I have a great deal of difficulty knitting sweaters for myself. They either turn out too big - the usual or too small. Oh yeah, I knit swatches - BIG swatches & do the math & measure but some Gremlin comes in the night, rips out everything I've done & knits it to a bigger size! That's how it must happen because I can't figure out any other way. And I've knit a lot of sweaters over the years - especially for somebody else - and THEY fit properly. Maybe it's a body image thing. Do I see myself BIGGER than I am?? Does my brain automatically compute for a bigger size?
I've had more success with Top-Down sweaters - the ones you can fit as you go. Mainly, because, well, you can TRY it on as you go. Menopause has turned me from an apple shape with big boobs to a cantaloupe with smaller boobs. I came to the realization in my teens at 155 pounds, that I would never have a defined waist or flat stomach unless I was dead. And I had those boobs, four sizes bigger than my butt. I knit sweaters to fit the boobs, but what fit the boobs didn't fit anything else. Maybe that's still the problem. I'm trying to fit the boobs when I should be fitting the belly.
I really want a Wallaby. I like the comfort of a sweatshirt when I'm working in my home office. I've started the darned thing twice - first time around it was based on bust measurement & gauge. At about 8 inches, it looked HUGE. Put it on a long cord & tried it on. It WAS huge. Frogged it all & cast on again less 30 stitches!! Did I mention,
the Wallaby is knit bottom up in one piece to the armhole . . . Second time around, it still looks too big.
Backup Plan. Dug out the
Cabin Fever book "Need a Plus Sized Cardigan?" and decided to work it from the Top Down with a V-neck which I'll cross over - good style for me - and knit down to the hem. I've learned how to do short rows to add fullness for the bust that has decreased with age & the belly that has expanded. I really want to avoid ribbing at the bottom - it just emphasizes the belly. I want a nice fat edge in seed stitch with an open vent at each side edged in seed as well.
I really would like to take that bottom over there on the left & attach it to that top on the right. Here we go again.
1 comment:
Have you tried taking measurements from your favourite sweatshirts? Then you could go from there. You probably need less ease than you think! Also I've discovered that finer yarn seems to make a more flattering sweater than heavier yarn. And it's nearly as warm, at least in wool. Only drawback is more knitting - or maybe that's a plus?
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