Vert&Rose: Size inclusive and feminine knitting patterns for every body
This gorgeous green cardigan is Vert&Rose’s Marysia Cardigan.
If you want frilly and over-the-top feminine knitting patterns, look no further than to Vert&Rose. Aleksandra Sołowianiuk, who is behind this growing brand, always thinks about where and how she can add extras and details to a garment: “A basic raglan is not what I ever set out to knit.”
While she learned how to knit as a child from her mum, she picked the needles up again during her university days and never put them down – quite literally. After finishing her chemistry degree during the COVID-19 pandemic, she struggled to find a job and designing knitwear turned into her career. “At least, my excel skills come in handy in my job now. Otherwise, there isn’t much overlap to be fair.” she laughs.
Improvising pattern designer
Nowadays, Vert&Rose is pretty much a full-time designer: “I kind of just fell into pattern making!” The way her mum taught her how to knit was to improvise, and so she didn’t really know about knitting patterns – other than from vintage knitting books from the 1970s and 80s she found in charity shops.
However, her talent for knitting and her enjoyment of the trial and error process helped her design and knit two waist coats – one for her partner and one for her dad. “I always want to be very good at something. In that sense knitting feels safe because you always have the safety net of being able to rip back.”
Nowadays, Aleks designs what she likes to wear: “Sometimes I think about ‘what is going to sell?’ and that is fine, but do I actually want to spend hours and hours making it? Will I enjoy it enough?” And usually her answer is no. I agree: It is so important to listen to your own heart and what sparks joy for yourself, especially when working in a creative job.
“I always want to be very good at something. In that sense knitting feels safe because you always have the safety net of being able to rip back.”
No one should feel excluded by pattern sizes
Aleks is wearing her Wioletta Cardigan.
When Aleks started to knit again in 2016, she noticed the limited options available for her: “There was nothing out there for me. Even the biggest size was too small for me.” Thus, when she did buy a pattern, she would have to invest time and skills to rewrite it, so that it would fit her.
Her own experience of feeling left out propelled her to not only learn adjustments techniques, but also made her passionate about increasing the diversity in the knitting community. And creating really cute patterns in the meantime.
While the sizing of knitting patterns has improved nowadays, there is still a lack of representation, especially from the bigger companies, to showcase their products on a more diverse range of bodies. Aleks says: “People often write to me to say how glad they are to see pieces on bodies like mine.”
Vert&Rose patterns usually go up to a 5XL. According to Aleks, designers should have the skill to grade up their patterns: “A drop shoulder is easy enough since the increases are all the same really. But a raglan can be trickier as it requires more shaping and you don’t want to end up with a super long yoke.”
Bigger bodies differ a lot on where the weight is carried. For example, someone could have a larger bust and small shoulders. Or wider hips but a small chest. Some of Vert&Rose patterns include notes for certain adjustments, but Aleks can’t cater to all possibilities in all of her patterns. Nonetheless, she is always happy to advise people on fit adjustments they could make when they reach out to her: “I want knitting to be enjoyable for everyone! And I want people to have choices!”
Testing all sizes
“The last thing I want is to add to people’s stressful lives. They should enjoy both the process of making my pattern and the finished object.”
A crucial part of designing high-quality knitting patterns is testing them in all sizes before publication. For Aleks, it seems though that there is even more to it. They are a place where she implements the diversity and equality she is seeking.
She wants her test knits to have a fair, collaborative and fun atmosphere. And so they are more like a knit-a-long than a demanding test knit to a specific deadline. “The last thing I want is to add to people’s stressful lives. They should enjoy both the process of making my pattern and the finished object.”
Her personality shines through everything
Aleksandra Sołowianiuk aka Vert&Rose truly is one of a kind. Her personality and love of feminine details shines through not only her patterns but also the interior design of her new house. She stays true to her strengths and found knitting as the perfect outlet. By turning her own experience of feeling excluded into providing size inclusive patterns, she is removing the hurdles knitters with bigger sizes face – stitch by stitch.
Every month Vert&Rose runs a discount on one of her patterns — chosen by her community. In April 2025, it is her Marysia Pattern.
