Knits to Fit
Sat, 08 Mar
|Hotel Realm
Like all knitwear designers Jane wants knitters to achieve knits that fit.
Time & Location
08 Mar 2025, 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm AEDT
Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia
About the event
Like all knitwear designers Jane wants knitters to achieve knits that fit.
Jane has created this class to share many of the techniques she has developed to achieve fit. From simple options to narrow the shoulders or add a touch of Aline into the hip as well as adjusting sleeve lengths without major math.
The class starts with a measure-up and to think like a dressmaker. Understanding how chest ease creates style, from loose and boxy to negative ease.
Jane then dives into how to pick the right yarn for the design, especially as different fibres have different qualities.
Jane will then share great tips on using garments from your wardrobe to check the fit and ease of your knit before casting on and whilst on the needles.
Plus, she'll share amazing tips and tricks to transform a less than successful knit to become a wardrobe hero.
Jane will have designs including a range of jackets from A-Line to Swagger styles to demonstrate Knits that Fit.
Please note: This class does not include knitting. It is about understanding measurements and fit of knitted items.
What you will learn
Essential techniques to modify patterns for a better fit
How to adjust shoulder width, sleeve length and hip shaping
The impact of yarn choice on garment structure and drape
Methods for assessing fit using existing wardrobe pieces
Tips and tricks to improve the fit of previously knitted garments
Materials and tools
Tape measure, notebook, and pen/pencil
Pre-requisite skills
A love of knitting—suitable for all skill levels
What's included
2.5 hours of expert instruction from internationally renowned workshop facilitator Jane Slicer-Smith of Signatur Handknits in a class of a maximum of ten participants
Afternoon tea including a light snack and tea and coffee
VIP 2-day pass to the Australian Yarn Show from March 8th to 9th at Hotel Realm including:
Australian Yarn Show 2025 Show bag
One coffee voucher per day (Saturday and Sunday) for barista coffee cart
One digital access pass to all the talks on the main stage
Please note that the digital access pass will not be activated until a couple of weeks after the conclusion of the Show.
About the facilitator
Whilst still a student studying Fashion & Textiles in the UK, Jane’s early love of hand-knitting saw her working in London with Debbie Bliss and Patricia Roberts. In the early eighties, while living in Sydney and designing handknit patterns for a Japanese yarn company, Jane started Signatur Handknits at Paddington Markets, Sydney.
Signatur Handknits finished garments soon evolved into Signatur Knitting Kits since markets and shows allowed knitters to try a design before even casting on. This interaction with knitters allowed Jane to tweak patterns and personalise the design so each knitter achieved a perfect fit.
Personalising designs for kits and finished garments completely changed her approach to designing and writing patterns and taught her that the key elements of fit and ease are what create your style.
For 15 years, Jane enjoyed winters in each hemisphere between Australia, the US and England, teaching at retreats, on cruises, with guilds and at hand-knitting events. She had a fabulous time designing for yarn companies and knitting magazines, amongst them Vogue Knitting International and Knitters. It was the publishers of Knitters, XRX, who produced her first book of designs: Swing, Swagger, Drape – Knit the Colors of Australia.
Over the last three years, she has been teaching mainly American knitters on ZOOM with XRX/Stitches at Home. Her technique classes include Intarsia, Mitres, Textures and button-making.