I think I was 13. My friend and I were talking to a nice older woman at church. For the life of me I can’t remember how we got on the subject but I remember her referring to my VERY petite friend and then turning to me and saying something to the effect of “now you have child bearing hips.” I was 13. I have never forgotten what she said.
The thing is, she was right. I suspect my hips would suit child bearing well. Of course, these are not realities an insecure 13-year-old should have to face.
Recently, I picked up Forecast again. I am gearing up for the fall so out come the fall projects I ignored over the summer. I finally finished the body of the thing, bound off and then tried it on. It fits perfectly…everywhere but my hips.
There is still a button band to be added and I can close the cardigan but it stretches out the ribbing at the bottom. So why does it work on her? What is wrong with me?
Here could be some reasons:
- I made the sweater a bit longer to be more flattering on me so the pattern was not written to accomidate for too much hip.
- I bound off too tight and it is restricting the pull of the sweater.
- I am a odd shaped freak.
I am leaning towards the latter.
I really do love this sweater. So I think I am going to undo my cast off (I HATE doing that) and re-cast off. What do you all think? Maybe I should just keep going and see. Sometimes I have a hard time visualizing the fit of a knit before I am done. I do love it though. Don’t you just love fall?
The following 17 comments were originally left at blogspirit:
dare i say it, i think you should rip it and do it again- argh! of course, i am much happier giving out this kind of advice than i would be taking it ;0) it really does look lovely from the back…it would be a shame if it didnt fit right…hmm x
p.s definately *not the latter!
Sorry, I think you should rip back too – it really won’t take anything like as long as knitting a whole new sweater would – and I’ll bet that’s what you’ll have to do if you don’t love the finished item.
As for childbearing hips – I’ve had them since I was 13 too – except that they turned out to be rubbish for childbearing – both times I had really bad pelvic pain. Ah well. The children are delightful none-the-less (mostly!)
I would rip it and add in whatever increases you need to make it fit. Then you will actually wear it.
It looks great by the way.
I made the sweater longer than in the pattern, too, and I also happen to have these certain hips of which you speak – I think yours looks fine from the back. Ribbing is meant to stretch, after all. I can’t really tell from the picture, but if you think your bindoff is too constricting then by all means try again. Don’t redo the ribbing just yet, though – block that sucker out!
I would block it first and if it doesn’t fit properly, rip out and cast off again. No harm in trying!
I would probably rip out and re-do it. Speaking from a child-bearing hip experience (big hips on this side of the screen) I did a sweater by Wendy, the Essential Stripes, I made it longer so it would fit a bit lower, but I also added an extra stitch in some of the ribbing to allow for my extra hippage (ha!).
I hope you figure out a way because the sweater is lovely
You should probably rib back. A lot easier than re-knitting the whole sweater. The sweater does look great!
P.S. Not the later. I had a doctor tell me once (after I had my 1st kid)and I was pregnant with my 2nd that I have child bearing hips. I think I bore a whole with my eyes into his head!
redo the cast off… it will make a WORLD of difference. The difference between wearing and loving a sweater to death, or looking at it in your closet and cringing.
At least redo the cast off. Use a bigger needle if needed. You might try blocking the body to see how much it will stretch. If it still doesn’t suite you or fit you…you’ll know what to do.
re-doing the castoff will change things alot.. so will blocking. It is beautiful, but if you hate the fit you’ll never wear it. sometimes the sweaters that we have to ‘fiddle’ with become our favorites.
AND, btw, your hips look well proportioned to me… did you grow up in the “twiggy” days like I did? anyone who had even a small amount of curves was considered too big back then. sigh. I’m so glad that fashion has changed.
Seems like you’ve gotten enough advice on the sweater. Love the t-shirt underneath. I saw it on Gilmore Girls awhile ago and while loving it never picked one up. What’s better then reading and knitting
I have no idea what to do with the sweater, but I wanted to answer your other question. No, you are not an odd shaped freak!
You are curvy, and curves are HOT!
p.s. I have that same shirt in a different color. Reading is definitely sexy.
I agree with Margene and Miriam. These ladies know of what they speak. Plus, my first thought was with blocking, it may surprise you. And it’s easier to try to do the bindoff again and then block it than rip the whole thing. Many times wool relaxes or stretches a bit once blocked, so it may take care of the whole tightness issue over the hips. I love the sweater.
I was just browsing knitting blogs when I came across yours, and had to comment. The “child-bearing hips” comment was applied to me at an impressionable age, too. I empathise completely!
I see you have lots of good advice already so I’ll just wish you luck with the sweater. It looks absolutely beautiful from the back, and I’m sure it will be just as good from the front too.
does the ribbing pull so much that it’s uncomfortable? i hate it when the ribbing isn’t stretched out on the body. then it just screams Sweater of the 70s to me. *shrug*
It reminds me of the time my church volleyball coach told me I had retarded arms because I couldn’t turn them all the way over to make a good volleyball hitting position. It crushed my future as a pro-volleyballer.
Do keep us updated, because I’ve just begun mine and, *cough,* have bourne a child through these hips. And I think they grew.