Waist Shaping

Waist shaping, it makes a difference. I worked a decrease before and after the side ribbing on each side, 2 times, for a total of 8 sts decreased. This takes the waist in 1 1/2" and when worn it does create an hour-glass figure. Even doing this on the back only, if you don't have a waist on front, helps to shape the sweater. And it also gives you something new to work towards as you work down the body, which is also important. For the hips, I worked increases back to the original number of stitches (a little further apart) and then took the hips out one more set of increases so that the hip is 3/4" wider than the Finished Bust. If more hip shaping is needed, the increases have to be done closer together.

I've been playing with waist and hip shaping for my own particular figure. On every sweater I do it a little bit differently to see if the results make the sweater fit better. Eventually I will know what to do with all my sweaters! I think here, I could have worked the hip increases closer together since there aren't that many and a quicker hip flare would make the sweater look better at the back. Hmm, I think there's another frogging coming up.

 

-Deb

P.S. Comments: t_a  Ha, ha, just another day at the office.

Hi Ann, Long time since we saw you, hope to remedy that soon.

 

Lyn and I spent the weekend at camp (a cottage, to southern folks) working on the Accessory Book. It's amazing how much work needs to be done at the end. We were trying to be adjust words to be consistent with the instructions. We added in some black & white photos. Today we moved pages around so you won't have to flip pages to find the stitch patterns when you want them. Also we check and recheck that all the information you need is there where you need it. I think we are very close to being ready to let it go. One more edit on Thursday and then it goes to the printer so they can do the proofs. Still several weeks away from publication.

Some last minute knits had to be done. Lyn knit a cowl on the drive up and I knit another mitten on the way back home. We'll need new photos of them.

I did have a bit of time to knit on my sweater.

I'm ready to do the waist shaping now. It's really comfortable to wear even as it is. Can't wait to get a little more done. That's Lake Huron in the background.
-Deb

I'm adding bust darts in the form of increases between the underarm and the largest part of the bust. These stitches are going to add 3" of extra fabric across the Front only. You can see that the sleeve stitches have been put on spare yarn at the Great Divide.

 It all starts with one stitch increased right beside the underarm cast on stitches at the side of the Front. Two navy markers are set on either side of the cast on stitches. The light green Marker is the Bust Marker. The bust increases will be worked next to the Bust Marker so that the number of stitches between the navy and light green Markers will equal 1 1/2".

I'm working down the sweater and have added 5 sts so far on each side of the Front (5 sts between the navy Side Marker and the light green Bust Marker).
You'll see that I'm working the underarm cast on stitches in a rib pattern. These stitches will do some of the fitting for me. These rib stitches will expand a little at the bust and come back in for the waist. I'll have to decide if I want to work more waist shaping or not. A few more bust increases and that will be done. Then I can cruise along, working the Panels and the ribbed side stitches. Still lots to interest me as I work down the Body.
-Deb

Back to sweater knitting, still my favourite garment to knit. The Square Neck is progressing after several changes. The question for me was where am I going to put some increases for the Bust. I'd like the Fronts to be 3" wider than the Back. This does a couple of things. Most of us are a couple inches bigger on the front because of the 2 obvious reasons. This is also a pattern based on a 3x1 rib. I don't want the wearer to stretch out the ribbing across the Bust so I'm adding in some more stitches for the bust area. There are a couple places to work increases for the Bust:
1. the bottom 1-2" of the Yoke before the Divide Round (double up the raglan increases on the Front).
2. on either side of the centre Panel (vertical darts starting in the Yoke).
3. angled darts worked between the underarm and the bust (angled from the underarm toward the bust).

I thought I would do vertical darts but they need to start before the bottom of the Yoke is reached. The knitter is already working raglan increases and keeping track of the Panel pattern at the same time, enough already! I decided against working double increases at the bottom of the Yoke for the same reason. Let's do one thing at a time. I know knitter's love that phrase At The Same Time.

I'm going with the angle darts worked at the edge of the underarm and angled toward the bust (the same darts as in the Need A Plus Cardigan book). To do this I had to reconsider the ribbing I had running down beside the Panels on the Front and Back. I took it out (handy crochet hook does the trick). Now I've hit the Great Divide and can start the Bust Increases. Yay. I also added one more detail. I should have a couple more inches done in a couple of days so you can see.
-Deb

We're in book production now. Lyn is converting the entire contents of the book into a printer ready copy. I've been over it with my tech editor and have some correction work to do on the new copy. As you might imagine, the wording across the entire book is not consistent since it was written over the last 6 months, bit by bit. Then as test knitting came in, further changes were made. Now it has to come together as one book. It's really difficult to edit my own writing since I don't really see what's on the page but all that has gone on behind it. To read a pattern as if it's not your own takes putting yourself in someone else's head and reading it from their point of view. It makes a huge difference if it can be done throughout the whole book. That's my task over the next week.

-Deb

This week is photography week for the Need An Accessory book. Here's a little sneak preview of some preliminary shots.

Lots more work to be done yet.
Deb

I'm working away on my square necked pullover. It's an interesting exercise. I'm playing with changing the rate of increase on the different sections of the pullover to get the look I want. I increased on the sleeve sections at a slower rate than the Front and Back. This changes the raglan line slightly, flattens it out, away from a 45 degree angle.

I then stopped increasing on the sleeves altogether which is working. I was going to make up the full number of sleeve & body stitches by working increases every round at the bottom of the sleeve but this is the part that's not working very well. The increases worked every round are not happy. I also changed the rate of increase on the Body and that must be redone also. Too many changes at once I think.

I'm liking the neck though and the general look. I'm going to tackle the neckband on this sample and then cast on and begin again with a new approach to the increases. The fun continues.
-Deb (just a tiny bit frustrated)