“I’m a size 10 (UK), so which size should I pick?” That’s the question I get asked most often before starting a new knit. The sizes offered in a pattern are necessarily tied to standards. None of them ever perfectly matches an individual body shape, and won’t necessarily match all your measurements within a single size (back width, bust, arm length…). And that’s a good thing: the whole advantage of knitting your own clothes is precisely being able to adapt them to yourself. So I invite you to think of each size offered in a pattern as a base for creation, not as a box you absolutely have to fit into. Let’s go through how to choose the best size.
Numbered Sizes
In my patterns, you’ll never find sizes “34, 38, 40…”. I deliberately use numbered sizes (1, 2, 3…), because ready-to-wear sizes are misleading: they vary from one brand to another, sometimes even from one collection to the next within the same designer. So a size 38 doesn’t really mean much on its own.
My sizes don’t fit into those standards, and that’s on purpose: it “forces” you to choose based on your own measurements rather than a label, and to make sure you’re choosing the size best suited to you.
The Reference Measurement: The Starting Point
In a pattern, I always offer you a reference measurement to choose your size. For a sweater, it’s generally the bust measurement, since it’s most often the widest part of the garment, so the one you’ll need to be comfortable in.
But depending on the construction of the garment (particularly its sleeves and shoulders), I also invite you to look at the back width measurement too. I note it in my patterns, particularly when it’s a set-in sleeve design.
On sweaters and tops with set-in sleeves, the back width needs to match between the knit and your measurements: it’s what gives a nice drape, it’s the key measurement for this type of construction.
Conversely, on a drop-shoulder (or dropped-shoulder) design, the back width matters much less: the width of the top of the sweater is wider than your body measurements anyway, so it’s less decisive for the final result.
In practice: if your reference measurement (bust) matches a pattern size well, but the back width for that same size is too wide for a set-in sleeve design, I’d advise choosing the size that matches your back width instead, then adding a few stitches to adjust the bust to your liking. I’m actually preparing an ebook on adapting sweaters to body shapes, which will go much further on this topic — I’ll tell you more very soon!
Understanding Ease: The Key to Adjusting the Result
Ease is the difference between your real body measurements and the measurements of your finished knit. I always give a recommended ease in my patterns, and it’s what will guide you:
- Positive ease means your knit will be bigger than your real body measurement. The bigger the ease, the roomier the knit.
- Negative ease means your knit will be smaller than your real body measurement. The smaller the ease (so the bigger the negative number), the more fitted the knit.
- Neutral ease (zero) gives a fitted knit, close to the body, without being tight.
In other words, two people with exactly the same bust measurement can choose two different sizes in the same pattern, simply because they don’t have the same fit preference. This is also why you should never rely solely on your usual store size: it says nothing about the ease you like to wear, nor about the ease that will suit you best for the design you’re about to knit.
To get a more concrete idea of how ease will look on your silhouette, I recommend a simple exercise: compare your measurements to those of a garment you already own and love the fit of. That way you’ll know, for example, that “+8 cm of ease” is roughly the result of that sweater you adore.
One important note, though: your knit will look different depending on the nature of the yarn, the stitch used, the technique employed, and even the thickness of the yarn. The same number of centimetres of ease won’t “drape” quite the same way in a fine merino wool stockinette as in thick-yarn cables. With experience, you learn to know the drape of different fibres and techniques, and your own way of knitting, knitting has so much to teach us!
First of All: Taking Your Measurements Correctly
A size chart is only useful if the starting measurement is accurate. A few pointers for measuring without error:
- Use a soft tape measure (dressmaker’s tape), never a rigid one.
- Measure directly on your skin or over thin underwear, in the position you’ll be in when wearing the finished knit.
- For a sweater or cardigan, measure the bust at its fullest point, keeping the tape parallel to the floor, neither too tight nor too loose.
- Also measure your back width, from one shoulder bone to the other (the acromion points): this is the measurement you’ll need for set-in sleeve designs.
- Upper arm circumference (at the widest point of the bicep) is also a valuable measurement to note: it will help you if you’re torn between two sizes, particularly for sleeves.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help with these measurements: they’re always more reliable taken with two people.
How to Read a Pattern’s Size Chart
Once you have your measurement in hand, here’s the method I suggest, in three steps:
1. Measure the body part concerned by the reference measurement. For a sweater or cardigan, that’s generally the bust.
2. In the size chart, find the measurement closest to your result. Look for the measurement above yours if you want positive ease, or the measurement below if you want negative ease.
3. Check the ease obtained by subtracting your real Measurement A from the chart measurement. If the result matches the ease range I recommend in the pattern, or the one you want, that size is right for you. If not, test the next size in the chart.
Example: Your bust measures 117 cm and you want to knit the Seabreeze top:
The closest Measurement A above is Size 05, 119 cm.
119 – 117 = 2 cm
That’s too little compared to the recommended range of 10 to 15 cm.
130.5 – 117 = 13.5 cm
You can choose Size 06.
Find Your Size in One Click:
Choose your design, enter your main measurement, and get a size suggestion tailored to the recommended ease for that pattern.
This tool is based on your bust measurement (Measurement A). Be sure to also check your other measurements and consider a bit more or less ease depending on the drape you want for your garment.
Between two sizes?
This happens often, and it’s not a problem. In fact, it’s very often my case too! I first invite you to ask yourself what fit you’re after: rather roomy or rather close to the body? That’s usually enough to decide.
You can also look at the chart’s other measurements to refine your choice, particularly upper arm circumference and back width, often more telling than bust measurement alone.
And don’t forget: a pattern is a starting point, not an absolute constraint. You can always adjust a sleeve or body length to your liking, once you’ve chosen your base size.
A Fine Adjustment Based on Your Size
One last, more subtle piece of advice: if you fall into the smaller sizes of a pattern, I’d advise choosing an ease toward the lower end of the recommended range. If you fall into the larger sizes, choose toward the higher end instead. It’s a matter of circumference: on a larger bust measurement, the same extra centimetres of ease show up more in the final result than on a smaller bust measurement. This small adjustment gives a drape truer to what you’re after, whatever your size.
Need Help Choosing?
If any doubt remains once your pattern is in hand, my FAQ answers the most frequent questions, and you can always write to me at support@lucileateliersdesigns.com.
Now that you know how to read a size chart, you’re ready to choose your next project with confidence: head to my Sweaters & Cardigans, my Tops, or my Accessories to find your next knit.
