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Loom Knitting Cosplay: Demon Slayer Uniform Sweater

Currently, I have cast on and knitted my first sweater parts. So far only have the back done, but I'm going to share my process so you, too, can knit along or try it yourself. 

I will share my supply list, techniques used, calculating the sweater size, and color charts. I think I'll need to make how I do color charts in its own post. Here's a post I made about how I go about making a color chart. 

Supplies

Flexee Loom Chunky 


4 Skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Black
1 Skein Big Twist Natural Blend Winter White



Bobbins, Loom Knit Pick, Stitch Markers, and Yarn Needle (not pictured)

Color charts

Alternative Supplies

You do not have to use my supplies exactly to get this sweater result. 
  • You can use any blend of a Super Bulky Weight yarn (#6) in black and white. You can also use a Bulky Weight (#5) or Worsted Weight (#4), but it will change your gauge, the calculations and color charts will differ. (I made color charts for both weights because I was not sure at the beginning which one I was going to use!) 
  • You can use any 5/8" gauge loom for this project. It does not have to be Flexee. The sweater is knit flat, but you can use a circular loom. 
  • Use a 3/8" gauge loom for worsted weight if you are following this project.  Use the Color chart for bulky weight. (This is roughly the same gauge).

Techniques

I'm not going to explain all the basics in my explanations. So here's a quick reference:

This sweater video shows how to calculate size and is the basis of how I knit the sweater. 

Sizing the Sweater 

The goal is to see how many pegs you need to start knitting and how long you need to knit before you start the decreases. This sweater is made from 4 flat pieces that are then knit together at the neck (Front Panel, Back Panel, 2 Sleeves). Then you can stitch together the rest of the panels. 
I followed the video above, which is also written in blog form on The Loom Muse. 

Now I have planned my sweater to be shorter than the tutorial sweater, so I used the following measurements: 
  • Circumference
    • Neck
    • Bicep
    • Bust (chest for men)
    • Waist
    • Head
  • Lengths
    • Shoulder to Shoulder
    • Back of neck to Small of Back
    • Armpit to Lower Waist (where I wanted the sweater to end)
    • Shoulder to Wrist
    • Neck Length
It is suggested to add a few inches to your measurements for a comfortable fit. (This isn't a sock!) I think I only added 2" more to any circumference.

My gauge was 3 Stitches per Inch and 5 Rows per inch. 
So any circumference measurement was multiplied by 3 and rounded up or down to the nearest whole even number to determine cast-on pegs. 
Lengths were multiplied by 5 to determine the number of rows needed to get that length. I also would round up or down to the nearest whole number. 

I will defer to Scarlet's blog post to explain how to calculate the decrease for the back and front panels and the sleeves. 

Making Color Charts

So, I made a color reference chart for every piece of the sweater. The neck, sleeves, front, and back of the sweater all have color charts. (Or knitting guides). Sometimes I need a more visual representation of a written pattern. 

While planning the project, I was debating between using super bulky and bulky yarn, so I created color charts for both! 

Here are the kanji color charts for both of these yarn weights. The more detailed one can work for worsted weight too. The size for both is about 10 x 10 inches (25 x 25 cm). 
Super Bulky Weight

Bulky/Worsted Weight

I use stitch fiddle to make my charts, so it's possible to copy and paste this smaller chart into my knitting guide so I can find the best placement. 

General Process

The front, back, and sleeves are knitted flat. I cast on in white and knit the ribbing, then knit the color chart.
Loom starts in the round
 

I use a mix of Intarsia and Stranding to make the Kanji and other shapes. 
Changed the loom to flat mode
Once a piece is finished, I take some scrap bulky yarn and a darning needle to set the stitches off the loom and onto the scrap yarn/stitch holder. 
Ready for blocking.
When I have finished the sleeves and the two body panels, I will pin them to my blocking boards and use steam to block the sweater. 

Blocking is the "first wash." It usually sets yarn in a shape. Acrylic yarn needs heat to block, while wool needs moisture. So I will be using a Steam method of blocking. Once dry, the sides and ends should stop rolling up, making stitching things together easier later. 

Then I will put the panels back onto a round loom with enough pegs for all the panels. I will knit in the round for a row, do a decrease row to get back down to my neck size, then knit with a 4 x 1 ribbing pattern changing the colors every so often. Once done, I'll bind off the neck portion, and the sweater will be finished. 
Finished!


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