I love the comment, done is better than perfect! My new Mantra! Good luck with the sewing. I used to do so much sewing before kids. Now that my baby is 29, I’m ready to get back too it. Plus I’m now a knit every day person. Enjoy your content, keep it up.

Without reading other comments on the length of the sweater: try it on with jeans or other pants to get a better impression of where it will hit at the waist/hip. Harder to tell with dress on underneath. So impressed with your problem solving/alterations tactics though! And love the state fair goals! I’ve entered things in the Minnesota and Nebraska state fairs, and it’s so fun! Even with no ribbon, friends will all want to know where to go to see your entries. Instant star power!

I love the fair, I always spend way too much time looking at the handmade items. People are so talented. Good luck ❤

Congrats on the new machine!! Here for the sewing content!!!! I was a hardcore sewist before i got back into knitting with your Simple Sweater Knitalong. I adore my black heavy-duty Janome machine and i love how your Singer looks. Looking forward to hearing more about it!

Just put the floral fabric in my IKEA cart. I have never sewn with their fabric. I definitely think you should adjust the sleeves on your sweater. If you don’t, you might never wear it. Thanks for sharing your knitting process. It is so encouraging that an expert like you still has to work through your projects.

Leave it oversized! Definitely a warm and cozy sweater for fall, winter, and early spring weather!❤️

Your idea to fix the cat house is great! I thought maybe she didn’t like it because it was too small but perhaps it was a shape after all.

You got me hooked on Ikea fabric. You are an enabler I am going to make shorts for summer. x

Your fig tree is growing like crazy! Love the Singer

I like the oversize look of your cotton and cashmere! Cozy with dark, fitted dress pants would be really nice! What a great reminder about the advantage of knitting a sweater from the top down. Great way to make Dinah's tent just the way she likes it! Your sewing ideas are so AWESOME with that fabulous selection of fabric!! Something in my long ago sewing brain says that the grain of the fabric matters. I wonder if your patterns mention that? Whatever you make will be AMAZING! I like how low tech your new Singer looks! Your sewing area will be so great with all the machines set up and ready to go!! Haha, I hear you with the styrofoam! I see you sewing dust covers for Singer and for Serger... more uses for that fabulous IKEA fabric?! Love your Saturday videos!!

Wow Jen. The 4432 has great reviews on the internet. Great choice lady. This should give you many years of happy sewing. Good luck. Ken😮

You motivated me to dig into the dreaded bag oh WIPs - found a super fun t shirt I had been working on! Now I’m motivated to work on my wrap skirt I bought to sew last summer - thanks for the motivation! I’d say shorten the sweater - it will grow!

Thanks for sharing about IKEA fabric- I had no idea! Ordered a few pieces to try it out, including the big blue/white dots.

Think back. I think your first impression was spot on! It’s so pretty you want to wear it after all that work.

Looking forward to all your sewing projects!!! If the seed stitch sweater is going to be a pain to alter, keep it oversized and use it for around the house on cold days to wear. :)

Sleeve- fold up the cuff rather than sewing. If I remember it did seem long last week. I would do surgery- cut/snip yarn 2 inches short of where you want the edge. Unravel and Pick up like you do for an after thought heal and knit 2 inches of rib. Good luck 🍀

I would leave the sweater hem. It will be so comfy.

Hi Jen! my 2 cents on the sweater - given your indecision - finish the sleeve and then wear it. when you are wearing it you will know if you cant live with it and want to cut it, or leave it. sometimes its best to wait. :)

Hi Jen, I was thinking that maybe a row of stockinette on the sleeves and a stockinette selvedge on the body would have helped and made seaming the pieces easier? I hope you’re going to show us which knits you intend to submit for the state fair? That’s exciting! I got me a new singer heavy duty machine too a few months ago but I got the computerized one. It works great ! The black one looks very sharp 😍 I had to get new clear class 15 bobbins though because I used different ones with my old Kenmore sewing machine but I found a pack of 25 on Amazon for a good price (Singer’s brand). There is this lady I follow on KZfaq that says to use the « styrofoam >> that protected your machine to help clean the cutting mat. Apparently it picks up the tiny bits of thread off it easily. I haven’t tried it myself but I kept some of that foam and hope this trick works. Happy sewing!

I have always wanted to go to the Iowa State Fair! I agree, the seed stitch sweater is a tad too long if you were to wear with jeans.

I saw your video last week about the envelope dress in the ikea floral yellow. I bought the Orange twin bed cover and am now sewing a summer sundress out of this glorious large print. I approve of your ikea fabric choices and might just get the blue dots too. A shirt dress in blue dots, hmmm. Please share what you make.

I think you might have to adjust your sleeves and the length of your grey sweater. With all the time you spent knitting on it, it deserves to be perfect. Love your new sewing machine. There is nothing wrong with owning more than one. I own 2 sewing machines, 1 industrial sewing machine and my serger I bought in 1987. Sounds like fun entering you knit wear to be judged at the state fair.

I hate to even suggest, but for the sleeves, can you pick up and knit down? More work, but it is a nice sweater. Also, Dinah’s tent. What if you remove the pillow for a bit. Just sit it on the couch nearby. Maybe she’ll get n without the pillow? Good luck, I can’t wait to see her loving it!

I need that black sewing machine! 😀

It’s a lovely yarn and colour … I would be tempted to frog it and do it the way you want now, top-down and with no issues around seaming seed stitch. Might as well have it the way you want it and know you will wear?

Hey there, glad you bought the book. Joann has McCalls patterns on sale for $1.99. ME2027 and 2063 are jumpsuits that would be very cute in linen. I’m going to do 2063 today. And knit a tote bag. Probably adventurous on my part and doomed to only get to the sewing. I agree about the styrofoam. UGH! And I can’t handle rubber gloves.

Love the black sewing machine. Unfortunately I already have a sewing machine, heavy duty sewing machine and serger....but that black! Seaming flat pieces of knitting in seed stitch is always tricky. I rather like the extra long sleeves as they are. If you decide to shorten the body, will you have to undo the side seams up to where you want to cut it then do the ribbing in the round? That too sounds like a pain, but I understand the desire to have the length you prefer. The longer length would be great with leggings. Anyway, thanks for sharing. I'm getting ready to explore IKEA fabric online. I think I need to make some cloth napkins out of the narrow striped fabric. So cheerful.

I am channeling my late mother who would tell you “when in doubt, rip it out!” I am still a relatively new garment compared to you, but it has been obvious that if I am not satisfied with something, then I don’t fix it, I don’t wear it.

Dinah might prefer a flatter pillow - maybe one made with leftover IKEA fabric scraps.

Is this a weird thought? What if you made the sweater into a vest? The side without the sleeve looked really cute with the dress sleeve poking out. Then, you could decide whether to shorten it and use your efforts there. I don't think it would be too hard to add a finishing edge to the sleeve openings. The longer length looks great on you, though. Also, wondering if the cat would like the tunnel better without a cushion. This would also make the inside of it roomier.

For your cotton sweater, I think there's too much in the armpit... but it's a dropped sleeve design which tends to do that anyhow. It's not my favorite sleeve design because I don't find it to be particularly flattering to one's arm/shoulder/neck area. And yes, the sleeves seem a bit long, but more at the armpit than at the wrist. DRAT! Isn't that the worst part about knitting garments...?! Yes to entering your knitting in the Fair! Cool sewing patterns and love those fun, large scale fabrics. And no, you can never have enough sewing machines. You need a Singer Featherweight next, it's the OG black sewing machine ;)

Sewing machines I keep mine out as well I put pretty embroidered dresser scarves over to keep dust free with all these fabrics you love and make you happy you could use your scraps to make covers I even have a cover for sock machine I put an elastic head band over the fabric which covers just the cylinder part just as a way of needles can't catch anything plus dust of coarse we like just thirty miles to your north and have a grain elevator which kicks out dust but we have two cats one is a very large kitten about the size of your cat maybe a bit bigger but still very kitten so still curious finding ways to be a kitten if it weren't for that you would just think an older cat by the size....so I am watching the cat tent to see how it goes I have taken one for each cat a box with an open side which I put a t shirt on each box so the neck hole is on open side then I tie sleeves behind it one could pin them but these make the cutest cat caves and they love them.....the other favorite is fareway paper bags so I swap these around never one bag on cave only same two items they would fight like kids....too funny.

On your grey sweater, could you knit 2 rows of stocking stitch at the top of the sleeve to give a smoother section to seam?

Hi Jen, I hate to say this but I agree I think your lovely grey sweater needs to be altered it does look a bit big on you especially length. Love your energy!

The bold prints, which are not quite my style are really you. But I kept thinking when I looked at the one with the plants was that if you turned it upside down, it would be a uterus with fallopian tubes and ovaries. 🤣🤣

Can you make the sleeve join decorative? Intentional bump? The photo looks like the sweater is shorter, hip length, vs longer.

squeaky styrofoam makes my teeth hurt. Ugh. I feel your pain. :) Congrats on the new machine. No you do not need to justify it at all. Do what you want to that sweater. It’s better to take longer and make something you’ll actually wear rather than regret. Have a good week!!

I would finish the sleeves then block it wear it for a while. You can rip it back later if you hate it.

Oh I looked at purchasing the same machine but I decided I have enough 🤦‍♀️😂😂😂😂😂

Your thoughts with the sleeves: maybe they are too narrow, or maybe that was the dress sleeves. The sleeves look long in the photo. I have made a garment in Rowan Cotton Cashmere it is soft next to the skin, so you dont need anything underneath. Best Wishes, Adele

Hey Jen - before you shorten that sweater - would it fit your husband?

maybe the time has passed with the grey sweater. finish it quickly and give it to hubby or a friend. maybe too much time has passed so you are wrestling with your own vision of style today-- its nice and someone will love it long and easy.

Hi Jen, per the sweater, shorten the sleeves and hemline. You should feel good in your knits. I think it would look nicer on your frame, shorten…my opinion❤. The first time I saw the cat tent, I thought about the fact that my cat would have no way of turning around in the tent. She would want to look out toward the room and see us. Dine does not appear to have a way to easily turn around. I agree in giving her a in/out situation. Take care.

My husband got a painting in at the fair so if you go look at the artwork the picture is of a girl hollering

I would redo the sleeves - shorter and looser, so that it is a blockier shape - and make the body shorter - maybe a little more modern look🤷🏼‍♀️

Hi Jen! I'm 11 minutes into your video, but I have a couple questions. 1) Does this sweater spark joy? At all? It clearly sparks insecurity. I think you've done a *great* job on those difficult seams, but they clearly bother you. If it were me, I'd finish and attach that second sleeve, block the sweater, and see if the sweater sparks any joy at all. If not, it's NOT worth it. Re-home that sweater to Goodwill, your husband, etc. 2) The second I saw that cat house in your last video, I wondered: The texture of that industrial felt might be off-putting to your cat. If you take that triangle that you removed, and lay it on the sofa or floor, will she lay on it? I have a feeling that maybe it's the texture that she doesn't like. But who really knows. You know...cats... I bought one of those hand made, felted, spherical houses for my daughter's cat from Etsy, and that cat didn't like it AT ALL.

Good morning Jen, I was knitting in my living room watching you and conversing with you as if you could hear ne. My opinion is to shorten the sweater and the sleeves. You spent a lot of time on the sweater and you don't look like it's comfortable on. Again, in my opinion you look like you are trying to make it work, but you don't really feel that it does work.

I VOTE FOR OVERSIZED on the seed stitch sweater. Nice and cozy 🧶. Don’t feel guilty for having 3 sewing machines. Y mom had 2 regular machines and a serger. She used them all and especially if one machine was in the shop for adjustment , then she had a backup machine. Only feel guilty if you never use one of them.

Hi Jen, I was thinking that maybe a row of stockinette on the sleeves and a stockinette selvedge on the body would have helped and made seaming the pieces easier? I hope you’re going to show us which knits you intend to submit for the state fair? That’s exciting! I got me a new singer heavy duty machine too a few months ago but I got the computerized one. It works great ! The black one looks very sharp 😍 I had to get new clear class 15 bobbins though because I used different ones with my old Kenmore sewing machine but I found a pack of 25 on Amazon for a good price (Singer’s brand). There is this lady I follow on KZfaq that says to use the « styrofoam >> that protected your machine to help clean the cutting mat. Apparently it picks up the tiny bits of thread off it easily. I haven’t tried it myself but I kept some of that foam and hope this trick works. Happy sewing!