Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Pullover: User Guide

Hello and welcome to the Horizontal Bust Dart Pattern Tailor! This program will allow you to put a bust dart in virtually any top you knit.

General Guidelines

Before the Pattern Tailor creates your customized bust dart pattern, you will need to answer a few questions. This User Guide breaks down how to answer them.

• Jamie Whitcomb has created a video tutorial for using the Bust Dart Calculators in the Pattern Tailor (this will take you to my education platform on New Zener, in a separate tab, where you will have to create a separate account — sorry!).
• Before the Pattern Tailor customizes your pattern, it will ask you questions. This guide breaks down how to answer those questions. Download a fillable form pdf of the inputs to record your information before you get started if you like.
• OR the Tables in this User Guide are interactive so you may input information as you go here (but you will have to save it as a pdf or print it; do either by using control/command P).
• Once you have answered the questions below, you can enter them in the customization popup window. [On JillWolcottKnits.com, Go to My Account, click on Orders, the click View on the Order, and then click Customize and Download. ] As soon as your info is submitted, your download is immediately sent to your downloads! Included in the pattern are instructions for working top down or bottom up.
• Before you click submit on the Pattern Tailor pop-up window, please be sure to check your answers to each question thoroughly. Only two submissions will be allowed per purchase.  
  • If you find you cannot complete your entries, abandon the pop-up window without submitting and come back with the additional information later (this will not count against your two submissions).
• To make a second purchase for a different customization option, follow the instructions in your email from Jill Wolcott Knits for a discount.
• Any questions/concerns/accidentally entered values into your customization window incorrectly? Email jill@jillwolcottknits.com for assistance.

Collecting your Custom Data

Step 1: Your Units (Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Question 1 through 6)

It doesn’t matter which units you prefer to work in–grams, yards, inches? I used a mixed bag myself, and the Pattern Tailor can use whatever you select!

• The Pattern Tailor will start by asking your name and date as you would like them to appear on your pattern (this is for your reference!).
• The next four questions will be about the units you’d like to work with in your pattern.
• For all remaining questions in the customization window, answer ONLY with the unit types you have selected in Questions 3 through 6.
  • For example, in Question 5, if you enter that you would like to answer questions in inches, answer all remaining questions that call for inches or cm should be answered in inches.

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Step 2: Your Yarn (Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Questions 7 through 9)

• In Question 7 the Pattern Tailor needs to know what yarn you are using for the project into which you are adding the horizontal bust dart.
• In Questions 8 and 9, you’ll be asked how much yarn is contained per skein/ball of the yarn you’ve chosen for your sweater. To get this information, you’ll want to have a look at your ball band, the yarn manufacturer’s website, yarnsub.com, or ravelry.com. This information is used in answering yarn usage questions.

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Step 3: Your Needles and Gauge (Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Questions 10 through 12)

As this is a custom pattern that can be knit with any size of yarn or needles, the Pattern Tailor will need to know how many stitches (sts) and rows/rounds you are knitting over 4” / 10 cm.

• Question 10 asks you to identify the needle size being used in your garment at the bust dart location.
• Question 11 wants information about your blocked stitch gauge from your swatch.
• Question 12 wants information about your blocked stitch gauge from your swatch.
  • If you don’t have a swatch, but have worked a portion of your garment, take it off of your needles onto waste yarn and block it and take gauge.
• To answer Questions 11 and 12, measure your blocked gauge over 4” or 10 cm of your swatch.
  • Knit your swatch to be at least 6” x 6” (15 cm x 15 cm). Do not measure your gauge until your swatch is washed and COMPLETELY DRIED. Always measure your gauge in the very center of your fabric. Avoid the edges.
• For help measuring your gauge, go here.

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Step 4: Your Row/Round Multiple (Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Question 13)

To work the bust dart short rows to best fit within your row multiple, the Pattern Tailor needs some information.

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• Question 13 asks you about the row multiple of your stitch pattern. That essentially means “how many rows do I have to knit to make one complete repeat of my stitch pattern?”
  • Have a look at the stitch pattern being worked when knitting the body around the areas of the bust. Count how many rows it takes to work a complete repeat of your stitch pattern.
  • See the table below for examples of common stitch pattern row multiples :). If your stitch pattern comes with a chart, you’re in luck! Use it to count the rows it takes to knit one repeat.
• Round your row multiple to the nearest even number.

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Step 5: Body Measurements (Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Questions 14 through 18)

To take the measurements in this section, wear whatever you plan on wearing underneath the garment you’re making, for example: undergarments, tee, oxford shirt, etc.

Measurement for Question 14

• To answer Question 14, measure the circumference around the fullest part of your bust. Keep the tape measure parallel to the floor. See below for a photo and demonstration video link.
  • Video demo 14

Measurement for Question 15

• To answer Question 15, measure your band circumference. This is the part of your torso beneath the fullest part of your bust directly underneath your breast tissue. As you measure, keep the tape measure parallel to the floor. For the bust dart calculator to work properly, your band circumference needs to be smaller than your bust circumference from Question 14. See below for a photo and demonstration video link.
  • Video Demo 15

Measurement for Question 16

• To answer Question 16, measure the width from bust point to bust point by measuring a horizontal straight line between the fullest part of one breast to the fullest part of the other. For the bust dart calculator to work, it needs to be significantly smaller than one-half of your bust circumference from Question 14. See below for a photo and demonstration video link.
  • Video Demo 16

• Tie a string or piece of yarn around the fullest part of your bust circumference, keeping it parallel with the floor. Now tie the second length of string around your upper bust circumference, letting the string rest against your armpits and ride up at the front as it will naturally want to do. See below for a photo:

Measurement for Question 17

• To answer Question 17, measure the vertical distance between the two strings at the centre front of your body. See below for a photo and demonstration video link.
  • Video Demo 17

Measurement for Question 18

• To answer Question 18, measure the vertical distance between the two strings at the side of your body. For the bust dart calculator to work, this measurement needs to be smaller than your answer to Question 17. See below for a photo and demonstration video link.
  • Video Demo 18

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Step 6: Your Bust Dart Pattern (Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Questions 19 through 21)

Now you’re going to answer some questions about your pattern measurements.

Body length/depth?

• Question 19 asks you for the body length/depth of your garment. Have a look at your pattern schematic for this information. Alternatively, if you plan on altering the body/length depth, enter that adjusted length/depth here instead.
• In the example below, the body length/depth is 10”. Notice that is doesn’t include the bottom trim, which has a different row / round gauge.

Front stitches?

• Next, in Question 20, we want to know how many stitches you will have at the front of your body when you are working your bust dart.
• This is typically identical or very near the number of stitches at the front of the body just before you work your armhole bind off.
  • If you still have increases to complete they will be completed after the Horizontal Bust Dart is completed. Use the actual number of stitches on your needles at the full bust level when you will start your dart.
• If knitting the front and back of the body in one piece, make sure to enter only the number of stitches at the front of the body from side seam to side seam.

Flat or In-the-round?

• For Question 21, enter whether you are working your body flat or in the round.
  • If you are working flat, you will be alternating between working a right side row and a wrong side row.
  • If you are working in the round, prior to beginning your bust dart you will always be working from the same side.
• The Horizontal Bust Dart is worked in short rows, regardless which method you are using for your garment.

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Step 7: Your Swatch (Optional Horizontal Bust Dart Pullover Pattern Tailor Questions 22 through 24)

In this last section, the Pattern Tailor will ask you a few questions about the swatch you made to knit your sweater. If you do not have a swatch, do not answer these questions!

• These questions are optional so if you choose not to answer them, that’s ok. However, if you answer every question in this section without skipping any, the Pattern Tailor will calculate the amount of additional yarn you’ll need to knit your dart — which we think is pretty handy!
• For example, if your pattern tells you that you’ll need 1200 m to knit your sweater and then the Pattern Tailor tells you that you’ll need an additional 30 m to knit your dart, you will need 1230 m to knit your sweater with your added bust dart.
• Question 22 will ask how many stitches you cast on for your swatch. Count the stitches in one row of your swatch.
• In Question 23, you’ll be asked how many rows you knit when making your swatch. If unsure, just count the rows from the bottom of the swatch to the top of the swatch.
• Question 24 asks how much your swatch weighs. A food scale is your best friend here (buy an inexpensive one if you don’t have one)! Just put your swatch on your scale and write down its weight in either grams or ounces, depending on the units you picked in question 4.

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• To make a second purchase for a different customization option, follow the instructions in your email from Jill Wolcott Knits for a discount.

That’s it! You’re all set to enter your answers into the customization window and download your pattern!

Questions? Email jill@jillwolcottknits.com