The Petite Interview Part 2

I really enjoyed doing an interview with Teresa Gregorio of Canary Knits this summer. It's always interesting how someone else's questions help to clarify one's own thinking on a particular topic. I'm going to put some of the interview I did back in July here on my own blog.  There's a lot to digest so this is the second of two posts.  

TG: Another challenge for petite women is that sizing standards assume our bodies are longer than they may actually be; we then have to make any horizontal (and vertical!) modifications in a truncated amount of space, compared to a regular-height knitter. Do you have any tips, advice, or resources you can suggest for petite women (of all ages and weights) with these sorts of issues?

RH: I think the most important thing is to first learn your own preferences and knit accordingly. I made this mistake many times early on. I looked at a great pattern photo, said “I want that” and plunged in without considering the details. If you’ve never worn a dolman sleeve sweater, don’t invest all the knitting time to create it before you know it will make you happy. Look at what is currently in your own closet and what you enjoy wearing. If it’s a silhouette new to you, try on a friends garment or go to a retail store and try the target style on to get a sense of what works.

If you are a petite, chances are you have already purchased clothing from a retailer who targets that segment of the clothing market. Measure those garments (especially the knits) and compare where they fit you and where they don’t. How much ease do you like? Do you prefer tailored styles or loose clothing which flows over the body?

You can continue to use patterns but be aware what you will need to spend time on adjustments. Knitter’s graph paper is your friend. You can print it out in the correct ratio and draw your garment or a specific problem area out.

My series here may be helpful.

Finally, remember you can experiment and make changes to a pattern, there are no knitting police!

TG: What sweater construction would you suggest for a petite person (particularly, one who may have to think about sleeve cap and depth?)

RH: I know many knitters become strong defenders of one form of construction over another. I think every type has its pros and cons. Each construction method can be adjusted to work with a specific body shape. It’s important to understand first what the end goal is in terms of fit and then to secondly address the technical challenges. As an example, often well-endowed petites find top down raglans a challenge because the classic design has an increase rate which makes the armholes too deep by the time the bust is large enough. My fix is to cast on more stitches on the front to increase the size there and I cast on more stitches at the underarm to solve the circumference problem and keep armhole depth appropriate.

TG: Would you suggest any sweater constructions to avoid in particular if you are petite and need to adjust sleeve depth or any other vertical measurements?

RH: No I don’t think we need to avoid any specific construction types, for me it’s more about shapes and silhouettes which are sometimes driven by the construction. I think we need to make sure that things are proportionally correct. I suspect we petites end up suspicious of some silhouettes because we try them on in regular sizes and feel overwhelmed by the extra length and the overly wide necklines and shoulders. Once those issues are resolved I don’t see the problems being specific to construction. 

I do sometimes see problems with the scale of design elements. A very wide cable panel may look different in relation to the overall sweater if it’s been shortened significantly. The rectangle which is the torso of our body does become squarer in nature for shorter women. Certain stitch patterns may not work if the canvas of the body isn’t big enough to carry them. However, I do want to emphasize this should be about pleasing yourself and being comfortable in your clothing not about addressing some perceived figure flaw. I would suggest knitters focus on a specific silhouette and work on several garments in that style and construction before moving on to another one. Each project will be incrementally better and you will learn faster.

TG: I love the discussion you outline in your post here:
“Most hand knitting patterns come in from 3 to about 7 sizes with no variation in length or figure type. There are many reasons for this simplification; several being due to cost, publication space, the difficulty of grading each size individually, the inability to have every size test knit as well as an industry that underpays designers. So what’s a knitter to do? I’m still thinking about this. As a designer I’m considering doing patterns that would target these specific markets but the question is would you buy them?” What would you suggest a petite knitter should do?

RH: My recommendation is the same for all knitters regardless of their fit challenges. If you want to knit garments, take the time to educate yourself on how to make changes to the pattern. Don’t just follow it blindly. One of the best things about making our own clothing is we can get exactly what we want if we are willing to invest in some trial and error experimentation.

TG: What fit resources can you recommend for petite knitters? (Anything! From knitting books/videos/classes/websites to information from crafts other than knitting like sewing manuals etc…)

RH: There are now an amazing number of easily accessible resources to help you through your journey to improve fit. If you don’t like one, just move on, another instructor might work better for you. Keep in mind different makers will have different approaches and they won’t always give you the same exact instructions. You don’t have to become a designer but understanding the processes involved will help you through making the necessary adjustments to an existing pattern. You will find lots of patterning making links on Pinterest and videos on Youtube.

As you know I have many resources on my blog which includes an index here.

I especially like this Peggy Sager explanation of length, circumference and depth as it relates to fit. The first 16 minutes of this video shows the process demonstrated.

Here’s the process for drafting a sleeve cap for woven fabric. Knits are simplified because they are symmetrical.

This site has some wonderful visuals explaining fit and ease.

I can highly recommend Shirley Paden’s book Knitwear Design Workshop: A Comprehensive Guide to Handknits and her Craftsy class Handknit Garment Design. If you are math phobic just ignore the segments on the magic formula and instead plot curves and angles visually on knitter’s graph paper as I show on my blog in the Pattern Drafting posts starting here.

This post is about Deborah Newton’s method for creating a muslin for hand knitting from T-shirt fabric. It’s for plus sizes but the basics still apply to petites.

TG: Do you know of any knitting designers who create patterns specifically for petite folks? (There are a few who do this for sewing, but I’ve yet to find someone who addresses the petite market in knitwear).

RH: I don’t. The most I’ve ever seen in a knitting pattern is in the instruction sections where the pattern will say to x inches or desired length. I do include this in my pattern notes: All length measurements included in the instructions are suggestions only and should be customized to suit the intended wearer.

The Petite Interview Part 1

I really enjoyed doing an interview with Teresa Gregorio of Canary Knits this summer. It's always interesting how someone else's questions help to clarify one's own thinking on a particular topic. I'm going to put some of the interview I did back in July here on my own blog.  There's a lot to digest so I'll do it as two posts. 


TG: Much of the advice I’ve found for selecting a size to fit your frame is to pick the bust circumference that matches your torso (upper bust) measurement. This advice intends to give the knitter something that will fit their shoulders, which is very important in a sweater. Many #KnitPetiteProject survey respondents stressed that they “always have to shorten the sleeve cap/depth” for their sweaters.

RH: Before I answer the questions below I’d like to mention that my background is in custom clothing, not from a fashion school where the focus is on industrial garment making for the retail market. Consequently my knowledge and approach is very different from many other designers. I’ve taken pattern drafting classes where the goal was to create a pattern for a specific individual with a more couture style approach. I’ve been a student in tailoring classes with an emphasis on proper fit specifically targeting women. Those classes used Italian tailoring methods adapted from traditional menswear techniques. I’ve also done dressmaking with a custom clothier where we produced samples of specific techniques not used in the retail market and we were expected to produce garments using challenging fabrics. The consequence of a custom clothing education means I think more about the body and its relationship to the garment. I think of the flat pattern shape as a starting point to achieve correct fit and expect to make small incremental steps after the pattern is created to accommodate the process of moving from a flat pattern to a three dimensional body.

TG: As sleeve cap math is very involved, how should a petite person proceed in choosing a size to fit their shoulders?

RH: Many people have told me sleeve caps are difficult, but I think the old adage “it’s easy when you know how” applies here. Knitting takes advantage of the simplification of the sleeve and the sleeve cap being reduced to a one piece symmetrical style due to the stretch of the fabric. It’s very different from the two piece fitted and curved sleeve shape for woven fabrics. That sleeve has a cap which differs at the front and back to accommodate the shape of the upper arm. Knitters are creating both the fabric and the shaping at the same time. This is what gets them into trouble. In the sewing world no one considers this to be a difficult task because they work with a real size pattern which has a line in the sleeve cap to fold out extra length and a corresponding line on the torso to make the same adjustment. 

Having a full scale visual really helps when developing the mental representations required to make alterations. When I teach knitters to do this, I teach it visually by using real size knitter’s graph paper in the same gauge that they are getting on their swatch. It’s a two-step process for the knitter. First get the flat pattern right and then transfer the information into stitches and rows. The knitter doesn’t have a way of choosing a pattern size to fix this. They need to learn how to do it once and then transfer that knowledge for alteration to every pattern they knit, knowing they will have to adjust the sleeve cap for length. In my case, I know my preferred armhole depth for a set in sleeve is 6.5 inches. Armed with that knowledge I can look at the schematic for my size, compare and adjust accordingly. I explain the process on my blog here. Once a knitter develops a set of key garment measurements this becomes much easier. BTW I have come across knitters who catch onto these concepts very easily without a sewing or pattern drafting background.

TG: Is taking the torso measurement the best approach, as it is for regular sizes?

RH: I agree with this advice as it’s certainly a better starting point than the full bust measurement where cup size comes into play. Having said that, it is only a starting point. Most patterns will still be too long in length even if the shoulder width is correct. Where I think this is failing for knitters is in the understanding of relationships of the parts of the body. The phrase “standard sizing” seems to have taken on a different definition than the one which I learned to understand in my custom garment background. It appears that knitters today think standard sizing is hard data which equals real life body sizing. My understanding of standard sizing is that it is the sizing of a specific retailer, designer, or pattern company. The relationships of the measurements are based on a specific fit model who could be very different than you. 

Bodies vary in size and shape much more than is commonly recognized by novice garment makers. Pattern alterations are three dimensional in nature but we are fooled by the flat pattern making system in our early learning stages. Knitters are even more challenged because they don’t work with full size individual pattern pieces. The final confusion comes from that single schematic which does not reflect the actual proportions of all of the sizes. It’s normally based on the smallest size and would change in significant ways proportionally if you drew the largest size to scale.
For a sample comparison of real world sizing (me) to the Craft council standards please see this post.

TG: Is there any special information or instructions you can recommend a petite knitter should consider in addition to this?

RH: I think knitters need to spend time looking carefully at the schematic provided. I’ve often had questions which make it clear they look at the photo and ignore the details provided on the schematic. I’ve worked with knitters in my classes who are totally focused on body measurements before they understand the concepts behind ease and how it is impacted by the hand of the fabric you are creating. To get around this, as you are building knowledge, it really helps to start measuring garments instead of your body. You can even use one which doesn’t fit the way you want by pinning it and using the resulting measurements. 

When you finish a garment which doesn’t live up to your expectations don’t just move onto the next one and hope for the best. Use pins to mark where it should be different and start taking notes. What weight yarn did you use? Does the fabric drape or is it stiff. Most importantly measure it. What length would you prefer? How deep is the sleeve cap and should it be shortened? Where should you make waist shaping decreases and increases. Keep in mind you will learn the most from trial and error. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from moving forward.

An Interview with...Lea Stern

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-green-sweater

 
Once a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. This weeks interview is very different. Lea isn't publishing patterns regularly she just has two. One is very special, it's a pattern that all proceeds are being donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

You can find Lea here on Ravelry. You can purchase the pattern here. Here's a news article which includes a short video about Lea, Krystyna and the sweater.

Please tell us about the trip to the museum which inspired this project.
I was invited in 2003 to a preview of the Hidden Children exhibit at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum along with a colleague of mine, who was himself a hidden child and his story was featured in this exhibit along with many others. I saw the sweater on display and read a brief explanation of its history and was amazed that it had survived. I felt immediately that to keep this story and the sweater itself alive, I needed to produce a pattern for it that would be available worldwide.

Were the museum curators supportive when you first approached them with the project?
Unfortunately my dear husband and just been diagnosed with cancer and despite significant efforts and after a very difficult course, he died in 2004 and while it was always on my mind the sweater project had to go on the back burner for a while. My job as a full time anesthesiologist was all consuming and I had very little time for anything other than work and caring for my home. About 6 months before my 60th birthday and after I had taken a less demanding job, I realized that I had better start on this project. In 2012 I began sending a proposal to the curator explaining my project concept. I don't think they were accustomed to this type of request and as the sweater is quite fragile, they did not immediately agree to my request. After approximately 2 years of conversation with them via email, I was allowed to spend the afternoon at the museum with the sweater, Suzy Snyder the curator for the original exhibit and Cynthia Hughes, the head of textiles.

How did you go about the technical process of creating a copy of the original garment?
I took extensive notes, measurements and photos at the museum. I was allowed to handle the sweater to determine gauge and construction. Then at home I used the information I had collected to begin swatching. Since I've been knitting for approximately 58 years, I've knitted enough sweaters and read enough patterns to be able to knit and write a pattern simultaneously. I have designed sweaters, socks, hats, and other accessories, so this was not my first attempt at writing a pattern. In the past, these designs have been for myself and friends, though I do have one other pattern available on Ravelry called Sundance mitts.

Did you recognize the stitch pattern or did you have to recreate it?
I did not recognize the stitch pattern though it is a very simple pattern of knit and purl stitches. To make things easier for myself, I looked in every book of stitch patterns I could find, including all of Barbara Walkers books and I was never able to find this particular combination of knits and purls. I had to assume that it was something Krystyna Chiger's grandmother had just made up or seen somewhere and liked. Suffice it to say, I had to recreate the stitch pattern. Fortunately, my close up photos of the sweater were quite useful!

The sweater has an interesting edging are there any other special details?
This is really a very simple crocheted edging that was fairly easy to replicate exactly as it had been done by close examination of the original. The ties in the original sweater were simply three stands of the same yarn firmly braided, though in the pattern I have mentioned other options for the ties. To be historically accurate, this is the type of tie I have used in the reproductions.

Tell us about choosing a yarn for the replica.
I initially thought this would be quite easy as I have access to some tremendous hand dyers. However after some thought, I realized that while they may be able to more accurate reproduce the colour of the sweater as it is now, it is extremely faded and as such, we will never really know its original colour. I also came to realize that specifically hand dyed yarn would be hard to get a hold of if people wanted to knit the sweater in the same yarn I had used. Since the sweater was made in about 1939-1940 in Poland, I knew from my studies of historical knitting, that we would need a wool that was 100% wool and not a blend. I also knew that a luxury yarn would not have been readily available and it was clearly not what this sweater was knitted of. Lastly, the fact that the sweater had survived 75 years and been subjected to horrific environmental conditions, I knew that it had to have been 100% wool. From there, I am quite familiar with all the major yarn companies in North America and abroad and knew that Quince & Co. had a 100% wool, sourced here in the U.S. that was the right weight (fingering) and had a fabulous colour palette, particularly in the green range.

You presented the copy to the original owner, Dr. Keren (Krystyna Chiger), that must have been very exciting and sad at the same time. Please tell the readers about that day.
I went from my home in Washington, D.C.  to New York Long Island to meet  Dr. Keren and to tell her about the process of recreating her sweater and show her the work I had done to get to the finished product. Her husband, Mr Marion Keren was very interested in the work since he is a mechanical and civil engineer and enjoyed the process of "reverse engineering" a sweater!
I brought her photos of the journey, showed her all my notes and swatches and gave her a finished copy of the sweater pattern. I brought about 5 of the test knitted sweaters and let her choose the one that seemed to remind her of her original sweater most closely. The museum curators had told me that it had been difficult for her to give up her sweater but she had graciously donated it to the museum. I was delighted that she chose the sweater that my best friend Julia Grossman had knitted! When she held it up she said, "Now I have my sweater back!"
It was a very emotional moment and I felt that even if the project went no further, I would have at least accomplished the goal of reproducing the pattern and delivering it to her. Krystyna has written a book about her experience called "The Girl in the Green Sweater".  She autographed my copy and presented me with a Polish language edition of it as well. Her book was also made into a Polish film called "In Darkness" by the famous director Agnieszka Holland that was nominated for an academy award.

What does this sweater represent to you?
This sweater means triumph over prejudice and intolerance. It represents a grandmothers love for her granddaughter and the devotion the granddaughter felt in return. I am a physician and I have been fortunate to have lived a wonderful life in the United States largely protected against the type of injustice that is has too often pervaded the world. I had a brilliant mother raised in northern England who taught me so many types of needlework but in particular knitting, and I feel honoured to have been able to use these skills to do this project.

Is there anything else about this project that you would like to share with the readers?
I would want to ask them to tell this story of Krystyna Chiger and her family and of the brave catholic sewer workers who helped them survive. Knit this sweater and tell generation after generation what happens when intolerance is allowed to fester unchecked. Tell the young girls what the sweater they are wearing represents and why it is so important to never forget. Our world has been very troubled throughout the years and it is my hope that small things like this sweater will somehow make a difference.

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