Hoping that olde saying in like a lion and out like a lamb means more than just the arrival of March!
Lots of changes here at Studio Chic!
We are getting ready for a big move – going to be relocating to the Pacific NW – hopefully in the region of Portland!
That means a whirlwind of behind the scenes activity over here (and, we’re wrapping up a foxy spring release!)
Busy, busy, busy!! (Please, make it stop!)
Our Lion? Packing up and redistributing everything that we just don’t have room for or have outgrown…
Because we beez who we beez, that includes lots of yarn & books that are finding their way to some new homes.
So let’s continue the FUN!
From Sally Melville & Caddy Melville Ledbetter (via Potter Craft) MOTHER-DAUGHTER KNITS (in hardback & paperback editions).
TGIF Review: One of the most wonderful back stories in knitting is the one about who taught you to knit.
For many of us, it was grandma or mom, who shared the wealth with their little one, who apprenticed along and was soon running side-by-side! (One of my pet theories is something I call DNA Memory – such that generational sharing takes root so easily because it’s already “in there”.)
But imagine being the daughter of a knitting superstar!
MOTHER-DAUGHTER KNITS is the type of collaboration that can happen when those generations decide to merge their love of knitting and design some fun fashion-forward garments together.
And because Ms. Sally M. is one of the finest teachers around, there is a section on understanding styles that flatter and how to adjust a pattern to fit YOU!
So, leave a comment below telling us your most difficult sweater fitting area…
Two folks (1 – book/ 1 – person per draw) will be randomly drawn next TGIF and invited to get busy!
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From last weeks TGIF:
Kay:
“I like lace edgings but I did make a shawl with a ruffle that I am quite fond of. And beads. Beads make me happy. winning one of these books would make me happy too.:
by random draw #1 – KNITTING ON THE EDGE (hardback copy)
Therese:
“I have always wanted to add more beguilement to my edges. Leaves and ferny looking things are my faves. Edging swatches make great gift bookmarks.
by random draw #2 – KNITTING BEYOND THE EDGE (hardback copy)
TTSKTSK:
“I made a poncho for my 7 year old neice (see it under Ravelry TSKTSK) and used picot cast on and added fringe per her request. For myself, love a knitted I-cord.”
by random draw #3 – KNITTING ON THE EDGE (softback copy)
Carolyne:
“I just learned the picot edge for the sweetie pie hat. Look forward to learning more!”
by random draw #4 – KNITTING BEYOND THE EDGE (softback copy)
I have trouble fitting across the bust and the hips, my hips are a lot wider than my bust.
I completed a test knit which had me doing techniques I’d never done before such as a knitted in hem, picot edging, etc. What a great learning experience. Loved the knitted on lace collar that drapes my shoulders, the deliciously long sleeves with the lace inserts that lay on top of the hands. There was no ease allowance so oops for my beer belly. It’s for a flat stomach! I learned that my great-grandmother knitted, the only one in my family ever to my knowledge. My grandfather remembers her knitting soxs and oddly enough the turning of the heel is what stuck in his mind, as my own 93-year old mother tells the story. Finally, mother teaching daughters to knit! I have taught my 8-year-old grandson to knit. The 4-year-old grandson wants to learn. And I have a 3-year-old granddaughter waiting in the wings–can’t wait to put knitting needles into her hands!
My waist….unless a pattern is shaped to fit an apple:)
I already own this book, so I don’t want to be entered. I love this book! It is great. I have made the Camelot coat, and will make a replacement when it wears out. There are so many great patterns and ideas in this book. It is a keeper.
I find many patterns too long in the sleeves for me but am learning how to shorten without spoiling the line of the design.
I also recently did a test knit of a scarf/shawl with a lace edge, definitely out of my comfort zone,….a few froggings along the way but I finished it in a week and it does look good.
I find cables, fairisle, intarsia etc no problem so lace is my next goal to conquer.
I am naturally left handed but was initially taught to knit r handed whilst at school ( many years ago…) …not good, I found it difficult to maintain a tension holding the yarn in my r hand. In my twenties I taught myself the continental method, holding yarn in my L hand and the rest is history !
Roxyrana on Ravelry.
Definitely upper rib into bust and shoulders….I have about a 38 rib cage and 44D bust so if I want it to be fitted and give me the hourglass I CAN have, I have to be careful to not just make the 44 size….usually I kind of frankenknit some sizes together from the pattern and sometimes I use bust darts although I don’t particularly like that method.
Congratulations on your upcoming move! We came to Portland from New York nearly four years ago, and are very happy that we made the trek.
I am flat chested and have some trouble fitting garments in that chest region so I dont’ look like a boy, or so they aren’t too tight. Would love to win a book!
The bust is my difficult fitting challenge. Many patterns divide the chest measurement evenly between the front and back. My front and back are not remotely the same size. This presents challenges in getting well fitting tops (from any source)
My hips provide my greatest challenge — they are a bit overstocked compared to my bust. Thanks for the great giveaway of the lovely books.
My most difficult area to fit is my ever growing boobs. When I gain weight, it appears to all go to my boobs and I am not used to it. I used to be really small and in my mind I still am much to my dismay once I try it on.
I don’t like it when my sweater hangs open over my tummy and that is the way many patterns are written.
My sweaters always seem to swing out at back on the bottom. I’m only just realizing this problem and trying to figure out what is causing it inorder to prevent the problem on the next sweater I knit for myself.
I struggle with fitting the shoulder area, especially with set-in sleeves. I’m quite short from shoulder to waist, and most guidelines/instructions for fitting ‘petite’ figures assume that all the shortening can occur from underarm to waist, so I wind up with baggy armholes.
Shoulders or waist. Shoulders are just fiddly, and I need to learn some waist shaping techniques to pull in just a tad at my natural waist.
Oh, that would be my daughter! She seems to defy my best efforts to make something to fit her properly but positively loves the hugely oversized blue sweater made out of inexpensive acrylic boucle. The gauge swatch on that one lied by at least an order of magnitude so the sweater would comfortably fit Andre the Giant and effectively dwarfs her 5’9″ statuesque self. But she never wears the lovely, lace, alpaca/silk cropped jacket ….
Arm length and the back neck height are my biggest problems.
I have checked this book out from the library. It has some great paterns. The most troublesome are to fit -the bust, for sure. So exciting that you are moving out this way. We moved here from Minneapolis in 1986. It’s very different from the midwest in many ways – not just the weather . . . but I love it.
I have 3 daughters and we all either knit or crochet, plus I have 2 granddaughters that knit and crochet. Maybe with this book we could do our own KAL. What fun that would be. (the crocheters may have to learn to knit too)
How wonderful that you are coming west. You will enjoy designing for the warmer weather and we can all enjoy knitting all of it.
I’ve only just started my first sweater. I am concerned, however, about waist, bust and shoulder shaping. Also arm and torso lengths being long enough.
I’ve only ever made myself one sweater so I don’t have a lot of experience to speak from as to what my most difficult area would be. But on my one sweater, the sleeves did end up being a bit too short. Not long enough to be full length, not short enough to be 3/4. Just short enough to be a bit annoying! So I know I need to work on that. And for future sweaters, I know I like my tops fairly fitted so I’ll definitely be learning about fitting different areas.
My problem area is narrow shoulders, wide back and large bust – hard to get things to fit all of the areas at the same time!
All of me, why can’t it fit all of me… :)
I have trouble with ease. I know how to take my measurements and have the confidence to make changes to a pattern, but I never know how much ease to allow for.
I have trouble with ease too – knowing how much ease to use where, and which styles of sweater look better with which amounts of ease. And sometimes the neck shaping doesn’t work well for me; the back neck can be too low so my neck gets chilly, and in front it can end up too high and rub against my throat.
Just getting the sweater to fit is my problem. My first sweater fit well. The next was too big; the one after seems to stretch in the shoulder causing the shoulder seam to fall off my shoulders. I trying to figure out if I can reinforce it with a crocheted chain to firm up the shoulder seam.
Please don’t enter me for this book but I think it’s interesting that you are moving from my city to my daughter’s city. It’s a nice place and I wish you well in your move.
Hmmm… I don’t seem to have any parts that are easy to fit. Broadish shoulders, muscular arms, moderate chest (except now, when I’m nursing a little one), sort of curvy middle, wider hips, and am short waisted. Not to mention that I’m changing sizes as the baby weight finally starts to move around.
I’m getting ready to swatch the first post-baby sweater for me and figure I’ll spend at least a week redrafting the pattern in hopes of a good fit. And I’m deathly afraid that after all of the work, the style/shape won’t flatter. Sigh.
A very big pre-welcome to this neck of the woods!!! How exciting to know you will be ‘nearby’ – and this after all your remodelling? Oh well, that’s how it is sometimes! Please let someone else have the pleasure of using this book to its best :)
My toughest sweater problem is getting the sleeves the right length. I have having my wrists feel cold!
My toughest fit with sweaters is getting the shoulders narrow enough while getting the “boobage” area big enough. For my size I have really small shoulders (like almost none)
Right now, my daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter (age 11) are all knitting sweaters with me. The hardest part of a sweater for me is getting it to fit my WIDE shoulders and long arms.
Getting realistic about size is hardest for me. I always want to make things a bit bigger – just in case – and I think the results might be more flattering sometimes if I would allow myself the risk of a closer fit.
As Laura said, “All of me.” I have muscular shoulders (& upper arms), small chest, and a long waist so I often end up lengthening body and sleeves or, more likely, designing for myself after trolling through Ravelry and still not finding what I want. Having said that, I do admire Sally Melville and Caddy–they make a great team.
My most difficult fitting area is a tie between my chest (C cup which causes the front to rise up if I don’t compensate in some way) and the shoulder/armhole area (too short, too deep, etc).
I am plus size, but more plus in the back than in front. Sounds weird, I know, but I am short and broad shouldered with a too curvy shape.
Sleeves length is always hardest for me. It seems it should be simple, but I often end up with sleeves that are too long or too short.
The sleeves would be hard to fit on me.
Like many, the bustline. Seems that as I age, it is, er, expanding and migrating downwards. I am otherwise petite, so I am finding that I don’t want to go up a size, but need just a touch more ease over the bust. I have just started a new sweater that is done in pieces, and I’m planning on experimenting with short rows over the bust for the first time. Fingers crossed!
I’m short, and that makes it hard to get patterns that have shaping in the right places.
Waist shaping is always a problem for me.
My sister and I are both a bit short-waisted and kinda broad of shoulder; proper fit and drape is why I like to knit, and sew.The broad-shoulder is my next thing to figure out in knitting, so your description of the book is serendipitous for sure.
Upper arms – I’ve finally learned that I prefer a closer fitting sweater, but I have “Sausage arms” and find the sleeves get a little too tight fitting. And as easy as it should be, I always seem to mess up length.
Waist shaping is the most difficult for me.
I’m very short waisted, and not so much apple shaped as pumpkin – my neck/ waist should make me a uk 6-8, but I’m a 22! Hmmmm….. It is really hard not to look like a sausage.
Oh, yes…short-waisted + “issues” of late effects of surgery = a very problematic midriff. Don’t have much lower tummy (surgery), but between waist & bra-band — look out!
Like a lot of people, hips larger than bust. But sleeve length is more of a problem for me. I don’t think my arms are particularly short but somehow the sleeves are always too long on me even if I start the armhole shaping immediately after the increases.
I can never get the neck right- either too large or too small.
My hips are wider than bust, I can usually handle that. I think (opinion) a drop sholder doesn’t
always flatter most builds. Sometimes it is hard to rewrite a pattern so that the sleeves
are more set in. The body isn’t the problem–getting the sleeves to fit the adjusted body is.
shoulder/upper arm. never easy. but who am i telling this to?
Upper arm-armpit-side of bust area. Either it is too tight and restrictive, or too much excess fabric causing unattractive folds. Oh for skinny arms!!!!
Arms! I am a medium everywhere but the upper arms. I have to go up a size and do lots of math (not my thing) to get sleeves to fit. I am working out which should be a win/win. I will look good in sleeveless sweaters and i will fit a medium all over :-)