The 2021 Geek-A-Long Sweater is off and running! The first of 2 practice swatches – Electric Company – is ready for download now.

2021 Geek-A-Long Sweater Recap

If you haven’t done so already, the first step is to download the 2021 Geek-A-Long Sweater: On Board Project Sheet. That contains all the details for project materials. If you missed the announcement post, you can check that out HERE. If you missed the FAQ post, you can check that out HERE. This week and next week we’re releasing small practice projects to get you warmed up, gauged, and ready to go when the first clue drops on June 20th.

Click HERE to view the pattern on Ravelry. On the pattern page, click the link to download the pattern and select “add to my library.” Every time a clue releases, the pattern will automatically update in your Ravelry library. We will also be releasing each clue here on the blog. Those will always be found at the bottom of that week’s Geek-A-Long blog posts.

Lattes & Llamas Presents: Geek-A-Long Academy

The prospect of a board games themed jacket has enticed a whole new crop of knitters to the double knitting fold, and I couldn’t be more excited about that! I know that double knitting can seem intimidating at first, but I promise you that if if you can knit and purl, you can double knit. This week we’ve released 3 brand new tutorials:

1. The Backwards Loop Cast on for Double Knitting

2. Double Knitting Basics

3. Double Knitting Bind Off

The Geek-A-Long Academy has been a long time coming! Developing new video tutorials has been something we’ve wanted to do for ages, but it always got put on the back burner. I think the wait was worthwhile though, because I’m super proud of what we’ve finished so far! As we release videos this year, we’ll be organizing them into convenient You Tube playlists. This first play list covers the techniques you need to start double knitting for the first time.

If the On Board sweater will be your first foray into the magical world of double knitting, I recommend starting out with a plain swatch. Just cast on 20 stitches or so with 2 colors and work simple double knitting rows until you feel comfortable with the mechanics of it. Once you are bringing both yarns forward to purl and both yarns back to knit without having to actively remind yourself to do so, you’ll be ready to download the Electric Company swatch and work your first Double Knit colorwork. Once you get the hang of it, double knitting can be very meditative. You don’t have to worry about floats, you don’t have to weave in your ends, and you may even find you don’t need to block it! Want to know a secret? I didn’t block my On Board sweater. I hit a few sections with the steam setting on an iron to smooth them out, and that was it. Double Knitting is basically the black magic of knitting.

I’ll see you next week with tutorials on increasing and decreasing in double knitting.

View Swatch 1: Electric Company by clicking this link or download it by clicking the button below. When you download the pattern from our website instead of through Ravelry, you will NOT receive automatic updates. You will have to come here and download the next clue every time. Please download it via Raverly if you are able, so you have immediate access to the clues as they are released and any errata that may appear.

~Megan-Anne

Llama problem solved.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.