3 Steps to Sweater Success

There are three steps to getting started with sweaters that will help you be successful in creating an item your going to love to wear.

Know your size

There are nine body numbers that you really should have to help you make sure that your finished sweater is going to fit the way you want.

1. Chest – measure around the fullest part of the chest. (Yes, you should be wearing a good fitting bra.)
2. Centre back of neck to wrist – with arm straight, measure from the base of the neck, across the should, and down the arm to the wrist.
3. Back waist length – measure from the most prominent bone at the base of the next to the natural waistline.
4. Across back – measure from shoulder to shoulder
5. Arm length – with arm slightly bent, measure from armpit to wrist.
6. Upper arm – measure around the widest section of the upper arm.
7. Armhole depth – measure from the top outside edge of the shoulder down to the armpit.
8. Waist – measure your waist at the smaller circumference of your natural waist.
9. Hip – measure the widest part of your lower hip.

The easiest way to get these numbers is to do it with a friend, taking turns measuring each other. If you don’t have someone you would be comfortable measuring with, you can do some of your own as well as measure some fitted items from your wardrobe.

While you’re looking through your wardrobe, also measure items that you like the fit of. This will help you know what kind of ease you like. Ease refers to the difference between a garment and your body. Positive ease is how much larger an item is compared to your body (usually measured at the bust). Negative ease is how much smaller an item is compared to your body. Zero or no ease means the item and your body are the exact same size.

Know your colours

We all have colours that make us feel like a million bucks, the colours are eyes are drawn too, the colours that make us happy, and the combinations of colours we prefer. These are a great thing to track too, especially what’s in your wardrobe already, so that when you fall in love with a yarn or colourway, you’ll know if it’s going to work for what you want to make.

Know your style

When you’re spending so much time creating sweaters, you want to make sure they are going to fit your style and you’re not just knitting them because they’re popular.

Go through your wardrobe and see what you already have. What do you love? What fits you best? What is missing? (And what needs to go?) Are there some store-bought items you want to replace? Do you need basics? Fun? Pop of colour? Formal? Comfy?

A great way to start compiling all your ideas is a Look Book. In this inspiration guide, add in how you’d like to be dressing, celebrities’ styles you admire and fit your lifestyle, colour combinations that fit your look, take pictures of your own wardrobe combinations to add in, and, of course, pattern you have seen that you want to make.

Remember, a better wardrobe is a journey, not an instant achievement. It takes time to curate a collection that truly reflects your style and meets your needs, especially when you are knitting it.