How much to knit a jersey

[Jamandcheesesandwich]

Hi folks

Quick query
Is it cost effective for materials to knit your own jersey etc
Not taking into account time, just the cost of wool

Thanks

What do you mean by cost effective?

If it's just is it cheaper to knit a jumper rather than buy it it will depend rather on where you are buying the jumper. Buying wool is expensive. High street probably not, posh hand knit artisan type place, definitely.

However, knitting your own means that you end up with the exact colour(s) that you want, the exact style and you can alter it to make sure it really fits.

It totally depends on the pattern, size, type of wool used (some is significantly more expensive) and so on, and what you're comparing it to.
Compared to a top of the range designer Aran hand knitted jumper made of real wool, it's cheaper to buy the skeins of wool, needles and a pattern.
Compared to a polyester pullover from Primark, it's going to be more expensive.

Depending on your size, the pattern, the thickness of yarn and the size of the ball of wool you'll probably be looking at 12ish balls of yarn to make a long sleeved hip length jumper.

So if the wool is acrylic like stylecraft DK at £3 a ball that's close to £40.

A LOT more if you're wanting natural fibres or artisan dyed yarn.

It's rarely cheaper to make your own unless you're unraveling an old jumper and remaking it, the benefit is that you have something to your measurements, in your style that no one else has.

No it's not cheaper to knit it. You are looking at - on average - about 10 balls of 100g yarn to make a long-sleeved, adult jumper. Very cheap acrylic at £1.50 a ball is going to cost you £15, and you could get a similar very cheap acrylic jumper for a tenner in H&M/Primark.

If you want good quality 100% merino or something, you are looking at least £4 for 50g merino mix, and you'd need 20 balls (as they are half as big) so £80.

Wow, thanks so much for the answers
Really helpful

Choose your pattern, choose your yarn. The pattern will tell you how much yarn you will need. A few sums and you'll have your answer - which can be anything from fairly inexpensive (cheap acrylic) to a lot of money (fancy 100% wool)

If you can learn how to use a knitting machine, and you buy the big cones of yarn on ebay, it can be cheaper. Or if you want something really complicated like Fair Isle or Icelandic patterns. And if you can write your own pattern you'll have something unique.