I had been slowly working on the Miknits 2023 “Alp” sweater, designed by Mariko Mikuni (Hobonichi / 1101, a well-known Japanese lifestyle brand), since last year.
I finally finished knitting it, did the blocking, and thought:
“Yes! It’s finally wearable!”
…But I had no idea I would end up frogging it again. 😂
Ripping Back to the Yoke — Time for a Real Alp Sweater Review
Last year I had already finished knitting the whole thing and had started weaving in the ends.
Then I noticed a split stitch.
While doing the finishing work, I suddenly saw it and thought:
“Ah… this stitch is split.”
And honestly, I wasn’t happy with the overall look of the colorwork pattern either.
So in the end, I made a big decision:
Rip it all the way back to the yoke and re-knit it.
This is definitely part of the “real” Miknits 2023 Alp Sweater Review, right?
Blocking First, Weaving in Ends Later
Once the re-knitting was done, it was time to finish it again.
I had always been unsure about the right timing for weaving in the ends.
At a knitting meetup, a Fair Isle expert once told me:
The fabric stretches or shrinks, so weave in the ends afterward.
Since then, I always block before weaving in the ends.
After re-knitting, the colorwork looks cleaner overall, but the navy zigzag part on the yoke is still a bit uneven.
For details on the process, see my other post:
👉 How to Finish Mohair Yarn (the basic blocking steps are the same)
Trying It On… and Wow, It’s Too Small
Time for the big moment—trying it on.
…Okay, I can wear it.
But honestly? It’s tight. Really tight.
The chest area feels super snug, and if I button it up, it’ll definitely be too small.
And the sleeves…
They’re super tight!!
To be honest, I had a slight feeling during the knitting process.
Something like:
“Hmm… isn’t this coming out a bit small?”
But I was holding onto the faint hope that blocking might stretch it out.
Spoiler: it didn’t.
Not even a little.
And if you’re thinking,
“Did you skip the gauge swatch?”
I actually did swatch!
But Mariko Mikuni’s designs (Miknits / Hobonichi/1101) tend to be slim-fit, and with my body type, making it to the exact gauge often gives me an incorrect fit.
Normally, when I knit her sweaters, I size up.
But this time… I forgot. Completely forgot. 😂
Final Decision: Frog It Again and Adjust the Needle Sizes
So in the end, I made my decision:
I’m going to frog the entire sweater again and re-knit it using larger needle sizes for a better fit.
For this project, I originally used
Japanese size 9 (4.80 mm) and size 12 (5.70 mm).
Next time, I’ll switch to
size 10 (5.10 mm) and size 13 (6.00 mm)
to avoid another sizing issue and hopefully achieve a more comfortable fit.
If you’re curious, here’s a helpful reference:
👉 Knitting Needle Size Comparison Chart
Now I’m ready for my next attempt—
and aiming for a truly “finished,” perfectly wearable Alp sweater! 💪✨
