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Sweater knitting and suit shopping have something in common: If a sweater doesn’t fit your shoulders, it will never ever look good. But sweater patterns are sized by the bust, not the shoulders. So how do you ensure a proper fit?
The answer begins with understanding why sweaters are sized by the bust. It actually couldn’t be any other way, because for many constructions it’s unclear what the “shoulder” measurement might be. Set-in sleeves (contiguous or traditional) could size by the distance from sleeve seam to sleeve seam (also known as the sweater’s “cross chest”)…
…but what about yokes? raglans? Sideways all-in-one piece?
Every sweater construction has a bust circumference, though. And here’s the thing:
No matter what your size, all hand knit sweater patterns are created for the same body shape. (Let’s call her “Miss Average”.) Designers use the Craft Yarn Council of America charts, or some close variation on them. The measurements in those charts depict the same shape woman, regardless of size.
Here’s the final kicker:
Miss Average’s bust is a good indicator of her shoulders.
Her bust and shoulders are tightly linked. So when a sweater fits her in the bust, it fits her in the shoulders as well, without any modifications required. This is not true for many, many women.
So how do you pick a size, if not by your bust, when patterns are sized by bust? The answer is your upper torso circumference:
Your torso circumference is the “bust” measurement that closely matches your shoulders. So you should use your upper torso circumference, instead of your full bust, when choosing a “bust circumference” size.
For some women, this won’t make much difference. For busty women, you’ll be choosing a size smaller than your bust (sometimes by a fair amount). For broad-shouldered, smaller-busted women, you’ll be choosing a size larger than your bust. When choosing a size, you have three basic fit options. Let’s look at an example of each, on my frame. For reference, my upper torso circumference is 38” and my full bust is 41”.
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(This sweater is a size 38”, exactly matching my 38” torso circumference.)
/i1.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sapwood-updated-3.jpg?resize=199%2C300" target="_blank">https://i1.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpre...updated-3.jpg?resize=199%2C300 199w, https://i1.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpre...updated-3.jpg?resize=133%2C200 133w, https://i1.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpre...7/sapwood-updated-3.jpg?w=1363 1363w" width="232" />
(This sweater is a size 39.5”, 1.5” larger than my torso circumference.)
/i2.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/3948983162_dc567ac2a4_o.jpg?resize=198%2C300" target="_blank">https://i2.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpre...67ac2a4_o.jpg?resize=198%2C300 198w, https://i2.wp.com/www.amyherzogdesigns.com/wordpre...67ac2a4_o.jpg?resize=133%2C200 133w" width="232" />
(This sweater is a size 40.5”, 2.5” larger than my torso circumference.)
To get a great fit in your shoulders, here’s how to select a sweater size:
And there you have it! If you choose your sweater size in this way, you’ll achieve a great fit in the shoulders, and be well on your way to a fantastically-fitting sweater. You might need to make some modifications, but by and large it’s far easier to tweak the waist and hip fit, rather than to try and fix shoulders that are fundamentally wrong.
How close in size are your favorite sweaters to your upper torso circumference? Had any sweater disasters? Let’s talk in the comments! And happy Friday!
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