Knit to Flatter

Knit_to_Flatter_01

Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog got recommended to me quite a bit when I was looking for books on custom fitting sweaters, so I was really surprised when I got my hands on it and discovered that it’s not really a book about fit modifications. Instead, it’s kind of like those books on how to dress yourself but for knitters. The bulk of the content is on identifying your body type and picking the most flattering patterns for your body type. The book walks you through choosing the right neckline, sleeve length, sweater length, and sweater details in order to create a visually balanced ideal look. A lot of the advice is about picking the right pattern from the get-go and adding minor modifications, so it’s most useful for knitters who are having trouble deciding what to knit for themselves and who are aiming for the contemporary ideal shape for a feminine figure.

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The book does contain some custom fitting information in the short, final chapter. The chapter gives suggestions on where you should do your modifications and what other parts of the sweater will be affected by them. It then explains in detail how to alter the length and calculate a different shaping rate, how to roughly calculate a new neckline shape, and how to calculate vertical and horizontal bust darts. It also gives suggestions for adding short rows for rounded shoulders, bellies, and butts but doesn’t go into much detail on these mods. Not too bad for a book that’s not specifically about custom fitting.


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5 responses to “Knit to Flatter”

  1. Miriana

    I had the identical reaction when I downloaded the electronic version a while ago.

  2. Beth

    Thank you for another very helpful book review. You are saving me a fortune ;D

  3. Loving these reviews. My knitting library is pretty sparse at the moment, but I’m definitely open to picking up a few books. There are so many to choose from, I just never know where to start.

  4. I have this book! I really like it, but I didn’t buy it as a fitting book and I didn’t take it to be one. It’s a book that discusses how to find patterns and styles that fit your body shape, not custom-fitting a garment. I mean, it does include useful information on how to make some adjustments (I really appreciate the info on fitting a larger bust, because ye gods that is something I need to do with nearly every single close-fitted pattern out there), but I don’t think that was the purpose of the book. I can see how it could be mistaken for one though. I found it really useful for me, in determining what styles could work for me (from one specific perspective, that is).

    I’m really enjoying your reviews! There’s so many books out there, and it’s can be so hard to figure out which ones are best. 🙂

    1. Yeah, I don’t blame the book for not having a lot of fit information since it was clear once I get my hands on it that that’s not what it’s aiming for. I was just surprised because so many people recommended it!

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