We’re delighted to be hosting our very own Rosemont Cardigan Knit-A-Long on the Kelbourne Woolens Blog. The Rosemont Cardigan, by Hannah Fettig, features Terra in Nettle and is a great way to stay warm during the last few months of winter.
The other day in the office we were comparing torso lengths and discussing how some garments hit us differently based on our body type, bust size, and height. These differences in measurements can change how a garment fits, feels, and looks. With some simple techniques, you can tailor your garment to fit you just right.
Adding Length
Due to the construction of Rosemont, adding or subtracting length is pretty simple – you either knit more or fewer inches depending on your desired finished length as compared to the schematic in the pattern. A nice tip to figure out how long you want your sweater to be is to measure the length from the armpit to hemline on one of your favorite garments. Then, compare that number to the measurement on the Rosemont schematic, and adjust the amount of knitting accordingly. Keep in mind, though, the yarn requirements given only take into account the yardage required for the length specified in the pattern, so, if you are looking to add length to your Rosemont, you may need another ball of yarn!
Waist Shaping
In 2013, Amy Herzog released Knit to Flatter, a guide to knitting wardrobe staples that truly fit your body shape. In the book she discusses the different body types and how the shape of you final knitted garment can adjust to fit your shape. A couple of weeks ago, Amy discussed waist shaping on her blog, and how simple it actually is! Here’s the steps Amy lays out for integrating waist shaping into your pattern:
- If your pattern is written with no waist shaping at all, the first thing to do is decide how many stitches you’d like to remove. You’ll work half as many decrease rows as you have stitches to remove.
- Calculate the number of rows you have for shaping by taking the sweater length to your waist, removing the height of any trim, and multiplying by your row gauge.
- Divide the total number of rows by the number of shaping rows. This is how often you’ll work your shaping.
- Once you know your rate of shaping, place markers and shape as directed above.
For more information about Amy Herzog and Knit to Flatter, head on over to her website here!
With these methods in mind, will you do some modifications to your Rosemont Cardigan? For my Rosemont Cardigan, I’m not going to add waist shaping, because I like the oversized nature of the cardigan itself, but if you’re looking for a little shaping go for it! Next week we’ll be discussing picking-up those armhole stitches and starting our sleeves, with some interesting tips and tricks to help those seams.
Don’t forget to show us your progress on your Rosemont using the #RosemontKAL tag on your social media site and head on over to the Ravelry group for discussion about the pattern! Now, time to finish the body of my cardigan!
-Leah