"You Are Beautiful." This phrase was
taped to the frame of every bathroom mirror in my grandparents' home, a
bit of whimsy-with-a-message provided by my mischievous, loving grandpa
for his visiting granddaughters. For years, I'd look at that phrase and
think, "Yeah, right" and then try to find something else--something not
me--to look at whilst washing my hands. It was so hard for me to
believe that a plump, bespectacled teenager with brown hair, brown
eyes, and olive skin could be anything even close to beautiful.
Sometimes, there are definite advantages to being all grownup--such
as being able to see beauty in all its forms, in real women and real
men of all shapes, sizes, and colors. As I read your comments and
emails the past few days, the words my grandfather put on the mirror
kept coming back to me, over and over: You Are Beautiful. Your passion
and desire to knit well-fitting garments for yourselves, no matter your
size or shape, shows that deep inside yourself, no matter what society
says, you, too, know that you are beautiful.
So how beautiful are you? Above are the results of the Sizing
Survey, which was filled out by a staggering 8,974 people since it was
posted last Wednesday. As so many of you pointed out, the survey only
asked about bust size, which I chose because it is the measurement used
by most knitting patterns as a determinant of pattern sizing. However,
bust size alone isn't an accurate gauge of what will fit you--and what
will look good on you. So I'm looking into devising a survey that will
cover a number of critical measurements, giving us a much more accurate
picture of how beautiful you all REALLY are!
For now, however, there are the results of the Sizing Survey from last week.
Interesting, huh? Was that what you expected to see, or not?
An Essential Tool for Every Knitter (and Crocheter)
This year, for Christmas, I'm asking for a full-length mirror, one
of those freestanding oval mirrors with a nice wood frame. I'll make
sure there is really good lighting in the corner where that mirror will
go, and then, once I have it all set up, I'm going to paint or stencil
or somehow emblazon the top of the mirror with my grandfather's words:
"You Are Beautiful."
The mirror isn't just sentimental--a full-length mirror is an
important tool for any knitter (or crocheter), in order to get to know
the body you are knitting for, to get a clear view of how your knitted
garments fit, and to learn what works (and what doesn't work) on your
particular shape. Wherever you place your mirror, make sure that you
have good lighting so you can really see what's what! If looking in the
mirror intimidates you, then give yourself some encouragement: hang
pretty scarves above the mirror, light a candle, play nice music--and
maybe try putting one of my grandpa's little labels somewhere on the
frame.
One Garment, Different Women
This week's featured free pattern is the Corset Pullover by Robin Melanson.
After reading all your requests to see photos of garments on
different-sized people, I managed to talk some of the gals around the
office into trying this one on for you! I'll have those photos and more
for you Wednesday and Friday.
Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.
What's on Sandi's needles today? The Bonsai Tunic by Norah Gaughan. Almost done stitching up the side seams...photo coming soon of the finished item!