I need to knit some sweaters without having a chance to measure the recipient. I need to make a sweater for, for example, a one-year-old, and a four-year-old boy. Assuming average sizes, is there a website somewhere where can get average measurements for standard sizes?
Also adult sizes? I have a request for an “adult medium.” Somewhere, there’s gotta be a diagram of what that measures out to, right?
Right?
Thanks.
Sweater sizes in knitting patterns can vary wildly, and there’s not so much standardization of sizes among clothing manufacturers. A medium in the pattern may not be anywhere near a medium in standard sizes. Most sweater patterns are sized according to the bust measurement. If I were you, I would find the sizing chart for a store or company they’ve bought clothing from before that fit well, and then match that bust measurement up to the measurement on the sweater.
You should ask them, if you can, how much ease (how much the actual measurement of the sweater differs from the body measurement) they like in their sweaters, and then find people who have made a sweater from the pattern you’re looking at to figure out how much ease is allowed in that sweater. For example, I like my sweaters fairly close-fitting, so if I’m knitting something that’s supposed to be oversized, I knit the next size down so I’m not swallowed up by it.
The one-year old might be the easiest one to knit for, actually, since most patterns for kids that young are sized by age, instead of measurments. an dyou can always err on the side of caution and make it too big; they’ll likely grow into it.
Hm. Well I don’t use patterns; I just use measurements and then make the sweater up as I go. There really isn’t a way for me to get measurements; these are third-party gifts. Surely there’s a roughly standard size, if someone says they wear a “women’s medium”? I already understand that I’ll make the sweaters a little too big rather than tailor fitted. But I need a ballpark to start with.
You mention the baby sweater. Do you know what the standard measurements are for such a thing?
Thanks.
Heh! I should have known a Doper would be an independent knitter. I have to admit I rarely follow a pattern without making “enhancements” to it as I go along. But I usually start with a pattern and adjust it according to guage and my preference.
Googling did lead me to this page at About.com with supposedly standard measurements. I hope that helps. If not, then I’d head to Land’s End and check out their sizing charts, just because I’ve had fairly good luck with their clothing fitting me.
Thanks!
Yeah, I do the old-fashioned seamless/circular thing; no flat pieces for me. So less measuring, less counting, and all my sweaters are a surprise to me when I finish. Which keeps it from getting boring.
Unfortunately, people are always asking me for my “patterns,” but there ain’t any.
I generally knit smaller things (hats, mittens, pillows, etc.) without a pattern. I recently taught one of my friends how to knit, and she’s still bound to patterns. We were sitting knitting together one day, and I was knitting a cabled hat that went right twist cable, horseshoe cable, left twist cable, repeat. I was cabling along merrily, crossing on every row, and she watched me for a while, before she said, “Oh my god, Sarah, how are you doing that? How do you know what you’re doing?” I leaned close to her and whispered, “I’m magic. One day I’ll initiate you into the circle. There will be goats and candles and bloodletting. But mostly goats. Then you’ll be magic too.” Then I spoiled the whole thing by giggling myself off the futon.
Have you heard about Knitting Without Tears? It sounds like it might be right up your alley. I can’t remember if it has size charts or if it’s emphasis is entirely on measurements and gauge. You might be more advanced than it, actually. Do you have any of Nicky Epstein’s books?
Make some nifty ribbing; that’ll make it fit anybody!
Knitting without tears is very, um, impressionistic, which is why I love it. But no size charts or anything. Actually, somebody gave me KWT when I was making my first scarf, so Zimmerman kind of oversaw my initiation into more-than-scarf knitting. Which is why I’ve never used a pattern.
I don’t know Nicky Epstein; I’ll look into.
The size charts you link above might be a good starting place. Thanks!
Be sure to check the link on ease on that page, too. The amount of ease (how closely something fits) varies wildly between sweater sizes, so a baggy medium is sized very differently from a more form-fitting medium.
If asked to make a “women’s size medium” sweater, I would knit it with a 40" bust. This will likely be a little loose on a medium-sized person, but safe.
There is a book called “The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns” which was written for free-formers like ourselves. It is bound to include a table of average measurements for many different garments.
Ooh, I have that book lying next to me at this moment (working on gloves for my husband), and you’re right, the sweater section has a series of silhouettes of sweater pieces and the measurements. They have adult sweaters listed by finished bust size (note that this does not mean bra size, for the confused). There are a lot of measurements for the sweater but I’ll list what I can. The measurements for a 40" bust sweater, basic pullover style with an oval neck, are listed as:
Edge of shoulder to neck hole: 4"
Neck hole diameter across: 6.75"
Neck hole diameter, up and down (front only, back is knit straight across): 2"
Drop from level of back of the neck to the edge of the shoulder: 0.75"
Armhole height: 9.5"
Length between armhole and bottom of sweater: 14.5"
Width of sweater at bottom up to armhole: 20"
The sleeve pattern is shown as knit flat and seamed in later, so I’m giving you those measurements:
Sleeve circumference at cuff: 10"
Cuff length: 2.5"
Length of sleeve from start of cuff to broadest point (before tapering to fit armhole): 17.5"
Circumference of sleeve at broadest point: 16.5"
Length of tapering part of sleeve (over shoulder): 5.25"
Width of smallest part of sleeve at top where it meets the armhole: 3.75"
:smack: Forgot to note that an adult man’s medium sweater would probably be very differently-sized.
Did anyone else read the thread title as “Sweater sizes for kittens”?
I was hoping to see pictures of kittens in oversized sweaters, or something. 
I’ve seen books that focus on knitting for dogs; I’m sure someone out there has done similar for cats… (OK, probably more focused on toys since I’m sure most cats would shred a sweater in 5 seconds flat, but still.)
I have that book and it does give some measurements at the back, but it doesn’t specify what size person (other than adult or child) the measurements are supposed to match up to. I would suggest trying here Standards and Guidelines for Crochet and Knitting | Welcome to the Craft Yarn Council for some additional suggestions. In spite of the limitation of not knowing small/medium/large, I find the book very helpful. I was trying to size up a hat pattern from an unrelated source and this book gave me the information I needed.