Study No. 1: The Beginning

Study No. 1 was my first attempt at designing and knitting a raglan tee from scratch.

Going into this project, I think my expectations were much different than where I ended up. I imagined creating a wearable garment and maybe even finding a formula I could continue using. Instead, I discovered something much more valuable.

I discovered that this project was never really about making the perfect tee.

It was about learning.

I chose a black cotton blend yarn and began exploring construction choices that were completely new to me. Neckline shaping, raglan increases, short rows, positive ease, hems, underarms, fit adjustments…there were so many moving pieces that I quickly realized garment design is like solving a puzzle.

A beautiful puzzle.

At first, I approached it the only way I knew how: trying to get everything right.

But somewhere along the process, something shifted.

As the tee grew, I began noticing things I couldn't have understood on paper alone. Fabric behaves differently once it's on a body. Measurements don't always translate the way we imagine they will. A garment can technically fit and still not feel quite right.

Once the tee was finished, I noticed several things.

The fabric rode up under my bust. The hem wanted to settle at the widest part of my body. There was pulling across the front that told me I needed more ease than I originally thought. I also realized that my body deserved to be considered from the very beginning of the design process rather than treated as an afterthought.

These weren't mistakes.

They were information.

I learned that I enjoy generous positive ease. I learned that I prefer a longer back hem and side splits. I learned that I like a neckline around 26 inches. I learned that visible details, like short row placement, matter to me. I learned that curves require intentionality.

But perhaps the biggest realization had nothing to do with knitting at all.

I discovered that creating doesn't have to end in perfection to be successful.

As someone who tends to lean toward perfectionism, that's been an important lesson to sit with.

For a little while, I felt disappointed. I wanted that magical moment where you put on your handmade garment and immediately think, "I love this."

Instead, I was left with something more nuanced.

I was left with a study.

And that's exactly why I've started naming these projects.

Study No. 1 gave me permission to explore instead of perform. To gather information instead of chase perfection. To document instead of judge.

The tee itself may never become a staple piece in my wardrobe, but the knowledge I've gained from it will undoubtedly live inside every future design.

In many ways, Study No. 1 wasn't an ending at all.

It was the beginning of learning how I want to create.

And maybe even more importantly, learning how I want to create for the body I have now.

Moving forward, I'm less interested in making flawless garments and more interested in becoming a thoughtful observer. Someone who studies fit, shape, color, texture, emotion and feeling.

Someone who allows curiosity to lead.

Study No. 1 taught me that every project doesn't have to be a masterpiece.

Sometimes it just has to be a beginning.