Random thing the... uh... ... fourth

I hate bra sizing.

Hate it with A. PASSION.

There are many reasons, including the fact that apparently that most women are erroneously wearing a band size that is too large, and a cup size that is too small. Yet when I input my measurements into bra size calculators I consistently get the answer 36A which seems, for me, to be slightly too large a band size, and, since my 34C bra cups were too small & I was expecting to be something like a 34D/36C-D, slightly too small a cup.

But try as I might, I kept getting 36A or B on all size charts. The only time I'd get anything that sounded slightly more realistic was from websites that talked about how bra sizing sucks (this site was particularly informative and this ebay guide is similar), and that most people are wearing a band size that is too loose, and a cup size that is too small. Going on this, I felt it even more unlikely that I was a 36A.

I got fitted for a bra the other day, and after 45 minutes of tryings on (4 different bra styles), the overwhelming conclusion was that I was a 32DD-E.

Riiiight.

The 32DD-E isn't without its problems though. The bras are obviously a lot tighter than I'm used to; having had 2 years of little support, my boobs are really tender at the moment from all this trussing up. I suppose if things don't start feeling more comfortable soon I'll have to go elsewhere. I did try on some bras today in another shop; I only took 32DD-Es in, but think I must be a at least 34 something-or-other in their styles and really couldn't be bothered faffing with any more.

Interestingly, given that I've read a lot these past few days about women wearing too big a band and too small a cup, I've just come across one article that suggests that women who want breast reduction surgery are wearing too small bands and too big cups, and getting a new bra solves their problems rather than surgery. But it doesn't say what measuring guide they used... So who knows!

Why there can't just be one consistent method of measuring which actually correlates to the sizes of bras being made in a standard way across styles and brands I don't know.

It's all gone pear-shaped

For future reference my body measurements (measured by moi over clothes) are:

Fullest part of bust: 33"
Waist: 28.5"
Hips: 37"

I've always been an apple shape - guess I'm now an appley pear or a peary apple!

Anyway, it looks like I certainly need to make the smallest size availble for Tempting - size small is a 32" bust. I've done a 3" long gague swatch (which I haven't cast off). I'm getting 19 stitches to 4" mainly, sometimes 18. I think I got tighter as I knitted on.

But the good thing about going out with a mathematician is that he can calculate your gauge for you. So apparently I can either cast on 152 stitches instead of the required 144, and then I'll be making exactly the right size. Or if I stick to the pattern it'll probably be 1.5" smaller. My row gauge is also 1 row off I think, but row gauge isn't an issue in this pattern. I think I'm going to go with the pattern as written, rather than try and adjust it. From what I can make out it is a 144 stitch long tube from the waist to the bust. So if I knit 5 inches I can try it around my bust and check it doesn't stretch too much - if it does then I can unravel it and try 152 stitches.

And yes. I know I should really be finishing Sonnet :P