Let’s Machine Knit a Straight Two Piece Skirt
Measuring for Your Skirt
Things you will need before you
begin:
A CLOSE or VERY GOOD friend
A full length mirror to see into
Pins or a washable marker or
marking pen
Tape measure (that is in good
condition)
Paper and Pencil
Poster Board- 1 or 2 pieces that
are large enough to go around your front at the widest point and/or your back
at your widest point
Yard or Meter stick
GOOD HUMOR (mandatory)
A couple of wine coolers
(optional)
Good music
Snacks (the good kind)
Character and Style of the Knitted Garment
When
planning for your first skirt there are quite a few things the knitter needs to
consider before beginning. Ask yourself
a few of these questions first. What is
the purpose of the garment? Another
words, how and where are you going to wear the item? Are you even going to wear the garment or is it going to be a
pattern draft to be used to fit and measure for future projects or
patterns? Do you have a figure that
supports straight skirt or an A-line?
How experienced a knitter are you?
If the garment is to be worn, what are you going to wear with it? Is it harmonious in pattern and style with
the other garments being worn with it?
A way
long time ago, when I had a pencil thin figure, I would have looked like a
tooth pick if I wore a straight skirt.
I never wore one. On the other
hand, my sister inherited the “Hamilton Hips and Thighs.” She also had a
very short tiny waist measurement. I
had none, with no hips to speak of. Add
both of us up to 5’2 in height, and you can imagine what we looked like
together. This caused much angst when
we grew up. The upside was that we only
argued over “borrowing” the sweaters.
As you can see, if you want to look your best you have to be honest with
yourself. You won’t be disappointed
that way. It may save you many hours in
time and frustration let alone money wasted on patterns that don’t work out or
on a style that does not suit your figure.
Taking Those Measurements!
The
next step is to take your measurements.
Never do this yourself! Wear
the appropriate undergarments before the measurements are taken. Remember most people are not
knitting the size of the undergarments!
If you are going to wear those wonderful new form-fitting figure shaping
slips underneath what you are making, wear it and then take your
measurements. This principle is the
same with bras and chest measurements.
Different types of bras shape and conform your chest differently. A top that may not fit quite right may look
terrific when the bra style gets changed.
Keep this in mind when measuring for your top to match your skirt. Whether you decide to purchase or draft your
own patterns, all of these measurements will be helpful to you to determine and
identify a good fit. Always
follow the directions for taking your measurements if you are using a software
program or a pattern that has included directions for taking these
measurements.
The
following measurements are needed to make an accurate pattern for a straight or
an A-line skirt. Remember to wear the
proper undergarments appropriate for its purpose before beginning. These are guidelines that I have developed
and learned over the years from knitting for figures that were difficult to
fit. These guidelines are for adults,
however some of the same principles may apply to children as well.
Some of
these measurements may not be necessary for you to measure, and for others, it
may be trial and error at first for a good fit. Always try to keep the tape measure at an even distance from the
waist (level) when measuring your circumference. Do not to let the tape slip when taking these
measurements.
First,
make yourself two drawings one for the front of the skirt and one for the
back. If you are knitting more than two
pieces make a diagram for each piece and label it front, back etc. Make sure your diagrams are large enough to
see and spaced far enough apart on your paper to make notes on. You will be recording your measurements on
these work sheets. You may also be
making calculations on them as well.
Label all calculations and make sure to note location and circumference
and how they were taken.
Name and
date all diagrams of this kind. You may
go back to them and use them for future reference, reuse, or to even note
corrections on. The date becomes
important because as time goes on your body may change shape. A skirt charted five years ago may be of
little use to you today.
Waist: Take the
measurement so that the tape will move around the waist circumference with a
little ease, but not too loosely. Some
recommend inserting two fingers under the tape when measuring. If you find it difficult to see or find
your waist, try bending forward and/or sideways to find this point. Mark this
point on the under- garments on both sides of your waist with a pin or
water-soluble marker. (Open the
bottle and take out the snacks, its time to take the first sip!)
Hips: These measurements
are taken at the 3” 5” 7” 8” or even 10 inches from the waist depending on your
size and shape. As a “rule of thumb”
the first measurement is usually taken about 3” below the waist. The second measurement is usually taken 5 or
more inches below the waist measurement.
I find the fullest measurement for the hip is found somewhere between
the 7-10 inch point below the waistline.
Some computer programs recommend taking this measurement between the
“high hip” and the “fullest” point of the hip.
Remember, always read your directions first before measuring.
Take your second sip of wine
and consider sharing the snacks with your friend.
There
are additional considerations when taking the hip measurements. The first consideration is the protruding
abdomen. This is commonly referred to
as having a “pooch”. Time to take
that third sip and put on some music.
Abdominal Protrusion or
“Pooch” measurement: This is taken after the waist
measurement. This extra curve is
located over the abdomen and usually starts just below the waistline. I don’t
know about you, but after having three children my front (and bottom) hasn’t
been the same since. Although my waist
is ok, just below this area my stomach protrudes, and no amount of exercise is
going to get rid of it. I frankly
don’t want to wear a form fitting slip all the time either. So, what do you do if you have a “pooch” up
front? How do you measure to compensate
for this extra curve?
Measuring with the yard or
meter stick: Place the yard stick (or meter stick) on the floor in front
of you between your feet. Your feet
should be comfortably placed apart from each other in a natural standing
position. Level up the yard stick up to
the farthest part of the protrusion making sure your stick is completely
straight up and down (vertical) and not tilted. Hold it there and measure around at its widest point from the
hips, where the stick comes away from the body. Write this measurement down, and mark this spot on the side of
your body below the waist. Next measure the distance between this mark and the
waist. Write this down too, and label
the measurement for what it is.
Measuring with the poster
board:
This is my favorite way to take this measurement. Because it is easier to “see” it becomes
more “fool proof” for me. Take a
flexible piece of poster board such as the type of lightweight cardboard used
for school projects or presentations.
Poster board is inexpensive and can be purchased at your local craft and
business store. Whatever type of
cardboard you decide to use, it needs to be flexible enough to curve around the
tummy slightly, but firm enough not to collapse on you. This will be your tool to use to measure
around the pooch with a tape measure.
Hold the piece of cardboard so the top edge of it is level with your
waist. Next, continue holding the sides
of the cardboard so that it curves around the “pooch” to meet at your sides, no
farther. When the top of the cardboard
pops out beyond the waist because of the pooch, let it go. You need to be concerned with the
measurement around the cardboard at its farthest point outward from the body.
Write this measurement down and mark this measurement where the tape measure
meets on the side of the hip. Measure
this distance from the waist measurement and write this down as well. This measurement will be incorporated into
your hip and or waist measurement. If
your piece of poster board is too wide, trim it to meet an invisible seam along
your sides so it lies around the body accurately. Keep this piece for future use.
It can be reused for re-measuring with different types of lingerie. This procedure works well with pregnant
mommies too.
(Take another sip and put up
the music!)
Hip Measurement: This measurement
is usually taken in two to three increments i.e. 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 inches
depending on your size and shape. It is
definitely taken at its widest point.
Mark this point on the side of your undergarment and then measure down
from the waist mark. Note the distance
or distances on your paper. I like to
take an upper measurement that is at least 3-5 inches down from the waist
depending upon where my widest point is. I am small (5’) so my widest point is
7” down from my waist measurement. My
third measurement if I take one lies in-between these two measurements. (Take
a larger sip but don’t share the wine yet with your “Friend.”)
Larger or Protruding Buttocks: This measurement
gets included with the hip or thigh measurement when needed. This measurement is for those of you that
need extra space in your “seat.” It
will be important for you because it indicates how much extra ease you may need
over this area. It is taken at the farthest point outward from the body over
the buttocks. Have you ever seen a
person with a knit skirt sag in the back seat area? Extra ease in this area may help prevent this problem. Just as we did in the above exercise, place
the poster board over the buttocks the top of the poster board level with the
waist. Hold the cardboard firmly at the
sides so it curves around the buttocks.
Let the bottom of the poster board extend down and outward from the
body. Trim the poster board so that it fits around the body to end at your
sides and extend at least 5” lower than the buttocks. Make sure when measuring that the tape is held loosely enough so
that the lower extending poster board does not pull inward at the bottom.
Measure around the buttocks at the widest point from the body over the poster
board. You need to know how far down
this widest point is from the waistline measurement. Mark this point with a pin or mark on the sides of the lingerie
under the marks made for previous measurements. Note the circumference and the distance down from the waist
mark.
Some
may need both a measurement for the front abdomen and a measurement for the
buttocks. You may need to place one
poster board in the front and one around the back. Don’t worry. Tape the
sides, hold it in place, and measure around at its widest points starting at
the top and always noting the circumference and the distance down from the
waist. (Blast the music and take another sip or two. A bite of chocolate won’t hurt either.)
Thighs: This measurement is
especially important if you have a few extra sized ones. Take the measurement around the widest
point, taking note how far down from the waistline you are. Write the
measurements down.
Length: Length
is determined by size, style, and purpose.
A long length isn’t necessary for a tennis outfit. On the other hand, a mid thigh garment makes
me look like a munchkin. No matter how
in style it gets, I just get shorter!
If you are not sure, measure the length of your favorite skirt from the
waist to the hem. Don’t include the
length of the waistband but start measuring just below it. (OK, now you can
share the rest of the wine and snacks because now it’s your friend’s
Just a quick note for A-line
skirts: Some skirts with flair have a
bottom curve to it so the hem of the flair lies nicely around and the hem does
not appear to pull slightly upwards in areas.
You will need to take two measurements, the front and side
measurement. Note if any, the
difference between these two. This creates the curve to your hem. This measurement is used to calculate how
many short rows you will need for the hemline shaping. So I don’t recommend measuring the length
for a straight skirt on a flared skirt.
Measuring The Length: There are a few ways to do this, and just
like the calculations above, whatever works successfully for you do it that
way. This is how I like to take the
measurement for a straight skirt length. Always have the person stand straight
and comfortably with the legs slightly apart at a natural comfortable
distance. I take a measuring stick and
measure at the side the distance from the floor to where I want my hemline to
be. I make a tiny mark on the side of
the body or on the undergarment where this ends. Then I measure from my waist down this distance. That will be the length of my straight
skirt. I also measure the side seam of
my favorite straight skirt to compare both the measurements if needed.
Calculating Your Skirt Diagram
From Your Measurements
Consider
the factors in a well fitting skirt.
The skirt needs to be wide enough at the hips and waist to allow for
comfortable sitting. Add extra width at
the hip line no matter what size you knit to accommodate the “pulling up” of
the hemline when sitting. This is
caused not by the length but by the too narrow width. No amount of added hemline will compensate for this problem. Finally, make sure your skirt size allows
for freedom of movement when walking, sitting, or standing.
Straight Skirt: In charting a straight skirt first note the
largest measurement you have. This
usually is the hip or thigh measurement.
A rule of thumb is to add 8-10 inches to this measurement. For me this
ends up as a fairly loose fit. A
tighter fit is in style now. This added
measurement is also influenced by taste.
I have seen as little as 4 and as much as 12 inches added to the widest
hip or thigh measurement. What ever you decide, this will be the total bottom
width of your skirt. Divide this
measurement by two, as the skirt will be knitted in two pieces. Next, take a look at your waist measurement. The “rule of thumb” is to add at least 4
inches to this number. This added
number is the ease that you will need to get your skirt up and over your hips
or thighs. Again, this number is always adjustable. Since the hemline is knitted with out shaping, this is the most
popular first skirt to learn on.
The Skirt Diagram
Here is an example of
measurements charted on a straight skirt after the measurements have been taken
and adjusted.
Knitting the
Skirt
Materials Needed:
2 colors of yarn, one main color, one contrast color of the same kind or
type of yarn
Blocking Board
Good steaming device or Iron
Blocking Cloth
Blocking Wires
T pins or large long straight
pins such as the one they use for pinning
Corsages
Knitting the Waist Band and Hemline on a Straight Skirt
We
will be using some of the techniques contained in the instruction books that
came with your Artisan machine. Which
one you choose will be dependent upon your skill, your familiarity with your
machine, and the yarn you have chosen.
Style is also a consideration. I
recommend practicing several types of hems at different tensions. Make sure your swatches are large enough so
that you may observe the behaviors of your yarn using the different
tensions. You may need to make
additional swatches for practicing blocking and steaming techniques for the
hems and body. Take notations and make your
adjustments accordingly on your next swatch.
Another
consideration is which direction are you going to knit your skirt, from the top
down, or from the bottom up. I have
seen those who don’t like to fuss with darts and multiple stitch decreasing knit
their skirts from the top down. There
are not so many stitches to move around that way. Remember your little V’s created by the knit stitch will be
inverted when knitting in this direction.
Knitting a skirt from the top down looks lovely with matching top
knitted the same way, top to bottom. As
you can see planning ahead is important.
The
tensions I have suggested to use in my directions for the Hung Hem are
guidelines for you to start with. I use
these guidelines myself. The principle
for the Hung Hem is the same no matter what the choice of yarn or tensions
used. The inner hem is knit at a
tighter tension than the body of the garment, the turning row is knit at a
looser tension than the main body tension, and the row that knits the doubled stitches
when the “hem is hung” is always knit at a looser tension than the main body
tension to accommodate the double thickness of the stitches.
If
you are not sure what type of hem or waistband your garment will have, cast on
in waste knitting and knit 1 row of ravel cord. You can pick up these stitches later to knit your hem or
waistband. Do the same when you cast
off.
Hung Hem EON: I make most of my hung hems this way. It eliminates some of the bulk that results
from folding over the knitting to make this type of hem. I also sometimes hand stitch my hem to
eliminate any ridge that may occur when the two pieces are joined. When I do this, I mark this row with a separate
contrasting thread. This thread is
worked in and out through the loops of the stitches on the needle hooks by hand
with a tapestry needle so the contrasting color does not get knitted in with
the garment yarn. This technique is also used when knitting reversed hems such
a waistband that is knitted in one continual piece from the body of the skirt,
folded over and then the stitches are hung and bound off.
1) CO the
required amt of stitches needed in waste knitting EON using a non-permanent
cast on method. CO at least 40 to 50
stitches if you are making a practice swatch.
2) K one or 2 inches in waste yarn
3) K 1 R of ravel
4) Change to the
main garment yarn.
5) CO using the e-wrap method EON
6) Adjust your
tension dial on your carriage to 1 or 2 tensions less than the main body
tension you will be using. This
setting depends on the yarn and stitch size. As a “rule of thumb” I generally
start with 2 tensions tighter with acrylics, and when using dress yarn, 1
tension tighter to begin with. Always
test first.
7) K 1R set RC to O
8) Continue knitting EON to R 7
9) Bring forward
the needles in A position to B position; all needles should be in work
position
10) K 3 more rows at the same tension over all of the needles.
11) This is your
turning row. As a “rule of thumb”
adjust your tension dial at least 2 to 3 tensions greater than your main
body tension.
12) K1R
13) Change your tension dial to your main body tension.
14) K 9R
15) Hang the loops
formed by the e wrap to the correct corresponding needles. You should have a stitch on each end of your
knitting, with the stitches in between placed on the corresponding EON. If you hang this incorrectly, your hem will
have an angle to it. Recheck and make
sure EON has 2 stitches on it starting from one end.
16) Adjust your
tension dial to 2 tensions looser than your main body tension (“rule of
thumb”).
17) K1 R
18) Change your
tension dial back to your main body tension and continue knitting.
Ribbed Hemline: I have seen this
used on the bottom of sportswear skirts.
This type of hemline needs very little blocking and just a light
steaming. The 1/1 rib and a Full Needle
Rib are most often seen on the bottom of this type of skirt. Practice your rib and rib tensions. A too tight tension can cause the hem to
fold up. This is caused by the
difference in tensions that affects the density of the stitches, the higher
rolls to the lower. Roll your swatch
lengthwise and tug to lock the stitches in place. Take a look again before you begin anything else. Next, try blocking and lightly steaming your
hemline. This may solve the problem.
Next adjust your tensions on a new swatch and try again. Make another swatch with a shorter rib
length, or use a slightly tighter body tension after the rib is transferred to
the main bed. Re-steam, block, and
lightly press if necessary. If you are
still not satisfied, try a different type of hem. Always make a note of the changes that you make on each swatch. Staple the best samples to a piece of sturdy
paper or poster board. If you are to
use this yarn again, you can use these samples for future reference, or to make
the proper adjustments when planning your next garment using the same yarn
and/or techniques.
Knitting the Waistband
Knitting
the waistband can be done quite a few ways.
One of the ways was mentioned above, a waistband knitted in one
continual piece from the body. Another
way that is quite popular is to knit the waistband as a separate piece,
dividing it and marking it into quarters, making sure to locate your center
point on the band. Next, re-hang the
stitches from the upper body of the skirt right side facing, center the band
over the required amount of stitches, and bind off. Hang the next section and repeat. Make sure you leave an extra stitch on each end of the band for
seaming. If you have seamed the side
seam of your skirt first, make sure those stitches from the seam are
appropriately placed on the corresponding needles. If unseamed, make sure you overlap those stitches as if it were
seamed and are placed appropriately on the corresponding needles of the knitted
band. These seam stitches are to be
bound off with the waistband. Assembled
and knitted this way can produce a waistband that has too much bulk for
some.
Your Homework: Obtain a gauge, do
some proper planning for your finished garment and in two weeks I will show you
how to chart your skirt with the gauge you have obtained.
(Now you can finish the wine
share the snacks, and tell everyone else they can help themselves to get their
own meal!)
Happy Knitting!
Joanne
Questions?
Contact me through my web
address at:
www.imaginethisproductions.com