The League Series KAL is here!

To celebrate the re-release of the Autumn League Pullover, please join me for the League Series Knit Along! This casual KAL will kick off on October 5th with the launch of a new and improved ALP pattern, totally revamped with eight sizes, a new in-the-round construction, and cleaner, clearer instructions. You can choose any of the four “League Series” patterns including the Autumn League Pullover, Winter League Pullover, Spring League Sleeveless Hoodie, and Summer League Cutoff to participate. Throughout the month we will work on these projects together and encourage each other along the way!

This KAL will be a very informal, go-at-your-own speed type of event. Although it “begins” on Oct 5 with the updated pattern drop, you can join at any time and take advantage of the community connection and support. The main hubs for the KAL will be Instagram and the Crew of Wands Facebook group where those who use my patterns can share and help each other. In this Facebook group, you’ll be able to post updates and WIP shots of your projects, ask questions, and cheer for the other makers participating. It’s a great place to house the KAL because everyone can post, comment, and share in one place. On Instagram, you can use and follow the hashtag #LeagueSeriesKAL to post your updates and search for others doing the same. Throughout the month of October I’ll be in re-sharing your posts on IG and offering support when I can in the Facebook group as well.

What’s the first step?

Gather your supplies! All of these patterns are available for free on my blog, so you can peruse the supply lists to get everything you will need to start so you’re ready to go on October 5.

You can also shop all of these projects as kits - click here!

The kits will include the all of the yarn you’ll need along with the pattern. Note that the kit for the Autumn League Pullover is currently only available in the original three sizes; however, you can add additional skeins to your kit order right from the listing page if you are making one of the newer sizes. Here are the number of skeins of Lion Brand LB Collection Cotton Jeans for each of the new sizes according to your bust measurement (the actual measurements of the finished piece will have additional ease):

XS (bust 28-30”): 5
S (bust 32-34”): 5
M (bust 36-38”): 6
L (bust 40-42”): 6
XL (bust 44-46): 7
2XL (bust 48-50”): 8
3XL (bust 52-54”): 8
4XL (bust 56-58”): 9

*Each 3.5oz/100g skein of LB Collection Cotton Jeans is 218yds/200m. 

Let’s Meet the four designs in the league series!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a KAL and why participate?

A “knit along,” aka KAL, is virtual event (or sometimes in person locally) where a group of people all work on the same project together, sharing their progress along the way while encouraging and supporting each other.

I chose to do this KAL to create a space and time for everyone to connect over the same projects as a way of fostering community. I love that the Crew of Wands Facebook group has become a place for everyone to share and support each other when working on Two of Wands projects. It’s really hard (er, impossible) for me to be able to offer one-on-one help to everyone who needs it, so I started that group as a way for you all to help each other so you’d still feel supported. I figured I could amplify that by hosting a KAL since everyone could work together on the same things and help and encourage each other.

How do I sign up?

There’s nowhere to officially sign up for this KAL, you can just participate when and where you like. While you may have taken part in more structured or even paid KAL events in the past with a sign up and specific dates for different portions to be completed, this is going to be a very relaxed and casual event where you can just pop into the Facebook group or browse the IG hashtag (#LeagueSeriesKAL) as you wish and work at your own pace.

Are these patterns beginner friendly? What if I need help?

All four patterns are in the easy-intermediate range. While I have had some “beginners” complete these projects, you will need some foundational knitting skills. Since all of these patterns are available for free on my blog, you can have a look at them now to determine if you think they are within your skill set. Every technique used in these patterns is also just a youtube or google search away if you’re not familiar with them. The great thing about participating in a KAL is that there will be many others working on the same projects at the same time, so if you run into trouble you can reach out to those in the Facebook group and ask for help and clarification. If you’ve worked out a tricky bit and see someone else struggling with the same issue, pay it forward and explain how you solved it. I will also be popping into the Facebook group throughout the month to offer support. While I won’t be creating specific videos for these patterns, I have linked existing technique-specific videos below that should be helpful:

Casting on

Knit stitch

Purl stitch

M1L and M1R increases

M1Lp and M1Rp increases

Casting on for front neckline

Left and right twists

Dividing for body and sleeves and casting on the underarm

Picking up and knitting stitches

K2tog and SSK decreases

Tubular bind off

Mattress stitch

I already purchased the Autumn League Pullover pattern. Do I need to purchase it again on October 5 to get the new version?

Nope! If you’ve already purchased this pattern I am happy to send you the new version at no cost :) If you purchased on my website or on Ravelry, you will automatically receive the new pattern via email or in your Ravelry library as soon as it is released. If you purchased the pattern on a platform other than my website or Ravelry (for example, Etsy or LoveCrafts), please fill out this form. I am unable to search orders from those platforms for email addresses so unless you fill out the form you won’t receive the new version.

If you purchased the pattern as part of a kit from Lion Brand after June 2020, they will automatically send you the new version. If you purchased the pattern as part of a kit from Lion Brand before June 2020 (before they issued digital versions of kit patterns), please also fill out the form so they can find your order and send you the new version.

Do I have to purchase a kit to participate?

Nope! If you have yarn in your stash you’d like to use, or if you just want to use a different yarn than what I used, you just need to make sure you get the same gauge as what is listed in the pattern so that your finished project has the correct dimensions (even if you purchase a kit or plan to use the same yarn I did, you’ll still want to measure your gauge before beginning the project!). Since these patterns are free on my blog, you can view all of them now to see the gauge and recommended yarn. When looking for a substitute yarn, you’ll want to first look at the yarn category/weight and then choose an alternative with that same weight. Keep in mind that there is still a range of thickness amongst each category, and sometimes you can get the same gauge even if a yarn is in a different category. For instance, I plan to use Color Theory (a category 4 yarn) for my Autumn League Pullover (designed for a category 3 yarn) because I can get the same gauge; however, the fabric will be slightly more dense than the original since the yarn is slightly thicker.

The details for each yarn I used are as follows:

Lion Brand LB Collection Cotton Jeans (Autumn League Pullover)
Category 3, light/DK weight
218yds / 200m per skein

Lion Brand Hue + Me (Winter League Pullover)
Category 5, bulky weight
137yds / 125m per skein

Lion Brand Comfy Cotton (Summer League Cutoff)
Category 3, light/DK weight
392yds / 358m per skein

Lion Brand Color Theory (Spring League Sleeveless Hoodie)
Category 4, medium/worsted weight
246yds / 225m per skein

You can search for popular substitutes here. Make sure you purchase enough of your substitute yarn by checking the yardage per skein and comparing that to the yardage and number of skeins for the recommended yarn in the pattern.

What is ease? How do I know which size to make?

Ease is the difference between your body measurement and the garment’s measurement. A garment can have negative ease, meaning it’s smaller than the body and will stretch in order to fit it, or it can have positive ease, meaning it’s bigger than the body. The more negative ease something has, the tighter it will be on the body. The more positive ease something has, the more oversized it will fit. So for example, if a pattern suggests 10-14” of positive ease and you have a 34” bust, you’d want to make the size that’s closest to the finished measurements of 44-48” for it to fit like the sample.