Measurements for Designers: Women

I realized this morning that my favorite part of crocheting is the designing aspect. It’s so much fun to conceptualize an idea and then see it come to fruition. And what better way to get exactly the thing you want than to design it yourself?

I’m not gonna lie, designing is a lot of work, but the really hard part is making the design available to all sizes. The Craft Yarn Council has been incredibly helpful in this respect, as they have many of the standard measurements needed to create women’s garments in sizes XS to 5X. This is a great resource for those looking to design simple things don’t require shaping, but I tend to dabble in more fitted designs, and as I’m trying to scale a pattern up or down, I find myself wondering things like, “How many inches is it from the rib cage to the top of the chest in a size 3X?” I have spent days researching questions such as these.

I wanted to compile all of my findings in one handy place that fellow crochet designers could reference. I will add to it as needed.

Keep in mind these measurements are only intended to serve as a guideline for designers wishing to offer standard sizes. In reality, one should not expect any woman to perfectly fall within all the measurements of any given size. If you are making a garment for a specific special lady, I recommend taking her actual measurements for best results.

Women’s Measurements (in Inches)