Have you ever finished a beautiful cropped sweater, only to find the waist sits awkwardly high or feels a bit too long? We often focus on bust and hip measurements, but there is one ‘secret’ dimension that dictates how a garment actually relates to your unique proportions. It’s the nape to waist measurement. Whether you consider yourself long-waisted, short-waisted, or somewhere in between, understanding this measurement gives you the agency to customize any pattern fitted at the waist — like the Bonnie or Adora sweaters — to fit your body exactly as it is.
Proportions vs. Height: Why Placement Matters
The length of your waist has nothing to do with your overall height, but everything to do with the proportions of your body and how they relate to each other. It’s a focal point of the human body because it’s at the juncture between your top and bottom half.
There’s a lot to be said for composition — how you style yourself when choosing outfits. It doesn’t matter if your waist is relatively small compared to your full bust or hip circumference. There may be times when you want the option of a slightly more fitted silhouette rather than something that skims over you.
Embracing Your Shape with Bonnie and Adora
All ‘types’ of waist benefit from thoughtful placement and shaping. This is why I always include waist darts in my cropped patterns like Aneeta, Bonnie and Adora. It’s just as much to do with how you’re shaped either side of your waistline as it is about the measurement itself.
I have yet to find a human being who is perfectly flat above or below their waist circumference — there’s always a rounded belly or a curved ribcage! Our clothes should move with our curves, not fight with them. Waistlines are more shapely than people realize, regardless of your overall size. And whether you are long-waisted or short-waisted, accuracy is key:
- Long-waisted: You can accommodate a wide belt without losing figure definition.
- Short-waisted: You will be nipped in more sharply, and your shape can get lost if the waistband or waist seam isn’t placed accurately.
Step-by-Step: How to Measure Your Nape to Waist
The most important measurement you need for accurate waist placement is your nape to waist. Here is how to find and take it yourself:
- Find your natural waist: Stand up straight, then bend to one side so that one side of your torso is stretched and the other is creased with rolls of flesh. The deepest part of this crease is your waistline.
- Mark the spot: Tie a narrow ribbon, tape, or even a length of scrap yarn snugly around this point. It should stay in place without digging into your skin or flesh. Return to standing straight.
- Locate your nape: Drop your head so that your chin touches your upper chest or breastbone. Keep it there and reach up to touch the back of your neck. The vertebra that pops up corresponds to the nape of your neck.
- Position the tape: Mark this vertebra with a sticker or keep your finger there as you lift your head back to its normal position.
- Measure the distance: Grab a tape measure and drop it from this vertebra, straight down the centre of your back, in line with your spine, until it hits the ribbon, yarn, or tape you tied earlier. This intersection point is your nape to waist measurement.
Putting it into Practice: The Adora Example
You can now use this dimension to determine whether you need to lengthen or shorten your chosen cropped jumper. Let’s look at the schematic diagram for the Adora Sweater (Size 6) as an example of how to extrapolate the information you need.
The cropped variation is on the right, and the shoulder to hem measurement is the longest arrow on the furthest right of the diagram below. For my patterns and sizing chart, the shoulder joint is always on the same plane (straight horizontal line) as the nape:
- Total length (Shoulder to Hem): 50cm
- Welt (Ribbing) depth: 6.5cm
- Design Note: The photography shows the lace heart pattern begins exactly at the waistline.
The Calculation: 50cm (Total Length) – 6.5cm (Welt) = 43.5cm (Pattern Nape to Waist)
How to Adjust Your Knit for Your Nape to Waist Measurement
The next thing to do is compare that 43.5cm to your own body measurement:
- If they match: You’re good to go! Follow the pattern as written.
- If yours is shorter: Work fewer rows between the waist and armhole, redistributing the side seam increases so they are closer together.
- If yours is longer: Work more rows between the waist and armhole, spacing the side seam increases further apart.
- If the difference is minor: Let’s say 1–3 cm, you have my blessing to simply work more rows straight after the waist shaping is complete without fiddling with the rest of the pattern! 😊
Making the Most of Your Measurements Knowledge
Understanding your measurements is so much more than just fit; when clothes fit, they feel comfortable! And it goes deeper than emotional wellbeing — it’s having the agency and empowerment to make clothes that make you feel amazing. Don’t hide yourself away; be adventurous with your styling!
If you’re ready to practice these techniques, you can find the Bonnie and Adora patterns in my shop. And you can always ask me for help with my patterns if you need it; I’m just an email away.
So that’s how to take the nape to waist measurement! Just make sure that you have a decent schematic diagram and clear product photography to help you get it right. And if you also sew your own clothes and are trying to fit yourself, you’ll love this for nailing the waistband or waist seam.
Finding your nape-to-waist is just the beginning of the map. I’ve identified four other ‘Pillars’ that work together to create the perfect drape.
If you found this post helpful, please pin or share it so that other clothes makers can benefit too! And a big thank you to Brenda, Connie, Katie, and Vickie for the hot chocolates that kept me fuelled whilst writing this! ☕