A great fitting sweater! It's not just for knitters.
Knit sweaters get all the attention but everyone deserves a sweater they love to live in.Many folks are hesitant to make their own garments because they have a history of clothes just not fitting their body well. Commercial size charts just don't work for many (if not most) of us. If you're gonna spend hours and hours on a garment you want to be able to wear it.
Over the next few blog posts, I'm gonna go over several topics that will put you on the path to loving your handmade sweaters. We'll start off with measuring yourself. You need to know how your measurements compare to what you're making so that you can tell where adjustments need to be made. We'll discuss ease, schematics and determining the best size for your body. There's more to a schematic than just bust size! Lastly, we'll go over how to modify a pattern to create a bespoke garment that you'll wear over and over again.
Let's get started!
The first step to getting a great fit is knowing your measurements. Garments used to just use the full bust measurement to determine size but that can cause other fit problems. Folks who are extra busty will tend to have a garment that keeps slipping off their shoulders because the neckline is too wide and folks who are less busty than average will have a garment that fits too tight everywhere but the bust. We still need the full bust measurement but that's just the start, grab your tape measure, pen and paper, and let's get started.Full Bust
Most folks are familiar with this measurement. We'll be needing this to determine if a bust adjustment is needed. While wearing a typical undergarment for you, use your tape measure to measure the fullest part of your chest keeping the tape measure parallel to the floor.
Upper Chest
This one is probably new to many folks. Upper chest is a better measurement of frame size. Choosing a size based on upper chest means you will have a much better starting point for getting that perfect fit. This measurement goes flat across the back, under your arms and then across your chest above your breasts.