Get ready for the fourth annual Outfit Along! The Outfit Along pairs a sew-along with a knit-along to create a complete outfit that you’ll love, and as always, it’s co-hosted by me and Lauren from LLADYBIRD and will run June 1st through July 31. I’ll be covering the knitting side of things, and Lauren will be sharing her sewing expertise. Our outfit this year is a dress and cardigan combination. The official sewing pattern is the Kim dress by By Hand London, conveniently available online. The official knitting pattern is my new cardigan Anaheim, more on that in a later post. Anaheim will be 20% off until the OAL begins on June 1st when you you checkout on Ravelry using the coupon code OAL2017. Because the goal of the outfit along is to make an outfit you’ll really wear, you don’t have to use the official patterns to in order to participate. You can choose your own patterns to knit a piece and sew a piece that fit your style best. The only requirement is that you knit a garment and sew a garment to make an outfit.

The OAL starts on June 1st and you’ll have until July 31st to complete both pieces and share a photo of them in the Untangling Knots group on Ravelry. The main place for chit-chat will be the Untangling Knots group, but the hashtag #OAL2017 will let you connect with other participants on Twitter and Instagram. We’ll have three sets of prizes, and winners will be drawn randomly from participants who completed their outfit by the deadline and post in the FO thread in the Untangling Knots group. Indie Stitches is back as an OAL sponsor, and they’re providing two sewing patterns for each winner, Winners will also get two Untangling Knots patterns, so they can keep making outfits after the OAL is over.

FAQ

Is it really okay if I don’t make the official patterns?
We want you to make an outfit you’ll actually wear, so we do mean it when we say you can choose your own patterns if you don’t like the official ones. You don’t even have to pick an Untangling Knots knitting pattern. Pick the knitting and sewing patterns that will make the outfit you like best. The only thing you’ll miss out on if you don’t make the official patterns is the extra help that will be available through the OAL blog posts.

What qualifies as a garment? Can I knit socks or a shawl?
For the OAL, garments need to be something like a skirt, a dress, a pair of shorts, a pair of pants, a tank, a tee, a pullover, a cardigan, etc. Hosiery and accessories like socks and shawls don’t count as your knit item for the OAL They’re not a substantial piece of an outfit.

Can I make more than one outfit or extra pieces to go with my outfit?
Yes! There are no extra prize entries for additional pieces, but if you’re having fun and want to keep going, please do. Some ambitious crafters challenge themselves to make as many outfits as possible during the OAL.

Can I start before June 1st or use a WIP?
We would prefer it if you didn’t, but this isn’t something we enforce. The whole idea behind a craft-along is to craft along with other people, so starting early isn’t in the spirit of the event, but it’s not a hard rule because we can’t realistically keep track of that.

Can I make an outfit for someone else?
Yes, but with some limitations. We’d like outfits to be for teens or adults to keep all projects at a similar scale and difficulty level. Knitting a toddler’s sweater is very different from knitting one for an adult, so outfits for small children aren’t part of the OAL.

Can I substitute a crocheted garment for a knit garment?
Yes, they’re similar enough in skill and effort.

I missed the official start date. Can I still join?
Of course! You don’t need to sign up or anything like that by a certain date. You just need to finish your two pieces by July 31st, so if you feel like you still have enough time, dive right in.