Comparison of the raglan against the favorite sweater. 8" of 10" raglan length completed.I've draped the new sweater about the favorite sweater... which is a little misleading, as the favorite sweater has set-in sleeves and the line of the shoulder is probably different.
This image I've modified so you can see the raglan line. Red is the current line. Purple is a projected line if I continue to the length suggested by the pattern, using the pattern of increases ever other row. Orange is the raglan "line" of the favorite sweater, if I started from the same point as the new sweater and drew a line to the underarm. I've got a few things here:
- I think I was wrong about the width. If continued in the present form, it'll be about the right width. (I still can't get over this, because on K himself, it looked far too wide, even at this point.)
- The arms, however, will be a lot thinner than the favorite sweater
- Maybe I'm just not looking at this 3-dimensionally. Maybe it will curve around and work perfectly. And maybe I'll win the lottery today. ha
- If I did rip it out, how would I fix it?
- Make the raglan increases only 1 every 3 rows?
Then I wouldn't get right body width, would I? I think this option must come with a modification to increase the length I do the raglan line - this would fill in extra width. I can't visualize if this would fix the problem at all. - Increase the number of sleeve stitches at the cast-on, so that the sleeves were wider?
This might be the way to go - it's the sleeves that look wrong here. - Keep the every-other-row raglan increase, but only do the increase on the sleeves some rows? E.g. row 1: increase both sides of the marker: row2: straight, row 3: increase only on the sleeve side of the marker, row 4: straight.
This would also make the sleeves wider, but it might make the raglan line look funny. And it might bias the whole sweater.
- Make the raglan increases only 1 every 3 rows?
The pattern I'm using for this sweater is the The Incredible, Custom-fit Raglan Sweater by Pamela Costello. I think I need to go back to Maggie Righetti's books and see what she says about placement of the raglan seams.
7 comments:
Oh my gosh...I don't even know my own name after reading that. I guess that's what keeps me from the ranks of the Knitting Queens. We hates the math, precious. I say trust it. Seriously. Raglans just work that way.
Having never finished a sweater, I have no help to give, but I can't wait to see what happens, as I've had that "pattern" bookmarked for ages for ME!
oh my oh my you are too much
Have you tried this on K in it's current state? That would be my first step - string it on a life-line and put it on.
As an expert top-down raglan knitter (ha! I knit 3, the most recent 20 years ago; they all fit, I have no idea why, I just followed the patterns; they were all completely different designs for totally differently-sized people), all I can say is -- wow, that looks hard!
Anyway.
I'd say keep going, following the pattern, at least until you are past the point where you divide for front, back, and sleeves. It seems to me you'll get a much better idea of the fit at that point.
Please keep working on and posting about this sweater. I want to knit some top-down raglans and now that I know more about knitting and fitting and such, I'm scared I'll screw it up. Back in the day when I didn't know any better, I just knit and didn't worry and somehow it worked; too much knowledge is a dangerous thing ;-)
I'm working on a different sweater that is just as... maddening. I say, fight the good fight. Take the raglan increases down to the armpits and try it on and see. Best of luck! (I have to take up and put down this sweater regularly, so I don't go crazy.)
The best, if painful, way is to rip and reknit.
To find the raglan line: on the photograph, find the bottom of the armhole of the old sweater, and draw the raglan line back up, parallel to the one that now exists in your knitting, until it reaches the neckline of the sweater(s). That will tell you where to start the new raglan line.
Or you could decide it's a modified raglan (or a new variation on a saddle shoulder) and start knitting the front and back straight down separately, putting the sleeve tops on holders until you are ready to pick up the stitches and knit the sleeves downward. (A bit awkward but it might work.)
Post a Comment