I have been knitting for many years now but I was sitting on the floor with Sam knitting up the sleeves for Erin’s Cardi thinking, “what is the correct way to decrease the raglan sleeves?”. It astounds me that I don’t really know but, when I think about it, I am not really all that familiar with garment construction finding it very difficult to put the visions in my mind to paper and yarn. Can you do classes in that sort of thing?
I have been able to knit for as long as I can remember but probably started “seriously” knitting about 13 years ago (to much teasing from friends, acquaintances and family). In that time I have knitted several jumpers of varying size and style but generally from Mum’s old knitting books. The styles and yarns available these days are so much more flattering and “trendy” not to mention often much easier to care for and knitting is such a popular recreational pursuit.
So, back to my question, how do you decrease for raglan sleeves? The pattern says “decrease one stitch at each end of very alternate row” so do you just knit 2 together or do you knit 2 then slip the first stitch over or do you slip one knit one pass slipped stitch over? I have just been knitting 2 together but is there a better way and, if yes, why is it better? I’ll push on with the way I have been doing it as I only have about 50 rows to go….
I am setting myself a goal over the next 12 months to design myself a garment – not a scarf, hehehe – that requires me to learn about garment construction….hmmm…any advice?
Sticks and Stones 
28 November , 2007 at 12:37 pm
I would do different decreases on the right and left side, so that each decrease slants towards the center of the garment. This link should help you out as it shows examples of different left and right slanted decreases.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/decreases
28 November , 2007 at 3:20 pm
I do it one or two stitches in from the edge and make my slants lean in.
I also love the look of the little cable decreases on raglan sleeves but I have only ever done them on the knitting machine as a sample. You see this on many rtw knits.
Bec I have a few knitwear design books in the library, you are always welcome to borrow. I am sure this won’t surprise you 🙂
I had the same teasing from friends and family about my sewing /knitting/cooking funnily many have since asked me to teach them. Oh yeah and they were always happy to recieve the end products.
28 November , 2007 at 7:44 pm
I’d also do different decreases, a k2tog on the right and a ssk on the left will get the decreases to lean into the centre. You can knit them a few stitches away from the edge if you want, to make the decreases a feature. Good luck
29 November , 2007 at 7:12 pm
If you want to get really technical, knitty.com has a whole heap of articles about designing sleeves, including one that has a gargantuan mathematical piece of shenanigans which explains how to design a bell curve at the top of a fitted sleeve! It took me about three weeks to do the maths on my first self-designed top – and then I wigged it anyway. Grin. And yes, it was a disaster. But I had fun trying. Now I do everything Zimmerman styleee on circulars cause its so much easier. Hope you’re well.