what I call 'grading responsibly'

In which we borrow from the book written by Sarah Walworth and myself, the one most beautifully illustrated by Lucy Engelman, The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook, on sizing.

I know I sound like a broken record, constantly saying that a knitting pattern is essentially clothing that needs to fit real bodies, but I like to say it a lot, lest we forget the whole point of what we’re doing. It can be easy to get caught up in creativity and forget about fit; if following that bliss is your passion then maybe skip the grading and pattern writing, and create one of a kind pieces of art. If creating size inclusive patterns is your jam, read on. If you’re seasoned at this, pardon what may be repetitive - I promise it’s still worth your time.

If you are designing any kind of garment other than a scarf, your pattern will likely include different size options. Each size is, in a way, a separate pattern. Within each size every element must be correct, and the way that each size fits a human body must be consistent to ensure that the look of the design remains the same regardless of the wearer’s body shape. To achieve this kind of consistency, knitting designers use what’s called a sizing standard, or size chart.

A sizing standard is a table of measurements of different points on the body and includes circumferences (or girths), lengths, depths, and widths. It’s important to note that the measurements in sizing standards are body measurements, not the garment measurements. Using sizing standards to create many sizes of one design is called grading.

Follow the grading principles below to achieve the same fit across sizes.

• Determine the key body points for the design.

• Determine the grade rules (or design ease) at those points.

• Calculate your target measurements for all the sizes in your range.

• Calculate the stitches and rows/rounds and shaping.

This grading process can be approached in different ways, depending on how a designer prefers to work. Some designers start by creating a complate design, or sample, in one size, then use sizing standards to translate the single sample size into multiple size options for the same pattern. Other designers will determine their sizes and size information ahead of time, creating a sample after the pattern has been written.

Whichever path you take, it is important to consider your design wholistically against your size range: Nail down your target measurements for all sizes ahead of time and make sure each of your design elements plays well across the sizes. This will allow you to anticipate and solve any issues (such as scaling motifs or the possible distortion of a part of the garment) before you write the pattern, ultimately achieving the same garment from size to size. Take time for this; we’re designing clothes, after all, and they have to fit human bodies and fit them well!

This is the start of the sizing chapter. The chapter goes on to talk about what to start with, what to make sure you get right, and answers your questions. It is followed by a chapter called Common Sweater Pitfalls, outlining the fit mistakes that designers most often make and how to avoid them. The book also includes our own sizing standards, for working on designs for all bodies. You gotta get it.

My co-author Sarah, also writes a newsletter. She is the owner of The Tech Editor Hub, and last month when the book published, in her newsletter she wrote about how exciting it was becoming an author, and how it’s easy for one to think they could never do something like that. She said something important that I hope everyone gets to hear, and issued an invitation. She has given me permission to share it here with you. She says this:

Today I want to inspire you out of smallness. What Kristina and I accomplished may seem like next level, but it is absolutely something you, yes you, can do. You might not write a book, perhaps you will do something even better.

What you have in that beautiful noggin of yours is priceless, SO valuable...and it doesn't match what anyone else has in their head and in their experience. Kristina and I just brought to the table what we knew a lot about through hands-on work. What is your genius zone? Because--news flash--we need it.

Here are a few of the lessons I learned over the last couple of years that culminated in this book. Perhaps this little email could be a shortcut for you to not have to learn these lessons the hard way. Like we did.

There will be no diagonal vision; keep your eyes on your own paper. (Props if you know the movie this is from!) It's super easy to spend a lot of time watching and evaluating what everyone around you is doing, either to get clients or to produce content or any other sort of art. When we do this, sometimes it produces envy, but most of the time it just makes the fire of our own strength and creative force die. Pour gas on the things that totally light you up and don't worry if someone else is doing something different.

Answer questions and be generous. We started the long road to a finished book by just answering questions and lots of them, in detail. What questions do you get asked all the time that when you answer, other people are like, "How do you know that?" This is key--by listening to people and forming solutions, you get a deep insight into people's needs. Which leads to...

Fill in a void. What is missing? What do people wish were available? Maybe you are the person to produce it.

Be curious and get uncomfortable. We saw a need and decided to create a book, asked a lot of more experienced people about it and then realized it was going to be a hard, hard process. We could have said no thanks. Instead we learned how to be uncomfortable and how to work together to grow what we envisioned.

Make friends. We 100% could not have created this text without our patrons and other supporters and friends. While there may be some superhumans somewhere who are able to create in a vacuum devoid of interaction, we feel the most valuable contributions to our industry are done in the context of community. You will need the help and the encouragement along the way.

Lastly, get ready to branch out and grow. We started as tech editors. However, this process completely changed us and we will never be the same. Your creative work will imprint itself to your being and make you different, too, which is a beautiful result of creative power.

So my book meets a need, but there are so many more that you all could fill. What will you make?

Dang, that’s what I’m saying.

TL:DR: Think about all sizes of bodies as you grade, how does each fit point need to work? Learn about it, learn about bodies. It’s the job.