Labels Not Allowed....

This particular blog posting has special meaning to me - you see for many years I was what society called a "Plus Sized Woman." I wore a size 18 and I had an incurable adrenal disease that kept me from having children and eventually lead to cancer four years ago. I've had the surgery and through medication and a better understanding of my disease I have lost close to 130 pounds in 5 years. Please do not clap, say hurrah or wish to pat me on the back. Congratulations are not required because there was nothing more I could have done to make myself smaller than I was until I found a physician that understood the disease that I had been born with. I was active, exercise 5 days a week, a good proper portion sized diet, but none of that made a difference except that it may have helped me from being larger than I was. Today, I am better, not cured, this disease is genetic and I am what they call the text book case. Literally, when they teach this disease, my case study is the one they use for how it affects females. I suppose that it makes me glad to know that my fight may lead to someone else having an easier time with this condition than I did. I still have to take four medications a day to maintain my health. It is of course worth every pill I take.

I have told you all this very personal information because I am tired of hearing the phrase, "Plus Sized." In the 21st century we still label and demean people because of their size. That is complete and total idiocy!!! Your size is your business and if you feel it necessary, the business of your physician. Your clothing should not make you feel bad about yourself. I mean when did a size 12-14 become Plus? Probably the same time designers made the size "00" or "XX-Small."  It is all nonsense. For goodness sake find a different way to make yourself feel good and stop labeling people through their clothing size.

Sadly enough I see the same labels being used in knitting patterns. I know it's the norm, but it's the norm that should be changed. I have had several lovely women tell me that they have never knitted themselves a sweater because they can't find a pattern to fit. It's somewhat true that knitting patterns are usually made for sizes not deemed "Plus." However, I have found a few books that I like for that arena. Although hideous labels are still used, the book I wish to review this week does more than talk about size, it discusses shape and fit and ways to flatter your best assets. Knitting Goes Large, by: Sharon Brant and several other designers is a book that shares 20 lovely patterns for those that wear sizes that extend beyond what you find in most pattern books. This book really dissects pattern making and fit, which allows the knitter a better understanding of why one person may wear a size 18 and another person of the same weight may wear a 22 - one person is probably taller and the other shorter so their figures measure differently. Weight doesn't really play into the equation. The patterns are clear and easy to follow and very of the moment for fashion. Some ideas are classic, some romantic, and some are just a little bit funky. A bit of something for everyone.

Whereas I think that the book title might be better if it were, "Knitting to Flatter Your Figure" the author does a nice job dispelling the idea of labels and gets more to the point of knitting lovely sweaters that fit well and are stylish. If you are looking for sweaters to knit for a friend or family member that fits this size range, this is a great book to have in your library.

So, stop labeling - let's expand our thinking and treat people with dignity and respect regardless of their size. We have so much more important things to ponder and fix in this world of ours, let's finally put a check in the box on clothing size discrimination.

Knit On, Read On,
The Knitty Scribe...