I like this sweater best on Kiera, so that tells me I would need to have more bust ease in mine as well. I don't really care for short sleeves on a bulky sweater though.

I think it looks best on Kiera (ease, length, etc), but I think some of that is that she has her arms akimbo so that the sleeves aren't bunching on her.

I love the cable, but do not like short sleeves on a bulky sweater. Also, I think the raglan decreases could have been refined. They bunch at the armpit which is not flattering on anyone. If this was a vest (or easily convertable to one) I would make it in a heartbeat--I personally would never do the current fashion trend of layer the short sleeved sweater over long sleeves.

This looked better than I thought it would, I was concerned that the neck area was too high, but I see how it lays flatter than I expected and tapers. Again, back pictures please! The Gallery photos really help, but a bit more difference between body types would be great.

I know that short sleeves cardigans/vests are the big fashion item this Fall but they just seem so impractical, even layered over long sleeves they wouldn't be warm enough. Indoors they would be too warm. I'd be adding sleeves or long, bulky yarn, knitted gloves.

Come on, Kathleen! I've looked at all four galleries and nowhere is there a plus-size model! I'm very disappointed. I would so like to see you acknowledge the majority of your readers and show these garments on womanly models, with an obvious tummy, boobs and butt!

Andrea,  I acknowledge the need for plus size patterns in our growing nation, but the models all have lovely womenly figures.  No need to indicate otherwise.  Also, I would guess that the majority of the readers are not plus sizes or there would be more patterns reflecting this.

All of your models have bust measurements under 35"!  How about dragging in some real women off the street with busts of  48" or more?    I seem to be leaving this comment issue after issue, but that does not make it any less relevant - many of your readers have larger frames and wear larger sizes than your employees/models!  ARGH!  (I just lost over 90 lbs and still have a larger bush than you show).   

I miss seeing Sandy model these sweaters: her more curvaceous figure gave me a better idea how the sweaters would look on my plumper body. At 50+, I'm looking for something that flatters my no-long-quite-so girlish figure [as are most of my knitting friends.] Or is it just that I'm now in an age bracket that Interweave no longer wishes to target?

These pictures are unviewable for me - something weird going on with the pixalation.  This wasn't anything I'd ever consider making, so it's not so much of a problem that I can't view it well.  I don 't understand the concept of a shortsleeved bulky knit.  Where and when would that be comfortable to wear?

I agree with the various commentor who want to see larger models.  I know it isn't fair to put a woman with a 42" bust into a garment knit to fit a 32" chest, but please consider showing a wider range of body types when possible.

JOG, I need to respectfully disagree with your comments.  I do not believe that more plus sized items would be available if more of the readers were larger.  I suspect their are many large readers who are knitting socks, hat, shawls and the occasional sweater for their young (and still thin) daughter or niece, or friend.  Certainly, the increased number of people needing plus sized garments has not spurred a glut of ready to wear clothing in these sizes.  The sad truth is that garments are designed in smaller size because fantasy creates sales.  Most of us do not look like models.

this is nothing against any of the models you've used, they're all lovely, but come on guys, IN is not aimed at the twenty-something crowd (as most can't afford the yarn and are on ravelry, anyway)!  bad, bad, bad, bad gallery series.  no ease noted.  no diversity in size.  i'm waiting for pictures of FO to show up on ravelry, on a real diversity of women.  you might want to consider having two sizes of sample garments made so as not to so thoroughly ignore such a majority of your readers.  there are too many places to easily acquire patterns these day for you to ignore offering service to what could be a huge market section for you.

I think the color is wonderful for showing off the beautiful cables. I would make it with long sleeves though. I would have liked to have seen it on larger women. In that respect, this was a disappointing gallery.

Yep, Keira looks best. Toni, about whom it was observed last time "could make bubble wrap look good," looks awful! I stand (well, sit) corrected. I really <want> to like this sweater, but it's the equivalent of bubble wrap. Very few people look good in bulky knits, even those who are <not> zaftig/plus sized. Bulky makes everyone look bulky! And, I agree: short sleeves on a bulky sweater are stupid. Just make it a vest and have done with it.

P.S.: Please, please, please -- more garments for plusses! There are a LOT more of us than whomever makes the decisions apparently thinks! I can't wear this bulky dreck and neither can ANY of my knitting friends, poor or well-heeled, expensive yarn be damned.

Keira MUST make this!  She looks PERFECT in it.  I also like this on Ruth a lot -- it looks so different but equally lovely on her.  The shoulder and neck area don't fit Toni correctly.  I think a larger, longer size would help.  I would also like to see the sweater open at the top on Toni -- it would show off her pretty face even more!

It is so amazing that this sweater can have such totally different "looks" on different models!  Thank you so much for doing these galleries!!

Thanks very much for posting.  I think we all learned that more bust ease is needed since it looks best on the model with a 31 3/4" bust.  But since this is a top-down sweater, we can try on & adjust as needed, it seems to me.  I've ordered the yarn to make this sweater, but was planning to make it at least 3/4 sleeves since that makes more sense for winters in New England, where I live.

What exactly is the torso length?  There was no mention of it in the measuring tutorials.  I am pretty long-waisted and often have to adjust the positioning of waist-shaping, and I'd love to know how these models compare with the schematic and me!  Thanks.

Supposedly the average size American woman is size 14, which certainly isn't 32' bust. That isn't plus size! Some things just don't look good on average women, even if they are made bigger.

Just because there are larger women doesn't mean that's what is shown in magazines. Our society wants to see the ideal.

I would like to see more of the designs tailored to the average woman and then shown in the gallery on some bigger, though not necessarily Plus Size women. I too would like to know +/- ease.

When these galleries were put up by Sandi there was a lot more interaction. We, the readers, got not only the model's comments, but also Sandi's accurate and insightful commentary. Additionally, because Sandi was herself, a larger woman, there was some perception about how things fit larger girls. I appreciated the range of sizes as well, because a viewer can really make some good decisions on how this will fit looking at a wider variety. There was a lot of charm in the way Sandi put it all together.

If this is going to continue at this "ultra-professional" level, I will not continue to utilize it, simply because it has become another avenue for IK to advertise, rather than a useful tool.

I have to add my voice to the "MORE PLUS SIZE" crowd.  I have a LARGE bust (49"-50")), and I have a hard time determining how a garment would look on me.  Almost all patterns need adjustment for me (I'm seriously top heavy), but it's hard to visualize.  I would probably not pick this because it's done in bulky yarn, and I don't need more bulk up top.  I get that what you're doing here is showing how it looks on different ages, but given that I don't worry about "age appropriateness," this is of limited usefulness. 

But please, stop showing the smallest or next-to-smallest size in all your pictures.  We real women would like a voice in your magazine, too.

Poor Toni!  She has a beautiful figure but this sweater makes her look fat.  Thanks for warning us slighter larger figures to NOT make this sweater!

I too miss the "larger" women. I am not a plus size but more average. These gals are more petite than most women. Even when the garments were WAY too small it would give some idea of what it might look like. It is a fact that the magazine is trying to sell to us and is using the same tired ploys of skinny young models. There are other options: older attractive women not size 2 but 6 to 10:)

I very much enjoy seeing the models.  Its fun, albeit not very useful to me personally.

This is because  I wear a size 12 and my bust is larger than 35".  I am not a plus size and yet I can't relate to the models either!  Lets face it ladies, its clear that Interweave Press is not going to accommodate anyone over a size 10 because the same comments are made over and over and over, month after month after month.    We have tried and its probably time to just enjoy the photos without expecting too much.

Kathleen, you look like you may be a plus size.  As the new editor, how about using your clout and request one larger sized sample for modeling?  I suggested this to Sandi when she was editor as well.

I second (or third or umpteenth) everyone who said that seeing the garments of people of  more differing sizes would be more helpful than seeing them on slim women of different ages.  I congratulate the models for being such fashionable shapes, but I don't know any more about how these things would suit a knitter the size of me.

Having griped about that, I can now say "Thank you" for showing the galleries.  They are always interesting to see.

I disagree with Kathleen that this cardi looks great on everyone.  It's not very flattering for Toni, which is surprising because she pretty much always rocks the KD galleries.  This one looks great on Keira.  I'm also wondering why this is short sleeved, and what weather/ occasion would it work for.  3/4 length sleeves might make this more versatile.  I'm glad to see that the neck isn't too chunky. 

Notes on ease would be helpful.  I also miss the variety of body type in this issue's gallery.  I am petite but enjoy seeing how the pieces work on different women.  The variety helps to evaluate who the design would work for the best.  I would like to see a range in the galleries again.

I'm adding my two cents on the model size issue.  I agree that it would be great to show the garments on  models of a larger size range, but I think IK is limited by the sweater itself!  It seems that they have the one example garment that was knitted and photographed for the magazine, and if that was knitted for a 32-35 inch bust, there is unfortunately no way to fit that on a larger model without either damaging the knitting, or making the poor model look awful becuase the sweater is clearly the wrong size. And in that case, it's just as useless to say "so and so should make this sweater three sizes larger" without actually seing the larger sweater on the model.  Perhaps it would be more productive to encourage the designers to knit their sample sweater for the magazine in sizes for large women, not petite 20-somethings.

I too think this looks best of Keira, but then, doesn't everything look great on a young tall, slender figure? 

My guess is that this sweater is made with short sleeves because the yarn is bulky and would be too hot if worn as a cardi indoors rather than as a jacket type cardi, which would be lovely knit with more ease and with long sleeves.  Instead this is like a vest, but the short sleeves soften what would be a quite boxy silhouette with the vertical lines of the cable.

Personally I don't like bulky yarn knits, other than jackets.  I'm 5'2" and a size 14 with a 42 inch bust, short waisted so I'm sort of squarish.  I'm shorter and larger than Toni, but with her straighter lines/shorter waist I appreciate seeing this sweater on her.  I too have thought that most sweaters looked awesome on Toni, but this one.... not so much.  And I think it would look like a sausage casing on me.

But the reversible cable concept I like and appreciate seeing this example.

I like the look on Ruth best.

I'm new to this forum and therefore have nothing by which to compare Kathleen's posting. I can say, however, that I'm truly saddened by the tone of a majority of these comments, which is overly critical and unsupportive. It seems to me that most women who are unhappy with their bodies also have unrealistic expectations about the fit of garments designed for sizes other than their own. Not everything translates acceptably to those who wish they were another size and blame a pattern designer, model, or forum for that. The case is the same at Burdastyle. Many there criticize the models and pattern designers because, basically, they are displeased with their own size and instead of making the necessary changes, find it easier to blame others for not providing a more 'comfortable mirror.' They demand "real women" as models, which is as insulting and insensitive as someone calling a plus-sized model "fat." If someone insinuated that I was not a real woman, I would be offended, whatever prompted the comment.

I have a larger than average size too, so I appreciate that I'm usually able to alter patterns to fit me, but it doesn't always work. So the problem here, I think, is reader expectation, not Katheleen's posting. Kathleen, you're doing a fantastic job here.... keep up the good work.

Functionally, a short-sleeved cardigan would work exactly as a fleece vest, which many people often wear in cool fall and frigid winter seasons. I appreciate this piece most because it would provide a more formal, dressy option to my casual vest. I don't always want bulky sleeves around my wrists when I'm trying to do delicate sewing or other work, either, so I find the design very appropriate.

I second CraftClothier.  I've always been small-chested, and it's always made me feel like men don't think I'm 'womanly'.  The last thing I need is for other women to tell me I'm not a 'real woman' because of it. 

I agree with craftclothier

Virtually all of the models appear to have been squeezed into the garment.   Sleeves appear uncomfortably tight.   Button treatment detracts from the rest of the garment.    Design has possibilities with less bulky yarn and more breathing room in the fit.

Lots of general criticism for the short-sleeved sweater here today! I'm not a fan of the high neckline on this one, though I like the way Keira has it pushed open, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE these new short-sleeved sweaters... no bulky sleeves to make me look twice as wide as I am, but still a little extra padding on the shoulders! Besides I'm forever pushing up my sleeves when I'm busy with stuff anyway.

And surely New England has heated homes too? ;o) Temperatures up here in Manitoba may drop to -40C in January and February, but I usually keep my house temperature quite a bit warmer!  I still love my long-sleeved cardies, but this style certainly has a place in my wardrobe!

On another topic, lots of grumpy comments today!!!

I think this is only Kathleen's first gallery, and no, it wasn't quite as informative as our very experienced and dearly missed Sandi's, but some of the criticism could have been worded a bit more supportively, folks! Nevermind the war being waged against moderately sized women!!! I'm forever disappointed by women who are mean to other women.

I REALLY appreciate these galleries!  I also understand that you have one sample only of these sweaters, and it's impossible to bring in larger models without additional samples being knitted.  People don't get that.  Please keep up the good work!  I thought this was a very exciting issue, and I loved this sweater.  I'm a size 14, but I'll definitely add it to my queue.

Sue

I applaud all the gallery gals and Kathleen - don't let 'em get you down.  You're doing a fantasitc job!  I usually like reading all the comments to get even more ideas to alter to my ideal fit but these whiny comments are really terribly rude and ugly.  I have just as "real" a figure as you - I'm a healthy size 2.  Quit your complaining!  If you want to see plus-size models, make the garments and submit your pictures.  I am truly appalled at how ugly all these comments have been.  Quit whining about the lack of models that represent you (you're not going to find your exact match, I certainly can't) and offer constructive comments about the GARMENT, not what you think you're entitled to.

That said, I LOVE the short sleeves - I've found that as long as my core is warm, I'm usually warm.  I also tend to get hot easily so a bulky long-sleeve sweater won't always work for me.  I also like the collar folded down. 

WOW, JOG, your comment is actually a little offending. if you read the comments on these galleries, almost EVERY comment expresses the author's frustrations at IK's lack of plus size models. so that proves that they ARE more plus size women out there who would like to see the fit of these garments before they go out and blow an inordinate amount of salary on knitting a garment that turns out to be useless on them.

i 100% agree with andrea, and ESPECIALLY PENNYT, it would absolutely not be fair to make a plus sized woman model the sample knit with a 32' bust. i would like to offer to personally knit the samples of these garments in the LARGER SIZES, so we could ALL benefit from the comparison. i'm sure there are hundreds of other interweave knits readers who would also volunteer to do the same!!!!

to add a note: i'm definitely not trying to say ANYTHING bad about the models who are giving their services to the galleries here, they look AMAZING!! i certainly DO NOT mean to offend them. but i think it is offenSIVE that their aren't any plus sized models. i don't think there is such a thing as a "real" woman??? we are all "real" women, but all "real" women are, in fact, different sizes!!

craftyclothier, your post is not less offensive than anyone else's. HOWEVER, i agree with you about having expectations, such as "i want to knit this and it will look great on me because i like it" and then being let down because it doesn't flatter your body. and i also agree about making the necessary changes to a certain pattern to make it more flattering for your OWN body style. BUT i don't know how to do that, and i'm sure not many others do, or we would obviously all be doing that and not complaining about anything!!!!

This does look beautiful on  Kiera, not bad on Ruth, and downright uncomfortable on Toni. Part of the reason I like it on Keira and Ruth might be because they are wearing long sleeved shirts underneath. I often comment that we might get a more accurate picture if all the models wore the same thing underneath - perhaps they could all keep a white t-shirt at the office for the galleries?

I would  like to add my voice to the cacophany begging for larger models - it is very hard for me to decide what to knit when the only people I see wearing it are sizes small and medium. And as we all know, knitting a sweater calls for a huge time investment, and a not insignificant dollar investment. Surely IK can see that we need as much information as possible before diving into a project like this. I know it would be quite an undertaking to have another sample of each garment knitted, but I think it is obvious that MANY of your readers would like to see it. The large or even extra large, since some details don't end up translating well when you up-size.

Thanks, and Kathleen I do think you are doing a great job! We do miss Sandy, though.

This looks like the perfect choice when your chest is freezing and your arms are sweltering.  This isn't exactly a warm-weather design!  Why the short sleeves?  It's confusing.

Seriously, IK patterns are kind of starting to veer towards the goofy.   I've thought "only with extensive modifications" about the IK patterns more and more over the last couple of years.

I think this looks great on Ruth!!!! 

I hope that Kathleen is listening to all of the feedback about getting some different sized models--plus, petite, plumpish, etc.  The galleries are my favorite part of knitting daily, but without Sandi's comments they are much less useful to me.  Perhaps Sandi could do the galleries? or maybe the two of you could collaborate?  No offense Kathleen, but her comments were much more detailed and useful.  It seems perhaps that Knitting Daily is on more of a beginner track now.

The sweater is fine on the magazine model, but so much more inspiring on these three ladies. I like this sweater on each of them and each is wearing it differently. Ruth is a wonderful model, more my size and style. Thank you. I likely would not have considered this sweater if not for these three interpretations.