Picture it - a cute raglan pattern was just released. said in my best Sophia from Golden Girls impression
You work your butt off for weeks, maybe even months on your handmade sweater. You bind off the body, scurry to the bathroom mirror, and throw on your sweater.
Instead of elation, you feel disappointed. This traditionally shaped raglan is boxier than you wanted. It rides up in the front, and when you lift your arms, the sweater comes with you. You know in your gut - you’ll only ever wear it around the house.
And that just isn’t what you were after.
It wasn’t what I was after either, y’all. When I decided to design my first garment, the I Am No Man Pullover, I knew I would focus in on these fit pain points.
I Am No Man is a v-neck compound raglan with a-line shaping and optional bust darts. These elements are essential to getting a good fit with I Am No Man. I don't know about you, but there's very little I hate more than when I lift up my arms and my sweater comes with me. Or even worse, my arms are by my sides and the garment is still riding up in the front.
That's where a not-too-baggy bust circumference, not-too-deep armhole depth, a-line shaping, and optional bust darts come in. Darts are included in the pattern to avoid riding up in the front, and a-line shaping exists to give the garment some room in the body while leaving the neck/shoulder/bust area more fitted.
Why make such a big deal out of fit?
I Am No Man is inspired by that glorious moment in Return of the King when Eowyn absolutely murks the Witch King of Angmar. For many fans of Lord of the Rings, this moment is iconic and heroic.
I want you to put on I Am No Man and feel empowered. I want you to take a look in the mirror and think “DAMN I look good.” I want I Am No Man to be the coziest armor you've ever worn. I want you to step out in your sweater and have the mantra we all love in the back of your mind: “I Am No Man.”
That's why fit matters...at least to me.
When we don clothing that fits well, we feel better. When that well-fitting clothing also represents one of our favorite heroes or stories, we feel a little stronger. When we feel a little stronger, we show up in our lives a little differently. See where I'm going with this?
You deserve to feel like your favorite version of you. You deserve to embrace your inner Eowyn.
I Am No Man Modification Possibilities
So let’s say this set of armor needs some adjustments for you. What can we do?
If you take a look at the size chart (also pictured on the Ravelry and Ko-fi pages) and see that you’re in between sizes, there’s a few things you can do. First, ask yourself how much ease you want in your garment. Then, look at the upper arm measurement and the bust measurement.
Go with the one that sounds like it will fit better. Sizing up or down will result in a different look than the sample. If you're okay with that and you're comfortable with the rest of the measurements, awesome! Cast on the size you feel will work best. If not, you can always modify the garment.
Bust Modification Possibilities
Tighter Fit In The Bust
If you like a tighter fit, first size down. I Am No Man is made up mostly of seed stitch. Seed stitch likes to stretch, meaning: it can tolerate a bit of negative ease without distorting the garment.
If you'd like to add a bit more wiggle room, you can always add extra increases in the arms, front, or back depending on where you'd like more room by adding in double increases to certain rows or by increasing on non-increase rows. If you'd rather not mess with the increase rate and you're concerned about your garment rising up in the front, consider adding bust darts or adding length to the body of your garment.
Looser Fit in the Bust
If you like a looser fit, size up. Sizing up could result in more ease in the bust circumference than the sample. If you'd like to take out a bit of ease, you can remove increases from the front, back, or arms depending on where you'd like to remove fabric. Simply skip increases, but make sure you're still knitting the same amount of rows.
How do you know which way to go? Well, you can check your modification plan by using your gauge, doing a little bit of math, and seeing how it matches up with the pattern stitch and row counts. (This is my favorite simple gauge math cheat sheet, btw. It's from Fruity Knitting).
Other Modification Possibilities
Longer Sleeves
I Am No Man is designed to have slight bell, 3/4 length sleeves. If you'd like longer sleeves, you can easily make this modification by adding in decreases after the elbow. Some sizes have built-in increases/decreases to ensure the resulting sleeve is the same as the sample. Follow these instructions and add in decreases afterwards to create a longer sleeve with less circumference at the wrist. You can follow a decrease rate you've used previously or by using a decrease calculator.
Different or No Body Shaping
I Am No Man includes a-line shaping to ensure a looser fit around the midsection while allowing the top of the garment to remain fitted. However, these a-line increases are not required! If you like 0-1" of positive ease in the body, feel free to eliminate the a-line increases entirely. If you'd like some extra ease in the body but not the full 4" the design includes, you can eliminate a few of the a-line increases. Alternatively, if you'd like more ease, you can add in extra increases!
Please note: the a-line increases are all in the front of the garment along the cables that run along the side. This adds extra fabric to the front, but not the back. If you'd like room in the back as well, you can alternate front and back increases along the cable. This would be a good mod for someone who needs some extra room in the hips, but not necessarily their midsection.
Okay! Those are a few modification possibilities for I Am No Man. If you decide to play around with any of them, let me know! I love seeing how y'all work with my patterns. And of course, if you get lost along the way, I’m here for you. Shoot me a message, we can troubleshoot it together.
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