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Summer Knits Gallery, Part Two!
Topic: People & Events
We have five more Knitting Daily Galleries for you today! The truth is that we Gallery Gals had so much fun trying on the garments from the Summer 2008 issue of Knits that we more or less couldn't stop ourselves. Who can blame us?
For those of you who don't know, every time a new issue of Interweave Knits comes out, I gather together a bunch of the women in the office and ask them to try on the sample garments from the magazine. Then I take photos, and voila: the Knitting Daily Galleries! We do this so you can see the garments on a range of body types and sizes. Also included are notes on how each of the garments could be modified for a better fit on each of our Gallery Gals.
Elizabeth in the Apres Surf Hoodie
Here are today's five Galleries:
Drawstring Raglan by Margery Winter
Imprint Tank by Sarah Hoadley
Plaid Halter by Gryphon Perkins
Wakame Lace Tunic by Angela Hahn
Apres Surf Hoodie by Connie Chang Chinchio
I hope you find these Galleries both fun and helpful. They've become a tradition here at Knitting Daily, partly because you've told us how much you love them!
Enjoy!
—Sandi
Did you find something particularly helpful in these Galleries? Come back and let us know! Really. We love to hear from you. Yes...REALLY.
Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.
What's on Sandi's needles? There was a box on my doorstep when I got home on Friday, after sending out the Summer Preview post. That box was full of yarn that I had ordered the day I saw the Summer proofs for the first time. The yarn is for one of the Summer garments. (I am a hopeless case.)
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Comments
OOOOH, the hoodie is cute! On everyone! Gotta make. Gotta finish other projects first...
Just want to thank you for the whole concept of the galleries. It's really invaluable to see what these beautiful sweaters look like on a variety of body styles, and Sandi's comments and suggestions give me the courage to make my own modifications!
the comments that you made re: fit on each model were useful - but it also points out my greatest knitting fear - what if I do all that work and it comes out not fitting quite right? I have taken my measurements and compared them to the pattern, always swatch but still... some of the fixes you suggest are pretty subtle (not counting making the sweater in one's own size of course)
I am learning that knitting clothes is ever so much more than finding something in your general size and just throwing it on hoping for the best. Gives me ever so much more to think about. No wonder I've not looked 'tailored' and together. The difference is remarkable.
BERTHA. The woman looks good in EVERYTHING! And I mean no disparagement to the gallery gals, btw. I am just jealous of Bertha.
Thank you so much for doing this. It really is amazing and such a great source of info! I wish they'd do this for every pattern printed everywhere! ;)
Love, love, LOVE these galleries! Also, I am getting some serious workplace envy - it looks like you and the rest of your friends at Interweave have the coolest jobs ever, getting to try on all the new IK samples before the magazine's even out!
I look forward to the KNITTING AND FINE ART, and missed it in the Summer issue.
A million thanks for the galleries, and the models all deserve to get roses. So interesting and helpful to see how the patterns work on different body types, and to read Sandi's comments.
This is just a great idea! After looking at the sample on everyone I have a much better feel of what I might want to make. And the idea of negative ease was mindblowing. Patty Johnson
I'm still really liking the tunic and the hoodie. Hello to the new model Elizabeth!
Items that I did not necessarily think oh wow when I looked at the magazine pictures looked great in the gallery pictures. The Drawstring Raglan and Elinor Tunic looked a lot better to me in the gallery.
Thanks so much for showing these beautiful designs on REGULAR women. Your garments are all beautiful, but they are also modeled on people who are beautiful. Not that we're all not gorgeous, but great to see it on different shapes. I HATE to make a who garment and then realize it looks terrible on me. This is helpful. Love to see pictures of the Roped Shell and the drawstring raglan on these lovely women!
Just like everyone said it's great to see the designs on different body types.
I LOVE the galleries! What an inspiration, and seeing just how the various fits look. Thanks for that! Can't wait for the new magazine.
Thanks for the kind words Sandi! ;)
I'm pretty excited to see how great the Apres Surf Hoodie looks on everyone! I loved it in the preview and am so excited to see it continue to look great on different body type!
And what the heck is up with Debbie? Is there anything she *doesn't* look good in? Sheesh!
Why are you so down on Erin all the time. Sheesh!
I am new to your website and I have found it to be very helpful in evaluating the fit of the garment. When I knit something the finished project is usually a surprise. I am beginning to learn why. Thanks
Elizabeth looks great in the Apres Surf Hoodie. It's good to see how different sizes look in the garment and it helps in sizing it for yourself when you come to knit it.
I was not sure about the Printed Silk Cardigan until I saw it on "real" ladies, now it's on my Ravelry queue.
The galleries are great - THANKS. They help me to decide whether I really do want to knit something for myself or not. I'll come back and study the comments in more detail for anything I do decide to knit before I get started. Thanks again.
I was just going to comment that for Katie in the Wakame Lace Tunic (which looks amazing on her as well as everyone else), I just wanted to point out that it'd make an amazingly cute maternity top if it were fashioned so that the bottom half few inches were open on the sides and be closed with maybe some lacy or even leather ties. In the book Knitting for Two by Erica Knight there's a perfect example of this - tshirt with ties. I'm only 28 and had to get that book even though I'm not having kids anytime soon and the patterns were so cute. Thank you!!!
For those of you who might not have noticed, Katie is pregnant, and we put this tunic on her just to see what it looked like. This is a pretty killer maternity top, folks. The only problem? There's not much room to grow in the belly area, and Katie still has a few months to go before Baby shows up!
I just love the Galleries! I learn so much about what a good fit looks like. The only problem is that I can't try on the sample before I knit mine! It's very difficult to compare the schematic measurements to mine & try to foresee the changes I should make. It almost seems as though I need to knit the sweater once to assess the fit issues & then knit it again with the adjustments! The other option is to move to Colorado, get a job @ Interweave & become a Gallery Gal! Tempting!
- Andrea
I absolutely LOVE these Knitting Galleries! It's so helpful to see how everything fits on different body shapes and sizes, and gives me a better idea of what might look good on me (if I could actually knit to gauge!) : )
I love the galleries! Ladies - Thank you so much for doing these, because I learn so much from them. I have two questions: how do we know how much ease there is on the models in the magazines (aside from the fact that you told us)? And, for those of us that won't ever get our hands on a sample to try on, to see what modifications we should make (cause someday I want to be a pro-knitter like Sandi!), how do you go about this? Just know your measurements like mad? I just feel like I miss all the details Sandi notices... maybe it's just experience.
Anyways, I love it, keep up the fantastic work!
I'm wondering why the samples are always knit in such small sizes? Why not be more realistic about how women actually are built and knit bigger samples? Your gallery samples are almost always too small, if anything. C'mon, Interweave, get with it! Your employees are!
I once again am suitably impressed with the different appearance of each garment on several body types. I'm not sure i'll knit any of these, but they are much more appealing now that some ideas for altering have been suggested. Keep it up Sandi and give Bertha a hug.
Sandi, It is so much fun seeing the girls in the designs. I am really trying to get the hang of negative and positive ease and you explain it sooo perfectly. How come Bertha just always looks devine in anything she puts on to model? That not fair! How does she keep that perfect body? One just wants to know.... lol Carole from Pennsylvania
I want to put this as kindly as possible - this is definitely not your best issue. I would not make one single thing you have shown us in the last two days. There is an overemphasis on the bust or the waist in almost every garment.
I just love the Galleries and find them very useful on "real" figures. Seeing the Drawstring Raglan reminds me of a problem I often find when knitting cardigans. As my "Girls" are more like foetuses and my hips make up for them, I find that the centre fronts dip down. You could see this dipping line on Debbie and Stephanie. Can you suggest a way of overcoming this? Many thanks, Margaret
Fascinating. I always love looking at the Galleries, they are such a help - but I have to disagree with you about Elizabeth in the hoodie! I think she looks fabulous BECAUSE of the fit of the sleeves. I'm always desperate to find knitting patterns with very fitted sleeves, and this is one of the very few that Spring to mind...
Katie - Congratulations on your pregnancy! Enjoy the remaining months with the baby inside.
Thank you all again for this amazing gallery gals week! It was wonderfull to look at you in the garments. And I am seriously considering making the Apres Surf Hoodie for myself. (Which might challenge my fearless knitting skills a lot.)
Thank you all again!
Though I have to say: Bertha can wear nearly anything looking gorgeous. I which I had a waistline like hers. *pure jealousy*
I like seeing how the designs look on different women, Bertha included. I like the Drawstring Raglan, but wonder if it shouldn't close in the front?
Brilliant gallery pics - again! Thank you so much - it's so useful and not just if one is knitting the actual garments shown. It's the comments about why this or that would fit better, why a different size might be knitted or a horizontal band moved. You change my knitting life ladies and I thank you! Fliss UK
I really like the galleries. I think it's great being able to see what the knitted up garments look like on different women with realy different body types.
It's also confirmed that I'm totally making the Drawstring Raglan! Although again, Green and Orange baby! (It's killing me waiting for my magazine to arrive!!)!
Thank you so much putting in the extra time and effort!
I too like the galleries, but I'm becoming a bit weary of the styles of the garments in the magazine. I wouldn't put needles and yarn to any of the items in the latest magazine. I down-loaded the five favorites PDF, and it seems your readers choose more classic designs over the types that prevail in recent issues of IK. What's up there?
In the Apres Surf Hoodie gallery: "My only complaint here is that I think the hood is the wrong shape for Bertha. I kind of wonder if the whole hoodie thing isn't really for her, anyway. . ."
lmao! awesome. :)
I eagerly await your next issues & usually find several garments I'd like to knit each time. But this preview was quite a disappointment. Aside from the Roped Shell & Apres Surf Hoodie there's little that excites me in style, color or technique. Critiques in the the Gallery are always helpful, but Connie seems to be one of the few designers in this issue to have considered the appearance of her garment on the person wearing it. The hoodie looks great on all the models, & it appeals to many readers.
This month's galleries bring up an issue I've noticed for myself: armhole and sleeve sizes. Is there any way to know before you start knitting whether you'll need to modify armholes or sleeves to work for you?
I appreciate the galleries to see how things will look on different body types, but I have to say that I haven't seen anything in this issue that I find even remotely attractive. It amazes me that you didn't have any submissions for garments that were more interesting and wearable than these. Summer and Spring issues are often disappointing, but this one looks exceptionally so. I'll be waiting for Fall. Penny
Thanks for all the info on positive and negative ease. Is it possible you also could let us know how tall your gallery models are? There were many comments about making the garments longer or shorter, but no reference to height of the models. Thanks!
It all comes down to shape and size being separate but equal parts of making garments for myself. I might be the same shape I was when I was 25, but I'm not the same size - oh, and my waistline virtually disappeared in the intervening years.
Seeing the gallery gals (and Bertha, who didn't let being headless stop her dreams), made me see that I have to be true to my (real)measurements in order for the garment to fit and be flattering.
Thanks gallery gals!
Please do more Crochet topics and patterns. I've abandoned knitting for crochet (so much easier), and now that Interweave Crochet is on this site, I keep hoping that you will do more topics that interest the hookers.
Sandi, thank you so much for your customization suggestions throughout the galleries; it's a big help to see exactly which areas of a pattern a knitter has to change in order to make the resulting garment fit them best.
And I love so many of the patterns in this issue! Great summery feel and colorwork. Even though I'm a pear-shaped broad, I find body-skimming clothes flattering to my shape, so that's what I've been trying to knit. Thanks for all of your help!
so... how tall IS Erin?
I really have found this series has helped me be more discerning and careful in selecting designs to knit. It's so easy to be seduced by a pretty picture!
I find the gallery photos VERY helpful. I notice that the sleeves of a sweater make a dramatic difference in whether the garment appears to fit. In several of the photos, the body of the garment appears to fit well, but the sleeves are far too loose, making the entire effect as ill-fitting. It is the same problem I find when sewing quilted jackets. This is very helpful to know for future sweater knitting. Shirlee Trefonoff, Ripley NY
I love the galleries. It has taught me to look at patterns and understand the final fit on me. However, have you tried on the garments before selecting the issue? The concepts of the garments are great but me and my office mates just can't see actually wearing a majority of the designs. We're all shapes and sizes and have a very flexible dress code. I would love to (beg to) invest time and yarn in a garment that I can truly use.
YOU are doing a fabulous job educating and catering to the needs of all of us REAL women. By "real" I do not necessarily mean "plus sized" though I am happy to see that group represented as well. I think it's pretty easy after seeing how it looks on all the women to visualize whether this garment would work for me or not. THANKS!!
NOW, if we could just get the DESIGNERS on board! Sadly, this gallery just revealed that this issue, with one exception and one honorable mention, is a collection of impractical and uncomfortable looking designs which only look good on stick figure models or the ever-fabulous Bertha. Despite your excellent range of sizes and shapes of women, these designs(IMO)didn't look good on ANYONE except Bertha. Your suggestions were helpful but, frankly, I don't see any amount of tweaking making those designs look good on a real person. Some of them didn't even look good on the MAGAZINE models on the preview page! The one exception was the Apres-Surf hoodie. That design proves that it is possible to create a design that looks great on EVERYONE. With size adjustments and minor tweaks it is clear that this hoodie would be wearable, attractive and comfortable on almost anyone. Honorable mention would go to the Wakame lace tunic. Though I think most women would find that it's horizontal lines would be very unflattering to their hips, it IS pretty and wearable-looking.
Just another chorus of my constant refrain: It is obvious that most designers design for magazine pictures or to fit their "Bertha" not in order to flatter the figure of actual women.
Sadly, I agree with Tammy T's opinion, that some of these do not "look good" on the real models. That is, the fit may be nearly perfect, but they are still not really flattering (except on Bertha, who I think we can all agree is not shaped like most
I agree with Kimberely. I am very disappointed in this issue so far. I did not find them looking very good on most of the modeals so what hope is there for me. I do love that you try them on real people which helps alot. Hoodie is the only one I think flatters anyone.
well there is always next issue.
These galleries are great. Love getting a preview of the magazine. My needles are clicking in anticipation LOL. Cris
The information of how to make garments fit non-standard shapes is SO useful. I now look at patterns with a more critical and informed eye. I am a pensioner so my bustline is much lower than most peoples' which has previously persuaded me to reject some designs. Now I know how to make them all look good. Lorna, Dorset UK
Really helpful sizing information with all of these gallery entries. I have to admit, I wasn't that impressed with the preview of this issue, but seeing the garments on the gallery gals and getting the sizing hints makes a huge difference. It definitely helps with getting an idea of what patterns might look good on my body shape.
Thanks to the gallery gals for participating and to Sandi for taking the time to write all of this up. The galleries are a great idea!
nice to see it on different sizes Really think this will be the one I try for myself, but with 3 daughter and 1 grand daughter who know Lida L.
I appreciate Knitting Daily, and the galleries are a *really* good idea. Sandi and team, you are appreciated.
Having said that, I am simply not seeing things I want to knit in IK these days. This issue looks completely disappointing- though I'll wait for the print copy before final judgment. I agree with some other commenters that you need to get back to more classic styles instead of being carried away by trends. I don't think I'll renew my subscription.
Hi Sandy,
I love the knitting galleries. I think I wouldn't have wanted to knit some of the things for me, but after looking at the various models, I thought that some of the garments would look OK on me too. Thanks
I have 2 minor problems and I thought that who is a much more experienced knitter who could help me and I thought of you.
First, I knit the Lotus blossom tank. I couldn't try it on until I sewed the back straps to the front. At that point, I noticed a huge dip in the front edge. I looked at the picture of model wearing the tank again and I notice a slight dip in the front on the tank that I didn't notice before. The dip seems too big for comfort for me. I thought when I picked up for the neckline edging, I would skip every other stitch across the front neck and that would take up the slack. Sound OK?
Second, I am swatching, yea!, for a lace child's dress. The yarn is a size 5 crocchet cotton with a ply of irredesant metalic thread. I dyed it pink and in the dyeing and skeinging process the yarn is really kinking. I wet it and rebocked it and it seemed to help, but while kniting the sts are leaning to the right. I can't seem to get the right gague on my needles. I keep going up and up. I don't know why this isn't working. I'm a loose knitter and usually have to go down 2 needle sizes from what patterns suggest. (I seem to knit tighter on a swatch because it's smaller. Make snese?) I'm on size 4 needles now, size 3 was recommended. I'm trying to get 6 sts = 1" I'm afraid by the time I get the right gague the sts will be too loose and sloppy. any suggestions? Yamuna Weiner,
AURGH!!! SO MANY CUTE PATTERNS!!!! SO MANY LYSs HAVING SPRING SALES!!! SO MANY WAYS TO FALL OFF THE WAGON!!!!
Sandi, I love seeing the back picture of the Roped shell, on you. However, the webby people, when they posted the second picture of you, wiped out Katie. Your comments about Katie still exist.
As for the samples, sample knitters probably knit the smaller sizes because they take less time and yarn. I would guess sample knitting for magazines can be a bit pressure intensive.
I also am a bit different than some of the other readers in a couple of ways, one, I learn more from the items needing fit alterations. The parts that do not fit right show how a garment may need to be altered. Also, as splendid as Bertha looks in the sweaters, I think personality wise she may be a bit plastic for my taste, and possibly cold and standoffish. I can't imagine sitting down to a cup of coffee with her.
I agree with some of the others--most of these designs look terrible! Only Bertha looks good in them! I'm glad I'm knitting socks right now! (And I don't like the pattern in this issue). Oh well.
the Apres Surf Hoodie is my favorite for that day. Negative ease rarely flatters in my opinion.
The Wakame Lace Tunic is gorgeous. Any suggestions for a compatible yarn substitution. The yarn called for is $18 per ball, almost $200 per tunic, Out if my price range.
Why is it that IK is the only magazine out there doing the sweater gallery thing? My hat is off to you for this practical and creative idea. I have learned so much just by reading the posts and analyzing the pictures. In response to some of the comments: A. hey, you can't please all of the people all of the time, and, B. to those who occasionally refer to plus-size women as 'real people', I am not large and I always thought I was real, how come I'm suddenly not?
I really love seeing the "Gallery Babes" wearing garments from IK and reading the comments about altering them to fit properly. However, this is all very well if you have the finished garment to try on. If you haven't (and how many of us will actually swatch a whole garment?), how can you tell exactly how a garment will fit our particular body? Several of the "Babes" have similar sized busts but their underbust measurements are quite different. Not many, if any, patterns go into such great detail in their schematics, if they have them. Help!
The galleries are very useful. In the spring, they inspired and excited me to try patterns I might not have tried otherwise. However, the summer issue looks like it is going to be very disapointing. None of the garments look nice on anyone. Of course that's just me taste... but I'm hoping there are some good articles!
hmmmm....everything looks great on Bertha. No matter what. Why is that?
Otherwise that one top. The imprint one. Sorta weird and dizzy like.
The rest are cute though. It's nice to see how these projects fit on a real person.
I mean how many of us can brag we are Bertha's twin. It can be very deceiving to pick a project that is modeled on her or her living twins.
Thanks. (sorry for the spelling errors)
you get points for having the smarts NOT to try the tapestry skirt on anyone.
got the print issue today...loved the meg and elizabeth story. if you wanted to steal meg swansen and sally melville from their current publishers... i'd be way okay with that.
I love the galleries,too; i am learning to look at patterns differently. But like Jill W., I wonder also - it seems you have to knit the sweater first in order to figure out what changes to make to customize for yourself. Is there any way to know before knitting the sweater? Or must we knit each sweater twice in order to customize?
love seeing the designs on different body shapes. i am short and "chubby" and always think i can't wear these patterns - but you encourage me!
The galleries are great, a brilliant idea and very helpful. I have to tell you Sandi that you are looking great - very svelte and so confident. Well done MaryK
I find the gallery girls just wonderful, and the comments great, but I really love Sandi's comentary best. I can see only one problem for me, and that is having to wait until I get my copy before I can start one of those lovely sweaters for my self or family. It really changes perspective to see the sweaters on real people,(sorry Bertha, as much as you look fantastic in everything, you don't help us see how it looks on real people with curvature). Thanks again for doing the gallery gals, what fun. I also like seeing all the gals behind the scene, preparing my favorite knitting magazine. Yes I am a knitting magazine collector, and I am running out of room for my wool, because of the magazines!!! Sandi you encourage me! Thanks
God Bless your gorgeous curvaceous self, Sandi, for modeling the Drawstring Raglan. You and I are the same size, and I have been tempted by this pattern. It's nice to have some specific fitting techniques described, and pictures included, to help get the look you want. All of you are wonderful and the galleries are a brilliant idea. Any chance that a sampling of the galleries will ever make it to the print side of IK?
I like to see how a garment works on different figures, but I would appreciate seeing some made in larger sizes for those of us with more ample measurements. Also, it would be helpful in the patterns if "intended ease" would be stated along with the finished measurements. This way we could have a better idea which size to choose. Along with that, could you put out a chart of body measurements Interweave uses for various sizes and keep that table consistent. That would also help us decide which size to make, and not have us spend precious knitting time on a garment that does not fit in the end, because we did not understand the intended sizing and ease.
I learn so much from the galleries. I don't like many of the designs but that doesnt' really matter. The point of knitting magazines--for me at least--is to give me ideas. For all of you who are having trouble with the styles, why not take the patterns and mix them up? A sleeve from one, a bodice from another, and perhaps a hem from a third. No one says that you have to knit the sweater as seen in the magazine. Get creative and learn from the sweaters without having to like or even knit any of them.
And also, Sandi, there are some mistakes on the gallery pages. You might want to check them to correct the web problems.
Having seen these on regular women, I know that I would never knit any of them. For the most part, I looked at these designs and wonder "what were they thinking?"
Better than Booties
Caspian Sea Socks
Striped Whimsy Scarf
