Designer Resources

As a budding designer you may be looking for information on how to get started designing knit-wear/crochet-wear, how to multi-size (grade) your knitting patterns, sources for knitting stitches, yarn information, etc.

My first advice would be — join Ravelry.com! The advice and sharing that is present in that knit and crochet community is just overwhelming.

So, as I come across resources that might be useful, I’ll add the links here. Hope you find it helpful, too.

Standard Sizing Chart Resources

Preemies

1. Preemie 1 – 6 lbs (Bev’s Country Cottage): hats, feet, blankets and baby sizes
2. Knotions online magazine

Babies and Children

1. Baby — 18 months (Knotions)
2. Baby 3 – 24 months (Yarn Standards)
3. Children 2 – 10 yrs (Yarn Standards)
4. Children 2 – 13 (Modern Pattern Design 1942): detailed body measurements
5. Girls’ Skirt Length Measurements (ready-made clothing source rather than standards – The Children’s Place)
6. Newborn to 10 yrs (JustJussi): very comprehensive including waist to ankle, waist to knee and upper arm measurements
7. National Institute of Standards and Technology (from the 1940′s) US Apparel Sizing Standards
   Young Children (1 – 6X)
   Girls (7 – 16 in 3 body types)
   Boys (2 – 24 in 3 body types)

Women

1. Women (Yarn Standards) Note: there is some discussion regarding the accuracy of the women’s sizing measurements as they apply to larger sizes
2. Women (Ysolda)
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (from the 1940′s) US Apparel Sizing Standards; includes:
   Jr Petite: 3 – 15; Misses Petite: 8 – 18; Misses: 6 – 22; Tall: 10 – 22; Women’s: 34 – 52; Half Sizes: 12 1/2 – 26 1/2

Head and Foot

1. Preemie to Adult Head and Hat Sizes (Bev’s Country Cottage)
2. Head (Yarn Standards)
3. Preemie to Adult Foot Sizes (Bev’s Country Cottage)
4. Foot (Yarn Standards)

Men’s Standard Body Measurements and Sweater Measurements

Sep 10.09: thank you to Raveler kindlingandtinder for providing expertise for the revised wrist measurements

In creating my men’s knitting pattern designs, I was using a collection of different measurement charts and finally decided that streamlining was in order. The result — the following charts.

There are limitations to standard measurement charts e.g. they assume that as a person increases in chest size they also grow taller and have longer arms. We all know that that is not so; therefore, these charts need to be complimented by your own measurements/knowledge. Please feel free to reference these charts as a jumping off point in creating your own designs.

click on each image for a larger size chart

A note about Size Range: The sizes included in these charts were limited by the information available. I just couldn’t find enough sources  above a 52 chest to create average figures.

A note about Fit: The Underarm Sleeve measurement will vary depending on the style of garment and amount of ease in the design e.g. a drop-shoulder style sweater will have a much shorter underarm measurement than a very fitted one with a set-in sleeve . Use your own experience and knowledge to complement these tables. It’s always best to measure the person for whom you are designing the garment. Another good comparison source is a sweater or sweatshirt that has the correct fit — measure it and compare it to these charts.

Sources: these charts were created by comparing and/or averaging figures from the following resources:
Knotions online magazine; Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti; Yarn Standards; Overstock.com; SuitYourself.com; Sears catalog; Burda pattern envelopes; and Simplicity pattern envelopes.

Blankets

Preemie to Adult Blanket / Afghan Sizes

Hat Sizing Chart

Kate at Tot Toppers has just put up a sizing chart for hats – an extensive measurement list including sizes from newborn to adult large.

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Other Resources

1. Abbreviations – knitting: abbreviations to use when writing/reading patterns
2. Abbreviations – crochet: abbreviations to use when writing/reading patterns
3. Chart Symbols – knit: although not industry standard, a good place to start building your own symbol library; aim for consistency within your pattern writing
4. Chart Symbols – crochet
5. Crochet Hook Sizes: US and metric equivalents
6. Croquis – drawing fashion figure templates to use for sketching your designs
7. Drawing fashion figures: see Croquis above or Sketching below
8. Gauge: Techniques with Theresa (knitty.com)
9. Grading Knitting Patterns: Thinking Beyond the Pattern…Multisize Me and  Multisize Me More – great article at Knitty.com by Jenna Wilson
10. Humour – the Yarn Harlot: when you just need a lift
11. Knitting Symbol Font: Aire River Knitting Font; from the site “Individuals and self-publishers are free to use this font to develop knitting stitch diagrams for personal or professional use without royalty payments to the font designer.“
12. Knitting Needle Sizes: US and metric equivalents
13. Measuring the Body: how to take/interpret body measurements and classification of ease
14. Set in Sleeves: knitty article by Jenna Wilson (Girl from Auntie)
15. Short Rows: samples (instructions and pictures) on Shifting Stitches blog;  5 methods, including Japanese short rows, by TECHknitter; the theory behind short-row shaping is also on the same blog
16. Short Row Bust Shaping: Shifting Stitches blog articles Bust Shaping Part 1 and Bust Shaping Part 2.
17. Short Row Bust Shaping: Knitty article also shows how to create a shirt-tail hem
18. Sketching 101 by neoknits: first blog post in a series; includes printable croquis for flat sketching; use for pattern ideas / submission packages
19. Sketching Fashion Figures ~  line drawing figures of men, women and children to trace from alleycatscratch
20. Waist Shaping Calculator from Knitting Daily
21. Yarn Weights: US classification of yarns