It's always interesting to see which older posts continue to pop up in my Google stats as popular. I know a lot of readers use my topic index (here) as a way of delving into the archives. A post from June 2013 is getting lots of action so I'll repeat it here (with an update) for those of you who missed it.
Designer Secrets - Fitting Hand Knits
In an effort to continue my own self education, I often read both the blogs and books published by other designers. On occasion I will disagree with what they write. When my view differs from theirs I try to delve deeper into my own thought process to consider why my opinion deviates from theirs. Today's small epiphany is; I sometimes disagree because many of us design for our own body shapes and figure challenges. Our personal experience skews our opinion in alignment with what works for us as individuals.
Sleeve cap design for set in sleeves is a perfect example of this. My preference is for a narrower sleeve with a high rounded cap which is larger than the armhole it will be set into. I have on occasion read that some designers want a cap which is smaller than the armhole and many match the armhole exactly. I was reading the method someone uses to achieve an exact match when it struck me that she is very slim with proportionally long limbs. My upper arm is rounded with extra padding. My lower arm is shorter than average so I like a narrower sleeve to avoid a boxy appearance. I also prefer minimal ease on the armhole depth to avoid adding any extra width to my torso. Other knitters vary in many unique ways. So of course we differ in our opinions! While I do always suggest to knitters, it is best to ascertain their own sleeve cap preferences, I will include this information when I teach future classes. The best, most flattering cap and sleeve shape may be determined by the roundness or flatness of the upper arm, the arm length proportion and torso width of the wearer. Duh!
No comments:
Post a Comment