When And Where To Use Bust Short Rows

Let’s face it. The human female form was never designed to be dressed in a square or a rectangle tube. Having bumps out the front will lift the hem which, not only means the garment does not hang straight but, can also emphasise your tummy. This gives the impression you are bigger than you actually are. When making costumes, sometimes I would be aiming to make the performer to look bigger than they are but, for most fashion, this is not the goal. Knitting bust short rows is a quick and easy way to resolve the issue allowing the garment to hang neatly equal front and back.

Some knitting patterns include the short rows. Some abandon the idea and just assume the stretchy fabric can be continually yanked down at the front. That, or make the garment so big width-wise, no one will know what shape you are underneath at all. Why doesn’t every pattern include short rows? Simple! Humans come in so many variations of size and shape.

I’m going to avoid calling women’s bumps by their real names or nicknames in case the search engines pick up on the flagged words and categorise the website as adult interests. When I say bumps, you get what I mean from now on.

Secret Code Words

When I first started designing, I made a mistake talking about the pointiest part of the bumps. Don’t ever use the ’n’ word. It’s really bad for business. Even social media will shut you down in a baby feeding group. From here forward we shall call them “bean sprouts”. (Yes, you need a sense of humour on this website.)

Something that hadn’t occurred to me is that the widest part of the bust measurement is not necessarily where you will find them. Bean sprouts can be found pointing up, down, out, in or just one will take its own individual creative path of expression. So, I discovered that designers talk about the “apex”. This is the part where your bump measurement is the widest. If we are to look at each apex individually, they might also sit a different distance from the centre as well as be different lengths down from the shoulder. SOOO many possibilities.

If you can learn about your own body and its characteristics, here begins the joy of deciding, do you want a perfect fit to match what you’ve got? Or do you want to create an optical illusion to give the impression you have a slightly different shape?

I plan to do more articles on creating that illusion to enhance what you’ve got. After all, it was show business where I spent a large amount of time sewing and designing in my younger, thinner days. For this article though, I’m going to assume you will use undergarments to create the illusion and we’ll create knitting bust short rows to work around that new shape.

So, let’s get to it.

The first part is taking measurements you can use for any and every garment. The second part is to help you calculate what you need for each individual garment.

Taking Your Bust Measurements

When knitting sweaters — in Australia we call them jerseys —you might usually just measure the width of the bust, waist and hips. Let’s take that a little further.

You will need:

• a light coloured, close fitting t-shirt
• The undergarments you plan to wear under your knitting project
• Safety pins or the sharp, light bulb shaped stitch markers
• Measuring tape
• String or firm waste yarn, enough to wrap around yourself a few times
• Small clipping scissors to cut the string/waste yarn
• A printed version of this FREE downloadable PDF worksheet file or a journal book you’ll be able to keep as a reference with your craft materials. If your body weight changes more than one dress size in the future, just print out another copy of the PDF and measure again. (You will need to add your email to download. This adds you to my private list so you get notification of new articles on this site. The list is not shared with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time – no questions asked.)

Preparation

1. Put on your undergarments and t-shirt.
2. Wrap a piece of string around the base of your neck. Tie in a slip knot with long tail so it will stay in place and is easy to remove. The tail needs to be long enough to drop vertically down centre front, lower than your waist. All the next strings are tied horizontally over the top of this tail.
3. Wrap a piece of string around your upper chest which is level with your armpits.
4. Wrap a piece of string around your lower chest directly underneath your bumps. This string might need to be held in place with safety pins or stitch markers.
5. Wrap a piece of string around your waist and tie the same way. Where exactly is your waist? It should be approximately 4cm or 1 ½ inches above your belly button. Note: As you increase and decrease body weight through the years, this may not necessarily be the narrowest part of your torso but it is still your waistline. Do not judge! Just write it down.
6. Using your safety pins or stitch markers, pin through your top where your undergarment straps sit on each shoulder on the shoulder seam.
7. Pin the apex points where each bump is at its most full. Make sure you only pin the top and avoid the bean sprouts!

Measuring The Widths

Under your arms around your upper chest along the first string. This is upper chest. Measurement A
Around your bust across the apex of each bump. This is bust. Measurement B
Under your bust along the second string. This is lower chest. Measurement C
From the neck tail that drops vertically down the centre front, measure outwards horizontally along the “B” bust measurement to the apex. The fitted t-shirt creates a straight line between each apex. Measure each side in case they are different. Measurement D

Measuring The Lengths

Vertically, from the shoulder seam on your t-shirt down along the undergarment strap to the upper chest string. Measure each side separately in case the trapezium muscles are uneven. This is your minimum armhole drop. Measurement E
From shoulder seam down the undergarment strap to the apex. This is your bust depth. Measurement F
From the apex straight down to the waist. Measurement G
From the lower chest string down to the waist. Measurement H
From the outer shoulder down to the waist. (This is the inside edge of the sleeve seam on your t-shirt.) Measurement J (Yes, I will leave out the Capital “I” and capital “O” from my measurements – it’s too confusing.)
From the shoulder seam down the undergarment strap, over the apex and down to the waist. Measurement K

Some of these measurements won’t be needed for knitting bust short rows but are useful to keep altogether. Great work! Now, how detailed you want to tailor your garments depends on the pattern design. Most hand knitted garments are not too tight around the ribcage. They usually increase and decrease on the side seams of the garment to alter the width so all we need to look at now is adding depth to the bust using short rows.

First calculation

K – J = Measurement L short row height. If this measurement is 2cm or less, you can usually get away with no need to add short rows.

Find Your Knitting Gauge

Do you get sick of hearing you should knit a swatch before starting any project? There is a reason for that! Yarns might be put in to the general category of fingering weight, sport weight, DK weight, Aran etc. However, they have an infinite variety of ways that they work on your needles due to flexibility, what happens after they are washed, strength, malleability and your personal style of knitting compared to the designer or test knitter who worked the original design. A tiny change in the gauge can leave you with a garment 3 dress sizes different from your intended size. (Yes, I actually did that – sigh). An accurate measurement of your swatch can make the difference between knitting the garment once or many times.

On your swatch, measure 10cm (4 inches) height the rows in the stitch pattern you will be using around the bust (eg – 36). Divide that number by 10 (or by 4 inches) = number of rows per cm/inch. Include 1 digital point (eg – 3.6) = Your Row Gauge. Measurement M

On your swatch, measure 10cm (4 inches) width the number of stitches. (Eg – 28 sts) Divide that number by 10 (or by 4 inches) keeping on digital point (eg – 2.8) to give your stitch gauge per cm/inch. Measurement N

L x M rounded up to an even number = Number of short rows. Measurement P

Why does P need to be an even number? Because, when making knitting bust short rows you usually work from side to side going from one apex to the other. The only exception is when each bump is very different in size. Then you might need to make a set of calculations uniquely for each side and round each of them up to an even number.

Write down the garment bust width of your pattern. Measurement Q

Read the instructions carefully.

• Sometimes the design gives the garment width which is exactly what we want.
• Sometimes the design gives you the garment circumference so you will need to divide by 2 to get the width.
• Sometimes it says the garment “fits this bust” (circumference) measurement plus *** inches or *** cm ease. Here, you will need to add the ease to the bust, then divide the total by 2 to get the garment width.

Q divided by 2 = Measurement R from centre front to the side of garment bust width. This is one quarter of the circumference.
R – D – 2.5cm (1 inch) = Measurement S your short row width.

Why did we remove another inch? It’s a good idea not to work knitting bust short rows all the way horizontally to the apex as this can create a pointed shape. The short rows look slightly different from regular sts so they would literally lead everyone’s eye to the apex. Excuse me, look at my face, not my bumps!

S x N = Measurement T number of sts for your short row width.

PLEASE NOTE: This “T” calculation will be different for each garment you make. Take a look at Figure 2.
A close fitting garment on the right of the image has less sts from the side to the apex. A loose fitting garment on the left of the image has more sts to get to the same point.
If you have bumps that are wide apart, you will have less sts from side to apex. If your bumps are closer together, you will have more sts from side to apex.

Calculating The Stitches For Each Knitting Short Row

When you add knitting bust short rows to a garment, you work from side to side like you are building the base of a pyramid. So, if you are working a garment from the bottom up, you will make your widest row first from side seam to side seam, then making shorter rows heading towards the apex of each bump. If you are working from the top down, you will make your shortest rows first and work each row thereafter wider and wider until you reach the side seams.

The top of the pyramid base is your bust line. Adding short rows gives more vertical room for the bumps without adding height to the sides. You are literally doing 3D modelling with yarn! Once you put the garment on, you will see the knitting bust short rows extra height does not get higher vertically but, instead, moves outwards in front to make room for your bumps.

How Many Knitting Stitches In Each Bust Short Row?

Look at Figure 2. If you have 2 short rows to do, work across the centre stopping at S on each side, then continue with the pattern.
If you have 4 short rows to do, one pair of short rows will be to S and the second pair of short rows will be half way to the side seam.
If you have 6 or more short rows to do, the widest short row is usually a few sts from the side seam, depending on the stitch pattern you are using. After that, you take the remaining short row pairs and divide them by the number of sts remaining in Measurement T.

Let’s try an example.

T (number of short row sts from side seam almost to the apex) = 24 sts.
T x 2 = 48 sts coming in from both sides.
Full garment bust sts  is 82.
82 minus 48 = 52 sts going across the centre from S to S.
24 + 52 + 24 = 82 sts for the full bust width.

We are working from the bottom up which means the broadest rows are first.

If we have 4 short rows to do that’s two short rows on each side.
Row 1 RS: Work in pattern on RS (which starts on the right side of the image) 24 sts to point “S” + 52 sts across the centre to the right apex + 12 sts half way to side seam. 12 sts remaining to side seam. Turn work.
Row 2 WS: Work 12 sts to right apex + 52 sts to the left apex + 12 sts half way to side seam. Turn work.
Row 3 RS: Work 12 sts + 52 sts to right apex. Turn work.
Row 4 WS: Work 52 sts to left apex. Turn work.
Row 5 RS: Work to end of row and continue with pattern.

What about if we have 10 short rows to do? That’s 5 short row pairs. The first short row pair will go almost all the way to the side seams so we divide the rest of the short row sts by 4 pairs.
T is 24 sts less say 3 sts for the first pair = 21 sts.
21 sts divided by 4 pairs = approximately 5 sts.

For this I would grab some stitch markers and mark all the intervals from each side seam.
First short row pair is 3 sts from each edge.
Add 5 more sts. Second short row pair is 8 sts from each edge.
Third pair is 13 sts, forth is 18 sts, fifth is 24 sts which was the original “T”.

Working from the bottom up

Row 1 RS: Work to 3 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Row 2 WS: Work to 3 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Row 3 RS: Work to 8 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Row 4 WS: Work to 8 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Continue working in this manner 13, 18, 24 sts until you have completed 10 short rows with the last two rows 24 sts from side seam.

Working from the top down

Row 1 RS: Work to 24 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Row 2 WS: Work to 24 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Row 3 RS: Work to 18 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Row 4 WS: Work to 18 sts from side seam. Turn work.
Continue working in this manner 13, 8, 3 sts until you have completed 10 short rows with the last two rows 3 sts from the side seam.

Do you see how it is reversed?

Question: Can You Do The Short Rows With The Pyramid Base Upside Down?

You can, yes, though I would not do so in any of my designs. Adding height to the centre of the garment creates a line of turning points on the short rows which can look a little similar to a diagonal line pointing from the side to the apex. Personally I would prefer that line to point up to my apex rather than down towards the apex. A downward shape adds height above the apex suggesting drooping bumps. Most bumps are more full below the apex rather than above. Unless you are using a serious push-up undergarment or an 18th Century corset, it is more natural to set your pyramid base up the right way.

Question: When Do I Start My Bust Short Rows?

If a design already includes short rows, it can only do an estimate start height based on an average proportioned body. When you go back to those original measurements we did with string and stitch markers on your t-shirt, you’ll be able to get the perfect fit.

Regardless of whether you are working top down or bottom up, I would personally place the shortest short rows 1 or 2 rows below Measurement F. Working top down, this is really easy. Measure the garment down from the shoulder to the bust line, then get started.

Working bottom up, you’ll need to subtract Measurement F from the total length of the garment. Then subtract Measurement L, the short row height. By the time you complete the short rows, the next full row or round may look too high in the front but, as you work your way up to the armhole, the height fills out in 3D and will be level at the armhole.

Download the FREE calculations worksheet. (You will need to add your email to download. This adds you to my private list so you get notification of new articles on this site. The list is not shared with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time – no questions asked.)

An example

Total length of a garment worked from the bottom up is 58cm (about 22 ¾ inches).
No waist measurement is given. Armhole drop for your size is 20cm (about 7 ¾ inches.)
Your measurement F (shoulder to apex) is 27cm (about 10 ½ inches).
So your bust apex is 7cm (2 ¾ inches) below the BO for the armhole which is a useful reference point.

Bust height in cm = 58cm – F 27cm = 31cm up from the hem
Bust height in inches = 22 ¾ inches – F 7 ¾ inches = 12 ¼ inches up from the hem.
Let’s say your short row height Measurement L is 5cm (2 ½ inches).
Start your short rows 26 cm (10 ¼ inches) before the garment the bust height.

Question: How To Measure The Height Of The Garment After Short Rows Are Knitted?

The more short rows you add, the more different the height of the garment will be between the sides and centre front.
If you are working in the round, you can measure the back of the garment from base of neck.
If you are working bottom up you can run a lifeline through all the sts across the front after you have completed the short rows. From here you can measure up to the armhole, then the neck split and shoulder.
If you are working top down you would normally measure down the side seam from the armhole. If you need to measure from the bust line, you can run a lifeline through all sts across the front before you begin the short rows. Then measure from the life line down the side seam.

Question: Can I Add Short Rows To A Patterned Front?

This will very much depend on the stitch pattern and you may have to practice with a swatch to see what happens. Stitch patterns that rely on what is happening in the row below or above are not ideal for short rows and may confuse you as to what to do in the following rows. Charted patterns are not great for short rows either. However, if the pattern doesn’t spread much wider than the apex you might be able to do your short rows working up to the edge of the charted pattern.

Some 2-4 row slip stitch patterns or patterns that are similar vertically can work beautifully with knitting bust short rows.

Here’s an example in the Mae West Vest.

If the garment is closely fitted and you really feel you want to add some knitting bust short rows, you can lengthen the height from armhole to front neckline, then do the correct height from neckline to shoulder. This is how sewing patterns add height for the bust, often turning the line of the shoulder slightly outwards so, by the time you join front and back shoulders, the extra height is only added to the centre of the front and not to the sides.

Question: Can I Add Short Rows To A Garment With Low Armholes?

This will depend on the design. My suggestion is to simply make the front taller than the back, adding the extra full rows (not short rows) between the armhole split and the neck line.

An example of a pattern that would suit this method of adding extra height instead of short rows is the Deep Dive Vest.

Question: What If I Put Half The Bust Short Rows Below And Half The Bust Short Rows Above The Bust Line?

It is possible to do though the shape may become pointed across the bust line and may not match the natural gravity influenced shape of your bumps. You can certainly experiment with how you lay them out. If you want to experiment, I would recommend running a lifeline across the width or around the round before starting the knitting bust short rows. That way, if you don’t like the result, it is easy to pull out the short rows back to your lifeline and try another method.

Question: How Do You Do A Knitting Short Row Turn?

There a quite a few methods including German, Japanese and wrapping. I like German personally. You can find a multitude of video tutorials on Youtube to help you find your favourite method of turning a short row.

How to knit German Short Rows by Suzanne Bryan.

Any other questions? Reply in the comments below and I will do my best to answer.

Annabelle Drumm

 

Check out more of my patterns on my online store.

SUBSCRIBE to receive my blog articles and be the first to hear about new designs as they are released.

 

—