This Pullover is one of my most worn sweaters! It has been a staple in my wardrobe that I keep coming back to time and time again. Years ago I knit this out of Knit Picks Stroll Tweed and I've been obsessed with it ever since. I love being able to knit sweaters with budget-friendly yarns. I don't always have the income to purchase those incredible indie dyed yarns that are recommended in patterns. Let me show you how I knit this garment for a third of the price.
The Benton Pullover is designed by Julie Hoover who writes amazing patterns. I've always loved her aesthetic and how simple the garments are to wear. This pullover was no exception.
You can purchase the pattern here- Benton Pullover by Julie Hoover
The only issue I had was with the yarn suggested. She knit it out of Brooklyn Tweed Loft, which is 100% Wool yarn that was on the higher end of my budget.
Brooklyn Tweed loft comes to 16.75$US a skein
For this project, I would have needed 8 skeins for the total sweater in my size. Bringing the total cost to 134$US before shipping and tax
I decided to look on Ravelry for the project pages on what other knitters decided to use for their sweaters. This is a great way to see examples of different yarn companies and how it looks with the garment or item you are thinking of knitting. I had found multiple people had used Knit Picks Stroll Tweed yarns. I decided to purchase some from their website and use this yarn instead.
Knit Picks Stroll Tweed is 6.99$US a skein and I used 7 skeins for my sweater. Bringing the total of the whole garment to 48.96$ US. I couldn't believe the price difference and how much I would save using Knit Picks Yarns. It was one-third of the price of the original yarn.
I used Knit Picks Stroll tweed in Down Heather and Prussian Heather which were colours very similar to the design.
Pictured above is the sample I knit out of Knit Picks Yarn.
A few notes to take when your substituting yarns;
When your substituting yarn you need to be careful about what yarn you're using. The most important thing to look at is can you meet the gauge that the designer used for the project. You should always do a gauge swatch when your about to knit up a garment. This will ensure the end project will fit as intended. You want to make sure as well the yarn weight is the same as the yarn the garment was designed in. This will help you achieve the gauge easier.
The second most important factor to look at is the fiber content. You want to pick a yarn that has a similar fiber content. You don't want to use an alpaca yarn if the yarn recommended is a cotton blend. In the example above the yarn recommended was 100% Wool. I decided to go look on Ravelry at an example of other knitters who knit this design using other yarns. Knit Picks Stroll Tweed came up a few times and I loved how it looked like knit up. Knit Picks Stroll Tweed is a 75% Superwash Merino Wool 25% Nylon. I knew this yarn would be softer and be less rustic than 100% Wool.
Final Thoughts
I LOVED knitting this sweater out of Knit Picks Stroll Tweed. It has quickly become one of my most worn and favorite sweaters. I loved how the Knit Picks Stroll Tweed has held up over time. A little secret about this sweater... I haven't de-pilled it yet. I've been asked how does the stroll tweed hold up, is it super pilly and the answer for me is it's amazing! This sweater was knit in September 2016 and still looks in perfect condition today.
I encourage you to try and substitute yarns during your next garment and have fun with all the possibilities. Let me know below in the comments what patterns have you substituted. What was the most you've saved on yarn for a project?