Hubert - Customize your crochet: adjust to fit: embellish to taste

Copyright 2015 Creative Publishing international

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping of information on storage and retrieval systemswithout the written permission of the publisher. However, the publisher grants to the purchaser of this book permission to reproduce the charts in the book for personal use.

Due to differing conditions, materials, and skill levels, the publisher and various manufacturers disclaim any liability for unsatisfactory results or injury due to improper use of tools, materials, or information in this publication.

First published in the United States of America by

Creative Publishing international, a division of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

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Suite 400

Minneapolis, MN 55401

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Digital edition: 978-1-62788-257-6

Softcover edition: 978-1-58923-885-5

Digital edition published in 2015

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

Technical Editor and Symbol Diagrams: Karen Manthey

Copy Editor: Lori Steinberg

Book Design and Page Layout: Laura McFadden Design, Inc.

Body Type Illustrations: Sharon Hubert Valencia

Photographs: Chris Hubert

ADJUST TO FIT EMBELLISH TO TASTE

YOUR CROCHET

Margaret Hubert

To my wonderful family.

It takes a lot of people to put a book together, from the making of all the garment sections, the photography, and the editing to the yarn companies who so generously donated their yarn and all the behind the scenes staff.

I owe special thanks to:

Lion Brand Yarn Company, who provided all the yarn for 16 garments in the book.

Chris Hubert, my son, who did all the photography, working with me every week for months.

Karen Manthey for her extraordinary diagrams and tech editing.

Singer Sewing Company, who provided their wonderful adjustable dress form, an invaluable tool when making garments.

Guardian Custom Products for providing their E-Z Blocking Board, on which all the garment pieces are shown. Every crocheter should own one of these.

Thanks to Cathie Nolan for allowing me to use her original design and Red Heart Yarns who provided the yarn for Cathies Cropped Top.

I also would like to thank Paula Alexander, Jeannine Buehler, Theresa DeLaBarrera, and Nancy Smith, who helped crochet all the beautiful garments.

Thanks to Sharon Hubert Valencia, my daughter; Nicole Valencia, my granddaughter; Brittany DeLaBarrera, and Jeanne Hudson for modeling.

Last, but certainly not least, a very big thank you to my wonderful editor, Linda Neubauer. With every new book we work on together, Linda manages, with much patience, to teach me some new bit of technology to help me work more efficiently.

Most patterns in books and magazines are designed to fit the Classic Rectangle body shape, because almost half of all women fit this body type. In the first section of this book, Customize the Fit, you will find instructions for four different sweaters. Each sweater uses a different stitch pattern, and each stitch pattern has a different degree of difficulty. The original instructions are written to fit the Classic Rectangle body type, and guidance is given for how to adjust the patterns to fit different body types. Once you learn the concept, you can apply it to most patterns. The examples in this book are cardigans, but the principles work just as well for pullovers. Whatever your size, whatever your body type, the most flattering garments are those that fit you properly.

In the section Finish Like a Pro, you will learn methods for finishing your projects that will give them a neat, flawless look. Aside from the fit, there are often features in patterns that we might like to change or details we might like to add. In Embellish for Personal Flair, youll find ways to embellish your work, add pockets, or change closures to make your projects truly your own creations.

This book is a guide that will help you crochet garments to fit your measurements and your style, expertly finished so you will be proud to wear them.

Customize the Fit

My students often tell me that they love to crochet, but they only make things like afghans, baby blankets, scarves, and shawls, because whenever they try to make a garment, it never fits properly.

The first step to making a garment that fits is to understand your body type, and in order to do that you must know how to measure your body correctly.

Included in this section are instructions for four different cardigan sweaters, arranged in order of difficulty based on the stitch pattern. After the basic instructions for each pattern are instructions for how to increase and decrease the stitch pattern, and how to adjust the shape of the sweater to suit different body types. Once you have determined your body type, read through the instructions, choose a project, and pick up your hook. Be patient, check your gauge, and measure often. You can do this!

Understanding Body Types

Most of us fall into one of four main body types:

Classic Rectangle: The hips and chest are balanced and the waist is not deeply defined. This is the most common body type.