Fitted waist on sweaters?

[Lady_of_Roses]

I'm not sure if this belongs in beginner or experienced, but here goes.

 

I've been avidly reading various books on knitting sweater design for the past couple of months. Seamless sweaters in particular strike my fancy, regardless of if they are bottom up, or top down.

 

Now I've read various fitting tips like using short rows at the back to keep the front from riding up, and putting in bust darts for full-figures. I've also seen many books mention doing waist shaping to take off extra bulk. The problem is, I haven't seen any of them mention any sort of formula to do it. You know, like how far below the armholes, or bust or someplace. Or how fast to increase/decrease to make it work.

 

Does anyone know where to find information on how to calculate this shaping technique please?

[classic crochet]

Back in June Knitting Daily did a whole segment on how to shape sweaters. If you're not a member it would be worth it to sign up just to read the archives on darts and shaping. I have learned a lot from their newsletter!

[Knit Happens]

if I'm not mistaken (I could be?) one of Barbara Walker's books had formulae for doing this..could be the "top down" book....check with your public library online and see if they have or can get her book(s) for you to borrow

[Lady_of_Roses]

Thank you ladies!

 

Classic Crochet, that looks like it could be a good resource. I'll have to register when it's not the middle of the night and I belong in bed!

 

Knit Happens, My library doesn't have the Top down sweaters book that you're talking about, but I put it on my Christmas wish list (the one for my family) so I'm hoping that I'll get it. I'm not holding my breath tho because they don't think me wanting knitting and crochet books is fun.

[lisalu]

Along the same lines as your endeavor, about a year go I made myself sit down an knit an entire cardigan with no pattern - set in sleeves and all. It was an "exercise" for myself to really LEARN all the techniques rather than just blindly follow a pattern. The challenge for me was the sleeve shaping. I was also looking for a formula for the decreases and size of the sleeve cap vs. the armhole opening. Somewhere online I found a resource that told me chapter and verse how to draft a sleeve and figure out how to make it fit my sleeve opening. (Unless you have a degree in calculus, this is more complicated than you might think!)

 

Offhand, I can't remember where I found that info but try googling knitting techniques and maybe you can find something like that. Meanwhile I'll see if I can figure out what that site was, it may have other shaping info as well.

 

GOOD LUCK!