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One of the most attractive things about knitting is the ability to change both yarn and pattern to suit your own tastes and needs. Don't like the colour green? Make it grey. Find the kind of wool called for scratchy? Substitute with a fine merino. Don't like 3/4 length sleeves? Add as much length as you'd like.
One of the problems I've found for myself is that sizing often doesn't reach my sizes. I found this out especially with the latest Knit.1 magazine that I bought- there were several pullovers and cardigans that I wanted to make (Habanero Sweater, Backbone, Brioche Rib Pullover, and the Garter Yoke Cardi) that were all too small. And I know that this problem runs the other way too, I don't want to exclude the smaller girls.
There are reasons for this- designers often design for what measurements they know and are comfortable with, and can make adjustments to size up or down a few sizes. When working up a pattern idea, it's easier, faster and cheaper to knit a smaller size prototype. Often if there are design elements like cables, colourwork or lace motifs altering a pattern for a wider size spectrum can be difficult. Also, it's not as easy as simply increasing or decreasing all of the measurements by two inches for each size.
This is the point that got me thinking last week while listening to the episode of Cast On, The Poetry of Code. Brenda Dayne was conducting an interview with Jonathan Whitall who is working on KnitML, a code that could be used as a universal language for writing patterns. One of the feature he was talking about for designers was that is would be easier to size up or down patterns since the math and stitchcounts would be done automatically.
Which would be fine if small, average and big girls (and guys too, and I'm really sorry about the generalization here, but please continue with me) all had the same proportions. But we don't. Even people who are the same sizes will have different body shapes and sweaters will look drastically different on them.
And this is one of the most discouraging things about knitting- you can put in all the money, time and effort into a project and try it on at the end and be so disappointed. You could have gauge, you could have followed the pattern exactly... and wound up with a hot mess. This, I think, is a reason some stop knitting and I find that sad.
One of the things I wish more new knitters knew is that it's okay to knit crap projects. You can knit to the end of something, realize it's crap and pull it all out it you want to. Knitting is all about the learning experience and with each crap projct you should learn more about what you knit and what looks good on you.and what you like.
And like I said earlier about knitting and the ability to customize projects to your tastes and needs- go for it and learn. This is where books are invaluable; one of the best resources I've seen on how to alter projects for your body is the Big Girl Knits and More Big Girl Knits books. The projects are good (this is where I got the pattern for the Bountiful Bohus cardigan I knit in November) but the gold in these books is in the instructions section at the beginnings, learning how to choose patterns, colours, get sized, add bust and waist shaping, use cables and other motifs. Having listened to the KnitPicks podcast with Kelly Petkun, I know that non-big girls have also found this information helpful. It's just a good resource, period.
I think it's unfair to put a lot of criticism onto designers, because of sizing isues. Sure, I'd love to see more designers offering flattering patterns for a wider range of sizes and styles and I think we are starting to see more of this. I know that for a lot of designers (especially people who put things up online) designing isn't their primary job, this is a hobby and/or a supplement. I do wish that print sources (books and magazines like Knit.1) would make an effort to include more variety in the sizing. I also hope that more knitters learn how to customize patterns to make the adjustments that they'd like to see. Essentially, be the change you want to see in the system.
(Oooh, but what I will reserve the right to keep bitching about are sock patterns that say to size up, simply use a larger needle. No, it doesn't work like that, some of us just have thicker legs and going up a size makes the gauge looser and not good for socks. BAH!)
One of the problems I've found for myself is that sizing often doesn't reach my sizes. I found this out especially with the latest Knit.1 magazine that I bought- there were several pullovers and cardigans that I wanted to make (Habanero Sweater, Backbone, Brioche Rib Pullover, and the Garter Yoke Cardi) that were all too small. And I know that this problem runs the other way too, I don't want to exclude the smaller girls.
There are reasons for this- designers often design for what measurements they know and are comfortable with, and can make adjustments to size up or down a few sizes. When working up a pattern idea, it's easier, faster and cheaper to knit a smaller size prototype. Often if there are design elements like cables, colourwork or lace motifs altering a pattern for a wider size spectrum can be difficult. Also, it's not as easy as simply increasing or decreasing all of the measurements by two inches for each size.
This is the point that got me thinking last week while listening to the episode of Cast On, The Poetry of Code. Brenda Dayne was conducting an interview with Jonathan Whitall who is working on KnitML, a code that could be used as a universal language for writing patterns. One of the feature he was talking about for designers was that is would be easier to size up or down patterns since the math and stitchcounts would be done automatically.
Which would be fine if small, average and big girls (and guys too, and I'm really sorry about the generalization here, but please continue with me) all had the same proportions. But we don't. Even people who are the same sizes will have different body shapes and sweaters will look drastically different on them.
And this is one of the most discouraging things about knitting- you can put in all the money, time and effort into a project and try it on at the end and be so disappointed. You could have gauge, you could have followed the pattern exactly... and wound up with a hot mess. This, I think, is a reason some stop knitting and I find that sad.
One of the things I wish more new knitters knew is that it's okay to knit crap projects. You can knit to the end of something, realize it's crap and pull it all out it you want to. Knitting is all about the learning experience and with each crap projct you should learn more about what you knit and what looks good on you.and what you like.
And like I said earlier about knitting and the ability to customize projects to your tastes and needs- go for it and learn. This is where books are invaluable; one of the best resources I've seen on how to alter projects for your body is the Big Girl Knits and More Big Girl Knits books. The projects are good (this is where I got the pattern for the Bountiful Bohus cardigan I knit in November) but the gold in these books is in the instructions section at the beginnings, learning how to choose patterns, colours, get sized, add bust and waist shaping, use cables and other motifs. Having listened to the KnitPicks podcast with Kelly Petkun, I know that non-big girls have also found this information helpful. It's just a good resource, period.
I think it's unfair to put a lot of criticism onto designers, because of sizing isues. Sure, I'd love to see more designers offering flattering patterns for a wider range of sizes and styles and I think we are starting to see more of this. I know that for a lot of designers (especially people who put things up online) designing isn't their primary job, this is a hobby and/or a supplement. I do wish that print sources (books and magazines like Knit.1) would make an effort to include more variety in the sizing. I also hope that more knitters learn how to customize patterns to make the adjustments that they'd like to see. Essentially, be the change you want to see in the system.
(Oooh, but what I will reserve the right to keep bitching about are sock patterns that say to size up, simply use a larger needle. No, it doesn't work like that, some of us just have thicker legs and going up a size makes the gauge looser and not good for socks. BAH!)
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