Gone to Seed - Digital Pattern Walk
Today, I wanted to talk just a bit about the construction of Gone to Seed, since it's different from my other designs. I'll also share some tidbits about what's in the pattern!
Fun Construction
To make Gone to Seed, you'll start by making two lace panels, one for each shoulder. From there, you'll pick up and knit down for each front. You'll knit a little ribbed panel for the back neck, and seam it to the lace panels. Then you'll pick up all the way across the back and work down for the body. Seam up the sides and add some slender trim, and she's ready for buttons!
Packed with Resources
I believe a pattern should include everything you need to create the garment.
The pattern spells out how to work the German short rows, how to choose a size using your
upper bust, and how to pick a cup size for the optional bust shaping. Ready for a refresher on seaming? I include a link to my favorite seaming resource, too.
Finally, you'll get a detailed schematic so that you can block to measurements - making seaming a whiz and ensuring you get a nice symmetrical garment.
Designed to FIT
I love a boxy, drapey design as much as the next knitter. But dang, my body is not shaped like two rectangles!
Neither is Gone to Seed.
Gone to Seed includes optional bust shaping in four sizes, gentle A-line shaping, and 'micro darts' for sizes 6-12, and short row shaping for the shoulders. All 12 sizes are designed to fit bodies with dynamic shapes, just like yours.
Psst - want to see more? Here's the pattern page!
A smidge of technical talk (you know you love it!)
What's a microdart?
As we work up the size chart for drop-shoulder designs, we run into a problem. Our bust circumference increases, but our shoulders don't get much wider. Traditionally, a drop shoulder design is simply the same width all the way up to the top - the bust width.
The largest size in this pattern has a finished bust of 82.75" / 207cm. That would create a wingspan, after adding the dolman shaping under the arm, of something like 43" / 107.5cm across. In the final pattern, we need to end up with a wingspan of 37.5" / 93.5cm, so we've got to do some work to keep the sleeve from landing in your elbowpit (that's a word, honestly!)
Microdarts are simple columns of increases worked after the stitches are picked up for the fronts and backs. They let us keep the total wingspan narrow while allowing us to increase to a comfortable bust circumference. Sizes 6-12 have these microdarts. They're complicated to design, but as a knitter, you'll just 'knit to marker, m1; rep from *' a few times. Easy peasy experience for you, and a MUCH better fit.
I hope that this digital pattern walk has been helpful for you as you evaluate this pattern (or as you think about how you're going to design your next drop shoulder design)! If you have questions, put them in the comments!
Go Further
I had fun putting together a lookbook / pattern brief - check it out here!
Designers - you might like this discussion on dropped shoulder design from Ysolda.