Is modifying the pattern an insult to the designer?

No. Full stop. That’s the post.

Just kidding. You know I’m wordier than that!

Most of us have modified a knitting pattern

Whether it's lengthening a cuff or cropping a top, most of us have made at least some modification to a pattern. Maybe you've swapped one cable for another. But are the modifications we make that might insult the designer? At some point, is it better not to tag them so they don't see how much you've changed your vision?

No.

A few months ago, Jen B shared some thoughts about some modifications she’d made to a sweater just off the needles:

“No designer can make a pattern that will fit *everyone’s* body perfectly, but even so I used to feel bad modifying a pattern because I thought it would be insulting to the designer."

“Now I have a different perspective and see a pattern as the foundation of a great design that I can tweak as needed. All our bodies are unique, and learning to make something for YOUR body, that fits the way YOU want, is one of the best feelings in the world. This sweater now feels like a collaborative piece of art.”

Making modifications is the default

We don’t have clone bodies. None of us will exactly match the size chart a pattern is written for. We aren’t all 5’5.5” tall, we don’t all have the same cup size, I don’t have a waist, and maybe your arms are rounded than mine. And why do we make our own clothes?

So they’ll fit.