• Home
  • Suggest A DIY
  • DIY Newsletter

Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Stamping
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Christmas
  • Search
  • Our Store

Sizing in Knitting Patterns

July 22, by Sarah White. Leave a Comment

talcott berrocoEvery time I write a garment pattern, I think a lot about sizing. Not just the number of sizes to offer and the physical/mathematical work of making the pattern for various sizes, but also more generally about the proper size the garment should be for people of particular sizes.

When I first started out I thought if a pattern said its chest measurement and mine were the same that must be the right size for me. In some cases that’s right, but in others you don’t want a piece of knitting that is your exact same size. A bulky sweater, for instance, or even just a cardigan that’s meant to be worn over another piece of clothing, needs to be bigger than you are to fit well and comfortably.

There are standards for the sizes of people you will find within a given clothing size, but that does nothing to account for ease, which is the fancy term for that extra space that makes a sweater more comfortable. And it’s not always easy to tell the amount of ease that ought to be found in a particular garment for the best fit.

Yarn companies and book publishers are getting better about this. Interweave Knits, for example, has its galleries, which show some garments from the magazine on a range of people or offer tips for customization. I’ve read two books recently that suggested how much ease you should have when choosing what size to knit, and the recent Berroco newsletter took on the issue with its presentation of the free pattern Talcott, which is an oversized sweater worked in a cotton/linen yarn (Berroco Linsey, by the way, which is an absolutely beautiful yarn — great to knit with, soft, gorgeous colors…).

Berroco says that its patterns are always the same garment size even if the measurements vary. So if you know you usually knit a medium, you’ll still want to knit a medium in an oversized pattern to get the proper amount of ease.

That makes a lot of sense, and actually is probably the way most people handle it.

How do you decide which size of a project to make? Any ease horror stories? Spill it!

[Photo by Berroco.]

Next Pattern:

  • Unlock the Secrets of Sweater Sizing with the Rose Thrift…
  • Knitting Patterns Book - 20 Family Aran Patterns
  • Free Patterns - Darn Good Yarn's Best Patterns of 2018…
«
»

Have you read?

Chick Knitting Patterns

Recently I shared a  collection of Easter egg knitting patterns, and as we all know chicks are what comes out of eggs, so it’s only right to share some chick knitting patterns too. Chicks are perfect for spring decor even when it’s not Easter time, and they are so cute and fun to knit, too.

This fluffy chick from Sincerely Louise can also be worked in less fuzzy yarn if you’d rather. It’s worked flat and seamed so it’s a good one for newer knitters who might not be comfortable working little projects in the round. You can grab the pattern on Etsy.

This little chick from Fluff and Fuzz on Etsy looks like it’s still wearing part of its shell! There’s also an option without the white details, and you can knit these little hats as well. They’re worked in DK weight yarn. (She also has a super cute tiny egg shaped chick in a half shell that’s a free pattern on Ravelry.)

If you want ta chick that’s even more in an egg, this egg-shaped chick from Purl Soho may be what you’re looking for. It’s worked in super fine yarn so you can make a bunch of chicks with a skein or two of yarn, or use leftovers to change up the colors.

Alan Dart has a cute pattern that includes two halves of a broken egg and a chick that fits inside. It calls for DK weight yarn.

The spring chick pattern from Barbara Prime is a sweet little bird shape that you could make as other birds worked in different colors. The pattern doesn’t specify yarn weight, so use whatever yellow (or other color you like) yarn you have on hand to make birds of different sizes.

Make a cute, fuzzy, felted chick with the Chick Wobblers pattern from Cindy Pilon (available on Ravelry). These little chicks come in two sizes and have an “internal wobbler” so when you try to tip them over they wobble back up.

Check out this White fluffy Easter Chick knitting pattern over on our Sister site Craftbits.com Fluffy Easter Chick Knitting Pattern.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Explore

Beginner Book Reviews Craft News and Events Free Kntting Patterns Hats Knitting Articles Of Interest Knitting Patterns Knitting Technique & Ideas Quick scarf shawl patterns Sweaters

RSS From The Network

  • Flower Bouquet Cross Stitch Patterns
  • How to make concrete Easter eggs
  • Chick Knitting Patterns
  • Baby Afghans Little Boy Blue Crochet ePattern
  • 20 Must Try Recipes Using Cadbury Creme Easter Eggs
  • 10+ Easter Bunny Cards using Stamps and Dies
  • DIY Farmhouse Wall Shovel
  • Religious Easter Activities for Kids
  • Bobble Knitting Patterns
  • Free Crochet Pattern – Market Bag

Trending popular ideas

Easy Easter Knitting Patterns
The Knitter Behind the "Banshees of Inisherin" Sweaters
Easy Easter Egg Knitting Patterns
What to Do with Single Skeins of Sock Yarn
How to Knit Bubble Stitch
Knit a Cute Washcloth for Spring
Men's Sock Knitting Patterns
A Sweater to Knit for Warmer Days
A Great Simple Tank Top Knitting Pattern
Color Block Duffle Coat and Matching Blanket

Pick Your Blog

  • Sewing
  • Knitting
  • Quilting
  • Crochet
  • Home & Garden
  • Recycled Crafts
  • Scrapbooking
  • Stamping
  • Polymer Clay
  • Cross-Stitch
  • Edible Crafts
  • Felting
  • Glass Art
  • Indie Crafts
  • Kids Crafts
  • Jewelry Making
  • Lesson Plans
  • Needlework
  • Bath & Body
  • Party Ideas
  • Candle Making
  • DIY Weddings
  • Not Craft
  • Free Craft Projects

Copyright © 2023 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy