Pet Peeve of the Week…

 …using fabric stretch to fit knit garments. Don’t get me wrong, there are garments that absolutely need to be sewn with negative (or very minimal) ease — think swimwear and other athletic gear, shape wear, etc. And it is certainly gratifying to be able to still squeeze into our clothing when a few holiday pounds appear. 

But, for myself, I prefer knit clothing that actually fits the contours of my body without any distortion of the fabric when worn. That doesn’t mean loose and baggy — it simply means draping over the shaped bits & removing excess over the smaller places — in other words, darts. 

Why so peeved this week? Because I just finished a hand knit pullover that I added bust darts to.  I wanted to reassure myself on good technique, so consulted a few sources for tips. And I did find helpful information on how to achieve bust darts, but usually accompanied by comments about not needing darts if you simply add additional stitches to the front. Well no, a larger bust may require additional circumference, but what it really needs is additional depth. We’ve all seen (or experienced!) tops that hike up in front. There may be enough fabric to go around, but there isn’t enough to go over and still appear level — and this happens for any bumps. Large booty? Skirt hems will be higher in back. Large tummy? — pulls up in front. The beauty of a bust dart in knits is that it adds depth to get over the bump, keeps the appearance of level hems and doesn’t require the knit fabric to do any extra stretching to achieve that. 

OK, I feel a peeve is turning into a rant and that’s not helpful. Obviously I’ll continue to do what I think best for fitting knits I make, but I hope others might consider darts for better fit in their makes too. Whether in hand knitting or sewing, it seems bust darts have gotten a bad rap — but really, they’re a bump’s best friend for looking good! And (shhh, our little secret!) if you think sewn bust darts in knit fabric look bulky and awkward — they can be trimmed.

Any thoughts? Polite comments, pro or con are always welcome.

Too late…

 …for a holiday gift suggestion, but never too late to share a finishing hint for knitted (or crochet) projects  — a nifty needle felting kit. 

While I have tried an actual needle felted project in a fiber guild workshop - some small animal, can’t remember what as it didn’t resemble any living thing! - my real appreciation for needle felting is for helping to secure the inevitable loose ends in my projects. I’ve used it several times with great success (even on superwash wool) and it seems to have held up well.

I use this kit from Desert Breeze. There are less expensive kits available elsewhere, but this one suits my needs with a handy thick pad to place under your item, and a variety of felting needles. They don’t come with any handle for the needle during use, but I haven’t found that to be an issue - but again, I’m only securing ends, not shaping anything.