schematics, part 3: getting the most out of them

Getting knitters psyched

Knitters looking to buy a sweater pattern will be very excited to see the schematic and finished measurements available on the sales page. If you aren’t already providing that with your patterns, do. Knitters are looking for information in the schematic to see if the pattern is right for them and if it will fit. Not only will they look at their own size, but others too. Here is how knitters get the most out of that schematic.

What to look for

Using the schematic to judge if a pattern is graded well and will have good fit just takes a little know-how, and then looking at it to see if it will fit you, takes a little know-how about your own body. First you want to look to see if the measurements you need are indeed there:

• full chest circumference
• upper arm circumference (or width for seamed garments)
• neck width
• armhole depth
• cuff circumference (or width)
• body length

If those numbers are present, you should have all you need to make an informed choice before you buy.

First, do you like the shape of the garment? Does the drawing represent what you see in the pictures? Is it a shape you like to wear? If yes, the rest of this work will be worth it. Next, how many sizes are there? Does it offer a lot of sizes, or only a few? Is your size in there? Let’s support those designers that are working hard to make their patterns well-graded and available to all body sizes.

Do you know what size you need? How has the designer advised you to find your size? Almost always the size is chosen based on the full chest measurement. This may not always be the best way, but it is most common. It makes being sure all the other measurements are graded well even more important.

Checking the numbers

The measurement on the schematic is the finished measurement of the sweater, so you need to take that number and compare it to your own body number. Is there as much room left as the designer suggests, or as much room as you would like? Choose a size that gives you the amount of ease suggested, or that you prefer.

Keep in mind that depending on how it is graded, more ease may mean poor fit elsewhere. Let’s examine that:

• When you look at the neck width, it should only grow across sizes very little, maybe less than a 1/4”/.5 cm between sizes. If you are seeing more than that between each size then that neckline might end up falling off the shoulders in some of the sizes. You want to choose a pattern that has a very slow change in the neckline, to ensure that the sweater will stay on your shoulders.
• The armhole depth similarly shouldn’t change more than that across the sizes. If you are seeing more than a .5”/1.5 cm jump between sizes, you are probably going to have an armhole that is too deep. Be sure to know your own armhole depth, so that you can see how much room you will have there when you look for your size on the schematic.

A fast-paced grade in the neck and armhole will lead to a poorly fitting sweater for most of the sizes, unless sloping necks and long armholes are intended design features.

Seeing how we measure up

Now you need to see how things look for your own body. You will need to have your measurements handy, or at least a very good idea of what they are, before you make sizing choices. First, you need to have that base measurement down, the one to base your size on, usually the full chest measurement, which you will use as a starting point. Then, you want to know the relationships between that point and the other points on the schematic so you can see if the size will work for you.

Do all the measurements work for you in that size, or will you need to make modifications? If all the numbers work, you are good to go!

It is more common that at least one point won’t work for you. Here are some things you might encounter in deciding on a size based on the schematic:

• The upper arm is too big or small compared to the chest size you need, so you will need to decide which size to make, or look at the pattern to see how you can adjust one of those sections. In some patterns you may be able to work one size for the arms and one size for the chest; in others you might be able to adjust with needle size, and in some cases you will need to choose one size over the other.
• The body length or sleeve length is too long or too short, which is often customizable. Just remember to consider any shaping that happens in these sections when you are making your modifications.
• The armhole depth is too long or too short, and you need to be careful modifying that length that you don’t alter the chest circumference in the process. If you remove or add any rows/rnds to correct this, be sure they are plain rows/rnds.
• The neckline is too wide. Unless this is a poorly graded pattern, and the neckline is so wide it isn’t workable, usually you can cinch in necklines during finishing, and some patterns may offer guidance for this.
• The neckline is too tight. Sometimes making a larger size can help this (provided the other points in that size can work for you) or using a very stretchy cast-on or bind-off can make all the difference.

Giving knitters the most, all the knitters

Knitters can learn a lot from a schematic, including information that will help them:

• Choose a size
• Envision what the fit will be like
• Know how they need to modify it, if they do.

(This is information they need upfront, before they buy, to be sure your pattern is right for them. Remember, that’s a good thing! Even if they choose not to make it, that is so much better than them purchasing it, and being frustrated that it won’t work for them (especially if they learn that after investing tons of effort and money - ooh, mad knitter.)

Knitters also refer to this incredibly useful tool as they work and as they plan their knitting, to be sure they are on the right track. They can make notes on it, and draw their modifications on it, too.

The schematic on a pattern is an excellent resource for the knitter and can help them more than you may realize. It can also become a hallmark of your brand in:

• How it is styled
• What measurements it includes
• Any notes or guidelines you provide with it
• When and how you share it with knitters

Take all those opportunities to do your best with it for your pattern and for your knitters.