Measuring Yourself: Bust, Waist, Hip

NOTE: The photos demonstrate where the tape measure should be placed. When YOU measure yourself, don't measure over your clothing! I had to do that because, well, this is a family website, but measuring over your clothing will add extra bulk. You want the REAL you, not the bulky clothed you, for your measurements. It's best to measure over your basic underthings (bra, panties, slip, or camisole). Read more about measuring in Sandi's post "The Four Knitting Truths".

About Positive Ease, Negative Ease, and Those Pesky Measurements

Full Bust

What it IS: Your Full Bust Measurement, which the circumference of your chest at its fullest/curviest/most voluptuous point.

What it is NOT: This is NOT your bra band size! It is also not your underbust measurement, nor your high bust measurement.

How to find it: You should be wearing the undergarments you would wear with a knitted top of the type you're intending to make, but ditch the layers, sweaters, and bulky outer clothing for this performance. Bra only is best; bra with camisole is fine. Wrap a flexible tape measure around your bust. Make sure the tape lays flat, and goes only over your chest and shoulderblades, not over your arms or your cat or anything else. Wrap the tape around the biggest part of your bust, which on most gals is somewhere at or slightly above nipple level. Breathe normally--do not hold your breath!

Waist

Surprisingly, not everyone knows where their "real" waist is! The trouble seems to be that most definitions say the waist is your narrowest part...and that just isn't true for non-hourglass gals. Feel along your sides for the top of your hipbones, and then wiggle your fingers around the area until you find the natural indentation just above the bones--that's what is supposed to be your waist.

Hips

Again, this can be tough to locate if you are not an hourglass. Feel along your sides for your leg joint, and then LOOK DOWN to see if this is the widest part of you. Wiggle the tape around until it looks as though you've got it around your widest bit.

Buddha Belly (for Rubenesque and Goddess gals)

If you've got one, you know what I'm talking about. Measure around the most generous part of your belly, because any sweater you make is going to have to stretch over that.

High Tummy (also for Rubenesque and Goddess Gals)

If you have a little padding of plush under your bust and your waist, measure that at its most generous curve.