Woo hoo! A new ample knitting book in the works

Thanks to my first and most devoted reader teresa_anawim, I've been chatting with top-down knitwear designer extraordinare Deb Gemmel about plus-size knitting in general - and her upcoming plus-size knitting book in particular!

Deb is perhaps better known as one of the sisters behind Cabin Fever, a company dedicated to creating top-down sweaters that reduce the need for hand seaming. Deb and her sister, Lynne have published a variety of knitting books, including the famous Button Up Your Top Down.

Cabin Fever already sells a variety of plus-size patterns, but Deb announced on her blog today that she is working on a book of top-down, V-neck, plus-size designs:

...I am going to start working on a plus-sized book next. I'm very excited about this project. A book will give me a chance to incorporate all the techniques I've worked on and read about, to make the 'fit' correct. Upsizing this pattern will get me started. I went out today and bought Knitting Plus and is it packed with info! Wonderful stuff. I have also had an email chat with Julie from Knitting At Large blog who is an amazing resource on sizing for ample women. She gave me some excellent advice which I will follow to the T. At the moment writing the pattern involves my calculator, pencil and a BIG eraser. I even had to go and buy a new calculator, I'm a happy camper.

Deb is noodling over how to make sweater that REALLY fit us (rather than big green trash bags with holes for your neck and arms - I know you know all about those).

She's designing raglan patterns that do more than just kinda-sorta fit. It's one thing to make a raglan from a generic formula; it's quite another to make one that  hangs correctly from our shoulders and looks fabulous, too. I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

Although Deb contemplated this book for a while, we learned of her plans when teresa_anawim asked Deb about upsizing the cute A-Line Cardigan #624. Deb originally created this for tweens and then upsized it for adults. She's now working on providing the sweater in extended sizes. It's a great sweater that will flatter most figures - including mine! I'm looking forward to making it one of these days.

I'm going to make my very first raglan ever during the Banstead kal. I'm entering a whole new galaxy and I can't wait to learn all the ins and outs of top-down raglans.

God bless Deb and all the other designers who support ample knitters. Save your pennies, girls. We all need to buy this book as soon as it's published!