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

In Method A the Front and Back armholes of the Knit Block ended up very similar in shape; basically the value of the side seam dart of the Front block was transferred to the armhole.

In this method, the armholes are left as they are, and the that value is taken off the bottom of the side seam.  With this method, the Back and Front are not the same.

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

You would generally do either the Back or Front first, then move onto the other when finished.  I am doing them together to save time and effort in creating graphics.

• Trace around the Back Stretch-woven Block.  Mark the waist line, but don’t o transfer the dart information to the paper underneath.
• Trace around the Front Block Block, marking the waist at CF, but ignore the dart and side seam information.

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

• Measure the dart width on the Back Block, and measure in from the waist side seam to that value.
• Redraw the side seam line from armhole to waist, and waist to hip.

You will need to cut out that shape so we can use it to draw the front side seam.

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

I have given the front a thick maroon stroke so that you can tell the difference between the front and the back.

• Flip the back block over and match up at the underarm and the CF hem.
• Trace the side seam line.  You will end up some distance above the original hem line; that doesn’t matter.

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

Now when you lift it looks a bit odd.  If you draw in the waist using initial guide line at CF, it is very curved.  The hemline also looks a bit curved.  We will finesse it a little and see how it looks then.

Instructions:  Drafting the Knit Block/s – c

The curve of the waist and the curve of the hip aren’t so bad, but what I do know is that the armhole shape is not going to be right.

Firstly I’ll show you what the problem will be: this is not a smooth armhole curve.  It can be fixed by moving the front armhole down a little.  As you saw in Method A, moving the armhole down a little is the same as moving some of the dart fullness (which we moved down in the hem area) back into the armhole.  We will move enough back into the armhole to get a good curve. (We could just cut that bit off, but that reduces the length of the side seam, and also if we move the armhole down a little that will reduce the extreme curve of the waist and hip of the Front).

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

Move the Back Block down a little – in this case about 1/2 inch, until you can get a smooth armhole curve from Back to Front.  You don’t want to remove any off the back.

Once you have a smooth curve:

• Draw that shape over the old armhole.  That is your new armhole depth and shape.

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

• Flip the Back Block back over and match the Back underarm point with the new Front underarm point. 
• Match up the CF at the hip.
• Trace the back side seam and remove the block

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

While there is still a bit of curve to the waist, it is much better.  This shape will be preferable to the large armhole for women with large busts.

The block is not finished; you still need to :

• check the flow through of the hem, and
• Note the stretch ratios on the blocks. 

The information for how to mark the Stretch Ratios is the same as it is on Method A, Figures 8 & 9.  Click on that link to go to the instructions to finish off this block.