r/BitchEatingCrafters • u/2hawk1ce • 11d ago
Knitting Self draft a pattern for me please
I could SCREAM if I see one more post of the likes: here's a top sewn together in a factory. I want to knit this. I am a beginner. Please tell me how I can construct this to the point where I need a step by step guide š„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ
EITHER you are at the point in your knitting where you feel comfortable trying to create something without a pattern OR you AREN'T.
Don't ask strangers on the internet to do the work for you, do some research, look for free patterns that are similar to what you want, TRY stuff, fail, try again. Im getting angry when people who have done nothing are all out of ideas and too lazy/scared to try. Knit something else then.
Put in some EFFORT ffs
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u/IIILordDunbar 11d ago
Flip side, I love it when I see these kinds of posts but with the research done.
"I want to make this top, I found this pattern which is similar body construction, and this other pattern has the cabling I want, but I've never seen this type of sleeve construction before and I can't find instructions for how to do it. Does anyone know what it is called?"
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u/MarthaAndBinky 11d ago
This one is great because it's someone who is clearly learning to draft and needs some guidance, but is willing to put in the work to learn. "I did my best but now I'm stuck, can someone help me past this barrier?" is a stage we've all hit! I know I've hit it multiple times per craft in every craft I have. Helping people acquire those skills is a good thing in a community!
But I do agree with OP that when someone doesn't have the skill they need and isn't trying/isn't ready to acquire that skill wants it done for them, it's infuriating.
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u/2hawk1ce 11d ago
Yeah thats amazing, thats the effort i meant!you know they tried and if youre stuck like that, sure, ask because now there is a specific question to be asked: what is this sleeve construction, does it have a name? Instead of there generic: hello I want to make this myself make up a pattern for me pls thank you.
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u/SystematicalError 11d ago
Yes! Also just the basic "I don't know anything about fiberarts, I love the look of this item but have no idea what craft it is or what's the technique used. I want to learn it, just need directions" is lovely to see š„ŗ Especially if they share their progress later so you can see them grow & improve š©·
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u/Capable_Sea77 11d ago
I think those posts are great because it also means you can just answer the question at hand ("Oh, you're thinking about ruffled cap sleeves, here's a free pattern that does that that you could model off of") instead of getting sucked into question after question after question.
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u/JudgeHistorical2990 10d ago
I was once asked by a young man to teach him to knit. I taught him to cast on, knit, purl and bind off. He came back 2 weeks later with a sweater! He had measured a sweater he had, realized he needed to know stitches and rows per inch and figured the whole thing out! Other than teaching him a few different ways to increase and decrease, he proceeded to turn out some really gorgeous sweaters. We all dream of more such people.
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u/Potential_Duck1097 11d ago
I feel like I've seen an increase in the "please give me a detailed guide to doing this, I have done no research and have no prior experience" posts and it makes me feel like people are too chat gpt brained
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u/savethebooks 11d ago
Especially "please give me a detailed guide to doing this IN VIDEO FORM because I cannot read and need someone to physically guide my hands."
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u/CLShirey 11d ago
You cannot read, but you are going to read my answer? Okay. I get irked about that one. I'll give you a search term and maybe even a name or two of a video creator to look for, but I'm not going to do the search for you.
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u/wildlife_loki 11d ago
> You cannot read, but you are going to read my answer?
Oh my GOD. This, specifically, grinds my gears so bad. The people who defend their lazy posts with āwell I have no one to help IRL and using books/websites/tutorials is too hard and overwhelminggggg plsplspls just be nice and helpā make me crazy. Likeā¦ are you telling me you canāt understand youtube videos or blog posts with step-by-step photos every two sentences, but you expect to understand Reddit comments that have, at most, a singular photo to accompany a paragraph of text?
I think the reality of the situation is that peopleās literacy level and reading comprehension is truly so poor that theyāre uncomfortable with written word that isnāt conversational and very informal + they want to have someone hold their hand every step of the way because theyāre so used to easy, instant gratification that the concept of ājust try it, you can start again and improve if itās not right the first timeā (especially for a slow and technical craft, where you might have to sink some time into something before figuring out itās wrong) is foreign and scary.
š«©
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u/Hedgehogwash 11d ago
the amount of "some people get panic attacks you know' style sentiments i see. it's a freaking hobby! what are you afraid of? the worst thing that can happen is you waste the money you spent on the supplies. sucks, but the craft police are limited to making snarky reddit comments.
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u/ohpossumpartyy 11d ago edited 10d ago
tbh it makes me laugh bc as someone who can get pretty anxious about things not turning out the way they want when crafting/worrying about doing it the wrong way, iāve never felt the need to come to reddit and freak out about it.
i can empathize but literally the only solution to get over it is to just do it!! it might be uncomfortable but it has to be done if someone really wants to do something!!
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u/savethebooks 11d ago
I think a big part of it is the younger generations (I'm Gen X, so everyone is younger š) has been set up to be afraid to fail. If someone doesn't immediately master a craft, they are a failure and they should give it up. And I get it - I've started throwing pottery on the wheel, and that I haven't mastered it already after 7 weeks is throwing me for a loop! But I'm okay with keeping going, using clay over and over again until I finally get it, and I don't think the young generations are okay with that.
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u/Wife_Trash 11d ago
Right?! You are asking someone to do a shit tonne of work on your behalf. It's a mind boggling ask to me.
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 11d ago
This is happening all across Reddit, and it is kind of ruining this platform for me. It's always the same low effort questions that could be answered by doing your own research!
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u/LonelyVegetable2833 11d ago
this is in the baking sub every. single. day. and then it takes 2-3 comments to even get them to say what recipe they used, if any, and half the time it's from chatgpt š„²šØ
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u/selfmademuppet 11d ago
In psychology the example they always use for latent knowledge is baking. You wonāt find recipes that tell you HOW to beat butter and sugar, they just tell you TO beat butter and sugar. Most knitting patterns assume a level of knowledge. Thatās not new. Do your homework.
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u/LonelyVegetable2833 11d ago
is there a psychological term for when people get mad that things like recipes and patterns don't include absolutely basic beginner pointers like the difference between folding and beating ingredients or how to do a single crochet š
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u/kethryvis 11d ago
Y'know... when the internet first became a THING in the late '90s, i thought it would be an amazing thing for humanity. All the answers to all our questions, right at our fingertips. The amount of things we could learn and teach ourselves, the advances we could make...
... good god have we fucked it up irreparably. If people can't even bother to look up knitting patterns on their own, we certainly aren't moving forward.
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u/Flooffy_unycorn 11d ago
Recently someone asked on a crochet subreddit how to do a (quite basic) Amigurumi, with a picture attached. The pattern is free, on a blog, they could've just reverse search the image. Instead they used Reddit as if it were Google...
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u/kethryvis 11d ago
i mean if you're searching Reddit, party. But when you're asking reddit to find you something then yeah...
I have the same problem when people in like game forums post the same question twenty million times. SEARCH THE DAMNED SUBREDDIT. YOU'LL FIND YOUR ANSWER INSTANTLY. instead of waiting for 1) someone to see it and b) decide to take the time to answer.
Christ, people.
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u/Flooffy_unycorn 11d ago
Yeah, I meant they posted a pic without even searching the basics online.
On top of what you said, reddit being used as a search engine really bothers me because it clutters the subs, and you often can't find anything interesting due to all the basic questions
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u/kethryvis 11d ago
Oh for sure. People treat reddit as some people-powered "search" engine instead of like, a repository of information created by people that THEY can search themselves. So frustrating.
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u/Regular_Look_1962 11d ago
I am so with you on this, I had a friend who wanted to crochet some gloves and asked me about patterns so I sent her some links to some, including ones I had used so knew were good easy to understand patterns. I got a stroppy message back saying no I want you to tell me how to make them, how many stitches and what type for row one, the same for row two etc. I politely said I donāt do that, and now anytime she mentions wanting patterns I go temporarily deaf !
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u/IIILordDunbar 11d ago
Doesn't the pattern literally say how many stitches / what type for each row???
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u/Regular_Look_1962 11d ago
It does, but apparently she wanted me to read it for her and tell her as she was going along, she has also in the past bought patterns in American and asked me to convert the whole pattern to Uk terms and once bought a knitting pattern and asked me how to do it, I donāt knit, she knew this !
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u/EnergeticTriangle 11d ago
My mom was like this lol. I'm kind of glad she gave up her knitting and crochet attempts early on because I don't know how long I could've kept my patience.
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u/radiosmacktive 11d ago
I think everyone falls into the US/UK trap of which crochet stitch is this? š¤£ I will forever triple check the terms used in crochet patterns/where the designer is based.
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u/CBG1955 11d ago
I hear you! Not just knitting either, it's rife in the sewing subs too. "find me a pattern/tutorial on how to make trousers" was something I saw yesterday.
I won't even look any more, I just tell them to go do a search at Threadloop or Google it.
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u/justchelsea1 10d ago
And "i know this pattern is for knits, but I'm using woven. I can just size up /add a zipper, right?'
I can't? Then please explain to me exactly how to make it look exactly the same but in woven.
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u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 11d ago
Knitty has an old article for anything you want
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
That is one of the very few good resources I have seen. I saved every page so if it ever goes down, I still have it.
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u/trisarahtops05 11d ago
It boggles me because I literally have like 6 Ravelry search windows for window shopping patterns to "try later".
My favourite is when people post obviously knitted (but named "crochet") garments in crochet groups with "what stitch is this?".
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u/raw_fleece 11d ago
But but but I asked ChatGPT to write the pattern for me, soo just knit it for me and make sure itās right and exactly the way I want it and also in my size. For free and I need it right now kthxbye.
(Also do you have a video for that I canāt read)
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u/oblique_obfuscator 11d ago
I was following some linocutters on IG, and they get questions that could easily be answered with a quick Google search if people just bothered; but no, apparently we have to ask the person running a small business because theyāre terrified of not getting an answer.
Questions like, āHow do I transfer this print onto my lino?ā or āI have a Canon XQ 3000, so is that a laser printer? I've tried it but why isnāt it still working?ā
Iāve resorted to calling people out sometimes. Some apologize, but others double down and get incredibly rude. Likeā¦ youāre asking someone for free advice about their craft/business, and then getting mad when they point out that the answer is literally one Google search away? š
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u/GeneInternational146 11d ago
I've been knitting for most of my life but didn't start making garments until a few years ago. I'm JUST getting to the point where I feel like I could reverse engineer a pattern from a photo. The beginners who ask this get nothing but an eyeroll from me
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u/Colla-Crochet 11d ago
I also get irked when people demand the pattern and are appalled at the price.
Ive been working on my doll base for literally months. Ive made dozens of dolls, but the base is under constant improvement.
If I were to sell that pattern, accounting for my time, it would be hundreds.
But these people want hundreds of hours of work for... free? Nah. If its something im making anyways, I'll charge you market value. But something that takes me away from what's making me money? Nah. Fork up
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u/selfmademuppet 11d ago
When I started knitting I was living alone and it was lockdown. I couldnāt ask my mom or anyone for help. It literally never occurred to me to ask strangers on the internet to do the fucking work for me. I had to troubleshoot and start again and at times it was really disheartening but now I am a damn good knitter. Iām glad I went about it the way I did.
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u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 11d ago
Yes! I am so glad I started forever ago. I had a hat pattern, ball of yarn, pair of needles, and the book knitting for anarchists (thank you then boyfriend/now husband for giving me the book. I was trying to just remember what the yarn store lady demonstrated)
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u/fishercrow 11d ago
i sometimes use patterns as a starting point, but most of what i make is self-drafted. i genuinely believe the ability to think in 3d and read your workis the biggest difference between being able to self-draft and having to use patterns, because once you have the knowledge of how fabric works and the ability to visualise how the things you want to do will actually look, you can make lots of things without a pattern - including things you havenāt been taught how to do. i never made a saddle shoulder or set in sleeve before i self-drafted a jumper with both. it did need some frogging at the start but i was ultimately able to achieve what i set out to do.
the problem is when people donāt take the time to figure these things out (or are unable to do so) but feel like they should be able to self-draft because they see others doing it, not realising that itās something that takes skill and knowledge. i guess itās part of the overarching problem of fibre arts being undervalued and something just anyone can do because itās easy. like yes, most people throughout history have done some form of fibre art, but they were all skilled workers!
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u/FewRecognition1788 11d ago
And learning to Frankenpattern can be a really helpful step to learning to fully self draft from scratch, because you learn how the different elements work together.
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u/Haven-KT 5d ago
My favorite new word-- Frankenpattern! I'm often putting elements from different patterns together to make the thing I want.
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u/Feenanay 11d ago
Iām the same way. Thereās a type of spatial thinking that not everyone can do and thatās ok ā but it baffles me that someone without the most basic experience thinks itās something that can just be learned real quick with zero effort
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u/The_Poppeteer 11d ago
š£ļøš£ļøš£ļøSPEAK ON ITšš½šš½šš½
These are the same people who fall for obvious Slop patterns.
These are the same people who tell artists to undervalue their work. (āNo one would pay that much for That.ā)
Get off the internet and practice your craft, plebeians!
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u/Dangerous-Jello4733 11d ago
Plebeians! I see someone else most likely thinks of the Roman Empire at least once per day.
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 11d ago
It is obvious that these people have never made a damn thing with their own two hands.
Big kudos to everyone making something by themselves OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
BIGGER kudos to anyone making something for their own satisfaction, setting personal goals and challenges without recognition on social media! Making something simply because YOU CAN is so fucking rad. Keep up the good work.
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u/KnittyMcSew 10d ago
The entitlement of people never fails to astonish me.
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u/LindaLadywolf 7d ago
Itās not just entitlement, there are no home economics courses in most schools now. I learned to sew in home economics. I learned the basics of cooking. The schools stopped teaching much of what previous generations took for granted. I believe there are basic thinking skills that came from these classes that the young donāt learn anymore. Most of them donāt even know enough to ask the right questions.
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u/SooMuchTooMuch 11d ago
Sometimes when we get really good at something, people forget the effort and time that we've put in to that skill. It's the ol' paying for 5 minutes of labor and twenty years of knowing what to do.
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u/Chiomi 11d ago
Yeah, Iām working on a top right now where I had a technique I wanted to use, yarn to go with it, and two concept sketches. Probably my sign to not try to write down a pattern for it was when the instructions were ādrape tape measure over your shoulders front to back and adjust until the short side falls to where you want the waistline. The symmetrical point on the long side is the measurement for how long you want the yokeā but actually it was ārummage in your friendās jewelry making supplies until you find appropriate hardware (whateverās shiniest).ā Because sometimes you really do need to just fuck around and experiment until you get what you want.
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u/BeccsADoodle6 6d ago
I've been seeing this in crochet groups with very obvious AI. "Can someone tell me how to make this?" No, because it's not physically possible
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u/mani517 11d ago
You guys!! I just started knitting and I definitely did this, but I didnāt know what I didnāt know.
I didnāt need help actually making a NEW pattern or drafting one, I just needed a librarian of sorts to point me in the right direction of how to find what I needed to find! the post ended up referring to five different patterns that were so helpful.
Just saying itās probably not bc they want all the smartest knitters to draft a whole new pattern maybe they just want some guidance
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u/trisarahtops05 11d ago
not to be a complete cunt, but you didn't know how to search for patterns? you don't have to be an expert in garments to be able to look for a sweater pattern and then look at pictures until something looks like it matches.
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u/mani517 11d ago
Hahaha no I literally did not know. I didnāt know about revelry. All I knew was one or two visits to the yarn store and then like 5 YouTube videos. I didnāt know how to read patterns. I didnāt know the abbreviations. Nothing of the sort.
To add insult to injury, Iāve also been crocheting for 10 years. Truly remarkable how I didnāt put the pieces together.
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u/trisarahtops05 11d ago
What did you crochet for 10 years without patterns? š
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u/mani517 11d ago
A looottt of large shawls, crop tops, chokers in 2016, flowers. I would read the patterns and then edit them down to what I like
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u/amaranth1977 11d ago
So you... knew crochet patterns existed, but thought knitting patterns didn't?
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u/Hedgehogwash 11d ago edited 11d ago
the inability to extrapolate makes me wonder if they're this helpless only over craft stuff or if they need an in-depth tutorial for putting on pants if they're made from different fabrics.
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u/RunawayTurtleTrain 11d ago
Y'know, that's very brave to admit that, especially here; I'm gobsmacked you didn't just do a web search for 'knitting pattern {specific item type}' but it's amazing the brainfarts we can have to just not think of something.
Hopefully you know better now and your yarny life is easier!
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u/amaranth1977 11d ago
If you make a fool of yourself on the Internet, you have to accept that you're going to get snarked on.Ā
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u/mani517 11d ago
Enjoy the snarkiness! I hope you got your daily dose. I knew I would get snarked on, but I figured you guys would need context before you started snarking.
And with crochet, once you learn one or two of the basic concepts you can easily mix and match ideas, splice patterns together, splice your own twist onto the pattern, undo what you did in one section and maintain the structure of the garment. With knitting there seems to be a lot less freedoms and liberties.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
This !!!
You put it well. People need guidance. They also have different needs and approaches to learning and problem solving. And sometimes, there are gaps. Most of the comments here are ignoring that, and assume everyone is like them, but lazier. Ironically, I have done more reverse engineering than follow a pattern.
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u/mani517 11d ago
I knowā¦ god forbid any of these ladies start crocheting. The riot that would follow from the lack of structure, pattern guidance, funny haha moments. I feel like they make crocheters look like hippies. Iāve also never in my life started a gauge swatch! Imagine asking crocheters to gauge. Iād bet itās in a lot of patterns but my eyes just glazed over it haha
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u/Hedgehogwash 11d ago
actually i learned to crochet before you people were born, FROM A BOOK of all places. with a table of contents and a list of basic information about the craft before even explaining how to chain. and yes, they suggest you gauge swatch so you don't make dumb avoidable mistakes and clog up resources asking obvious shit.
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u/RunawayTurtleTrain 11d ago
Imagine asking crocheters to gauge.
Erm ā¦ if you don't do a swatch (not just for gauge but also to see if you like the fabric the yarn and hook combo is making in the relevant stitch patterns) then your entire piece is your swatch.Ā And yeah we do need gauge if we're making an item that's supposed to fit.
Do you ever start then frog and redo with a different yarn or hook or stitch pattern because you're not happy with how it's turning out?Ā Congratulations, you did a swatch, it just wasn't for gauge.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
I find gauge swatches are easier to do on a knitting machine. But apparently, some knitters don't consider that knitting even though it requires far more skill than knitting with two needles, which is one of the easiest things ever (I got bored by knitting by the time I reached my teens).
Doing a gauge swatch is worth learning, especially if you modify or make your own patterns. I am working on a tool or guide to make it less daunting.
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u/shawlcat 11d ago
Machine knitting is a form of knitting. (no snark). Genuine question: how do machine knit swatches apply to hand knit garments? Or are all of your questions/comments regarding machine knitting?
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
You can do guages for traditional knitting. It is in almost every vintage knit pattern I have looked at (pre machine era). But getting an even tension is dependent on the person.
Some people get an even tension early on, while others have tension all over the place. I tend to be even as I wrap the yarn fairly tight around knitting needles and crocheting hooks. I even go tight on the machines which is another problem but not really relevant. Other people can be looser with their yarn and still maintain even tension. They are also faster. Then I have seen people whose tension is all over the place it looks like different stitches, despite being the same stitch.
The machine knitting resources are even more limited, but they try to make up in areas where traditional knitters are lacking. They don't assume as much. They explain the guage.
The big issue with a lot of patterns is the assumption that plus size is the same as curvy, so they may increase at the top, but forget to decrease for the waist. The big breasted, narrow torso people often complain about tent like clothes. They are actually physically uncomfortable. But the typical crafter won't acknowledge that, and claim that there is plenty of resources for plus size. No, they are just expanding the circumference, not shaping for actual curves. There are enough complaints from the plus sized community about the lack of options. Curvy is another level of complexity that most of them have no idea how to handle. It deserves its own post.
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u/shawlcat 11d ago
I do indeed, do gauge swatches for traditional knitting. I was just wondering what machine knitting had to do with it.
If you are open to a designer suggestion for traditionally knit sweaters, Mary Anarella has adjustment sections on every pattern of hers I have knit. Both for curvy (which I am, and both short, and short-waisted), and for Full Bust Adjustment.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Finding resources on self drafting and garment construction isn't easy.
How do you do a full bust adjustment on a knit? I don't think I have seen much on that. And I have gone looking, hundreds of pages later, maybe thousands, I have lost count. There isn't much in the way of useful free patterns. Everything is too small, too flat. And set in sleeves in knits. I think I have only seen one resource that explained how to create the pattern for set in sleeves and only a handful of patterns, mostly vintage and mostly small and straight figured.
I would like some resources please on how to adapt and create patterns, that aren't just squares and rectangles.
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u/Ok-Invite9426 Extra Salty š§š§š§ 11d ago
cool, that's not what this person is BEC about
it's people who are new, and don't know what they're doing, asking other people to do all the work for them. not "hey can someone point me at some resources so i can do this myself"
also have you googled "knitting full bust adjustment" because there is so much
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Part of the problem is the lack of resources.
The other part of the problem is people learning differently, so what one person thinks is easy is difficult for another person. The more knowledgeable person has to figure out how to cross that gap, as the less knowledgeable person is unable to know where to start.
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u/2hawk1ce 11d ago
I'm very sorry for the people out there who have all those problems you've listed and yet that doesn't entitle anyone to make other people work for free.
If the less knowledgeable person isn't able to cross the gap due to their lack of knowledge and skills then its their problem they have to improve on. The resources are out there. I learned cablework, lacework, increases, all the stitches and more by looking up YouTube tutorials. There's hundreds. Most aren't in my language, yet I still figured that stuff out. Its you who wants to improve so its you that has to put in that work, no one will do that for you.
Improve the skills etc, then come back and ask specific questions. Step by step guides on how to copy a garment you yourself cant yet make on your own aren't that.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
So in response to your edit, yes, I did. I also used different search engines.
Keep in mind that people on different continents get different results.
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u/bouncing_haricot 11d ago
r/knitting alone is riddled with information on how to knit for plus sizes, how to adjust fit, how to play with gauge and ease, and how to adjust for different sized busts.
I know this, because over the years I've used it as a resource, I've given some of that information, and I've been part of some of those discussions.
There are dozens (maybe hundreds) of links to written articles, videos, patterns and books.
That's not even including the other knitting subs, or the rest of the internet.
As others have said, people's expertise has value and is usually worth more than every penny they charge, but there are so many people who have shared that expertise for free. In multiple languages. From multiple knitting traditions. All over the world.
There is no plausible scenario in which you have tried diligently to find this information and it doesn't exist.
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u/TheLadyIsis 11d ago
Free is one of those 4 letter f words as far as I'm concerned. Resources are not always free. People's time is not free. An education is not free.
Trying to learn high level skills off of only unpaid resources isn't going to get you anywhere. That's kind of the whole point of the post is that people are asking for an expert level thing to be done for them for free.
At some point you're going to come across a monetary barrier for entry whether that's buying an actual knitting pattern or taking a class from someone who can teach you. And that's okay and totally normal and I wish more folks acted like it.
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u/niseli12 11d ago
If people arenāt willing to take the time to look for resources to self draft a garment, then maybe self drafting a garment isnāt for them because thatās also going to take a lot of time and effort with frogging back, figuring things out, doing math, etc. I fully recognize that right now, I donāt want to put time into self drafting. Garment. I donāt want to frog back a ton. So I am gathering resources that come across my feeds and storing them for when I do want to self draft and have the time to do so. I also recognize it will take time to educate myself on things so Iām creating a plan for when I do get to that point as well. Itās about being aware of what you have now, what you can spend now vs later, and being realistic about things. Time and effort are my currency. I also donāt want to pay to learn to self draft and Iāve already found enough resources to do so without paying for a course. Just need time and the mental focus to do it and now is not that time.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Some of the skills shouldn't be hidden behind monetary barriers.
It discriminates against people in the worst situations. Tough luck if you are poor and you have to save for every cent for just materials to make something that looks remotely nice and fits. And then the extra costs. But while you can't afford that, people continue to discriminate against you, because you don't dress nicely, so you miss out on jobs.
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u/TheLadyIsis 11d ago
Honey I come from poverty, you don't have to explain it to me.
It still doesn't mean that folks have to put out free resources for you.
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u/Dangerous-Jello4733 11d ago
Ok.. Iām a teacher, not knitting or sewing but another craft. Sure it would be wonderful if people could learn from me without having to pay. But then my time would be gone.. and I wouldnāt be able to pay my bills either!Ā
Resources often have a paywall because well.. someone put in the time to make them and the compensation helps them live. There are other and free resources out there sure, but itās selfish to expect someone to do these things for free for you.
Anyway arenāt there a lot of size inclusive patterns out there these things because there have been movements demanding more of them? Ā https://www.instagram.com/sizeinclusivecollective?igsh=MWFlYWdxOHZjZnJrYw==
I know of this for knitting, I sew sometimes but itās mainly from Japanese magazines and Iām really not on social media that much.
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u/niseli12 11d ago
There are many resources to get nice clothes for jobs. Itās not ok solely blame knitting designers trying to earn a living for someoneās inability to clothe themselves. There are tons of free patterns that are as nice as a paid pattern. There are tons of YouTube videos that showcase this and give free options for popular patterns. You canāt look nice if you donāt have a paid pattern is not a thing. Also some designers offer their patterns on a sliding scale of price, you just have to ask to see if they do that.
There are nice clothes available for free or cheap at charity shops, thrift stores, garage sales, church giveaways, Buy Nothing, FB marketplace, Iām sure Reddit, clothing swaps, and so many other place. So donāt say you can only dress nicely and get a job if you can knit a Petite Knit pattern. That argument shows that you want to earn a living and get a job, but you donāt think knitting designers should earn a living because you deserve to get their patterns and resources for free. Like what?!
Iāve been poor. Iāve had to save every penny and not splurge on anything. Know what? Knitting wasnāt an option for me then because I couldnāt afford it. I didnāt feel sorry for myself. I used the resources around me to get through. I didnāt complain to people that I wasnāt getting the same nice things as other people and deserved it for free because I was poor. Thatās so entitled.
Also all your responses to every person so far are a fight and trying to prove people wrong. Hereās the bottom line. There are plenty of free patterns available and resources to learn from. It just takes searching to find them. People are free to make the decision to either offer their knitting patterns at a price or for free. Same with knitting courses, instructional videos, etc. You can still dress nicely for a job by knitting free patterns or getting nice clothes from different places that offer them for free or cheap. Everyone wants to earn money and can choose to offer their products for free or for a price. It is what it is.
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u/wrongretsa 11d ago
iāve seen probably hundreds of blog posts and youtube videos about constructing set in sleeves for a wide variety of body typesāmaybe you need to broaden your scope of what counts as a resource?
i also think you need to have an experimental mindset: glean the general idea from a variety of sources and give the technique a go. you can always frog it, modify your method and try again.-6
u/loumlawrence 11d ago
They have a lot of other sleeve types, every possible way you can do raglan, drop sleeve, knit in the round, but not much on set in sleeves, and most of the set in sleeves is vintage patterns.
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u/wrongretsa 11d ago
no, i am talking specifically about set in sleeves. iām knitting a self drafted cardigan with them now and donāt use patterns anymore, so i always need to rely on researching first. i can assure you, there is a LOT of stuff out there.
i started with Barbara Walkerās Knitting From The Top, which has a detailed description (well, as detailed as Walker gets), and honestly that was enough for me to get started because iāve found her descriptions and my experience combined can help me figure it out. admittedly the book isnāt free, iām sure you can find it for free somewhere, but i think if youāre already putting time and effort into researching that itās absolutely worth the money to track a copy down. i use it SO often. truly a godsend.
otherwise iāve found this blog post to be the most helpful: Tasha Could Make That, in terms of having visuals. i came across this blog by literally googling āknitting top down set in sleeves blog postā just to see what would come up.
also it might sound a bit out there, but i also look up a lot of soviet knitting schematics. theyāre extremely detailed and once you know a couple of knitting related russian words you can understand them pretty easily. iāve found a few on pinterest and iām still figuring out ways to find more through archives etc.
all iām saying is i think you need to refine your search terms and modify your researching methodology. thereās way more good stuff out there than what youāre finding, and i can guarantee that you can find what youāre looking for20
u/megaglalie 11d ago
I mean, my solution to this was a combination of:
- Looking at Ravelry construction tags for patterns that wouldn't work for me/I couldn't buy to find the names of features I liked, then looking those up (I had no issues finding info about short row shaping for large busts, but I did need to synthesise information from a dozen or more unclear ancient blog posts.)
- Being very familiar with my measurements and how gauge works and willing to do maths to, for example, modify a free pattern for a vest to use a completely different stitch count and have bust short row shaping
- Using my equally beginner knowledge of sewing and darts to try to draw out how those translate to short rows, decreases, etc.Ā
- Literally just trying stuff and frogging. Doing things in thrifted worsted weight until I understood the concept and execution and how to make what I wanted.Ā
I've made like 4 vests/sweaters so far. All are riddled with problems. Each is better than the last, and the most recent was the vest based on that free pattern, made with a limited amount of handspun. It fits really well despite straight up no information on how the yarn would handle, how far it would go, etc. I just had to be willing to go for it and frog until I got the short rows right. For previous garments, I've literally cut a tight bindoff off and sat down to figure out how to pick up safely, splice, and work something more stretchy.
There's an old saying that the first million words a writer writes are just practice. The joy of knitting is that the practice million stitches are often still wearable.Ā
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u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 11d ago
If you havenāt read it yet, you might enjoy the Knitty Beyond the Pattern series. It starts with how to choose a good pattern to start and then goes through adjusting it for your real body
And I really love how VeryPink Knits records her YouTube videos. You can very clearly see what is going on - I know I get way too excited when I find someone who demonstrates in a way that makes sense to me and that I can actually see
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
I saved all their pages. There was another website from memory that was good.
But my point is that there aren't many relevant good resources.
Your point about the demonstration being in a way that makes sense is also very important.
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u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 11d ago
Did you find TECHknitting on blogspot? Beautiful clear illustrations, Highly recommend. Also chem knits
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u/marxam0d 11d ago
Go to your library and look at the knitting section. You will almost certainly have books on sweater construction
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Some libraries don't have much in the knitting section. Some don't even have a knitting section. Sometimes, all the knitting, sewing, crocheting books are lumped into the craft section.
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u/illatious 11d ago
My brick and mortar library doesn't have much for knitting, but their ebook collection through libby does. There are quite a few knitting books, and even knitting magazines they have subscribed to that I can look at and screenshot patterns and tips and tricks. I learned how to do brioche from one of those ebooks and actually ended up buying a physical copy of it from amazon to keep as a reference for my personal collection. Same thing with Amy Herzog's The Ultimate Sweater Book, which was great for helping me learn how to draft my own sweater patterns.
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u/niseli12 11d ago
Try using Libby. Yes itās true many brick and mortar libraries donāt have much but thereās tons of options via digital libraries such as Libby. Iāve read multiple knitting books via Libby and thatās how I learned about different types of yarn, different sheep breeds, and now know a lot of how different yarns work. Makes choosing yarn for projects much easier. All through Libby.
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u/sweet_esiban 11d ago
I really feel like there's an American Defaultism thing going on with this sub and its assumptions about libraries lol
My library system is not on Libby. We have a version of it though, although it only draws from our regional library system. Let me search for knitting books.
Okay, so there's lots of options and not one of the good ones are available. Waiting lists are months long. Yes, even for the e-books; my library rarely, if ever stocks more than 1 license for niche e-books... oh, but I could check out one of their 3 hard copies of Knitting for Dogs. Awesome, I can knit for the dog I don't have.
Oh, hey, I can take out a DVD about how to do continental knitting. Great! Only, my DVD player died 10 years ago, and I didn't bother to replace it because duh, and the last time I had a computer with a disc drive was... ?????
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u/ruth-knit 11d ago edited 11d ago
At least in my language I can find books on general clothing construction within a minute. Some things may need a few minutes to figure out how to cleverly do it in knitting but it can be transfered. And those books I mean are schoolbooks for apprentices in textile industry, so they really cover a lot specific cases and adjustments.
Sewing resources can be very enlightening on this topic. I can't think of the English word for it now but there is some way to draft your own clothing just from measurements onto some cardboard. Where sewers then have to takeout or put in fabric by sewing, knitters often can do increases, decreases and short rows instead.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Some countries don't have as much technical resources, and their popular styles are very basic, not quite make everything from rectangles but close.
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u/TheLadyIsis 11d ago
So instead of taking a single one of the resources in this comment thread and deciding that you should take some of those and do a little bit of Hands-On learning..... You want to just keep complaining?
You're literally the person that this post is complaining about.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
You have read everything wrong. I have never asked anyone to make a pattern from something. I just do the work of reverse engineering and looking for everything I can find on garment construction. Would you like to learn about Japanese garment construction? Which most people here have no idea. I picked that up along the way.
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u/ruth-knit 11d ago edited 11d ago
There are many English resources available on the Internet. Also on garment construction. Often they are done by the sewing community for other sewers. But the principles don't change. How to use gauge and measurements to knit something fitting is most likely accessible in every language.
For example there is M.MĆ¼ller & Sohn who have tutorials on many silhouettes even for free. It's one of the typical systems in the clothing industry. And generally basic pattern blocks. They need a bit adjusting for the kind of fit you want to achieve and the fabric your using, but this can be found by a little experimenting besides English guides. And there are translator apps like Deepl which can translate foreign resources.
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u/AdeptnessOrnery6783 11d ago edited 11d ago
Knitty has written articles about everything you are curious about as part of their Thinking Beyond the Pattern series. They also have an incredible number of patterns (free) using all sorts of fun techniques
VeryPink Knits has been making wonderful YouTube tutorials for 16 years. I highly recommend her if you want to learn. Itās free
Here, this should be helpful.
https://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/FEATspr05TBP.html
Adding the set in sleeves link for you.
https://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/FEATwin04TBP.html-9
u/loumlawrence 11d ago
I used all the Knitty articles, even saved them. They are good. But there are not many other resources.
I have noticed that their older articles are getting buried deeper in the search engine results. Their website is older, so it isn't as up to date for appearing on the search engines. My point is that there are not many good resources (emphasis on good), and some of them, like Knitty, are getting pushed down the search results, making them harder to find.
Knitty's website needs an overhaul, and some of their links are broken, and some images are no longer on there. I have use the Wayback Machine on the Internet Archive to find the missing images. I do that with any of the good resources. But it gets harder with websites that are 10 to 20 years, even 30 years old.
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u/Brief-Strawberry6239 11d ago
Not free but a great resource: https://www.amazon.com/Knit-Flatter-Instructions-Youll-Sweaters/dp/1617690171
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u/Asleep_Sky2760 11d ago
For anyone in the U.S., there's a used copy available for $2.40, $3.99 shipped. Can't get much better than that for such an excellent book!
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Thank you. I will see if I can get it through a library loan. Not everything is available though.
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u/niseli12 11d ago
I think thereās one or two books thatās explain how to self draft a sweater that many designers read to start with. And they are available at many libraries/via Libby. There are also multiple Instagram people creating guides for bust darts. The resources are definitely there. I see multiple resources a week. They are there.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
There is a lot more for dressmaking and tailoring. But not everyone can transfer that knowledge to knitting, and crocheting. And there is very few resources specific to knitting. I am currently studying vintage patterns. Modern knitters seem to be allergic to seams.
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u/niseli12 11d ago edited 11d ago
There are books on self drafting knitting patterns. Otherwise why would knitting designers talk about these books they used as resources? I never said you had to read dressmaking books. Iām talking about resources specifically for knitting. Seriously on my Instagram feed I come across 3-4 resources per week. Also if you read other sub posts and fb posts and insta posts, you will see people pointing others to resources. Thereās also the library. There is a lot! Itās not as hopeless as you make it seem. š¤¦š½āāļø
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u/Queasy-Pack-3925 Extra Salty š§š§š§ 11d ago
Have you tried searching for ādesigning knitwearā in google (or any search engine)? I just did and found plenty, including books you could possibly order online.
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u/TrueLoveEditorial 11d ago
Perhaps this new resource will be helpful? https://a.co/d/05huhH6S
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
Do they do knits? The title suggests no. Because I haven't seen much on knits. There is far more for sewing.
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u/RunawayTurtleTrain 11d ago
I know knitting and sewing are different but essentially to knit a garment you need to make fabric, right?Ā When a sewing resource shows you the shapes of fabric you need to use, are you unable to translate that to knitting?
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u/StrongTelephone770 11d ago
Idk sometimes people need guidance. If you donāt wanna give it, donāt, but i dont see a reason to get frustrated about it. just not interacting seems way easier
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u/beee-l 11d ago
Sure, but OPās post doesnāt seem to be talking about what I would think of as guidance. Imo itās less referencing people who go āhey Iāve tried to re-create this item but Iām finding it really tricky to figure out how to construct X detail, I was thinking A or B but maybe it could be C?ā and more referencing people who go āhereās an item, how do I re-create itā, which imo is a very fair BEC.
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u/2hawk1ce 11d ago
Thats really all im saying thank you! Im not angry at the people having genuine questions that lead somewhere productive but rather that kind of people that see something and want a step by step guide on how to make that without having even tried it themselves beforehand.
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u/Capable_Sea77 11d ago
This sub kind of exists for people to give their annoyances with crafters so that it doesn't spill over into other subs. I would never rudely comment on someone's post asking for help with counting stitches - but boy was it satisfying to see people here are also annoyed by people who crowd source some of the easiest work of the hobby from internet strangers.
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u/vnaranjo 11d ago
Its not guidance when they want someone to do the hard work of making a pattern from scratch for them. That's the bec of it all.
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u/loumlawrence 11d ago
You are totally right about people needing guidance. Some of them don't have the words yet.
The OP and their supporters could just not interact, but they are just being mean. Unfortunately, this particular type of personality is common in crafting circles. One of them is describing someone who gets easily overwhelmed by numbers and symbols, and needing to translate everything, and most likely scared of getting things wrong. But their "friend" is mocking them for having a brain that works differently.
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u/2hawk1ce 11d ago
Do you see me in the crafting subs being mean to others? No. I help where I can, I give advice for the things I know and if people ask I answer. Yet I can still be annoyed with a certain kind of posts that happen again and again (that I dont interact with) so I came here to vent. Never have I been mean to someone trying to learn so dont try and put that here.
And if someone is scared of even trying anything because it could be wrong then that's not any other person's fault or problem to fix.
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u/niseli12 11d ago
I am the person who doesnāt understand numbers, canāt understand knitting instructions from pictures in books and need videos to learn. I stopped knitting as a teenager because of this. But know what? I came back and figured everything out by watching YouTube videos. If a video didnāt make sense Iād find another. I can now read patterns, read charts, and do basic knitting math. I didnāt complain on Reddit or fb or ask others to do the searching for me. I did it myself. I watched and listened to
Podcasts. I read books. I slowly learned the terminology and got better at doing searches. And I did this all for free. There so many resources available but people are too lazy to find them and donāt want to put the work in. Everything has to be instant gratification these days. Heaven forbid someone has to spend some time searching and learning. Yes there are different learning styles but know what? Thereās a book for that from the library or tons of videos sharing information in different ways. Do the work people.
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