In reality, of course, most things don’t change very quickly, except for that one thing coming out of left field that nobody expected and which revolutionalize the world. (She says, as she types a post about knitting into her BLOG.) To say that I enjoyed reading your wonderful guesses about how things would change and how things would stay the same is quite an understatement. Some of my favorite ‘seems likely’ comments? Blogless Diane suggests:

In the future your LYS will have a 3-D scanner to record your measurements and tell you how much yarn you’ll need for a certain pattern. You’ll be able to type in the pattern you’re considering and a screen will show you what the piece will look like on your body. Type in the yarn you like and the screen will show that pattern in the yarn you’ve selected. Add different amounts of ease, waist shaping, different collars and sleeves – ooh, I’m in love with this idea!

Blogless Rachel has a great point about fibers:

Knitting…in the FUTURE! As an astute commenter pointed out above, it will still just be sticks and string – I don’t think the act of knitting will change too much in the future, but rather the instruments and accoutrements. And I do look forward to the fibers of the future – who would have even guessed that in 2010 we would be knitting with steel, corn, milk and more – what will the future bring? Knitting with broccoli fibers? Diamonds? Recycled tires? Can’t wait!

Julie shares a great thought, too:

My other prediction: handknitted garments in beautiful yarns will become an even more valuable antidote to industrial-made, crappy-ass fiber clothing. I don’t even look at commercial sweaters anymore. I’ll just knit my own, thank you very much, in colors, sizes, and fibers that fit me and my personality.

While I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these really thought-provoking guesses about the future of knitting, being a smart-ass at heart I also had a lot of fun with the more far-out suggestions. Jennybookworm’s:

Knitting in the future will include clever needles who will tell me when I drop a stitch and some kind of cool scanner that will let me know early on that a project will be too big/small/ugly!

Specs shared quite possibly the scariest future I can imagine:

Sentient yarn.

And finally, for a lovely little thought reminiscent of Philip K. Dick, Claire posits:

Knitting in the future: we’ll be able to sketch a design on an integrated pad that will have our current dimensions stored, which will be automatically adjusted to be most flattering in shape and fit, then we can design to order the fiber blend, spin and color and order it all up to be delivered through pneumatic tubes. (everything is delivered that way, no one can go outdoors because the air is poisonous)

A little bit of awesome wrapped up in the way we’ll likely doom ourselves. Perfect. I hope you enjoyed reading the comments as much as I did! As for the winner, the random number generator has spoken and blogless Page will be getting a signed copy of Knitting it Old School for her comment:

Maybe knitting patterns of the future will be adaptable for adjustments like your fit to flatter series suggests. You tell it about your body shape and it does the math/revisions for you! Well, a girl can dream…Congrats on the pattern. It looks like a really neat book.

Seems kind of fitting, no? Congratulations, Page! I got your address and will send the book on its way today.

And since I’m loathe to have a post without any pictures at all, how about a shot of some gorgeous Osprey I’m working up for Rhinebeck? The color is “Frank’s Plum” and the yarn is incredible.

(Yup, you read correctly–I’m enjoying aran weight! Maybe the future will be different.)

For now, though, I’m finally ready to release the sock pattern that I’ve had laying around for ages. Just in time to carry you through the rest of your week!

Pyromania is a sock pattern guaranteed to keep you toasty warm this fall.

Sizes: S (M, L)

Final Measurements: Foot circumference measures 6.25 (7.5, 8.75)” / 16 (19, 22) cm

Featured Yarn: The Woolen Rabbit’s Harmony sock yarn in “Oh, Ruby!”: 1 (1, 2) hanks. While I think Kim’s wonderful yarns are some of the best out there, if you want to use another sock yarn you’ll need approximately 275 (360, 460) yds / 250 (330, 420) m for the socks assuming an 8 (9, 10)” / 20.5 (23, 25.5)cm foot length.

Gauge: 8 stitches and 12 rounds = 1” / 2.5 cm in stockinette stitch. Recommended needles are a set of 5 US#1 (2.25mm) double-pointed needles.

Pattern Notes:

The lace pattern at the cuff of this sock is called “Fir Cone Lace”, but I’ve always thought the little circles looked like candle flames. When I found The Woolen Rabbit’s wonderful Harmony sock yarn at a festival in the color “Oh Ruby”, all I could think about was knitting it up into those little flames.

(All photographs copyright splityarn 2010. Do not reproduce without permission.)

Pyromania was born of my love for a little bit of interest combined with lots of stockinette so that I can bring the sock with me everywhere. After you’ve completed the lace panel, the only detailing is a decorative decrease (balanced out by some increased sts) on the side.

I’ve used a standard top-down construction on these socks, with an eye of partridge heel. I love an eye of partridge heel in the subtle variations of a good hand-dyed yarn.

The gussets are your standard fare; the double-decrease detail continues on the instep portion of the sock until the toe, which is closed with your basic kitchener. There really isn’t much more to say about socks–no tips for fit (although keeping the main portion of the sock in stockinette makes it easy to switch between sizes if you have large calves, which is what I did for my own pair). No tips for styling, really.

There is a LOT to say about the yarn, though, mostly along the lines of OMG YOU NEED TO GET YOURSELF SOME RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND. It was a dream to work with, the colors are drop-dead gorgeous, and you won’t believe how soft these socks are. Ahem.

I hope you like them! The Pyromania pattern can be purchased either here or in my Ravelry pattern store for US$5.00.

Thanks for your support!

(Photo copyright Splityarn 2010.)

But before I can do that, I have to tell you about the wonderful surprise that was waiting on my doorstep when I got back late last night!

Knitting it Old School is the most fantastic new book of patterns to come out since sliced bread. You guys, there are three books’ worth of great patterns in this one luscious hardcover. I’m thrilled to have my very first design included in the sci-fi chapter:

Apocalypta is a figure-skimming, futuristic top knit out of Berroco’s aptly-named Seduce yarn. I had a lot of fun playing around with the futuristic theme:

Of course, it has the body-conscious shaping that I find indispensable in my own sweaters.

(I’ll do a more complete round-up on the sweater some time next week, but I needed to give you at least a little peek today.)

As soon as the book was available for pre-order, I snagged myself a copy. Caro and Stitchy later told me that as a contributor I’d get a complimentary copy, too. So now I have a spare! And what better use to put it to than a giveaway?

In honor of Apocalypta’s chapter, to enter to win a signed copy of Knitting It Old School, please leave a comment on this post predicting what knitting will be like in the future. (Insert scary space noises here.) On Friday, August 27th at 5:00pm Eastern time, I’ll draw a random commenter and send them the book!

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed the series!

Well, here we are! Thank you for joining me on this journey for sweaters that flatter as perfectly as they fit. In this final installment, I’ll summarize the basic principles from early on in the series and go through one final advanced topic: What to do when you’re head-over-heels in love with a pattern, when you must make a pattern, but you don’t think the shape of the sweater as written is flattering to your form.

Knitting to Flatter: The Principles.

I began this series by breaking out body types into three categories through the use of imaginary lines drawn at the widest point on the top half of our body (shoulders or bust), the smallest point on our waist, and the widest point on the bottom half of our body (hips or thighs). The differences in these lines tell us whether we’re bottom-heavy, top-heavy, or proportional shapes, and whether our shape is curvy or straight.

Many of the techniques in this tutorial series focus on using horizontal and vertical visual elements in a sweater to balance out and modify the appearance of our basic form. For example, a wide, shallow boatneck to balance out the hip line, a bright and cheery hem treatment to balance out shoulders, a wrap-front cardigan to creates the curve of a waist.

In this part of the installment, I’ll offer a basic review of common visual elements in a sweater and what combinations of those elements best flatter the three major shapes. I’ll discuss modifying considerations for curvy/straight knitters and those with a larger bust before moving into the final topic of this series.

Visual Elements.

There are at least three visual impressions present in every sweater:

• Neckline. The visual impression given by a neckline can be horizontal, vertical, both, or neither. Primarily horizontal necklines are wider than they are deep—a boatneck is a great example. Primarily vertical necklines are deeper than they are wide—a narrow, deep V or a cardigan opened to the bust line are two good examples. When a neckline is both, it opens wide and deep, like many scoop-neck and square-neck sweaters. Finally, the modest crew neck is both narrow and quite shallow. This might draw attention to the neck of the wearer, depending on the rest of the sweater, but it gives a neutral visual impression.
• Sweater hem. The hem of a sweater typically gives a horizontal visual impression and draws the eye to wherever it falls on the wearer’s body. This can be modified somewhat by a curved bottom edge (as is the case with Kate Gilbert’s Sunrise Circle Jacket, for example).
• Sleeves. Similarly, the bottom of any sleeve also draws attention to the portion of the wearer’s body on which it falls. Particularly when the sleeves end in line with the hem of the sweater, they form a primarily horizontal impression. However, there are lots of sleeve varieties in common use. Tulip sleeves and sleeves with asymmetrical hems are common and can form a more neutral or even vertical impression. A deep sleeve cuff treatment can draw the eye to the place on the wearer’s body at the top of the cuff rather than the bottom. Finally, belled sleeves draw attention to the part of the wearer’s body in line with the entire bell, rather than just the edge.

In addition to these visual elements, the design details of any particular sweater will affect how it flatters (or does not flatter) its wearer. Typically, any panel, button band, or other design element that resembles a vertical line will cause that portion of the wearer to look more narrow (cardigan button bands, cable panels, and primarily vertical lace patterns are all good examples). Panels or design elements that resemble a horizontal line will cause that portion of the wearer to look wider. This is often quite flattering, as in a yoked sweater on a bottom-heavy shape. . . but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Waist shaping can keep a sweater from making a curvy knitter appear like a box with some arms. For maximum flattery, the overall fit of the sweater should be somewhat snug, but shaping works wonders even when the sweater is worn with some positive ease.
Finally, some design elements can exaggerate curves for straighter shapes (or curvy knitters who want some extra va-va-va-voom). Wrap sweaters, sweaters with dual vertical panels (see Bonne Marie Burns’s Twist cardigan, below), and sweaters with asymmetrical pattern elements can draw attention to and exaggerate any curves the wearer has.

Of course, this is far from an exhaustive list—for more detail on any particular topic, see the related installment. With these visual elements fresh in our minds, let’s next review the best combinations for the three main shapes.

Three Main Shapes.

Bottom-heavy shapes are defined by a substantially larger “bottom” line, either at the hip (classic pear) or lower at the thighs (this is my shape). Recall that in our trusty group of knitter guinea pigs, Sarah (classic pear) and I (thigh-heavy shape) were the two bottom-heavy examples.

Good guidelines for bottom-heavy shapes are to choose sweaters that exaggerate the width of the top half and minimize the width of the bottom. That is, choose (or modify) sweaters with horizontal elements at the top, and vertical or absent elements at the bottom.

Flattering elements for bottom-heavy shapes:

• Necklines that are wider than they are deep (or that at least are both wide and deep) typically flatter bottom-heavy shapes the best. They draw attention to a delicate collarbone, show off some cleavage, or otherwise highlight the top of a bottom-heavy knitter. Yoked sweaters, which typically have a neutral neckline, are often extremely attractive on bottom-heavy knitters as the wide, eye-catching yoke not only draws attention upward but broadens the appearance of the shoulders as well.
• Sleeves should typically not end in line with the hem of the garment for a bottom-heavy knitter. Often, bottom-heavy knitters look best either in sleeves that are elbow-length or shorter or that somehow break up the visual lines at the bottom of the sweater (see the bright trim on Sarah’s sweater, above).
• It is usually most flattering for a bottom-heavy knitter to wear sweaters that end above their widest point. Tunic-length sweaters are a less-flattering choice if they are fitted. Bottom-heavy shapes are the most likely to be flattered by a cropped sweater.

Less flattering choices for bottom-heavy shapes include sweaters with a strong visual element at the hem, particularly if the sweater also ends at the wearer’s widest point. This tunic-length, bulky sweater leaves me looking rather heavier than my Arm Candy, above.

In contrast, top heavy knitters are defined by a substantially larger “top” line. It is important to note that this can either mean the bust or the shoulders. Many models are actually slightly top-heavy (think of a clothes hanger on an umbrella stand), due to their broad shoulder line. We had examples of a variety of top-heavy shapes in our knit night group:

(From the left: Erin has narrow shoulders and a large bust; Danielle has broad shoulders and a large bust; Beth and Thea have broad shoulders but smaller busts.)

Good bets for top-heavy shapes are to choose sweaters that minimize the width of the top half and exaggerate the width of the bottom. That is, choose (or modify) sweaters with vertical (or absent) elements at the top and horizontal elements at the bottom. Some examples are pictured below:

Flattering elements for top-heavy shapes:

• Necklines that are deep and narrow typically flatter top-heavy shapes the best because they break up the expanse of the torso (as in Nantucket Red which Erin is wearing above). Note that a neckline does not necessarily have to be cleavage-baring to be flattering: A cardigan worn open, like Lara on Beth, above, gives the same vertical impression as a plunging neckline like Danielle’s.
• Sleeves that end at the wearer’s widest point look great on a top-heavy knitter, as do shorter sleeves if they fall at the wearer’s narrowest waist point. Cap sleeves are generally the least flattering choice for a top-heavy knitter, though there are some sweaters with enough other elements to overcome the horizontal line they draw on the shoulders.
• It is usually most flattering for a top-heavy knitter to wear sweaters that end exactly at their widest point. Sweaters that include a substantial and eye-catching hem element are even better, as that hem element can work to visually enlarge the hips to balance the shoulders/bust.
• Finally, top-heavy shapes often look utterly fantastic in a knitted skirt.

Less flattering choices for top-heavy shapes include sweaters with a strong horizontal element on the top of the sweater, either with a bold boat neckline:

Or with horizontal stitch elements combined with Dolman sleeves:

Proportional shapes have equal (or nearly so) top and bottom lines, and so have more freedom (or, put another way, fewer modifications) so long as visual elements used in a sweater balance one another. A good rule of thumb for proportional shapes is that the knitted item itself should look balanced. Yoked sweaters with colorwork repeated at the hem, V-necks or scoop necks with an interesting bottom detail, cardigans worn closed only in the middle, short sleeves, long sleeves, and anything in between can look great on the already-balanced proportional figure.

Flattering elements for proportional shapes:

• Necklines of any shape work, so long as they are balanced by the rest of the sweater. Deep V-necks, with their slimming properties, should be paired with slimming hem treatments or other vertical visual elements. Wide necklines can be paired with belled sleeves or interesting hem motifs. Proportional shapes with smaller busts are the shape most flattered by the classic crew-neck cabled sweater.
• Sleeves should not imbalance the visual impression given by the rest of the sweater. For example, that same deep V-neck sweater (which narrows the torso) will look best when paired with shorter sleeves or sleeves that do not bell or otherwise widen the hip region.
• For sweaters that are generally plain, it is usually most flattering for a proportional figure to choose a hem length that ends above or below their widest point (unlike bottom-heavy figures, proportional figures often look great in tunic sweaters that cling to the hips). If the sweater has an eye-catching visual element on its top, the hem should either be eye-catching itself or it should end at the wearer’s widest point.
• Proportional shapes can often look great in knitted skirts, as well.

In the pictures below, Crystal and Jess have both chosen balanced, flattering tops to their proportional shapes:

It is possible for a sweater not to flatter a proportional figure, despite what you may believe. Typically this is either because the visual elements at play are not balanced with one another, as is the case with Crystal’s vest (the narrowing V-neck is paired with a hem that falls exactly at her widest point):

Or because the sweater in question does not flatter a modifying aspect of the wearer’s figure. Speaking of which. . .

Modifying Factors.

The first modifying factor I’ll discuss relates to the sweater vest below, which doesn’t help Jess look her best: Curves.

Knitters with curves are most flattered by sweaters that preserve (or even enhance) the ins and outs of their shape. This is easiest to accomplish with very fitted clothing but even sweaters with some positive ease, provided they have an inherently curvy shape, can highlight and suggest curves rather than turning the wearer into a box.

Jess has a very classic, curvy shape that is completely obscured by the boxy vest she’s wearing. (The imbalance of the narrow top combined with the hem falling at her widest point is not helping, either.) Her figure would be much more flattered by choosing a shorter vest that buttons snugly across her small waist.

Straight shapes have the opposite challenge: to use visual tricks to create the illusion of curves even where none exist. Typically this is best accomplished by using diagonal, curvy, or asymmetrical lines with the design of the sweater, as is the case with wrap sweaters or (again) cardigans worn with some negative ease and closed only over the midsection. The one often-unflattering thing a straight shape can do is place a straight line on the waist (this highlights its width, sometimes even making it appear larger than the bust or hips).

Busty shapes should generally choose sweaters with elements to break up the expanse of their torso—either through deep necklines (Erin, below left) or (when done well) striking visual elements. A great recent example of the latter is Norah Gaughan’s Orange Pop, featured in the latest Twist Collective. Mary Heather, a busty shape, is exceedingly flattered by the eye-catching yoke, which minimizes her bust and makes it appear less prominent in comparison to the rest of her figure.

Compare the narrowing, minimizing look of Erin in Thea Colman’s Short Lucky

With the bulkier expanse of fabric covering Erin’s bust when she wears a thick turtleneck sweater:

Longtime readers of this series will recognize the sweater on the right as one that flatters Jess’s curvy, proportional shape exceedingly well. The bottom line?

There is no unflattering sweater. There is no unflatterable knitter. The magic lies in finding, or modifying until you have, the perfect combination of the two.

With that brief refresher under our belts, let’s turn our attention to the final topic of this series.

Outside the Box.

At this point in the series, we’ve covered nearly every topic relating to knitting to flatter your shape, at least in brief. But I want to bring focus to a positive, encouraging topic in this last installment: How to have your cake and eat it too.

We’ve focused a lot of attention so far on sweater elements that flatter and those which do not. Sometimes, I think this can make a knitter believe that there are just some sweaters she should put out of her mind—sweaters beyond hope for her figure. This is the opposite of the message I hope you’ll take away from this series.

As we have discussed, there are a plethora of relatively simple modifications to most sweater patterns that can have a strong impact on flattery:

The popular February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne offers many opportunities for modification to best suit the wearer. Several of our group had knit the sweater, each with her own twist. Leaving Erin aside for the moment, notice how Beth and Thea have chosen to wear their sweaters pulled out at the bottom and with longer sleeves, to balance out their tops. Jess chose a nicely fitted size with elbow sleeves that draw all attention to her small waist.

Finally, Erin is wearing my adaptation, the February Fitted Pullover, which is especially suited to a larger bust. Post-children, my bust line is somewhat lower than it used to be and still fairly large—not a figure characteristically flattered by large amounts of solid fabric over the top of my chest. So I took the gull lace pattern edged with garter stitch, the eye-catching and lovely design elements of the sweater, and adapted them to an elbow-sleeve, scoop-necked sweater that would better flatter my form.

Modifying the FLS in this way no longer requires a leap of intuition or inspiration—examples abound on its Ravelry page. Before closing, I’d like to offer you some inspiration and modification ideas for the next big sweater you have to have (but know won’t flatter your form).

Since we’ve covered many of the easier modifications one can (and should) make to a sweater pattern in prior installments, in this section I’ll discuss two categories of more advanced modification: Those that largely leave the original sweater intact, and those that use the original sweater as a jumping-off point.

Think Outside the Box.

Sometimes it can be difficult to see beyond an iconic picture provided with the pattern to make an exceedingly eye-catching change, even if that change is simple. I want to encourage you to try anyway!

Here’s a first example: Cecily Glowik MacDonald’s sweater Goodale, at the top of the charts for most of the summer, features as its main photo a shot of Cecily wearing her sweater up against a cheery blue wall. She, and the sweater, look utterly stunning.

(Photo credit Melissa LaBarre; used with permission.)

Personally, I love everything about this sweater. I love the clever construction, the wide neckline, the gorgeous yarn, the designer’s style, and the way she also appears to love the sweater. I love the many, many examples of other knitters looking just as phenomenal as Cecily herself in their own versions.

However, I also know exactly what my chest will look like when placed underneath those buttons. And I fear what the triangle formed by the buttons and hem will do to highlight my thighs enough that I know I’ll be uncomfortable wearing the cardigan regardless of what it actually looks like. Despite this, Goodale is near the top of my queue.

Whenever you’re confronted by a pattern you adore, but know you won’t be comfortable in as written, think about similar garment constructions that you know work for you (in attitude and in shape). For me, with Goodale, the first thing I notice is that I’m generally very flattered by short-sleeve cardigans. This allows me to focus in on the particular element that I’d want to change: The button placement.

The next step for me is one I’d encourage you to take as well: Sketch.

Here, I’ve sketched out Goodale in a shape that’s likely to be much more flattering to my bustline and waist. To my pleasant surprise, the change I most want to make requires very few, if any, modifications to the pattern itself. Sometimes, all it takes is trying to see the sweater in a slightly new light.

Other times, it can be the entire class of garment that (erroneously) turns a knitter away. A friend commented to me after the last Twist Collective went live that she thought Kiloran, by Cirilia Rose, was utterly lovely but that she wasn’t planning to make it because she didn’t feel comfortable in knit dresses. While I sympathize with (and share) her discomfort, I was surprised to hear her make that statement, because Kiloran’s construction readily lends itself to a number of different modifications. Aside from the fact that it is a dress, I find the most eye-catching elements of Kiloran to be the inset lace panel, lovely sleeves, and the more densely knit (almost woven in appearance) fabric panel encircling the waist.

If we remove the skirt from our minds for the moment, I hope it’s easy to imagine that one could take those three stunning design elements and construct many different variations on Kiloran without changing much of the pattern itself:

Kiloran would be utterly lovely as a sweater; here, I’ve sketched ideas for three very different implementations of this great pattern.
First, a cropped sweater: This would focus precisely in on the wearer’s waist, with a secondary focus on the bust. As further inspiration, I would love to see this variation (fit snugly) on Sarah.

Second, the variation that first popped into my own mind: Swapping out the skirt for a plain hemmed bottom, perhaps with a repeat of the buttons on the side. Depending on fit, waist shaping, and hem length, I think this would be a knockout sweater on me or Erin.

Finally, one could keep the overall proportion of Cirilia’s original design but shorten the dress to a tunic-length sweater (perhaps adding pockets!). This would be utterly, utterly fantastic on Jess and could be taken in either a more fitted direction or a slightly less fitted one.

Again, the trick is to see what you like (in this example, my picks were the lace panel, sleeves and waist), recognize what makes you uncomfortable (knit fabric on my thighs, let’s say), and imagine what the sweater would look like without the element that doesn’t speak to you.

Even when the changes are not difficult to implement, this process might sound like a lot of work—but if it’s a pattern you love? It will be more than worth it when you’re walking around in a sweater that both makes you feel great and indulges your knitterly passions.

Huge Changes.

Sometimes, of course, a knitter’s form really is best flattered by an entirely different sweater. Although lots of people look fantastic in it, this was the case for me personally with the February Lady Sweater. In closing out this tutorial series, I want to encourage you not to give up hope even in those cases. We’ve discussed my modification, the February Fitted Pullover, already—let’s finish by considering ways to preserve the best parts of an entire class of sweater while flattering an entirely different class of knitter.

Yoked sweaters with stranded colorwork are lovely to behold. As written, they typically flatter bottom-heavy or proportional knitters because they widen the appearance of the shoulders. That same widening can often pose an issue for broad-shouldered, top-heavy knitters. In the Ravelry group that has sprung up around this series, I recently read something to the effect of “It’s too bad, too, I really adore the Plum Frost Cardigan.”

(Photo credit Elinor Brown; used with permission.)

While I can’t honestly say that I think Plum Frost would flatter the commenter’s figure, I don’t want her, or anyone else in a similar situation, to give up! Armed with the implementation notes from Installment 9, you can take any pattern you like and turn it into a sweater that pleases you just as much.

Although Elinor’s knitting is exquisite, my bet would be that the big draw of Plum Frost for most knitters is the exceedingly lovely colorwork around the yoke. The big drawback for a top-heavy and broad-shouldered shape is that it’s around the yoke. The problem is not the colorwork, per se, it’s the placement. Repeating the process from earlier in this section, what types of sweaters flatter a top-heavy knitter like our hypothetical one? Sweaters with vertical visual elements on the top, and horizontal visual elements on the bottom. The solution to adapting many yoked sweaters to flatter a top-heavy shape is simply to move the pattern’s horizontal element down from the neckline to the hem.

While the shape of this sweater has changed, such an implementation would be immediately recognizable as a Plum Frost (particularly if it were also steeked and cardiganized). We’ve kept the essential design inspiration of the sweater intact while modifying the canvas on which it appears.

This trick can be applied to many circular yoke sweaters, which tend to be quite popular. As an added bonus, the decreases worked into the yoke can be used on the hem of the sweater too, to accomplish waist decreases in an elegant way. (Can you now imagine what Owls, Cottage Garden, or the Shalom Cardigan might look like when modified in this way?)

Closing Thoughts.

Modifying patterns, or simply using them as jumping points, is a lot easier than you think. When you’re stuck the problem often lies in imagination rather than implementation. When considering modifications to make a pattern you love into a sweater you love, try the following steps:

1. Write down the things that most appeal to you about the design.
2. Write down the things you think absolutely won’t work for you (either for reasons of flattery, style, or comfort).
3. Do some free-association on similar sweater styles that make you look fabulous.
4. Sketch some of those other styles, incorporating your items from Step 1.

Often, you’ll find that the steps you want to take aren’t very complicated after all.

As a designer myself, I want to make one last plea in this portion of the series: No matter what kind of modification you undertake, even if it is a drastic one, please support the designer who inspired you so thoroughly by purchasing the pattern in question (if it is for sale). Even if you only wind up using a chart that you might be able to reverse-engineer, designing is hard work and it’s important to support those who do it well. Thanks.

This Is the End.

Wow. Thank you so very, very much for sticking with me this far! I feel passionately that you should have a closet full of hand-knits that you’re proud to wear wherever you go. In this series, I’ve gone through principles and techniques to help you understand what your own shape is and how the visual elements of a sweater can highlight, draw attention away from, or change the appearance of different parts of your body. We’ve covered how to choose patterns what will play up your best figure elements, how to make modifications simple and complex, the effect different sweater details can have on the overall picture, and more.

It’s my sincere hope that the work I’ve presented in this series will help you take every pattern you love and turn it into a sweater you love even more. I hope you’ve enjoyed the tutorials, and I look forward to what the future holds!

If you’d like to purchase the PDFs of the entire fit to flatter series, please click here: Buy entire series

If, on the other hand, you’d just like to purchase this individual installment, you can do so by clicking here. This installment is 15 printed pages. Thanks so much for your support!

I haven’t been so inspired by a group of sweaters in ages. There are so many wonderful designs, with so many great ideas, that I kind of spun my wheels looking at all of the sweaters for awhile. Over the last week, Metro, Acorns, Olivette, and Peregrine have jumped to the top of my personal list. I’d also like to make a Twinflower for myself, with elbow-length sleeves (still belled, I think–I think it would be a really cute mod) and a lower neckline.

The wonderful folks in the Fit to Flatter ravelry group requested that I do another analysis of this issue, similar to what I did for the Spring 2010 issue in Installment 3. I didn’t contact Twist ahead of time, so no pictures with this one, but I thought you might be interested in the results. Just so that we don’t have a completely picture-free post, here’s a snapshot of some socks I just finished:

(The yarn is The Woolen Rabbit Harmony, in color “Oh, Ruby!”. Just in case you were wondering.)

Now, on to the analysis!

First off, I want to say that in keeping with the Fit to Flatter tutorials, this is not a list designed to keep you from knitting the sweaters you love. If you adore a pattern in this list and you’re not listed in the “As shown, ideal for:” sentence, do not give up on it! Please take everything I say below as being positive in nature. That is, when I say a visual element draws attention to the bust in a way that is especially flattering for busty knitters, please don’t take that to mean that only busty knitters can wear the sweater! This is very far from an exact science.

With that in mind, here are the sweaters:

• Issara: This sweater is all about that wonderful, wonderful collar. Worn open, it creates a horizontal line across the wearer’s shoulders that broadens their appearance and draws the eye up to the shoulder/collarbone area. The purl ridge at the waistline highlights the narrowness of the waist, with additional curves added on the back with the pleat detail. Simple modifications could include shortening the jacket to suit the wearer’s taste, removing the pleat if that is a concern, and waist shaping would be very simple to modify as those sections of the jacket are in stockinette. As shown, ideal for: Bottom-heavy, proportional, curvy/straight, busty/not depending on how it’s worn.
• Hallett’s Ledge: Hallett’s Ledge has a number of vertical visual elements in the button band, cable rib, and plain ribbing portions of the sweater. The horizontal ridge of eyelets, matched between the sleeves and the main body of the sweater, draw the eye directly to that ridge. Thus, changing the location of the ridge would change where the eye is drawn: On the model, it falls directly under her bust; it could also be located at the narrowest point of the wearer’s waist. The garter ridge placement on the sleeves could be changed, breaking up the horizontal visual impression if desired. Additionally, the expanse of a bust could be broken up simply by wearing the cardigan open to the garter ridge (be sure to choose lighter buttons so that they don’t pull the sweater down when worn open). As shown, ideal for: Proportional, smaller bust, curvy/straight.
• Gwendolyn: The gorgeous allover cable pattern of Gwendolyn draws clean vertical lines up and down the wearer’s body; done in a bright color, the contrasting trim call attention to the neckline and hem areas. The deep ribbing on the sleeves does a nice, subtle job of calling out a smaller waist; the depth of this ribbing could be easily modified to call attention higher or lower on the wearer’s toros, as desired. Those wishing to break up the chest area could split the central cable into a lower V-neck quite easily; with the addition of a second cable in the center, I think this would also make a lovely cardigan (which could also be worn open for a few extra inches). As shown, ideal for: Proportional, smaller bust, curvy/straight.
• Red Oak: Red Oak’s easy elegance is all about that central leaf panel. The structured shoulders, cuff, and deep hemmed bottom edge all highlight the portions of the wearer’s body where they fall, but in a subtle way due to the more relaxed fit. The shoulders are *beautifully* tailored in this piece, and draw some attention to the bust area. The A-line nature of the jacket will skim the wearer’s body instead of clinging to their curves. As shown, ideal for: All body shapes, smaller bust, curvy/straight.
• Acorns: The main lace motif of Acorns draws the eye upward to the shoulders, and the triangle tapering of the motif presents the illusion of a narrower waist. The repetition of the acorns on the bottom of the sweater provides some balance with the top, drawing attention to the portion of the wearer’s body it falls on. Sleeve length and body length are easily adjusted here, and can change where the eye is drawn. Waist shaping could also easily be changed to accommodate the wearer’s figure, making this a very flattering and highly versatile sweater. As shown, ideal for: Bottom-heavy and proportional figures, smaller bust, curvy/straight.
• Stratocumulus: The gorgeous and unique collar of this sweater draw attention upward to the wearer’s face. The gentle yoke details provide subtle emphasis to the line of the shoulders, and the 3/4-length sleeves draw the eye to the wearer’s upper hip region. The stockinette torso and sleeves make waist shaping, sweater length, and sleeve length modifications very simple. As shown, ideal for: Bottom-heavy and proportional figures, smaller bust, curvy/straight.
• Kiloran: The delicate, smooth fabric of Kiloran makes modifications extremely simple. As a dress, the seed stitch waist panel draws the eye in on the wearer’s waist, and the fuller skirt provides the visual impression of a curvy figure (whether or not the wearer has one). The nature of knit fabric draws the eye to the wearer’s legs, while the positive ease of the skirt (and the way it will not stretch across the hips) makes this a potentially flattering choice for a wide range of figures. As a dress, ideal for: Top-heavy and proportional figures, any bust, curvy/straight. Kiloran would be easy to modify into either a tunic or a shorter sweater. In sweater form, the shorter sleeves will draw the eye upward to the bust. The inset lace panel provides a nice vertical visual element to narrow the bust/shoulder region, and could accommodate a wide range of bust ease in a flattering way. The seed stitch panel will continue to draw the eye in on the wearer’s waist; there are a variety of options for a sweater hem underneath the waist panel. As a sweater, ideal for: Top-heavy, bottom-heavy, and proportional figures, any bust, curvy/straight.
• Coventry: The swingy shape of Coventry’s body and sleeves draw the eye down to the sleeve/hem region of the wearer’s body, while the scarf and cables provide narrowing vertical visual elements. As with many of the other sweaters, the length of various portions of the sweater can greatly impact where the eye is drawn on the wearer’s body. The A-shape of the jacket will draw attention away from the wearer’s curves (or lack thereof). More attention can be called to the wearer’s collarbone/shoulders by eliminating the scarf detail (which is knit separately and then seamed on). As shown, ideal for: Top-heavy/proportional shapes, small bust, curvy/straight.
• Metro: Metro’s vertical visual elements, in the ribbing, cables, and worn-open cardigan band, give a narrowing impression to the wearer’s body. The waist shaping highlights curves without being tight, and the sleeves draw the eye to the wearer’s waist/hip region. When viewed from the back, the horizontal impression of the cabling at the collar pairs with the hem of the sweater to give balance. Sleeve length, hem, and waist shaping modifications make this a very versatile piece. As shown, ideal for: Top-heavy/proportional/bottom-heavy shapes, any bust, curvy/straight.
• Peregrine: The deep, narrow neckline is Peregrine’s most striking feature, and it beautifully narrows the shoulders and torso of the wearer. The delicate lace trim on the hem and sleeve edges draw the eye to those portions of the wearer’s body, and the ribbing side panels nicely hug curves. Hem, sleeve length, and waist shaping are all easily modifiable on Peregrine to tweak which portions of the wearer’s body are accentuated. Finally, it looks as though the top of the neckline could also be modified to expose more of the wearer’s collarbones, either by performing fewer short rows around the back neck or by rolling the top of the neckline over into a mini-shawl collar. As shown, ideal for: top-heavy, bottom-heavy, and proportional shapes, any bust, curvy.
• Twinflower: The wide, shallow ballet neck and belled sleeve bottoms balance one another out and form the major visual impressions for Twinflower. The neckline draws attention to the wearer’s collarbones, and the belled sleeves draw attention to where the bell occurs–as shown, the hip/thigh region of the wearer. The mini-cables on the front form a narrowing, vertical visual impression and the waist shaping ensures the sweater hugs the wearer’s curves. A couple of simple modifications would make Twinflower a good choice for different body types: The sleeve length could be modified (I think the same belled lace panel would look great on elbow, 3/4-length, *or* full sleeves), drawing attention to wherever the bell falls. The hem and waist shaping could also be modified, and the neckline could be deepened to break up the expanse of a larger bust. As shown, ideal for: Proportional shapes, smaller bust, curvy/straight.
• Sunny Day: Sunny Day’s lovely, cheerful collar is the big story here. It draws the eyes up to the collarbone and the face. A nice twist on the typical swing-jacket implementation, the wider collar actually allows more skin to show, enabling the sweater to nicely accentuate the bust instead of simply covering the whole torso. The contrasting edging on the front of the cardigan draws an eye-catching vertical line, and the contrasting sleeve cuffs accentuate the swingy, breezy bottom edge of the sweater. Sleeve length could easily be modified to pull attention back up to the bust area (I think this would look phenomenal with elbow sleeves, for example), and the sweater’s hem could easily be shortened or lengthened based on personal preference. As shown, ideal for: Top heavy/proportional shapes, curvy/straight.
• Promenade: The finer-gauge, drapey fabric and timeless styling of Promenade will work well for a variety of figures. The combination of the puffed sleeves and wide, deep neckline draw attention up to the bust and collarbones, while the tie accentuates the waist and keeps the top modern. The gentle, figure-skimming hem allows Promenade to look nicely tailored without drawing too much attention to the hip region, keeping all of the focus at the top of the sweater. Modifications of the type described in other sweaters would be simple to do with Promenade too, but I think a great measure of the versatility in this sweater comes from the fact that I suspect the tie could be worn in multiple ways–higher or lower to match the wearer’s waist, tied to the side to accentuate a serious curve, or in the front to break up the smooth fabric over the stomach. As shown, ideal for: Top-heavy/bottom-heavy/proportional shapes, larger bust, curvy/straight.
• Cityscape: Cityscape’s, well, cityscape draws all the attention in this sweater. Like in many yoked sweaters, the yoke’s colorwork draws a horizontal line around the entire top of the wearer’s body (including arms). A nice twist in Cityscape is that the contrast of the colorwork breaks up a larger bust without exposing skin. The neutral hem and stockinette body present easy modification choices to the knitter: Sleeve length, hem, and waist shaping would all be quick changes. The vertical button band provides a narrowing visual element to the front. This sweater could work well for a variety of shapes. As shown, ideal for: Bottom-heavy/proportional shapes, any bust, curvy/straight.
• Olivette: Olivette’s most striking design feature is the repetition of multiple vertical visual elements. Their presence on both the front and back of the cardigan narrow the torso of the wearer from any angle. The button-band can be worn open, as on the model, to highlight the bustline, or it could be worn closed on a smaller bust for an allover slimming effect. The visual distinction between the more intricate center detailing and the stockinette sides slim the figure even more, as the stockinettte sections tend to fade from view. The deep ribbing sections on the sleeve cuffs draw attention to the hip line, and the deep ribbing on the sweater body draws attention up to the wearer’s waist. In addition to the usual modifications, the depth of the ribbing and extra (or less) waist shaping would be simple to change in this sweater. As shown, ideal for:Top-heavy/proportional/bottom-heavy shapes, any bust, curvy/straight.
• Orange Pop: Orange Pop has very clear visual elements in the colorwork sections at the yoke and hem. These balance one another out, and do a clever widening of both regions of the wearer’s body which makes the waist appear correspondingly smaller. This effect is accentuated even more by the elbow sleeves, whose plain hem draw the eye again to the smaller waist. The subtly tailored turtleneck covers up the collarbones, allowing the yoke styling to take center stage. The side slits on the hem treatment ensure that nothing will pull or look tight in the hip region. Orange Pop could be easily modified for a wide array of figures by shortening or lengthening the body, thus changing where the balancing color panel falls. Waist shaping and the usual sleeve modifications would also be very simple. As shown, ideal for: Bottom-heavy/proportional shapes, any bust, curvy/straight.
• Wellfleet: The great texture and double-breasted lapel of Wellfleet make the whole sweater very eye-catching on the wearer. The 3/4 sleeves and shorter hem length fall in the same place on the model, drawing a strong horizontal line on the waist/high hip region of the body. The transition of the main texture from vertical to horizontal on the arms broadens the shoulders in balance with the hem. Length, cardigan closure, and sleeve length would all be easy modifications to this pattern and would change the look quite a bit. Worn open, the cardigan would be all about vertical lines on the wearer. As shown, ideal for: Bottom-heavy/proportional shapes, small bust, straight figure. But, since there were several questions about Wellfleet in the ravelry discussion topic, I want to say that I think the modifications described briefly here would widen its applicability to a variety of different shapes including top-heavy and busty shapes. A quick look doesn’t tell me how easy it would be to add waist shaping, so I would appreciate input from others on that.
• Hazelwood: Hazelwood’s texture makes an eye-catching statement and draws attention to the whole torso of the wearer. The strong vertical lines in the middle of the sweater’s back, and the closures in the front, break up the torso. The almost woven look of the fabric give a tailored and neat appearance without hugging the body closely. The eye is drawn to the high hip region and neckline with this sweater. The lengths could be changed as in other sweaters, and the cardigan could also easily be worn open to the bust line to break up the torso a bit. As shown, ideal for proportional shapes, smaller bust, straight figures.
• Aliquot: Aliquot blends very strong vertical *and* horizontal visual elements in a way that makes the most of curves. The long vertical impression given by the cable panels is expanded horizontally by both the wide collar and sweater hem; it is cinched in at the wearer’s waist by the three ties. This powerful visual combination will accentuate curves for knitters who have them and provide the illusion of curves for those who do not, thanks to the diagonal lines formed by the three waist ties being grouped together in the front. This is a lovely, versatile design. With modifications, this could easily suit other figures: The collar could be shortened to reduce the widening of the shoulders, the cardigan could be shortened to draw attention to the high hip instead of the low-hip/thigh region, and the placement of the horizontal ties could be changed to suit the wearer’s narrowest waist point. As shown, ideal for proportional figures, any bust, curvy/straight.

What were your favorites, if you’ve stuck with me this far?

I feel… well, privileged isn’t a strong enough word, but I can’t think of a better one right now. I feel very, very privileged to be in the company of the utterly fantastic designers who brought us the sweaters in the current issue of Twist. And I couldn’t be more excited about my own design. I am planning on a longer post about the road that led to Twinflower, but things are pretty busy behind the scenes here right now. So for the moment. . .

. . . welcome, Twist readers! I hope you like what you find here. By way of introduction to those who haven’t been here before, I’m a thirty-something mother of two who adores both her math day-job and her creative hobby. Lately, I’ve been writing a series of tutorials on knitting to flatter your inherent shape, doing some self-published design work, and generally enjoying the summertime.

What’s been going on in your world?

This ten-part series is not about making you feel badly about what you have already knit. It is not about making you feel badly about your shape, or about making you feel like you can only knit certain things, in certain yarns. In writing these tutorials, I want to help you learn basic principles for dressing the figure you have in the most flattering way possible.

Every person reading these words has both fabulous assets to show off and a thing or two that you wish would disappear forever (or, in some cases, appear forever). The fact is this: Though I won’t argue that we’d all be healthier if we exercised more, wearing flattering clothes will do much more to change the way you feel about your body than losing weight or gaining muscle will.

As knitters, we have the ultimate power of creating a piece of couture perfectly suited to our figures, every single time. Your hand-knits should make you look and feel like a million bucks, and not just because of the skill required to form the stitches. I want to help you get there.

We’re in the home stretch! Previous installments have given you an army of knowledge, tips, and techniques for flattering your shape. In this penultimate installment, we’ll put what we’ve learned to good use and design a custom sweater. In the final installment of the series, we’ll summarize and cover one more advanced topic.

What’s in a Sweater?

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this series so far, from basic principles to detailed discussion of garment elements. In this installment, I want to begin to tie some of these individual topics together into a coherent whole. Throughout the series so far, I’ve talked about both how to choose patterns that will inherently flatter your shape and about how to modify existing patterns to better flatter your shape. Ultimately, though, the most flattering sweater possible is one that has been custom-designed for your very own body. Constructing such a sweater is the focus of this installment.

Usually you’ll have a fundamental choice to make about sweater construction before beginning this exercise. In this installment, I’m going to focus on a sweater constructed in pieces, from the bottom up. This is for a couple of reasons. First, while there exist many, many books on other sweater constructions and how to customize them for your form, I don’t know of nearly as many resources for bottom-up, in pieces sweaters, despite how common that type of pattern is. Second, there are good reasons for the vast majority of sweaters to be constructed this way: Seams provide for excellent structure and help keep a sweater in the right place on your body. From a pragmatic standpoint, if you decide you don’t like something you don’t have to rip out an entire sweater’s worth of work. Finally, it seems taken as gospel that in order to get a proper fit one must be able to try the sweater on constantly during knitting. Without saying anything at all negative about top-down construction (it’s completely fantastic and definitely has its place), I think this attitude is bogus, and I want to prove that to all of you.

So in this installment, we’ll focus on designing a custom sweater knit from the bottom up, in pieces. For now, we’ll go through the process for a stockinette sweater; later in the installment we’ll talk about patterns and embellishments. Finally, I’ve included a sweater worksheet here that includes spaces for you to note your choices and pull together your design.

Elements.

The first step in designing your ultimate sweater is to think about all the different elements you want to incorporate. You can get more information on any of these topics by revisiting the relevant installments; for the purposes of this design it’s useful to get a worksheet together of your choices.

• Cardigan or Pullover? I think it’s a bit easier to start with a pullover, but for some shapes (and wardrobes) cardigans are so flattering that the tiny bit of extra work is worth it.
• Sweater length. There are three basic choices for length: Cropped (good for certain bottom-heavy and proportional shapes), “normal” length (good for most knitters), or tunic (good for very short-torsoed top-heavy knitters).
• Sleeves. Are there sleeves at all? Short? Elbow? Long? Belled or flutter? There are lots of choices, so remember the basic principle: Sleeves will draw attention to the portion of the wearer’s body that falls in line with the sleeve cuffs. A tank or cap sleeve draws attention to the shoulder/neck area; short sleeve to the bust; elbow to the waist; ¾-length to the high hip, and long to the widest part of the hip. Sleeves that change shape (flutter sleeves, puffed sleeves, ballooned sleeves, etc.) will draw additional attention to the portion of the wearer’s body in line with the change in sleeve shape. For example, long belled sleeves draw the eye from the hip down even further to the top of the thigh.
• Neckline. If you’re bottom-heavy and small-busted, go for broad, shallow necklines. Bottom-heavy and large busted? Broad and deep. Small-busted and top heavy? Narrow and shallow. Large-busted and top heavy? Narrow and deep. Proportional shapes should choose a neckline appropriate to their bust size and think about balancing elements for the hem of the sweater.
• Waist and bust shaping. Hopefully installment 8 is fresh enough in your mind that you can call to mind the choices involved. For now just note down the approximate kind and amount of shaping you’d like to include.
• Hem and sleeve edges. Finally, you’ll need to decide what kind of hem, sleeve, neckline and (possibly) front opening edging you’d like to use on your sweater. If you’re a bottom-heavy shape, consider a plain faced hem and more eye-catching sleeve and neckline treatments (like ribbing). If you’re a top-heavy shape, work something interesting on the hem of your sweater, and keep the trims around your top much more subdued. Proportional shapes should ensure all edgings are balanced.

Measurements.

You’ll also need the precise measurements of the sweater pieces you’re producing. The basic set of measurements you’ll need are pictured in this schematic:

You have a good start with this thanks to the measurements you took for yourself in Installment 4. But you’re not done yet–you have to add some ease.

I know, I know. I spent a decent chunk of the last installment talking about negative ease. Typically, when ease is referenced in our community, we are discussing ease in the bust only. And I really do think that zero ease (or a bit of negative ease) in the bust is the right choice for most women. But when you’re designing a sweater for yourself (and even when you’re knitting one another person has designed), nearly every measurement in the schematic above offers its own choice about ease. Let’s go through them. After calculating each, write them down in the provided worksheet.

1. Hip measurement. Most knitters look good with a little bit of positive ease in the hips—not enough to sag or make the sweater stand apart from your body, if the fabric is stiff, but enough to avoid the sausage look. A good amount is 1”/2.5cm per piece (or 2”/5cm total). This will “read” as ½”/1.5cm larger than your hips when viewed straight on from the front. Take the distance around your hips, divide in half, and add 1”/2.5cm.
2. Waist measurement. The measurement around the narrowest part of your waist. Note that this might not be nicely in the middle of the torso vertically, as I’ve drawn it. Most knitters want a bit more positive ease here than in the hips, since very few of us have washboard abs that don’t pooch out when we sit. I recommend between 2-4”/5-10cm of positive ease in the waist, depending on how form-fitting you like your sweaters. (For reference, I like a very trim fit, and I aim for 2”/5cm in my own sweaters.) The simplest way to get this measurement is to take the measurement around the narrowest part of your waist, divide by 2, and then add 1-2”/2.5-5cm to the resulting measurement. If you have a substantial belly you might consider taking a measurement from side-to-side across both the front and the back separately (see Installment 8 for more information). Write your base measurements plus the ease in your worksheet.
3. Bust measurement. The distance around your bust. Busty knitters will actually want two separate measurements here: around their back and around their front. As I’ve said before, I think a smidge of negative ease works well in the bust. Take your measurements, and either write them down as is or subtract 1”/2.5cm evenly across the front and back. Unless, that is, you’re making a cardigan and you plan to button it over the bust. In this case, you will need an inch of positive ease in the bust to ensure the button band doesn’t gap. Take your measurements, add 1”/2.5cm to them, and write them down. (This is under the assumption that you’ll add the plackets later; if you plan to knit your plackets in-line with the cardigan fronts, add 2”/5cm to your measurements instead.)
4. Cross-chest measurement. Nearly everyone wants a bit of ease here. You don’t want the shoulders of your sweater to have the Flashdance look, but neither do you want them so tight you can’t move. Take the cross-chest measurement you calculated in Installment 4 and add between 1”/2.5cm and 2”/5cm to it, depending on how snug you want your sweater.
5. Neck opening. This is how wide you want your neckline to be. You don’t really want any ease in this measurement. Instead, measure straight across the line of your collarbone to the widest you want the neck opening, and then subtract the distance you want for your neckline edging. Note that your cross-chest number, minus this number, divided by two is the width of the shoulder sections of your sweater. Typically a neck opening ranges somewhere in the 5-10”/13-26cm range.
6. Waist decrease vertical distance. You’ll measure the full hem to waist vertical distance for measurement #8, but it is also a good idea to get a sense of how much vertical distance you want your waist decreases to take. This will be used as a guide rather than a precise measurement. You can measure it on your front or have someone help you measure on your back. Note that very short-waisted people will have a very long distance here; I’m rather long-waisted and tend to only want a few inches of waist decreases.
7. Waist increase vertical distance. Like with measurement #6, it is a good idea to get a sense of how quickly you’ll need to build from the narrowest part of your waist to the fullest part of your bust. (Very curvy, very busty knitters might need to insert multiple darts, for example.) Again, this is separate from the full distance from your waist to underarm shaping. I recommend taking this measurement on your front and adding up to 1”/2.5cm to it if you’re very busty and the sweater will have to travel over curves.
8. Hem to narrowest part of your waist. This is the total distance from hem to the narrowest part of your waist, and will be longer than the portion you want to use for shaping unless you’ve got an exceedingly gentle slope to your waist. There is no ease for this measurement since you’re going to be knitting with positive ease in the waist and hips (and hence the knit fabric won’t be stretched shorter over your body).
9. Hem to underarm shaping. This is the distance from sweater hem to where the armhole shaping begins, which is not right up in the middle of your armpit. A sweater usually sits a couple of inches/5cm down from the armpit. A good place to measure is to the top of the side of your bra. You won’t want to add much to this measurement, if any at all. If you’re very busty, add up to ½”/1cm. If you’re not, use it as is.
10. Hem to shoulder. This measurement is easiest to take with help from a friend, down your back. If you’re using more than an inch of negative ease in the bust, add ½”/1cm to your measurement since the fabric will shorten in length as it stretches over the bust. A small bit of stretching will not matter, but anything substantial will cause the sweater to ride up in front. Measure separately down your front and the back if you’re very busty.
11. Armhole depth. This can be calculated by subtracting measurement 9 from measurement 10. Note that this will have some positive ease over a measurement you take of your actual armhole depth. This is good, if you want to move your arms comfortably.
12. Circumference of sleeve bottom. Depending on where you want your sleeve to end, this may be the same as the circumference at your bicep. (Or you may not be using it at all, if you’re knitting a tank!) Generally speaking you want at least ½-1”/1-2.5cm of positive ease at the bicep, elbow, or forearm, and a bit more at the wrist.
13. Circumference of sleeve top. It’s always a good idea to give yourself a bit of ease at the widest part of your bicep. Short sleeves want less ease, long sleeves usually want more. A cardigan intended to be worn over a shirt will probably want 2”/5cm of positive ease here.
14. Sleeve length to cap shaping. Like most vertical measurements, it is not necessary to add ease to the sleeve length since you’re not knitting your sleeves with negative ease in the circumference. (Negative ease in width will cause the knit fabric to stretch, making it shorter in the process.) Measure your own arm from where you want your sleeve to end to the point where the sleeve cap shaping will occur (again, not right up at the armpit but instead an inch or two (2-5cm) down.
15. Neckline Depth. There is one more measurement you need, and that is the depth of the neckline you want the front of your sweater to have. I didn’t draw this on the schematic because it varies so widely. Take it as follows: Measure from the top of your collarbone straight down against your skin (between your breasts, if you’re busty) to the place you want the top of your neckline to reach. No ease is required for this measurement. In fact, now subtract the length of any edging you want to add to the neckline and write the result down on your form.

At this point, you have selected all of your design’s elements and know the measurements each piece needs. Whew! You have one more decision to make before getting started.

Yarn.

Before you can write your custom sweater pattern, you need to decide what yarn to use. Encyclopedias have been written on the different qualities of the different fibers, so I’ll leave the bulk of this discussion to the experts. (The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, by Clara Parkes, is one excellent reference that springs to mind.) Looking at yarn with a critical eye toward flattery, I find that wool and wool blends are the most attractive choice for a trim, figure-conscious fit: Wool (particularly when the yarn is plied) retains its shape very well, so finished garments made with wool tend to continue to cling to all parts of the wearer’s body equally throughout a day. Yarns made of natural non-wool fibers like cotton and bamboo tend to produce a less elastic fabric that stretches with wear. I feel this makes cotton a better choice for garments intended to have a drapey, swingy feel. When evaluating a yarn for your project, think about the inherent qualities of each fiber and what kind of look the finished product will create.

In addition to the fiber content itself, I want you to think about two things when considering yarn: Weight and fabric density.

We talked a bit about this in the last installment. The denser and more stiff the fabric is, and the thicker the fabric is, the more your body’s shape is going to resemble the shape of the sweater.

In the pictures above, the sweater I’m wearing has extremely dense fabric knit with bulky yarn. My shape is almost completely hidden (hint: I do have a waist). Danielle is wearing a very fine-gauge machine knit sweater, done in a looser gauge for the yarn thickness than my densely knit piece. It drapes her form without distorting her own curves. Generally speaking, getting a supremely flattering sweater is easier to achieve in a fine yarn than a thick one. However, if the thought of knitting yourself a sweater on size 2 needles is scary, you can increase the fluidity of your knitted fabric by knitting a thicker yarn at a slightly looser-than-normal gauge.

(Personally speaking, I pull the sweaters I’ve knit on US2 and 3 needles out of my closet again and again and again, while the bulkier items get less wear. I think I get more value-per-knitting-hour out of my fine-gauge stuff. Your mileage may vary.)

The Perfect Sweater . . . for You.

Okay. You’re armed with a yarn, a set of design elements, and a detailed schematic with all of your own measurements. The rest is just math. And trust me. Math? Totally not scary.

Step One: Draw out your sweater pieces.

The first thing I want you to do is draw out a schematic like the one I’ve given you above, but true to your own design elements. Include a front, a back, and one sleeve (unless you’re making the sleeves different from one another). Draw in shaping on the back but not the front if that’s how you’re going to knit it. Draw in the neckline you plan to use, with the back neckline dropping down just a bit from the shoulders and the front neckline true to scale. This will serve as a plan for your knitting and help prod you to generate the correct knitting instructions.

In this example, I’m going to knit myself a summery short-sleeve pullover with a very simple square neckline. If the drawing makes you nervous, feel free to base your drawing on a schematic from your favorite pattern or magazine.

Step Two: Swatch. No, really.

I know, I know. None of us like to swatch. You don’t like to swatch, they don’t like to swatch, I don’t like to swatch (well, actually, that’s a lie, I do like to swatch, but I realize that puts me over in crazy-land). Most knitters go to great lengths not to swatch, either throwing caution entirely to the wind and just sitting down with needles, pattern, and yarn, or lying to themselves and saying that the sleeve they just cast on is a “swatch”.

To design a successful sweater for yourself, you must. swatch. And by that I mean that you need to sit down with needles and yarn, knit at least a 4”/10cm square, measure it, play with it, feel it, wash it thoroughly, let it dry, and then measure it and play with it again. If you don’t like the fabric, repeat with different needles until you have something that you love. Note how much the swatch grows, if at all. Consider letting it dry hung up, the way a sweater will hang on your body as you wear it. (If there’s a lot of stretch, you’ll need to knit your sweater pieces shorter than you want them to be eventually.)

Before investing hours of your time knitting a truly couture piece, you need to get all the information you can about how the yarn will react in a fabric after washing. After treating the swatch the way you will treat your sweater, get two measurements: your row and stitch gauges, measured over at least 2 but preferably 4 or more inches (that’s at least 5cm and preferably 10cm or more). Write these down on your worksheet.

Step Three: The back.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. You’ll be referencing your sweater “plan” drawing and using your gauge and measurements to calculate stitch counts. In the following list, calculations are in plain font and actual pattern descriptions are italicized. You can find a separate worksheet with blank fill-ins for your personal numbers in a link at the end of this tutorial. For the purposes of the tutorial, I’m going to give you directions for a sweater with vertical waist shaping on front and back and no bust darts. You should modify these instructions as appropriate. Let’s begin!

1. Take your hip measurement (#1) and multiply by your per INCH (or cm) stitch gauge. Round down, if this is an odd number. CO this number of stitches on your chosen needles.
2. Calculate your decreases: Take the difference between measurements #1 and #2. Multiply by your stitch gauge, rounding down to an even number if necessary. This is the number of stitches you must decrease. Because you will lose two stitches on each decrease row, divide by 2: This is the number of decrease rows you must work; call this number N. Take your measurement #8 (hem to waist), subtract 3”/7.5cm. Compare this to your rough guess at vertical waist decrease difference (measurement #6)—they should be similar. Then, multiply this distance by your row gauge to get a number of total rows worked during the decrease portion of your sweater body. Divide by the number of decrease rows (rounding down), and subtract 1. Call this number of even rows worked between decrease rows M.
3. Calculate your shaping marker placement: Divide the number of CO stitches in thirds, adding any remainder to the middle section. Work even in the edging of your choice, followed by stockinette stitch, for 2.5”/6.5cm. On your last row, place markers as follows: Work 33% of the stitches, pm, work 34% of the stitches, pm, work 33% of the stitches. Next row (decrease row, RS): K to 2 stitches before first marker, SSK, sm, k to second marker, sm, k2tog, k to end. Work M rows even. Repeat these rows (N-1) more times: N total decrease rows worked, and you now have (#2 x stitch gauge) stitches. Work 1”/2.5cm even.
4. Calculate your increases: Take the difference between measurement #2 and the back measurement #3. Now, multiply by your stitch gauge, rounding down to an even number if necessary. This is the number of stitches you must increase. Because you will add two stitches on each increase row, divide by 2: This is the number of increase rows you must work. Call this number X. Subtract your measurement #8 from your measurement #9: This is the vertical distance between the narrowest part of your waist and the underarm shaping. You will want to incorporate some straight knitting in this part of the sweater, so check that your estimated measurement #7 is at least 1”/2.5cm less than the difference between measurements #8 and #9. Now, multiply #7 by your row gauge to get the total number of rows worked in the increase section of your garment. Divide by the number of increase rows you must work (X), rounding down. Subtract 1: This is the number of rows you must work even in between increase rows. Call this number Y. Next row (RS): Work to first marker, m1R, sm, work to second marker, sm, m1L, work to end. Work Y rows even. Repeat these rows (X-1) more times: X increase rows worked, and you should now have (#3 multiplied stitch gauge) stitches. Work even until piece measures (measurement #9) inches/cm from CO edge, ending with a WS row.
5. Calculate your armhole decreases. First, subtract measurement #4 from measurement #3 and multiply by your stitch gauge. Round down to get an even number if necessary. This gives you the number of stitches you must decrease total in your armhole shaping. Again, because your decreases come in pairs, divide by 2: This gives you the number of stitches you must decrease on each side of the back of your sweater. Call this number N. Call the number of stitches in 1”/2.5cm of knitting M. If N-M is still a large number, as is likely the case if you are a plus-size knitter, repeat the first two rows of instructions at least once more. BO M stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows. Decrease 1 stitch at each end of every RS row (N-M) times. You now have (#4 x stitch gauge) stitches–call this number A. Work even until piece measures (measurement #10 – 1”/2.5cm), ending with a WS row.
6. Calculate the number of stitches in your neckline. Multiply measurement #5 by your stitch gauge, rounding down if necessary to ensure that the number of stitches currently on your needles minus the neckline stitches is divisible by 2. This is the number of stitches in your neckline (call it B). For the back of the sweater, I recommend binding off (B-4) stitches on your first neck shaping row and then decreasing one stitch at each neck edge every RS row twice to get a bit of a curve to the neckline. If you want to do something different, feel free to fiddle with these instructions as you see fit. Next row (RS): Work (A – (B-4)/2) stitches, BO (B-4) stitches, work to end. Work one WS row even, attaching a new ball of yarn to initial stitches and working each side of the neckline simultaneously. Decrease 1 stitch at each neck edge every RS row twice. Work even until pieces measure (measurement #10) from CO edge.
7. Shape your shoulders. I know I’m using a lot of variables in this list, but trust me: It will make sense once you plug your own numbers into the worksheet. At this point, let’s call the number of stitches you have for each side of the neckline C. You want to bind off these C stitches in two batches, over 3 rows (two bind-off rows with an even row in between them). Next row (RS): BO C/2 stitches, work to end. Turn work, leaving right shoulder stitches alone for now. Work 1 WS row even. BO remaining stitches. Return to held stitches. Work 1 row even. Next row (WS): BO C/2 stitches, work to end. Turn work and work 1 RS row even. BO remaining stitches.

Voila! You now have a sweater back perfectly crafted for your form.

Step Four: The front.

To knit the front of your sweater, you essentially want to repeat the instructions for the back, save placing the shaping markers in a slightly different spot and using your front measurements rather than your back measurements where appropriate. You will also want to shape the front neckline differently from the back. In an attempt at keeping the length of this installment manageable, I’m going to provide instructions for a pullover. If you’ve decided on a cardigan, knit two pieces with half the stitches each (plus any placket stitches you knit in-line with the sweater), and place the shaping markers in the middle of your front pieces.

Since much of the sweater’s front is identical to the back, I’ll only give detail on the steps that differ.

1. Work CO as for back.
2. The process of calculating waist decreases for the front is identical to doing so for the back. If your waist shaping will be identical to the back, simply use the numbers you calculated then. If you desire less waist shaping, re-do the calculation from the back (the variables N and M in later instructions refer to the number of decrease rows you must work and the number of even rows worked between decrease rows, respectively). If you desire no waist decreases on the front, skip to step 4.
3. Calculate your shaping marker placement: Waist shaping markers on the front of sweater are placed one-quarter of the way in from the sides instead of one-third. Work even in the edging of your choice, followed by stockinette stitch, for 2.5”/6.5cm. On your last row, place markers as follows: Work 25% of the stitches, pm, work 50% of the stitches, pm, work 25% of the stitches. Next row (decrease row, RS): K to 2 stitches before first marker, SSK, sm, K to second marker, sm, K2tog, K to end. Work M rows even. Repeat these rows (N-1) more times: N total decrease rows worked, and you should now have (#2 x stitch gauge) stitches. Work 1”/2.5cm even.
4. Again, the process of calculating waist increases for the front is identical to the process for the back. You may desire additional increase rows on the front of your sweater to accommodate your bust, so re-calculate your numbers if necessary. The only possible difference of interest here is that if you are extremely busty the rate of increase might be so high that it makes more sense to insert two vertical darts for bust shaping. If you calculate that you should increase every 3 rows (or more frequently), please see Sandi Wiseheart’s bust dart tutorial series here for excellent instructions on multiple bust darts.
5. Finally, armhole decreases are worked identically on the front and back of the sweater, to ensure that the sleeves will set in properly. If you must decrease additional stitches on the front of your sweater due to bust darts, decrease them into the neckline rather than the armhole.
6. Calculate the number of stitches in your neckline. Multiply measurement #5 by your stitch gauge, rounding down if necessary to ensure that the number of stitches currently on your needles minus the neckline stitches is divisible by 2. This is the number of stitches in your neckline (call it X). Since necklines vary so much from style to style, I can’t really give precise directions for this step. For the front of your sweater, you’ll have to perform your own calculations to determine how to get from your cross-chest number of stitches to (current stitches – measurement #5) stitches for the shoulders. When piece measures (measurement #15) from CO edge, perform front neckline shaping. Work even until pieces measure (measurement #10) from CO edge, attaching a new ball of yarn to held stitches when necessary and ending with a WS row.
7. Shape your shoulders. At this point, let’s call the number of stitches you have for each side of the neckline X. You want to bind off these X stitches in two batches, over 3 rows (two bind-off rows with an even row in between them). Next row (RS): BO X/2 stitches, work to end. Turn work, leaving left shoulder stitches alone for now. P 1 row even. BO remaining stitches. Reattach yarn to held stitches. Work 1 row even. Next row (WS): BO X/2 stitches, P to end. Turn work and K 1 row even. BO remaining stitches.

Congratulations! You now have a perfectly-fitting front and back. If you were making a vest, you’d be done now save finishing and edging. Otherwise, on to the sleeves!

Step Five: The sleeves.

I’m going to do a little bit of buck-passing with the sleeve instructions. The first part is easy: Multiply measurement #12 by your stitch gauge and cast on this number of stitches. Work straight in whatever edging you’ve selected, for as long as you’d like. If measurements #12 and #13 are equal, simply work straight in stockinette until the sleeve measures (measurement #14), ending with a WS row.

Otherwise, subtract measurement #12 from measurement #13 and multiply by your stitch gauge, rounding down to an even number if necessary. Divide by 2. This is the number of increase rows to be worked on the sleeve; call it N. Next, subtract the length worked for the edging from measurement #14. Multiply this number by your row gauge and divide by N, rounding down and then subtracting 1 to get the number of even rows between increase rows. Call this number M. Next row (RS): k1, m1R, k to last stitch, m1L, K1. Work M rows even. Repeat the last rows (N-1) times more. Work even in stockinette until piece measures (measurement #14) from CO edge, ending with a WS row.

Here’s where I’ll direct you elsewhere. The amazing folks at Exercise Before Knitting have blessed us all with an armscye calculator that will tell you, given some information you’ve already calculated, how many decreases must be worked over how many rows to ensure a sleeve cap fits properly. The web form for performing this calculation can be found here.

The only thing you need to know about using this form is that one typically binds off around an inch/2.5cm of stitches at the very top of the sleeve cap, and often binds off half that many stitches on each of the two prior rows. Also, the initial armhole bind-off on each side is identical to the initial armhole bind-off on the first two rows of the sleeve cap.

Once this form has given you the number of decreases and the number of rows, you have two main options. First, you can decrease in more or less a straight line by simply performing some division. This will give you a sleeve that fits neatly into the armhole but is a little trim in the upper arm. You will get a better fit with some knitter’s graph paper. Draw out your initial armhole bind-off stitches (the same as your initial bind-off stitches on the body of the sweater) the appropriate distance apart. Now, using the number of rows in the sleeve cap given to you by the armscye form, draw in the top bind-off rows for the sleeves. Then, using a pencil, draw a bell curve shape between the two points. Translate that into a stepped line corresponding to actual stitches, and then write your instructions down from your line.

Step Six: Finishing it off.

At this point, you have a perfectly fitting sweater—it’s just in pieces. The first thing to do is block those pieces, to ensure they retain their shape and hang together well when seamed. The second thing to do is seam: I like mattress stitch, but you may use what you like. You’ll likely be very excited to wear your sweater now, but it’s worth the time to get a good finish. Work carefully and check your work often.

Finally, you need to work neckline or button-band edgings as necessary. There are a plethora of books on these subjects, so I won’t talk about them here.

Step Seven: Bragging.

Congratulations, you’re done! Your sweater should fit you like a glove and call attention to all of your best parts. Be sure to wear it out to gatherings where knitters and non-knitters alike congregate. It’ll be a great ego boost.

Incorporating Other Elements.

Of course, sometimes you want more than a plain stockinette sweater. Without spending too much time on this topic, there are two ways you can incorporate a fancier stitch pattern: All over, or embedded in “panels”.

An Allover Pattern.

Allover patterns can be both attractive and hide some squishiness around your middle. They can dress the sweater up (often true of lace patterns) or highlight the visual interest of the yarn (often true of textures). To incorporate an allover pattern in your design, it’s easiest if the number of stitches in the body of your sweater at points #1, #2, and #3 are multiples of the stitch pattern repeat itself. If your repeat is small, you can almost certainly achieve this by calculating your stitch counts as above, and then finding the closest multiple of your pattern repeat to that number. Use the multiples, rather than your original calculations, for your pattern.

If the stitch pattern repeat is quite large, you might have no choice but to use your precisely calculated stitch counts. In this case, you can center the pattern repeat on the front, back, or sleeve and work partial patterns on the sides. Decreases in later sections of the piece can also be worked partially on the sides when necessary.

Embedded Elements.

Small sections of patterning can also be added to your sweater, often with fewer calculations and headaches than an allover pattern. Cable panels, such as those in Bonne Marie Burns’s Twist cardigan, below, are an extremely common way to work some visual interest into a sweater.

It is typically quite easy to place these panels in such a way that they do not affect the shaping of the sweater at all. In something like Twist, for example, shaping could occur entirely outside the cabled panels (or at the side seams of the sweater). If you have a visual motif you’d like to work into your sweater, I recommend spending some time sketching it on your schematic drawing until you like where it looks. Then, figure out how to add the shaping around it. Using your schematic sketch as your guide, along with the stitch counts of the motif you’ve chosen, it is a fairly simple calculation to write out instructions including the textured panel.

What’s Up Next.

We’re almost there! We’ve covered a huge amount of ground so far, and I hope you’re feeling confident both in your ability to choose patterns that will inherently flatter your shape and your ability to carry out modifications–including knitting a totally custom sweater. We have one more installment left, and in the series finale I’ll review what we’ve learned and tackle an advanced topic: What to do when the latest “it” design won’t suit your figure . . . but you want to knit it anyway.

I feel passionately that you should have a closet full of hand-knits that you’re proud to wear wherever you go. Helping you understand what your own shape is and how you can choose knitting patterns that will make you look your best are the reasons I’m writing this tutorial series. I hope you’re enjoying them!

(In case you missed it in the body of the installment, here is the worksheet you can print out and use for your own sweater design! Thanks!)

(This tutorial is available in a PDF formatted for printing for a nominal charge of US$2.00: It is 13 printed pages.)

(Chickadee in Pea Coat and Cypress.)

I’m going to try to get the next installment of fit to flatter, due Sunday, out on Saturday this weekend to better fit in with some other scheduling. The topic this time is custom sweater design. I’m both excited and sad to see the series coming to a close. (The last installment, Number 10, will be posted on Sunday, 15 August.) On one hand, I’m sad because this has been such an unexpectedly fantastic experience for me. I’m making connections with some lovely knitters and learning what’s important to me in my own design work in a way I wouldn’t have thought possible.

But on the other hand, new things! Including my very first Fit to Flatter class, on September 25th at the Purl Diva yarn shop in Brunswick, ME. Ellen has been supplying me with utterly fantastic yarn for years, and I’m very excited to work with her. Here’s the shop announcement:

CLASS: FIT TO FLATTER CLASS WITH DESIGNER AMY HERZOG

Designer Amy Herzog will be teaching the concepts of her Fit To Flatter series. In this class, Amy will:

1. Cover the principles of dressing to flatter the shape *you* have, not the shape some other person has or the shape you *think* you should have, or the shape the model in the knitting pattern seems to have…
2. Offer personalized shape analysis in a warm group setting
3. Apply those principles to *your* own shape in the form of knitting patterns.

Prerequisites: None

Date: Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 AM

Fee: $40

Class Size: Maximum of 6

Materials: Please come wearing (or willing to change into) well-fitted clothes because Amy will be taking pictures! Bring along a selection of patterns you love, feel unsure about, or want analyzed. If you’re willing to share them with others, please bring along a selection of your hand-knits, as well.

Exciting, eh? And I think it’s nearly sold out already, so if you’d like to join us be sure to give Ellen a call! I’m really looking forward to wherever this road takes me.

And then some yarns march right up to the head of the line, sail past the security guard, sit right on your lap, and look you directly in the eye. “You cannot do anything else until you’ve worked with me,” they say, “because I really am all that.” I met some yarns like that this past weekend. I had wanted to meet Ms. Cleaver for some time, and it seemed like a good thing to combine with a visit to KnitWit to see the new Quince and Co. yarns. I did take some pictures while we were in the store, but as it turns out my kids had smeared their sunscreeny hands all over my lens cover, so everything I took looked pretty psychadelic.

But the company, the shop, and the yarns were all amazing. Someone actually recognized me, as I was browsing, which totally thrilled me after my initial disbelief. Anna, KnitWit’s owner, could not possibly have been more helpful or friendly. And the yarns… Well, let’s just say they back the diva attitude up with some real substance.

The colors are utterly phenomenal, first of all. They’re saturated, they’re rich, they’re completely solid and gorgeous. But the real story, I think, are the yarns themselves. They seem exceedingly hard-wearing and sturdy, but they have the feel of the most delicate merino. They’re utterly, utterly perfectly crafted. I chose both the Chickadee (NO surprise there)

and the Osprey (yes, even though it’s aran weight!)

because they felt like the right combination of softness and sproing for my taste. But I don’t see how you could go wrong with any of the yarns. The Chickadee is already whispering sweet nothings into my ear. I’m less sure what I’m going to do with the Osprey beyond a basic outline in my head. I hope to wear them both to Rhinebeck.

I’m sure the other yarns will forgive me, right? It’s not like I had any choice in the matter.

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL)

Final Measurements: Bust sizes measure: 32 (36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 50)”/ 81.5 (91.5, 96.5, 101.5, 106.5, 117, 127) cm
Length from hem to shoulder: 23 (23.5, 24.25, 24.5, 24.75, 25, 25)”/ 58.5 (59.5, 61.5, 62, 63, 63.5, 63.5) cm

Featured Materials: Schulana Sojabama (120 yds/110 m per 50g ball), shown in color 23 Dark Olive: 6 (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10) balls or approximately 671 (771, 840, 893, 950, 1048, 1139) yards / 614 (705, 769, 817, 869, 958, 1042) meters in an alternate yarn.

Gauge: 20 stitches and 36 rows = 4”/10 cm in stockinette stitch, blocked. Recommended needle size of US 6.

Pattern Notes:

Bryony is a fitted, drapey tank top for hot summer days, with an aran braid cable twining around the V-neck and down the back. It is knit in two pieces from the bottom up and then seamed together. An applied I-cord edging is worked to finish the armhole and neck edges. Vertical darts are used for shaping, and are placed to ensure that the cables on the front and back of the tank line up properly when seaming.

(All images in this page copyright splityarn. She’s awesome.)

Bryony offers a very balanced visual impression and can flatter a large variety of body types depending on where on the wearer’s body the hem falls. Proportional and top-heavy shapes should ensure that the tank ends at the widest point of their hips; bottom-heavy shapes should wear the tank slightly shorter to end an inch or two above their widest point. The V-neck slims and flatters a larger bust; smaller-busted knitters may want to bring the V-neck up a bit by working an extra inch before splitting the V.

Vertical darts allow for extremely flexible shaping, customized to fit your body. Should you desire less waist shaping than specified, you can omit or decrease the shaping rows entirely on the front of the tank. Bustier women can accommodate their needs by performing more increases on the front of the sweater, and not in the back. These extra stitches can be decreased into the cable on the neckline.

Applied i-cord is used on the unfinished edgings of the sweater and give an unobtrusive but neat, “finished” appearance to those edges. It also stabilizes the openings provides structure. I’m hoping to do a post on the edging later this week–I just adore the way it looks in the tank, and want to share before and after pictures of the armholes with you.

Schulana Sojabama is a glossy, incredibly soft bamboo/soy blend and I highly recommend it. I got mine from the ever-awesome Ellen (and she does mail order!), and it should be widely available around the country. If you’d like to use another yarn, be sure it works to a drapey but opaque fabric at 5 stitches to the inch.

Many thanks to the completely gorgeous Kellee for modeling the sweater. It was a struggle to get the tank back from her, and I hope you enjoy your tank as much as we enjoy this one!

Bryony may be purchased here or from my ravelry pattern store for US$6.00.