

In Which the Pirate Attempts to Knit Pants.
Posted by Pirate in designaknit, kh940, machine knitting, pantsSeven years ago, I bought the world's ugliest yarn (I love it though) intending to knit a pair of EZ's "Nether Garments", because what could be cozier than woolen long-johns? Except it never happened, possibly because every time I thought of starting the project, I thought about how long it would take... and put it off again.
Then I got a knitting machine, and thought "wow, this will make it so easy to make a pair of pants!"
How wrong I was. The knitting machine makes short work of knitting pieces of fabric that might be pants legs; it does not make it any easier to fit a pair of pants to my body.
I picked out a pattern (the "Lounging My Best Life" pants) and knit a gauge swatch - and for a wonder, I got it right! (The pattern is written for a mid-gauge machine and mine is a standard gauge, but if I loosen it to tension 10, this 6-ply yarn will go through.)
Since I'd never made pants before, I thought I'd follow the pattern exactly as written (even though I was pretty sure it wouldn't fit) and then make adjustments from there. Here's the first leg knit up, minus the ribbing at the cuff, which I'll handknit after I know the legs fit - isn't it perfectly 1970s?
What it's not, unfortunately and unsurprisingly, is perfectly fitting. It's quite a bit more high-waisted than I want... and I don't seem to have nearly as much curve in my hips as the pattern seems to think I will. I took measurements and tried again.
My second try (not pictured) is closer, but still doesn't fit. I knit both legs and basted the seams so I could try them on, then took more measurements and attempted to draft a pattern in Designaknit. Then I set everything aside for a while until I could stop being mad at it. Once I get over the disappointment, I'll try on the pants once more to make sure I've noted everything I want to change in the fit, and then I'll wind up the yarn and give it another shot.
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