Loooove this shortie chat. It covers so many relatable layers of this handmade garment journey. When you talked about where to measure?! Lawd. The number of ways I’ve seen to approach that. And the hesitation for sewing ✂️?! Hard same.
Totally feel this struggle! It’s so hard to gauge length and fit, I have trouble especially if blocking significantly changes the fabric and have to do a bunch of math or guessing how it will work…
Totally agree! I have wide/broad shoulders and long arms. Top down raglan works best for me. I’ve never tried a top-down circular yoke, because: broad shoulders. I’ve seen pics of those w such a slope… ah, nope, don’t think that would fit. I love drop sleeves, don’t mind the extra yarn where sleeve meets body. However…(!!!)… I don’t like skinny arms w drop shoulder/boxy fit. Depends on where the drop shoulder ends on the arm. And I don’t care for “snug” sleeves at all. I have both Weekender patterns, sitting. waiting. I might have to make a top-down, drop shoulder, crew (or v-) neck sweater, then measure ad infinitum… I won’t talk about sleeves, as that issue is obvious. Always had cold/exposed wrists while growing up. Now, my sleeves are long, bunched up at wrist…. Perfect!! Whew! Sorry for being so long-winded! All these adjustments to sweaters for a better/perfect fit… I guess we become better knitters. Because older patterns certainly didn’t explain A LOT… and every body is different… Math doesn’t bother me (I tend to over-analyze, ahem), but I need to be in the “mood” for “math-ing”. lol Thanks for sharing your dilemma(s). I may not have answers, but nice to know others are in the same boat!
I am still going to try the circular yoke, because I want to, but maybe for a child's sweater for a little less time input 😅. You have a lot of really well-thought through insights on fit and construction! Thanks for sharing!
PS: Additional thought… I reference Barbara Walker’s Knitting From the Top book all. the. time. Perhaps this might help you and others…I consider this book a treasure trove of information!!
Loooove this shortie chat. It covers so many relatable layers of this handmade garment journey. When you talked about where to measure?! Lawd. The number of ways I’ve seen to approach that. And the hesitation for sewing ✂️?! Hard same.
Oh gosh, you're speaking my thoughts exactly on those bottom up sweaters!
Totally feel this struggle! It’s so hard to gauge length and fit, I have trouble especially if blocking significantly changes the fabric and have to do a bunch of math or guessing how it will work…
Totally agree! I have wide/broad shoulders and long arms. Top down raglan works best for me.
I’ve never tried a top-down circular yoke, because: broad shoulders. I’ve seen pics of those w such a slope… ah, nope, don’t think that would fit. I love drop sleeves, don’t mind the extra yarn where sleeve meets body. However…(!!!)… I don’t like skinny arms w drop shoulder/boxy fit. Depends on where the drop shoulder ends on the arm. And I don’t care for “snug” sleeves at all. I have both Weekender patterns, sitting. waiting. I might have to make a top-down, drop shoulder, crew (or v-) neck sweater, then measure ad infinitum… I won’t talk about sleeves, as that issue is obvious. Always had cold/exposed wrists while growing up. Now, my sleeves are long, bunched up at wrist…. Perfect!!
Whew! Sorry for being so long-winded! All these adjustments to sweaters for a better/perfect fit… I guess we become better knitters. Because older patterns certainly didn’t explain A LOT… and every body is different… Math doesn’t bother me (I tend to over-analyze, ahem), but I need to be in the “mood” for “math-ing”. lol
Thanks for sharing your dilemma(s). I may not have answers, but nice to know others are in the same boat!
I am still going to try the circular yoke, because I want to, but maybe for a child's sweater for a little less time input 😅. You have a lot of really well-thought through insights on fit and construction! Thanks for sharing!
PS: Additional thought…
I reference Barbara Walker’s Knitting From the Top book all. the. time. Perhaps this might help you and others…I consider this book a treasure trove of information!!
I am absolutely on the hunt for a full library of Barbara Walker books! Thus far I have volume 4 of her stitch encyclopedias, so much more to see!