How to Draft Knit from Stretch-woven (Method A)

n this Method, the Back and Front are basically the same, except for the neckline and a very slight difference to the front armhole.  This method can be used by women with standard figures. If you have a large bust, or if you have a large bust and square shoulders, you will not get a good outcome, and Method B may work better. If you still have problems, look at Method C.

Instructions: Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 1

We start with the Back Stretch-woven Block.

• Trace the back block
• Mark the waist line

You do not need to transfer the dart information to the paper.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 2

We will now remove the dart value in the waist.

• Draw the waist line in.
• Measure the width of the dart on the Block.
• Measure on the waist from the side seam, to the value of the dart measurement just taken, and mark the new waist point.
• Redraw the side seam line from the underarm to the waist and the waist to the hip.

On the right is the basic shape of the Back Knit Block.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 3

• Get your Front (Stretch-woven) Block, turn it over and place it on the Back.
• Line it up at Center Front
• Line it up so the neck point touches. Don’t worry if the front is a little further in than the back.
• Trace the neckline and the shoulder line (only) of the Front and remove it.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 4

Once you’ve removed the front you have some guidelines.

• Redraw the front neckline so that it touches the back high neck point. (It won’t be exactly the same shape as it was).

The front shoulder line that you traced is a bit higher in slope than the back.

• Split the difference and redraw the shoulder line so that is is between those two points.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 5

You now have both Front and Back on top of each other.

• You can trace off either one, in this case I’ve traced off the back.
• Once traced, I return to the first one and trim off the back neck piece (shown shaded in red) so that I have a Knit Front.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 6

I have flipped the Front over as it is convention that the Front and the Back face in opposite directions.

• To finish off the front shave a little off the inner armhole.
• At this point it is a good idea to check the flow through of the armholes, the hemline, etc.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 7

In this image I just want to show you something. On the left I have the original Front Stretch-woven Block, and I have moved the side seam dart into the armhole (left as fullness, not as a dart). The thick black line shows the final shape of that Stretch-woven Block with the dart as fullness in the armhole. On the right I have put that shape on top of the Knit Front Block. They are pretty close.  There are only slight difference in the neckline, armhole, and the width of the block.   (Some blocks may have the Front and Back width the same, but this obviously doesn’t). Although this method might work for Standard Figures, it will not work well at all, in fact it will be a dreadful fit, if you have a large bust and other fitting issues.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 8

Now the final thing to do is to mark the block for different stretch ratios. In Figure 8 I will cover marking the reductions based on the Block Width, in Figure 9 I will cover marking it based on your body measurements.   See the article Reduction in Width for Stretch Blocks for more details.  I would suggest you try this first and if your first toile suggests there is too much ease, remark the Stretch Radio lines using your Body Measurements shown in Figure 9. The block outline is for Stable Knits.  We took 2% off the block when making the Stretch-woven Block.  We need to mark:

• Moderate Knits (3%, therefore I have to come in half of the value I reduced it by in the Stretch-woven) – i.e. I reduced my Stretch-woven by 1/4 inch, therefore I will measure in 1/8 inch for the Moderate Knit line.   That will total 3% of the original block.
• Stretchy Knits (5%,therefore I have to come in 1.5 times the value I reduced it by in the Stretch-woven) – i.e. I reduced my Stretch-woven by 1/4 inch, therefore I will measure in 3/8 of an inch from this block outline. That will total 5% of the original block.

Hopefully you understand the math, if you don’t, go back to the original block and work it out this way:

• Stable Knits = 98 % of the width of the block (but we already have this, it is the Knit Block we ended up with)
• Moderate Knits = 97% of the width of the block = x
• Stretchy Knits = 95% of the width of the block. = y

In this case, just measure from the CF & CB to the the value of x and y.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s –  Method A, Figure 9

If you choose to work out the width of your block using your body measurements instead of your block measurements, you will get a tighter fit as the block includes some ease. For your Bust, Waist and Hips, work out:

• 98% of Bust, divided by 4  = Stable Knit
• 98% of your Waist, divided by 4 = Stable Knit
• 98% of your Hips, divided by 4 = Stable Knit
• 97% of Bust, divided by 4 = Moderate Knit
• 97% of your Waist, divided by 4 = Moderate Knit
• 97% of your Hips, divided by 4 = Moderate Knit
• 95% of your Bust, divided by 4 = Stretchy Knit
• 95% of your Waist, divided by 4 = Stretchy Knit
• 95% of your Hips, divided by 4 = Stretchy Knit

Using either Front or Back (you can later transfer that information to the other), measure from CF for those values, and mark the lines for Stable, Moderate and Stretchy Knits. In the image the grey dashed line on the edge of the Front is the original block line, the red line is the Stretchy Knit, the green line the Moderate Knits and the black line is the Stable Knits. Not only has all the ease been removed in the stable knit, but we have moved into negative ease for the others.