Tiny Dancer Sweater

---

Instructions

This project has gentle, body-friendly shaping - I've had two kids, and this belly ain't flat, but you'd never know it when you see me in this top! It has lots of mindless social knitting (plenty of stockinette) with just enough ?other stuff?(a bit of ribbing, decreases, increases, picking up stitches, kitchener stitch) to keep you awake.

This pattern is written for chest sizes 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42)? (measuring around the fullest part of the bust), intended to fit with no ease to slightly negative ease at the bust, a few inches of ease at the waist and little to slightly negative ease at the hip. Waist, hip, and a dozen other measurements are given in the schematic, so this is an easy pattern to modify if you tend to change the fit of patterns to better suit your figure.

This pattern is written for the figures of older teenage girls and adult women. A pattern for girls size 6-14 will be released in September of 2012.

Written for the adventurous beginner (someone who knows the basics but isn?t afraid to learn a new technique or two), this pattern includes the following skills:
Knit
Purl
Knitting in the round
Kitchener Stitch
Increases (K2tog, Sytk)
Decreases (K2tog / P2tog)
Wrapping and Turning, then working in the wrapped stitches This project has gentle, body-friendly shaping - I've had two kids, and this belly ain't flat, but you'd never know it when you see me in this top! It has lots of mindless social knitting (plenty of stockinette) with just enough ?other stuff?(a bit of ribbing, decreases, increases, picking up stitches, kitchener stitch) to keep you awake.

This pattern is written for chest sizes 32 (34, ...
Read full instructions »

---

Difficulty:

Category: Knitting

Type of item: Clothing

For: Women

Style: Traditional, Classic, Cute, Casual, Hipster, Funky

---

Materials

About 950 yds. of Madeline Tosh Sock yarn and US size 3 (3.25mm) needles.

What was your inspiration?

I have a elbow-length sleeved t-shirt that I love the fit of. My kids roll their eyes when I wear it because it has a large heart on the chest that is actually two dragons when you look closer. They don't think it is appropriate "mom-wear". :) Since I love the fit of that top, I decided to translate it into a light sweater. Turns out that ease acts differently in sweaters than it does in t-shirts (which is why it took me three tries to get the fit exactly right), but it was so worth it in the end. This sweater is super-comfortable for hanging out at home, yet I can easily dress it up when I go out!

What are you most proud of?

I was very proud to publish this pattern since it was my first adult-size garment. I knew I was ready for the challenge, because I have been practicing my pattern writing and grading skills on kids garments for almost two years now, but it was still a thrill to see pictures of my test knitters in their sweaters. Every single size was test knitted, and they all fit great!

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

I would say that this pattern is written for an older teen or adult with a small-to-medium size chest. This neckline is on the low side and I am not confident it would be able to "hold in the ladies" if they were about a D cup or larger. If you are experienced with bust darts and are comfortable adding an inch or two to the neckline, this sweater could be modified to fit a bustier shape. But, in the way it's written, this pattern is really intended for a woman who can do sports without her chest getting in the way. :)

That said, this is a pretty easy sweater. I believe that adventurous beginners can be successful with this pattern even if it is their first attempt at a sweater. This design is seamless, and almost universally flattering with it's gentle shaping and set-in-sleeves. If you decided to dive in and feel stuck, just contact me. I'm happy to help!