is very warm, even more so than traditional wool fabric. This is ideal for a sweater project, however, it doesn’t block as well as wool materials. Alpaca yarn runs around $35 per skein. - Merino Wool
This yarn is very soft and blocks extremely well. One great attribute of Merino wool is that it doesn’t cause the same allergic reaction that regular wool can. However, be aware that it can pill, meaning it can create little fuzz balls. This costs between $8 and $15 per skein. - Wool
Wool is one of the most common types of yarn on the market today. It’s a very durable material that provides warmth. This makes it great for constructing sweaters and it will hold its natural shape for a long time. However, this material can get a little itchy and some people may find themselves allergic to it. Expect to pay around $8 to $15 per skein. - Silk
One of the more lustrous and shiny finishes, this expensive material can allow you to produce some amazing garments. This material isn’t the warmest and can be tough to work with due to its natural slippy attribute. A skein will cost you about $25 to $35. - Acrylic
This is a man-made fiber that is both cheap and a great fiber for new knitters to start out with. Acrylic is great for hiding irregularities in your stitching and will withstand a lot of washing for garments that you wear regularly, such as socks. This will run you around $2 to $4 per skein.
It’s important to note that you can find some mixed fabrics out there. For example, you may find merino wool mixed with silk. These help to bring together the best attributes of both materials into one yarn. You can also find that these mixed materials come in mixed colors to provide a vibrant and unique look for your sweater project.
The cost of the yarn that you’ll need for your project is going to highly depend on the material used, the quantity needed, and the type of packaging that the yarn is sold in. The three most common bundling options for yarns are a ball, skein, and hank. Skeins tend to be the most popular bundling option that you’ll find at your local craft store.
Markers, Gauges, Holders, Scissors
We’re grouping all of these other materials into one category as they’re going to be a one-time expense that you’ll need to invest in for your knitting hobby. The only piece of equipment that you absolutely must have is scissors to cut your material with and they run a couple of bucks a pair. The others are recommended for newbies to the knitting world as they’ll help you to produce a great finished product.
Stitch markers are described as little round enclosures made of metal or plastic that are utilized to mark a specific place in a row while knitting. These markers come in various sizes and are typically sold in packs of 10 to 20 for about $5 a pack. It’s always a good idea to have a lot of these markers laying around.
A knitting gauge is a helpful tool that can ensure you’re producing the right gauge, or level of tension, that your project requires. You can pick one of these up at your local craft store for about $15. Stitch holders are another necessity that is sold in packs of usually 10 to 20 for about $5 to $10. These are important to hold together your stitches that aren’t being used by your needles.
A Summary Of Knitting Costs For A Sweater
We’ve gone into a lot of detail above breaking down all the individual costs associated with knitting a sweater. While we can’t give you an exact price for the sweater that you’re going to make as it will depend on the size of it and the material used, we can give you a strategy to figure it out.
Knitting Needles – $10 to $25
Yarn – $2 to $35 Per Skein
Other Equipment – $30
One last thing we want to discuss when it comes to knitting a sweater is the cost of your time invested in the project. Sweaters can be a big project for even an experienced knitter. For newbies, expect to spend about 50 to 70 hours knitting your first sweater. For experienced knitters, you can get away with about 20 hours of knitting to get a complete sweater.
