Talking about how amazing a woman Coco Chanel was is endless. After all, her style, even after many years, is still considered spectacular and popular. In this article we will talk about how to knit a jacket in a Chanel style. Indeed, in fact, it is much easier to do than it might seem at first glance. The main thing is to adhere to specific instructions.
Colors Chanel
Before you study the technology of the studied product, it is important to understand what colors are acceptable to use when knitting a jacket. After all, if you repeat the style, but include the wrong shades in it, you will not succeed in creating a garment that matches the style of Coco Chanel. Admirers of the talent of the world fashion designer are well aware that the most favorite color of the fashionable lady was black. She also highlighted white, beige, gold and red. That's why it is so important when buying yarn to create a Chanel-style cardigan to pay attention to the materials and accessories of these particular shades.
How to choose the right tool and material?
With the basic recommendations regarding the color of the yarn, more or less clear. Regarding the fabrics themselves, Coco Chanel did not provide for strict restrictions. However, it is important to remember that she appreciated natural materials. Therefore, when choosing threads, it is better to neglect the synthetics included in the composition of the fibers and give preference to natural threads. Also, a fashionable lady appreciated the convenience of clothes. Therefore, it is wiser to choose a pleasant to the touch, non-pricking and hypoallergenic material.
Knitting needles can be used any. Although professional knitters to create a Chanel-style cardigan recommend using ring iron. They allow you to knit a wide fabric without losing the extreme loops and provide good gliding, speed and quality of knitting. Another important nuance regarding the tool is its turning. This is especially true for the tips of the needles. This procedure should be carried out regularly, otherwise they will scratch your fingers and tear the yarn.
Product Features
The studied item of clothing fits quite simply. But it is worth remembering that it is better to leave a knitting fabric monophonic, but not motley. The same restraint applies to the pattern used. If you want to make an original jacket in the Chanel style, for example, with a complex pattern, it is recommended to design the entire product in one tone, and highlight only the piping with a pattern. By the way, the famous Coco Chanel paid special attention to this detail. Therefore, it can be beaten with a picture or color. The length of the jacket can be different - it depends on the preferences of the knitter. However, traditional options reach the hips, less often - the waist.
Key principles of knitting
The jacket, invented by the eminent couturier, consists of five parts: two sleeves, two front shelves, a back. In most cases, each of them is knitted separately. However, there is a more lightweight version that allows you to knit the main part, combining the front shelves and the back in a single canvas.
Front and back fit in the direction from bottom to top. The product does not imply waist design. Therefore, knitting is performed with a smooth cloth from the bottom edge to the beginning of the armhole - axillary hollows. You will also have to tinker with tying the gate. Indeed, in the traditional version of a knitted cardigan in the Chanel style, a round collar is provided, without lapels and other details. If desired, the knitter can complement the product with imitation pockets. You can also connect the real ones - this nuance can be varied depending on your own wishes.
Necessary measurements
Only professional knitters can knit almost any product offhand. By virtue of experience, they have the talent to determine the number of loops per eye. Beginning masters need instructions. But before directly performing knitting, measurements are initially taken. What parameters should be found out by a craftswoman to knit a perfect jacket in the style of Coco Chanel? In fact, there are not many measurement points:
- Hips and chest.
- Length is the distance from the intended lower edge of the product to the armpit.
- Armhole depth - the distance from the armpit to the shoulder level.
- Shoulder width - from the base of the neck to the tip of the shoulder.
- Neck Width - The circumference of the neck through the spine.
- Sleeve length - from the tip of the shoulder to the intended end of the sleeve.
- The height of the armhole is from the end of the sleeve to the armpit.
- The circumference of the forearm is where the armhole is located.
How to calculate the number of loops for a set?
It is not difficult to make the necessary calculations, direct knitting is considered a much more painstaking work. In this case, you must follow certain rules of the instruction:
- First you need to link a fragment of the selected pattern. It is important to use prepared threads and knitting needles. Too large a sample should not be done. 10x10 cm is enough. It is not necessary to close the hinges.
- We count the number of loops in the finished fragment.
- Divide this number by ten. As a result, we manage to find out how many loops of this pattern are in one centimeter.
- Now we calculate the required number of loops for the sleeve (girth of the arm), back (girth of the hips or chest), left and right shelves (girth of the hips or chest).
- And then we just loop on the knitting needles and knit a jacket in the style of Chanel. A photo of an example of such a knitting is presented below.
How to calculate the number of rows?
The calculation of the series is necessary in order to correctly determine the point of beginning of the armhole and the length of the entire product. Defining it yourself is easy. It is only necessary to re-measure the previously connected fragment of the pattern. Only in this case is it necessary to find out the number of rows in the prepared sample. Then you need to divide this number by ten and multiply by the depth of the armhole or the length of the product. That is how many rows we need to tie up to the time when we have to simulate the armhole or close the loop.
How to calculate the number of loops for an armhole?
Another important task that needs to be done to knit a jacket in the Coco Chanel style is calculating the number of loops for an armhole. For beginner knitters, this procedure may seem somewhat complicated. Although in fact there is nothing to be scared.
First of all, you should determine the number of extra loops. That is, to figure out how many loops we need to close in order to cut a beautiful armhole. It is very simple to do this: you need to return to the prepared fragment of the pattern again, count the number of loops and divide the resulting number by ten. After multiplying it by the sum of the following parameters: neck width + two shoulder widths. Subtract the total number from the total number of loops - the one that we typed for knitting the back. So we find out how many loops we need to remove.
Instructions for the implementation of the main part
Before starting work, it is important to note that the edging in the product is knitted from the very beginning. Therefore, if you want to highlight this detail with color or pattern, you need to draw it on the lower edge of the shelves and backs, as well as on the elongated side of the shelves. In the first case, the edging fits on all the loops, in the second - on the left or right edge.
The technology of knitting a jacket in the style of Chanel with knitting needles is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. Indeed, in fact, we have already carried out the most difficult work - we calculated the dimensions of the product in rows and loops. Now just connect the necessary details. For the back, we collect the calculated number of loops and knit with an even cloth over as many rows as it takes to move to the armhole - the armpit. Then we calculate the excess number of loops, focusing on the diagram shown below.
Having designed the armhole, we knit the rest of the shelf with an even cloth to the intended start of the gate. After we finish the part, relying on the scheme. The number of rows is determined by counting: product length minus the depth of the armhole. In both cases, the number of rows is used as the unit of measure. By analogy, we knit the left and right shelf. However, it is important to consider that to complete them, you need to dial half the number of loops, and position the armhole mirror.
Earlier, we mentioned that, if desired, you can associate a simplified version of the jacket, in which it will be possible to complete the main part. To do this, find out the number of loops in one centimeter, and then multiply the resulting value by the width of the jacket. We collect loops on the circular knitting needles and knit to the beginning of the armhole, then divide them into three parts, allotted for the left, right shelves and back. So we knit an even cloth to the gate. We’ll not knock out! We make out the gate, guided by the scheme proposed earlier.
How to tie the sleeves?
A distinctive feature of the classic and knitted jacket in the Chanel style is the shape of the sleeves. After all, they remain the same width throughout the entire length. Therefore, we calculate the number of loops for grasping the forearm in the armpits, picking them at the very beginning of knitting. If the product provides an edging, it should also be drawn up at the very beginning, knitting the required number of rows with another pattern or color. After that, we knit the fabric in an even style until the armhole begins. We determine how many rows are required for this, by familiar counting: divide the number of rows in the sample by 10 and multiply the height of the armhole. Next, we reduce the loops in the same way as we did when knitting the armhole. Four rows before closing the loops, we perform the following calculation: divide the remaining number of loops by 4. As a result, we find out how many loops in each row we need to close to make a neat edge. By analogy, we knit a second sleeve.
When all parts of the product are ready, we sew them from the wrong side. Then you should wash the product, dry and lightly steam.
Thus, following the instructions in the description above, even a novice knitter can knit a Chanel-style jacket with knitting needles.