Penguin Wing Cardigan: How to adjust the size
Hi Guys, how are you doing? Have you gotten the pattern for the Penguin Wing Cardigan? I got a question from a fellow knitter about how to adjust the size of the PWC, so I'll be explaining how to do so here.
Gauge is the key
Even the PWC is an oversized garment, please knit some swatches before start knitting it. Having the right gauge is the key. I know it is a pain in the butt, but it's an essential step you need to take before knitting/crocheting anything So, please take your time to swatch and take the right gauge for the pattern.
How to make the body length longer
PWC is kind of cropped length. Therefore, for a taller person, it may be a bit short. But you can adjust and make the body length longer super easily.
But first, I need to let you know the construction of the PWC. You will start knitting/crocheting the garment from the cuff. Increases are worked in order to create a sleeve that resembles a penguin's wing. (The knitting/crocheting direction is indicated as pink arrows.)
It means that as much you increase stitches, the body length (C in the image below) will become longer.
The opposite is also applicable. If you want to make it shorter, increase it less than the pattern says. Easy, right?
How to make body circumference bigger
To make the adaptation easy, the measurement of B(sleeves) and E(front body) is the same for every size available. So, by changing the measurement of F(front/back body), you can easily change the body circumference(I in the image above).
The F part is knitted without any increase/decrease, so by knitting more rows, you will make the body circumference larger, and if you knit fewer rows, it becomes smaller.
I recommend you check the size little by little, on your own body, especially when knitting part F.
When the yarn of your choice has a different gauge
I know the feeling of when you want to knit a garment with certain yarn, but the gauge does not much. Before giving up, try to swatch in different needles or hooks that are recommended for that yarn. Not working even with the different needles/hooks? Well, you can still make it work somehow.
In this case, you need to make some calculations to adjust the stitch and row numbers. The calculations can be a bit complicated, but if you get used to it, there will not be many problems.
I recommend using the suggested yarn on the pattern, but I also understand that sometimes it is not the yarn you want to use, so knowing your gauge and converting the numbers according to yours, can make it work.
I'm omitting the way to calculate and convert the numbers in this article, but if you are interested, please let me know! so I can try to explain with more details in future articles.
Wasn't it easy? The PWC has an oversized fit and I think that the size adjustment is super flexible and easy. It is a bit contradictory to what I said previously, but a small difference in the gauge will not influence much for this pattern (don't tell people about that, hehe). However, having a too-short body length and small body circumference will be annoying and unpleasant to enjoy wearing, right?
I just hope that these tips to adjust the size of PWC will be helpful for you to knit/crochet your own garment. And help you enjoy more of the process of knitting/crocheting and wearing it. Please don't forget to share your progress on socials with #penguinwingcardigan !!
Thank you for reading!
Maysa