How to measure yourself for crochet clothes
Learn how to measure yourself to create the perfect fit of your handmade and crochet clothes. Taking the time to measure yourself correctly will help when choosing which size to make when creating your own crochet wardrobe.
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Learn how to measure yourself
The best way to take your own measurements at home is with a soft measuring tape. I love this one by Milward – it’s extra long, so great for when you’re making blankets too.
If you don’t have access to a soft measuring tape, you can measure yourself without a tape measure, using a piece of string or ribbon (making sure it doesn’t stretch) and use a ruler or builders tape measure to check the sizing of your string.
How to Measure your Bust
What to wear to measure yourself?
Get Dressed – many of us crafters can be found lounging on our sofa’s in our pyjamas, but for fit you’ll be comfortable wearing:
Dress in lightweight clothes such as a tank top and the bra you normally wear.
Please note – if you usually wear a padded bra, pop that on for a more accurate measurement.
How to measure your bust measurement
Grab your measuring tape – keep the tape level all around your body, parallel to the floor.
Lift your arms, wrapping the tape under your armpits, across the fullest part of your breasts –
the tape should be snug but not uncomfortably tight.
Move around, take a deep breath, sit down and stand back up!
This will check that the tape isn’t restricting you as you breathe and move about.
Remember – the tape should be snug but not uncomfortably tight.
Make a note of the measurement where the tape meets.
You may also see some size charts may include an under bust measurement (also called band, chest or ribcage), using the tape in the same way except the tape should be on your rib cage, under your bust.
Compare to the Size Chart
Now that you have an accurate bust measurement, you can refer to the size chart to confirm which size to make.
Check the garment ease
What is garment ease?
The ease refers to how the garment fits to the body.
For example, the Rose Cardigan has a positive ease of 2” which means that the fit is snug but not tight to the body.
An oversized sweater would have an ease of 6”-8” and a tight fitting top or sweater would likely have a negative ease of 2”-4” to ensure a close fit on the body.
Is there an alternative to measuring yourself?
Some crochet sweater and cardigan and other garment patterns will also include a schematic to advise the finished measurements of the various pattern sections.
This can be very useful it you have a favourite sweater that you’d like to achieve the same fit with this project.
You could measure your favourite sweater, across the back, at the widest point and compare that measurement to the schematic and make the size of the garment to achieve the same finished size.
For more information about understanding a schematic, click here (link)
How to measure your waist
Most size charts and crochet patterns are referring to your natural or “true” waist when giving a waist measurement.
Your waist is NOT where your belly button is.
You can find your true waist by standing up straight up and bending side to side; where your body creases is where your waist is.
Wrap the measuring tape straight across and around where your waist is, again keeping the tape measure parallel with the floor.
For some people, this will be the narrowest point on their belly, but it’s not always the case.
How to measure your hips
The hips is one of the most commonly miss-measured parts of the body – just like the waist measurement is commonly taken where the belly button is!
Your hip measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your bottom – not where your hip bones are.
This will ensure that your projects will not be too tight when you sit in them.
Just like the moving needed for an arcuate bust measurement, move around before noting the number – take a seat and check that the tape is not too tight!
Now that you know how to measure yourself, you can use your measurements to work out which size you should make compared to the size chart in your crochet pattern.
It’s important to remember that all these measurements are just numbers, and we are not defined by them or the labels in our clothes!
Don’t forget to learn more about understanding a schematic to help you ensure you make the fit you want based on the ease stated in the pattern you want to follow.Learn more crochet techniques
