I looked back over my previous posts of this fledgling blog and realized that both of the projects I've posted about were (or are about to) be frogged and re-knit because they came out too large. That got me thinking.
I've been overweight my entire life - some times less so and some times more so but I've always worried about clothes being too small. I remember in high school being mortified because I couldn't shop in the juniors department, I had to buy clothes in the women's department. In college, I remember having to buy a dress for my sorority formal that really wasn't dressy enough, because that's all I could find in a size 14. I remember in college when I was in marching band, not being able to play in a concert because there weren't enough uniforms in my size. Always worrying, will it be big enough?
I am always afraid things are going to be too small - so I overcompensate and then things end up too big. It seems the sweaters of mine that I like the best have either zero or negative ease. The idea of making something smaller than my measurements seems so wrong, like I'm guaranteeing it will be too small.
What I don't get is... if I do a gauge swatch, get gauge, do the math, and make a sweater that is my bust size, why does it still come out too big? AND Why do two sweaters with the same bust size fit so differently? To me, these are the great mysteries of the universe.
I know the answers probably have something to do with fiber content, style, and construction - and the interaction of these factors. I have yet to figure it out, but I'm working on it. I guess what part of this whole knitting journey is about is figuring out what works for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment