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Cool Knitting Tools to Make Getting the Right Size Easier

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knit hat design size chartsI collect a lot of links to a lot of different things so I always have lots of options for things to share with you. Sometimes a theme emerges from the things I have found, and lately it seems I’ve found quite a few things that will help you with measurements and the math of knitting.

First, Knitting Daily has a free (with free subscription) ebook full of tips for how to measure yourself. If you’ve ever wondered exactly where a hip measurement is supposed to be take from or what sort of ease you should choose in a pattern, this is a great resource. It also includes four free sweater patterns you can try these principles on and be sure to get a great fit.

Sometimes a knitting pattern doesn’t give you quite all the information you would like when it comes to shaping. All too often patterns will say something like “decrease 10 stitches evenly across the row.” That’s because the designer didn’t want to do the math to figure out how to do that in every size offered. But the good news is there are online tools that can help you figure it out for your size, such as Eskimimi’s Knitulator, which I just recently found. You can figure out how to increase or decrease evenly by putting in how many stitches you have to start with and how many stitches you need to end up with, and it will give you options for how to do it. Easy!

Hats are common projects in the fall and winter and make great gifts, but it can sometimes be difficult to know what size to make, especially if you’re making up a pattern as you go. These great infographics from Cyndi Byars via Petals to Picots are super handy, and show all the measurements you would need to make a hat for anyone, preemie to adult male. You’ll see how big around the hat should be, how tall the body should be before shaping, even how big the circumference of the top should be if you want to knit a hat from the top down. Such great stuff!

Have you come across any great knitting resources lately? I’d love to know what you’re learning!

[Image via Petals to Picots.]

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Krampus Sweater Knitting Pattern

Santa and Saint Nicholas generally get all the good press, but Central European kids know you don’t want to just be good so you get presents from St. Nicholas; you also want to avoid the ire of Krampus. (He’s depicted as a human-like figure with horns and usually hairy or furry who gives birch rods instead of gifts to kids who are bad.)

If you’re the type to embrace the naughty side (or you just want to scare the children into good behavior over the holidays), maybe you’ll want to knit a Krampus sweater.  

This one, from Sofie Amalie Laulund, is a top down circular yoke sweater with Krampus faces at the top and cavorting Krampuses further down the body, with some traditional Scandinavian snowflakes thrown in for fun. 

Because of the large motifs there’s not a lot of room for adjusting the fit, but it is available in five sizes (the Ravelry page doesn’t say what the sizing is, and it says its worked with no ease but the photo looks like the sweater has a bit of positive ease, so if you decide to make this one just check the measurements and your own comfort level for ease when picking a size). 

It also uses five colors, but there’s very little red and brown so you can probably use scrap yarn for those parts. It calls for DK weight yarn. You’ll want a background color that helps the creatures stand out. You could also work the snowflake bands in different colors if you want to mix it up. 

The pattern is available in both English and Danish, and you can find it on Ravelry. This is the designer’s first pattern, which kudos to them because it’s such an ambitious (and fun!) project I’m happy to add to my collection of whimsy-filled knits. 

[Photo: Sofie Amalie Laulund]