SUMMER OK'S A HINT OF CLEAVAGE, BUT NOT A LOT MORE THAN THAT

It’s not even summer yet, but the weather is steaming hot in most of the US. So, fans and air conditioners are humming and bare shoulders and shorts are seen most everywhere. For some women, hot weather also means the lowering of the necklines so that a lot of feminine anatomy is displayed. These women say that cleavage display is fashionable and sexy. But, for others, revealing so much chest borders on indecency. Grandma believes that what she calls “street clothes” should cover the crease between the breasts. On the other hand, the summer clothing to be bought at the stores doesn’t have much fabric at the top. Scarves and camisoles are traditional accessories that solve this problem. Here’s another solution for summer, a clever cleavage hider, that you can knit for yourself.

Before, you read on, I need to mention that Grandma is not some prude, and by no means favors such things as modesty panels or other coercive means of forcing women into restrictive dress codes. But for some of us, enough is enough. And, by that I mean summer heat aside, it’s not a good idea to show off too much of your body. Women say that they want to be accepted as full members of society but dressing as a sexual stereotype isn’t a good way to get respect. A deep cleavage may get you stares and call calls, but it isn't a good way to get people’s respect. Of course, those women who have chosen surgical breast augmentation apparently revel in being sexual stereotypes. Most of them will still want to show off (at least) a part of what money can buy.

Today, Hollywood starlets and actresses for TV glamour ads – cars, liquor, personal electronics, etc. – often do extreme bosom baring, and fashion experts urge women to play the part of “Ms. Cleavage Galore”. They’ve even created a National Cleavage Day. Although this “holiday” was touted as a way to symbolize women’s independence and power, it turns out that the inventors of this event were the makers of Wonderbra and Cosmopolitan . So, likely as not, it was just another commercial trick to applaud consumerism and sell products.

Make your own knitted cleavage hider. 

You can be fashionably dressed without falling into ill-advised clothing choices. A mere hint of cleavage is all we need for summer attire, and even that may not be such a good idea in the office, school or church. For those of you who understand the wisdom of common-sense dressing precautions, there are a few commercial cleavage hiders out there. But there’s a cost involved, and it's wise to make some of the things we want instead of purchasing them - especially, if it can be completed in one afternoon with a single ball of yarn. (And, many of us who have boxes of leftover yarn in the closet, anyway.)

So, here it is - Grandma’s cleavage hider. It’s made like a light-weight kerchief and could even be used as such. It takes only a few hours to complete, and you may want more than one in different colors. And keep this pattern in mind as a quick gift for a friend.

A pattern for a knitted cleavage hider

Materials

- 1 ball of a soft, sport-weight yarn - microfiber or cotton yarn

- Size 6 knitting needles

- Size 5 double pointed knitting needles for i-cord

- Yarn needle to weave in the ends

Abbreviations

Knit (K), YO (increase by yarn over), Kfb, (increase by knitting in the front and back of stitch), Kbf (increase by knitting in back and front of stitch). You can find good instructions for i-cord knitting on the Internet.

Instructions

One size fits all. Gauge is not so important.

Cast on 3 stitches.

Row 1: K all (wrong side)

Row 2: K1, YO, k1 YO, K1.

Row 3: K.

Row 4: K1, Kfb, knit to the last stitch, Kbf, K1.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until piece measures about 8" deep and 12” long, measuring from point to upper edge. You can stop before or continue with the same pattern if you want it shorter or longer, depending on your chest size.

The final rows can be just the same or a decorative variation. I did a row of purl, 2 rows of rib, and then, another row of purl before binding off.

I-cord straps
With the double pointed needles, pick up the final stitches from each of the 4 top rows. Then, in the first round, decrease one of the middle stitches to knit a 3-stitch i-cord. Pick up 4 stitches on the other extreme and knit this i-cord in the same way. Each cord should be at least 10” long.

To create a flatter, woven look, you can increase and decrease on each subsequent i-cord round (3/2/3/2, etc.)

Wear the cleavage hider under your shirt or dress with i-cords tied around the bra straps.

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