How to Copy a Sweater to Create a Custom Fit Garment. Part 2

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-barbara-franklin-cardigan

One of my self assigned jobs this summer was to clear out my Blogger draft file. I found this unpublished post at the bottom of the list. Better late than never I suppose?

Part 1 of this topic is here.

Start by laying the target garment flat, smooth out any wrinkles working from the center out. Check to see if the side seams are at the edges or have they rolled under to the back? If they have, it means the front of the garment is larger than the back. You may wish to duplicate this or you can make the front and the back the same which is the common method in knitwear. If you make the front larger you will need to check carefully to make sure that all edges which will be  joined (shoulders and side seams usually) match. The front shoulders will need to be made narrower. The way to do this is by working extra decreases at the neckline until you have the same number of stitches on the back.

Using graph paper mark off the horizontal width as measured off of the garment. Mark the vertical length at center back. If you are making the front and back the same size they can be shown layered on top of one another. 

Pay attention to where you put pins to indicate more accurate edges and hem finishes.

Don't include the neckband if you will be knitting it as a separate piece. 

Watch out for any stretching of the original garment. It may not lay flat if there has been any strain. An example would be at the elbows or the neckband. 

Pull the sleeve up and out to the side when you measure the armhole depth, there is a corner there which needs to be laid flat to be measured accurately. Or, use my tank trick here.

Remember the rules of ease, the thicker or stiffer your knitted fabric is as compared to the original garment, the more ease required for comfort.

Use a flexible ruler to duplicate curves.

If you need more info on the drafting process I have a series which is part of a Design- A- Long which should help.


Design-A-Long:
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2011/12/knitting-basic-boring-garments-that-we.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2011/12/design-long-tools-and-supplies.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2011/12/design-long-measurements.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2011/12/design-long-taking-measurements.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/01/design-long-swatching-yes-you-have-to.html 
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/01/design-long-more-details-on-swatching.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/01/design-long-paper-pattern-part-1.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/01/design-long-paper-pattern-part-2.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/02/design-long-paper-pattern-part-3.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/02/design-long-paper-pattern-part-4-dart.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/02/design-long-paper-pattern-part-5.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/02/design-long-paper-pattern-part-6-sleeve.html
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2012/03/design-long-paper-pattern-part-7.html

Creativity - There are No New Ideas

I see on Ravelry threads that there is a great deal of anger surrounding the topic of protecting intellectual property. I'm not referring to the outright theft of patterns but to the copying of ideas.

I suspect that the sources of these comments do not realize how easily designers can generate ideas. I've been involved in creative pursuits since childhood so I can come up with many ideas very quickly. My real limitation is being in being able to produce them all and my designer friends tell me that they have the same handicap.

While you can use an idea as a jumping off point a designer still needs to put in the development time to make it work and none of this happens quickly in knitting. Patterns take time to write, the knitting has to be done. Afterward there is tech editing, the layout usually needs to be re-worked after the edit is completed and photography must be completed.  Once you put the photos in there may need to be even more changes to the layout.

When I teach my design course I do some creativity exercises. Occasionally students will find themselves stuck so I will work the exercises with them and I notice how those students are amazed by how I use simple strategies to fuel new ideas.

I think that everyone can be creative, yes there is a certain amount of innate talent involved, but ask a few questions and you will discover that the talented people get better with practice as they learn techniques to stimulate ideas. If you study creativity, you quickly realize that it's true that there are very few absolutely new ideas. What is creative is the combination of existing ideas in a new format. It's also not uncommon for us to generate similar ideas. I'm constantly adding things to my notebook which I never move forward on as I see other similar designs popping up in magazines and on knitting websites. So I think it's best not to assume the worst of others when wondering where their ideas came from and the amount of effort that goes into the process. 

An Interview with...Svetlana Gordon

Once a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry. I’ve noticed that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting world.

You can find Svetlana here and here on Ravelry.

Where do you find inspiration?

I don't think I really have to find one: I was drawn to knitting since I was three years old, because I was fascinated by my mother teaching my older sister how to knit. I was just always curious about all kinds of handmade: what else can you do with this or that material? You can do it in crochet, but can you in knitting? Sometimes I receive sweet comments like: "Your designs is a work of art!", but what really drives me is an excitement of an artificer. I can get inspired by really fine yarn - like Malabrigo's - because of the possibilities it provides. 

What is your favourite knitting technique?

I really like flowers and leaves that I'm knitting in short rows. My pupils called it "art-form". I adore that it breaks stereotypes and there are no boundaries: you can knit freely in any direction and get unpredictable results. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/decorative-knitted-maple-leaf

Do you look at others designers work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs? 

I avoid checking on other designers, because it's very easy to copy something unconsciously, and I certainly wouldn't want to steal other people's ideas. 

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?

I guess you can say that I'm doing it all myself since I put my designs on sales right after I've knitted it and written the tutorial. But I have a lot of pupils at my off-line Moscow master-classes, where we constantly check if everything I've invented is okay.

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knitted-scarf-murano

Did you do a formal business plan?

No, I didn't. I'm actually no salesperson. My business in handmade began when I tried felting: made things like bags and coats, but didn't know where to put all of them. Then I decided to try and sell it, because why not? And like this I've registered on Livejournal, and on the Russian handmakers web-site Livemaster.ru later on. It was difficult to promote myself, but I've asked my friends to which I've sold my things first to write comments. Like this my things became popular in Russia. Later on I began to share my written master-classes on Livemaster for free, and one Belgium girl that originated from Russia translated one of my tutorials in French in an act of good will. So I began to sell tutorials internationally. You can see that the opportunities just sort of "clicked".

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knitted-shawl-autumn-lace

Do you have a mentor?

Not really, but I've learned from the book of Horst Schulze that knitting doesn't have to go in one particular direction. And I've also learned from Kieran Foley - he's a mathematician and creates new knitting designs, I absolutely love them. 

Do you have a business model that you have emulated?

No, I don't.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jewel-dragon

Do you use a tech editor?

No (I don't even know what that is). 

How do you maintain your life/work balance?

My work is practically my life. I invent something even in my sleep sometimes! I like to switch from doing patterns to burning wood, modelling in clay or making decor from time to time. I frequently listen audio-books when I'm working, since most of the process isn't as creative as mechanical. 

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snood-forest-witch

How do you deal with criticism?

I don't have it so often that it could become bothersome. I usually correct all the flaws myself when I'm creating a design. But rarely my clients do point some mistakes in my patterns. I don't get self-conscious, just note to myself to be more attentive. I'm actually getting much more frustrated when I have an idea, but just can't put it mathematically. 

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?

I've got lucky: my first pattern became very popular. I earned enough for a living in the first month. But I walked a long way to get to this point. 

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snood-barcelona

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?

Don't offer dull things to people, there are already much more of them then are needed! Don't put any boundaries on yourself beforehand: try and see where it will go. If you fail - you can always retry, but it you succeed - it will be truly unique.

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aurora-borealis-7

What’s next for you?

I actually dream of writing a book. I also really want to aсquire Hansen spinner and start making yarn for my projects on my own. And I have lots of requests to give master-classes in different countries: I would really love to go and travel the world someday!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knitted-scarf-sakura

Radcliffe Reflection Wrap - New Pattern

I have a new pattern being launched this weekend by Signature Yarns at the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters' Fair.

It will be up on Ravelry, Patternfish and LoveKnitting soon.

This one is worked from Prism's Gradient pack in Fuchsia.

It's an elegant long crescent wrap. The design includes simple chevrons and lace in a changing palette of colours. A slip stitch pattern borders each section. It is a project easy enough for the beginner lace knitter. The lace section has only two pattern rows and the wrong side rows are purled. The lace section is created using easy short rows (no wraps, worked outside the lace) which gives the piece its crescent shape. The wrap is knitted in one piece starting at the bottom edge. The stitch patterns are written in text only due to the simplicity of each stitch pattern. 

Felicia Lo Book Review - Dyeing to Spin & Knit: Techniques & Tips to Make Custom Hand-Dyed Yarns

 

As soon as I read the introduction of  Felicia's book I knew I was going to really enjoy it. I don't spin, I don't dye yarn but I find colour endlessly fascinating. Her personal colour story, while different from mine, drew me in immediately.

The first section does give us the standard colour wheel terminology but then Felicia spends time explaining how colour affects our moods, our thoughts and the thoughts of others. 

In her own words:
"The book is broken down into four main sections:
Understanding Colour - all about the fundamentals of colour theory, understanding hue, value, and saturation, and how to combine colours and create palettes.
Creating Colour - the process of dyeing with acid dyes on yarn and fibre, going into a wide range of different techniques for applying colour to create one-of-a-kind yarns.
Spinning Colour - we look at how the different characteristics of hand-dyed fibre affect the appearance of handspun yarn and how we can take advantage of those nuances. Spinners can learn to subdue bright or vibrant colourways, or maximize the effect of more subtle hand-dyed colours.
Knitting Colour - we explore how hand-dyed yarns will knit up in different conditions, from the thickness of the yarn to the length of the colour repeats. Knitters can also learn to avoid or enhance the effects of pooling colours in variegated yarns."

The book will teach you the basics of how colour works, how to combine colours, and how to control the results when dyeing for all fibre artists. Spinners will learn how to control intense colourways and to prevent colour muddiness in hand spun yarns. Knitters will learn how to both avoid and maximize the positive effects of colour pooling. However, the strength of this book lies in it's ability to move beyond the technical and into how colour works emotionally.

The back of the book includes 10 patterns all knit with her SweetGeorgia Yarns.

You can see all the patterns here on Ravelry. 

Say it fast...September Shawl Showcase Sale

Say it fast! I'm going to run a September Shawl Showcase Sale. A shawl is a great project to work on if you took the summer off from knitting.  In some cases you can skip the swatch and use the start as your swatch. No fitting is required and you will be ready for cooler temperatures soon. I have a large personal collection of shawls (or wraps if you prefer that name) and I wear them often. In the winter they go on top of my coats, in the summer they protect me from frigid air co. The promotion is through Ravelry. Use the code Blog-September starting this Friday for a 40% discount until Sept 30. I've included photos of some of them below, go to the link at the bottom of the page for the Ravelry bundle page. These patterns are included.

• Barbe’s Gift
• Ruth Kettering Wrap
• The Belvedere Wrap
• The Dolly Bantry Shawl
• The Elsa Hardt Shawl
• The Glenhost Wrap
• The Halesworth Wrap
• The High Park Scarf
• The Julia Olivera Wrap
• The Lily Price Shawl
• The Louise Laxton Shawlette
• The Lucilla Drake Shawl
• The Martine Dubois Crescent Scarf
• The Mary Marvell Shawl
• The Molly Davis Scarf
• The Noreen Elliot Shawl
• The Vivien Barnaby Shawlette

You can see them all here, the only exclusions are patterns not for sale on Ravelry.

August Reboot Series - Make it Flatter

This month I'm going to be doing some re-posting of older blog posts. Some like this one will have updates included as when I reread I often realize I've learned something new since the original post went up.  I hope to have all new interviews every Friday but many Pros take the month of August off and in past years I haven't always been able to get enough interviews back to fill all the August dates. 

The schematic

The sweater

 

I've had two different questions come up recently about the same sweater silhouette pictured above. Question one, was regarding what figure type does this sweater flatter? Some knitters think that the way this garment hangs is very flattering due to the long diagonal lines that the front creates. Others think it makes the wearer look heavy, and wanted to know how to determine if it would look good on them. In terms of figure flattery the long diagonal lines should be flattering, however for this silhouette to work on your body the factor to consider is the fullness of the torso. If your torso curves out away from your spine it is unlikely to make you look your best. If you have a midsection that is straight and perpendicular to the floor the garment tends to drop from the shoulder over the bust-line and hangs straight down. There is a space between the wearer and the sweater at the front. It therefore can take advantage of the long diagonal lines, especially from the front view. On a rounded torso the diagonal line advantage is canceled out by the viewers tendency to see relationships of the body to the garment. It can look like the garment is too small and is pulling open because of a sizing issue. Remember that the pattern photo has been taken on a tall, very slim model  which is why most knitters do not foresee this potential problem when they choose the pattern.Your posture can also have an impact on the amount of space between the garment and the body so assess by looking at both your front and side views in a mirror.

If you have already made something like this try wearing it with a darker garment as an under layer. The torso is more likely to look as though it is receding and that will make the wearer look slimmer.

The other question has been "Why is the schematic wrong?" The schematic is inaccurate due to the technical execution of the garment. Every one of the examples that I was shown was a pattern with garter or seed stitch borders that had been knit at the same time as the garment. These stitch patterns make great borders as they lay flat but typically they do not match the row gauge of the body of the sweater. That means that the border is longer at the outside edge than it is at the side where it meets the garment. If you want the fronts to hang straight, a border that is picked up and knit separately or knit and sewn on will work better. Normally you would work with a smaller size needle when creating the bands separately. An alternative partial solution would be to slip the first stitch of every row to tighten up the edge of the border, that will stabilize the edge but it may still be longer than the garment depending on your specific style of knitting. 

I have one more slightly fiddly fix for those of you whose edges are longer. You can still knit the border at the same time with a set of smaller DPN's, (be sure to choose a non-slippery needle that won't slip out of the work). It will create a firm edge with no join between the band and the body of the garment. It means that you will switch between your regular needles and the band needles as you reach the borders of each front section. Just let go of the needles not in use, in the same way that you would in a circular project with DPN's. 

To determine the best possible choice of size for the DPN's.... you need to do a swatch. But you knew I was going to say that didn't you?