I'm getting a lot out of my most recent knitting book purchase, Sweater Design in Plain English. Maggie is my new hero. I feel like I am finally getting some tips that are going to help me make better sweaters. As we have seen, I can make yarn into a sweater, but I can't always make it fit. What I need is a way to tell when a pattern is going to produce something that isn't going to fit me well and then the way to adjust it so that it does. Well, this book explains how to take measurements correctly and how to convert those measurements into armhole depth and raglan shaping and bust darts, whatever you might need. Exactly what I was looking for!

What I really really like about this book is that Maggie doesn't just give us some formula to use, but rather explains what is happening. There's a chapter about how different stitches and stitch patterns "act", ie, how they change your gauge, how they stretch with wear, when/where it is best to use them. And the whole last half of the book goes through a series of patterns which are less for making than they are for learning. They take you through the planning process of progressively more complex sweaters involving more and more shaping and leading up to top-down, in the round sweaters. She makes the process so clear that I am actually starting to believe that I could design a sweater. Of course, I have no orignial ideas, so I'll be sticking to published patterns, but I hope to feel more confident about tweaking them so I can use the yarn I want or make them to the exact size I need.

Empowered with my new knowledge, I immediately set off to take some proper measurements and check out the crazy continental. I'm just winging the pattern for the sweater by mathing up a pattern from A Season's Tale for different gauged yarn. Since I'm just learning continental, I'm worried about my gauge and the shaping, so I wanted to check what I've already done against a good set of measurements. Well, it checks out okay so far. I'll be making the front about 4cm shorter than the back (since it will be too long, as I suspected), but otherwise the width and armhole openings look like they could work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

And here's the front of the crazy continental after some weekend knitting. I'm really happy with how how the tension is improving. It's almost as even as my right-handed knitting now. Lookie!