Fit to Flatter Installment 8: Shaping.
Posted on 18 July 2010 | 8 responses
Fit to flatter is a ten-part series of tutorials on choosing and modifying knitting patterns to flatter your shape. These tutorials will be released every two weeks both as blog posts (free) and as separate, professionally formatted PDF files for printing (nominal charge). Should you desire the PDFs, each installment can be purchased from the tutorial page as they are released, or via a “buy now” button at the end of the installment. Individual installments are US$2.00 and at the end of the tutorial series the whole series will be available for $US10.00. All text copyright Amy Herzog and all images copyright splityarn 2010, unless where otherwise noted. I hope you enjoy the series!
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.
Previous installments have focused on determining your own shape, principles for using clothing to flatter, and specific garment elements. In this installment, we cover your best weapon in the quest for flattery in extreme detail: Shaping. The final two installments will close out the series with implementation, advanced sweater modification, and custom sweater design. We’re almost there!
Nearing the end.
Posted on 10 July 2010 | 33 responses
As I near the end of the fit to flatter series (just one more week until the next installment!), I find myself thinking about where I want to go from here. Your response to the tutorials has been overwhelmingly positive and touching, and to my delight people actually seem interested in what I have to say. Sadly, it couldn’t possibly be viable to make the combination of designing and fit to flatter my career. Even as a ‘hobby’, though, there seem to be lots of possibilities. Book? Class? Workshops?
The idea percolating around the top of my head at the moment is a class. One of the best parts about doing these tutorials was the chance to get all of my best knitting buds in the same room and analyze one another, trying a ton of stuff on in the process. We all learned so much about our shapes that day, and I would love to try and capture parts of that experience in a class. While the class would need to cover the basic tutorial material, I really want to figure out a way to incorporate personal analysis into the experience too. I began with two ideas for how to carry this out, and put them to the wonderful people who have joined the fit-to-flatter ravelry group:
I also have a specific question. I can think of two ways to go through serious shape analysis for class participants. The first is to tack up big sheets of paper, have us stand against them, and trace outlines. The second is to bring a digital camera, laptop, and projector? And do the photos as specified in the tutorials (sans workout gear).
Am I missing an option? Which would you rather do, if you took such a class?
The group not only answered my original question, but gave me loads of great ideas for how to make such a class rewarding and fun for everyone. So, I wonder if I could pose a broader request for feedback to all of you? I would have three major goals with a “Fit to Flatter” class:
- First, cover the class material in a more hands-on, personal setting. I think it’s easier, sometimes, to really “get” something if you’re forced to practice it and talk it out (instead of just reading it on a screen).
- Personalized shape analysis for class members, in a friendly setting.
- Application of (1) to (2) in the form of popular or attendee-brought knitting patterns.
Without going into all the notes I’ve generated so far, would you be interested in such a class if it were offered near you? Would you like to walk away from the experience with photos and measurements as described in Installment 4?
Or, if you like, a broader question: What do you think I should do next with fit to flatter?
(And before I sneak back to writing the next installment, which is quite possibly my favorite of the series by the way, can I share a quick snapshot of a sock-in-progress?)
Thanks in advance for your responses!
Fit to Flatter Installment 7: Sweater Length.
Posted on 5 July 2010 | 5 responses
Fit to flatter is a ten-part series of tutorials on choosing and modifying knitting patterns to flatter your shape. These tutorials will be released every two weeks both as blog posts (free) and as separate, professionally formatted PDF files for printing (nominal charge). Should you desire the PDFs, each installment can be purchased from the tutorial page as they are released, or via a “buy now” button at the end of the installment. Individual installments are US$2.00 and at the end of the tutorial series the whole series will be available for $US10.00. All text copyright Amy Herzog and all images copyright splityarn 2010, unless where otherwise noted. I hope you enjoy the series!
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.
Previous installments have focused on determining your own shape, principles for using clothing to flatter, and specific garment elements. In this installment, the seventh out of ten, we wrap up the series of installments on specific garment elements by focusing on the hem of a sweater. The final three installments will cover waist shaping, implementation, and advanced topics. We’re almost there!
Advance notice: Slight Delay.
Posted on 3 July 2010 | 3 responses
Due to the holiday here in the U.S. the next installment of the Fit to Flatter series, which covers sweater length, will be posted on Monday July 5th instead of Sunday July 4th. For those U.S. visitors, happy 4th of July!
By way of apology for the delay, here’s a sneak peek of my next self-published pattern. It’s a lightweight summer tank in Schulana Sojabama, it’s called Bryony, and I’ll be sending the pattern to my tech editor shortly. (So if you wish, you will have plenty of time to whip one up before the dog days of summer are gone.)
Workspaces, Choices
Posted on 24 June 2010 | 18 responses
Thank you all very much for the warm reception for Lucette, for the comments on yarn color, for the response to the sleeves installment, and for being just a fantastic group of readers. Yay for you!
We’ve been on “staycation” the past week, and decided to make a much-needed change in our furniture layout since we were home anyway. The computer is now part of our main living space, which is a good thing, and my knitting stuff has taken over the guest room–also a good thing. I had some help:
And after not too long, I had this shiny new workspace!
I’m madly in love with it. It has a place for all of my swatches to live (man, were they ever outgrowing their binder)…
…it has an incredibly inspiring sock yarn bin…
…and best of all, it has a glorious desk. GLORIOUS, I tell you.
Having a great workspace led to a really productive week. I’m chugging along on the tank and already thinking about what I’ll do for early fall. The problem is, I have a lot of ideas.
Anyone want to pick a favorite yarn in there? What should I do next?
Fit to Flatter Installment 6: Sleeves.
Posted on 20 June 2010 | 9 responses
Fit to flatter is a ten-part series of tutorials on choosing and modifying knitting patterns to flatter your shape. These tutorials will be released every two weeks both as blog posts (free) and as separate, professionally formatted PDF files for printing (nominal charge). Should you desire the PDFs, each installment can be purchased from the tutorial page as they are released, or via a “buy now” button at the end of the installment. Individual installments are US$2.00 and at the end of the tutorial series the whole series will be available for $US10.00. All text copyright Amy Herzog and all images copyright splityarn 2010, unless where otherwise noted. I hope you enjoy the series!
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.
Previous installments have covered all the generalities of determining your own shape and what sorts of sweaters flatter it. Now we’re tackling individual garment elements that are easy to modify and have a big impact on flattery. In the previous installment, we dissected necklines. In this installment we’ll focus exclusively on sleeves. Future installments will cover other garment elements, advanced sweater modification, and custom sweater design.
Procrastinating again (naturally).
Posted on 18 June 2010 | 20 responses
What should I be doing?
…writing the next installment of Fit to Flatter (up Sunday night!), so that I can get to putting together my exciting new furniture from Ikea. I’m finally going to have a real craft space and desk.
What am I doing instead?
Taking pictures of part of my next design.
And maybe thinking about what to do with one of these beauties. Which color do you like best?
Happily ever after: Lucette (FO, design)
Posted on 12 June 2010 | 14 responses
A few nerve-wracking minutes in the dryer, and my “swatches are LIES” sweater was saved. Now, I can share her with you!
Pattern: Lucette, by yours truly.
Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL)
Final Measurements: Bust sizes measure 33 (37.5, 39.5, 42, 44, 46, 50.5)”/84 (95.5, 100.5, 106.5, 112, 117, 128.5) cm. Length from hem to shoulder: 23.25 (23.75, 24.5, 24.75, 25, 25.25, 25.25)”/59 (60.5, 62, 63, 63.5, 64, 64) cm
Featured Materials: Sublime Soya Cotton DK (120 yds/110 m per 50g ball) shown in color 80. 7 (8, 9, 9 10, 11, 12) balls for short sleeve version and 8 (10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) balls for long sleeve version. Pattern requires approximately 787 (902, 976, 1055, 1131, 1243, 1355) yards [708 (812, 878, 950, 1018, 1119, 1220) m] for the short-sleeved version and approximately 959 (1107, 1201, 1296, 1410, 1540, 1638) yds [863 (996, 1081, 1166 1269, 1386, 1474) m] for the long-sleeved version. If using optional beads, you will need approximately 242 (270, 288, 306, 322, 338, 354) for the short-sleeved version and approximately 226 (246, 256, 274, 282, 290, 314) for the long-sleeved version.
Gauge: 22 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, blocked. Recommended needle size of US 5.
Pattern Notes:
This fitted scoop neck pullover is trimmed in English Mesh Lace, with optional beads. It is knit in pieces from the bottom up and then seamed together. The collar is picked up and knit in the round, using smaller needles for half of one lace repeat to pull the neckline in. The sleeves are set in, and vertical darts (also known as princess seams) are used for waist shaping.
(All images in this page copyright splityarn. She’s awesome.)
With minor alterations, Lucette can flatter a variety of body types. Depending on where on the wearer’s body the hem falls, Lucette can look good as written on top-heavy, proportional, or bottom-heavy shapes. The lace at the hem could easily be eliminated if desired (and replaced with a sewn hem). The deep scoop neck especially flatters a larger bust.
Princess seams allow for extremely flexible shaping, customized to fit your body. Should you desire less waist shaping than specified, you can either omit the shaping rows entirely, or omit only the shaping on the front of the sweater. Omitting only the front shaping (or using a smaller amount of shaping on the front) can provide a very nice fit on the small of the back without stretching the sweater too tight in the waist. Bustier women can accommodate their needs by performing more increases on the front of the sweater, and not in the back. This creates vertical bust darts that are exceedingly flattering. The extra stitches increased can be decreased into the neckline.
As with all sweaters, carefully examine the pattern schematic before you knit to note potential modifications. I’ve written this up in 7 sizes, from 33″ to 50.5″ in the bust. I think it looks best with 0″ ease in the bust, and 1-2″ positive ease in the waist. In the pictures, I’m wearing the sweater with 1″ ease in the bust and about 3″ of positive ease in the waist.
One of my favorite elements about this sweater is the way the beads in the lace give a femininity to the sweater without making it cloyingly sweet.
And scoop necklines are an eternal favorite of mine.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the way the design turned out! I need to warn you, though, that the Soya Cotton DK stretches significantly when wet. If you’re using this yarn, please either make a much smaller size or plan to (carefully!) dry the finished object in the dryer before wearing. Other great yarns for this sweater include Berroco Pure Merino DK, Classic Elite’s Wool Bam Boo or Cotton Bam Boo, or any other DK weight yarn.
I hope you love this latest design! You can purchase it for US$6.00 from within ravelry or on this page.
Fit to Flatter Installment 5: Necklines.
Posted on 6 June 2010 | 8 responses
Fit to flatter is a ten-part series of tutorials on choosing and modifying knitting patterns to flatter your shape. These tutorials will be released every two weeks both as blog posts (free) and as separate, professionally formatted PDF files for printing (nominal charge). Should you desire the PDFs, each installment can be purchased from the tutorial page as they are released, or via a “buy now” button at the end of the installment. Individual installments are US$2.00 and at the end of the tutorial series the whole series will be available for $US10.00. All text copyright Amy Herzog and all images copyright splityarn 2010, unless where otherwise noted. I hope you enjoy the series!
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.
Previous installments have covered all the generalities of determining your own shape and what sorts of sweaters flatter it. Now it’s time to tackle individual garment elements that are easy to modify and have a big impact on flattery. In this installment we’ll focus exclusively on necklines. Future installments will cover other garment elements, advanced sweater modification, and custom sweater design.
Full disclosure.
Posted on 31 May 2010 | 7 responses
(Thanks to everyone’s exceedingly positive reaction to the latest fit to flatter installment! I am hoping to catch up on email this week and will get to your questions and comments then.)
Theoretically, I was going to release a new design today.
(Photos copyright splityarn 2010.)
However, although the swatch for this yarn (Sublime Soya Cotton DK) didn’t grow even a centimeter…
…we all know swatches lie. I figure I have 3 options. First, find a model the sweater now fits and who is willing to model for me. Second, knit myself another one either in a different fiber or a different size. Third, both.
We’ll see when the design actually comes out.
In the meantime, here’s a swatch for the next design. A nice light summer tank top in a bamboo-cotton blend. You can bet I will be knitting this one smaller. Just in case.
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