Teach Yourself Visually Knitting

TAKING BODY MEASUREMENTS
To take body measurements, you need a tape measure. Measure the
bust or chest by placing the tape measure around the fullest part of
the chest, at the underarm. For the waist, measure around the smallest
part of the torso. For the hip, measure around the fullest part of the
lower torso. Measure for the sleeve length by placing the tape measure
at the edge of the shoulder and extending down (with arm held
straight at side) to the wrist. Also measure from the underarm to the
wrist to obtain a measurement for where to begin the sleeve cap
shaping. Some of your knitted measurements should be a few inches
larger than the actual body measurements, or the garment will be too
tight. If the garment is very tailored, you may want to also measure the
circumference of the upper arms, wrists, and neck.

Learning to Read Written Instructions chapter 6

Chest

Sleeve Sleeve

Waist

Hip

READING SCHEMATICS
Schematicsare diagrams of the finished knit pieces for a project. They
indicate the measurements for each piece before everything has been
sewn together. Schematics are a very handy reference: You can mea-
sure your knitting as you go along and compare it to the schematics to
make sure you’re coming up with the same thing. Or if your row gauge
is slightly off, you can follow the schematic instead of the instructions’
row counts to make certain your pieces will be the correct length. Note,
however, that the measurements listed on schematics do not include
embellishments such as collars, button bands, or decorative edgings
that are added later.

GATHERING MATERIALS AND TOOLS
A knitting pattern lists the materials and tools you need to complete
the project. Some knitting patterns specify a number of balls of a
particular brand of yarn. If you plan to substitute, be sure to purchase
the same number of yardsof a yarn that knits to the same gauge—not
just the same total weight of yarn. Some patterns simply specify a
number of yards of a particular weight yarn. Either way, it’s not a bad
idea to buy an extra ball, just in case. A pattern usually also lists needle
types and sizes, as well as any special tools you need. It’s a good idea
to gather all these materials before starting. However, you may want
to wait until you have sewn your sweater together before purchasing
buttons or other fasteners.