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Pattern Drafing In all phases of the knitting project the most important thing to consider when you are planning to knit any garment is your gauge. In drafting a pattern, your gauge is the very foundation of the entire garment. When you have decided on the yarn and size of needles you are going to use, make a swatch to check your guage, using the yarn and needles you are going to use in knitting the garment. When making your swatch, be sure you use the stitch which is to be used in the main part of the garment. All pattern stitches can differ in gauge. If you are using a combination of stitches, such as stockinette stitch with a cable design, take both gauges and then consider this in your planning. When checking your gauge, be sure to use the same color of yarn you are going to use to make your garment. Another color of the same type of yarn may work up in a different gauge, as the dye used can cause a decided change in the thickness of the yarn. For your first pattern draft, it will be easier if you plan a very simple sweater or jacket without too much shaping or pattern detail. You must add some stitches for body movement. This addition is usually referred to as "ease." Four inches is the amount of ease usually allowed at the bustline. When you have taken the measurements and worked out the gauge, you are ready to plan your garment. Planning a Sweater In planning a man's sweater, the chest measurement is divided in half. Multiply the number of inches by the number of stitches per inch in the gauge and cast on that number of stitches for either back or front of sweater. For a woman's sweater, the front should have more stitches than the back. For a 36-inch bust, the front measurement is usually 20 inches and the back 16 inches. For example, if your stitch gauge is 6 sts = 1 inch and the bust measurement is 36 inches, to find the number of sts to cast on for the front—20 x 6 = 120 sts to be cast on for front of an unfitted jacket or sweater (60 sts for each front section if it is a cardigan). If you plan to have ribbing on the bottom, the ribbing is usually worked on needles two sizes smaller to insure enough elasticity. In planning a fitted sweater, you would start with the waist measurement, dividing the number of inches to correspond with the bust measurement, and do your shaping by evenly spaced increases up to the bust measurement. As the decreases and increases are made evenly on both sides, the number of sts is divided in half to find the number of decreases or increases required on each side. Armhole shaping is done by decreasing from the bust measurement to the shoulder measurement. Always allow 1 inch on each section (front and back) for armpit. Therefore, if your gauge is 6 sts—1 inch, you would bind off 6 sts at each armhole edge once and then dec 1 st every other row until required number of decreases have been made to reach shoulder width. Work even until you have the desired length from armpit to shoulder, allowing ½ inch for shaping shoulder. In a simple sweater, the sts required for shoulder from armhole to armhole (across) are divided by 3, leaving 1/3 number of sts for each shoulder and 1/3 for the back of the neck.
The front neck shaping takes a little more calculating than the back. Examples are given here for a round neck and a V neck, both using a gauge of 6 sts = 1 inch. For an open sweater or cardigan, you would follow the same principles, and either add the number of sts to each side for the button band or edge or add a band to each side after the garment is completed. Round Neck Neck shaping for a round neck is usually started when the armhole is 2½ inches less than the desired length to shoulder. (When center sts have been bound off, attach another ball of yarn and work both sides at once.) If you have bound off 14 sts in center, the 14 remaining neck sts, divided by 2, leave 7 sts to be gradually decreased from each side.
After decreases are completed, work even on the 28 shoulder sts until desired length to shoulder, then shape shoulder by binding off 9 sts at beginning of next 2 rows; then bind off the remaining 10 sts at beginning of next row. V-neck Shaping The shaping of a V neck sweater is usually started about 1 inch above armpit. Start shaping by dividing the number of sts in half and place half of sts on a holder and work one side, or attach another ball of yarn and work both sides at once. Calculate the number of rows to be knit from point of V to shoulder. Divide this number by number of decreases for each side of V to determine on what row decs at neck edge are to be made. Example: 28 sts for neck divided by 2=14 decreases for each side of neckline. 60 rows from point of V to shoulder divided by 14 = 3 6/7 rows. In other words, dec 1 st at neck edge every 3rd row 14 times.
When decreasing has been completed, work even on the 28 sts until desired length to shoulder. Shape shoulder same as for round neck. Sleeves The necessary measurements for a long sleeve are the arm girth, underarm length, and wrist. The shaping is done by increasing in the same manner as the body of the sweater. As the width of the hand is larger than wrist measurement, add 1 inch for necessary stretch. Rib cuff sts on a smaller needle for elasticity. Cap of Sleeve Shape the cap of sleeve to fit the armhole of sweater. The sleeve cap should measure 1 to 1½ inches more in circumference than the armhole of sweater, allowing 2 inches to be bound off at top for completion of cap.
Start cap shaping when the desired length to underarm has been reached. Bind off at each end the same number of sts bound off for armpits of sweater. Shape cap by evenly spaced decreases on each side. For example: 72 sts —12 sts (6 on each side) = 60 sts remaining; 60 sts — 12 sts to be bound off at top of cap for completion = 48 sts to be eliminated from cap. Forty-eight sts divided by 2 = 24 decreases each side of cap. Five inches (length of cap) x 10 rows (gauge is 10 rows= 1 inch) = 50 rows. Therefore, to shape cap, bind off 6 sts beg of next 2 rows or once at each side and continue to dec 1 st at beginning and end of every 2nd row until 12 sts remain. Bind off these 12 sts. With this as a foundation, almost any type of sleeve may be designed. Continue Below
This is page 2 of 6: Continue To Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Source: This article is re-published by Eastman Publishing. The information contained in this article is from a Cooperative Extension Service, Oregon publication titled Knitting - Creative Use of Leisure Time - 1966.
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