Garment Sizing and Fit: Two Webinars

Many knitters avoid making garments out of fear... fear about fit. Early in my knitting career, I made several garments - a terrific cabled cardigan, an excellent raglan-sleeved pullover, and a lightweight summer cardigan - and I have never worn any of them.

Why not? Because they don't fit.

There is nothing sadder than a knitter with a sweater that can be worn...

I'm excited to announce that I'm doing two webinars this summer to help you learn from my mistakes, and avoid this awful problem.

The first, "Knitting Designs with Custom Fit", running June 27th at 1-2pm Eastern Time tackles the fundamental questions: how to read and understand the sizing and fit information given in a pattern, and choose the right garment and the right size.

You'll learn:

• How to choose what size garment to knit using sizing information and other pattern clues to make sure the complete garment fits as intended.
• Key concepts of ease, fit, and styling to explore what type of garment and size would fit best for your personal style.
• How to measure yourself properly.
• Tips for easy garment alterations to make a garment flattering.
• And more!

You can attend the webinar "live", or if the timing doesn't work for you, that's ok - it's being recorded, and you can register and watch it at your convenience.

More info and registration here!

The second session, "Knitting Alterations: Easy Techniques for Knitters of All Skill Levels", runs July 31st at 1pm Eastern Time. In this, I'll go deeper into pattern alterations with simple adjustments that you can make to ensure the resulting garment is a perfect fit.

You'll learn:

• How to adjust sleeve length and fit.
• How to change the body length of any sweater.
• How to make your garment the most flattering with waist shaping techniques.
• And more!

More info and registration on that one here!  And again, if you can't attend live, you can watch the recorded event at your convenience.

Knit Along With Me!

We're having a summer-long knitalong for all the Cooperative Press titles over on the Ravelry group starting July 1st!

As long as you're signed up to Ravelry, you can participate. Come join me here.

I'll provide support and answer questions as you go - happy to consult on yarn choices, provide tips for working the patterns, give guidance on techniques. And post pictures of your projects as you go, and share

Cooperative Press has an amazing range of book titles, so now's your chance to explore them! Knit up some quick gifts, pick up some new skills, take it easy, push yourself.

Needless to say, I'd love it if you want to knit along with me on one of my book projects, but I'm just as excited about seeing projects from other books, too. All of the discussion threads can be found here.

All of the e-books are available for download on Ravelry or you can order a print copy with a digital version here.

The best part? There are prizes for participation! Don't you want a prize?

New online classes: Fixing Mistakes, and 'Gapless Gussets'

I'm thrilled beyond words to announce the launch of two more video classes.

Fixing Mistakes.

Knowing how to find and fix your mistakes - and when you don't have to - is what makes you a truly empowered knitter. I'll share tips and techniques for finding mistakes, fixing them - and perhaps more importantly - preventing and avoiding them in the first place.

It's available as a video download or a DVD, so you can watch over and over again, as often as you need!

You can see a preview of the Fixing Mistakes class here.

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And the second class is Kate's Fantastic and Unbelievably Easy Technique for Avoiding Holes in Top-Down Sock Gussets, also known as "Gapless Gussets". This quickie video share the trick that I've been using for years to make better looking, and better fitting gussets in top-down socks.

Very red-faced.

In addition to being a knitter, designer and teacher, I am a technical editor. I edit other designer's patterns, with the objective of ensuring that the patterns are accurate, easy to follow, and that they produce the results intended.

So it was a huge humbling moment for me when I had an email from a knitter last week informing me that there were a couple of mistakes in the numbers in one of the patterns I hand out in my classes. She was completely right, and I was completely mortified.

I'd been using this pattern for years, and it was good. But then I decided to get clever: about a year ago, I added to it an extra size that I'd developed for my second book, and in doing that, I made a 'simple' typing error - 28 instead of 38. I didn't have the pattern re-edited, because it was such a simple change. But it doesn't matter how simple it is, if it's not right!

I connected again this weekend with another student who'd taken my class, and she said that she assumed the problem was with her, and so she'd had to abandon the pattern. I know that when something goes wrong in pattern, I tend to assume it's me - as did this particular knitter. She couldn't figure it out, so she'd found another pattern and started again.

I'm glad I was able to talk to her: to apologize, to reassure her that it wasn't her, and to provide her with the fixed pattern.

But I also asked her - begged her, in fact - to get in touch with me next time. Yes, sometimes the mistakes are our own causing. I know I've cast on the wrong number of stitches, decreased one too many (or too few times), and lost track of what row I'm on in the pattern. But sometimes the problem is in the pattern. And if it is, as a designer, I want - need - to know, so I can put it right, and make it right for all the knitters who might be struggling.

I'm very sorry to all knitters who've run into problems with this version of the pattern. If you've taken a Top Down Sock class from me in the past year or so, send me an email at kate at wisehildaknits dot com, and I'll send you a new version of the fingering weight version of the pattern.

And if there's ever any question about one of my patterns, don't hesitate to get in touch. I include my email address on my patterns and class hand outs for a reason.


To fix the pattern and get you the fixed version is the least I can do to thank you for spending time and money on me and my work. I owe you that.

And it's not just me - all the designers I know feel the same way: if you see something, say something, so we can make it right.

Thank you!