Knit to Fit

Knit_To_Fit_01

I really wanted to love Knit to Fit by Sharon Brant because it’s a beautiful book, and from the description, it sounded like it would be exactly what I was looking for. The book is pretty short and has six chapters that are aimed at getting you a sweater that fits. There isn’t any filler, and there are no patterns which I appreciated because I feel like that makes the book a better companion for the pattern of your choosing. Unfortunately it doesn’t do everything I hoped for, but we’ll get to that in a minute. The first two chapters are on body types and choosing the style that best flatters your body type. I’m not a big fan of that kind of stuff because it has to assume that there is an ideal look to be achieved, but it can be helpful if you haven’t developed a good sense of what styles have a broadening effect, where they draw the eye, and so on. The next two chapters are on looking at clothing you like and your own measurements to create a body block, digging out unlisted measurements and creating a more detailed schematic for the pattern itself, and using these two diagrams to create a schematic of your ideal version of the sweater. The next chapter is on taking your ideal schematic and using it to calculate your custom version and making it work with the original stitch patterns and design. The final chapter covers finishing details that can influence fit like blocking.

Knit_To_Fit_02

It sounds great in theory, but I felt like the book only catered to fairly average bodies. Most of the chapter on taking measurements to plan your ideal version of the sweater told you to measure things that already fit you well. It did have a little advice for what to do if you didn’t have a well-fitted, store-bought piece to measure, but I felt like the book didn’t give enough attention to the group of people who need the most help fitting their knits. The knitters who need to most help to custom fit their knits are the ones who also struggle to find clothing in stores, so it seemed odd to me to put so much emphasis on measuring clothing you already own. The book also didn’t cover asymmetrical or severely disproportionate bodies. There was nothing on adding bust shaping, making changes to accommodate uneven shoulders, adjusting the front for a pronounced belly, etc. This book was so close to what I was looking for, and it’s unfortunate that it wasn’t more inclusive.


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3 responses to “Knit to Fit”

  1. Miriana

    Is it time for you to write a book?

    1. People keep saying that, but one of the main reasons I’m looking for a good resource to recommend to people is so I don’t have to! Understanding fit is important for my job so I’m happy to read a bunch of books on the topic, but I’m much more passionate about the creative side of things.

  2. Beth

    This one shows you’re getting closer to the ideal book, but, I still think you are going to have to write it yourself, lol
    Thanks for another insightful and valuable review.

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