Can I knit a non-top-down sweater in the round?

[Knit1Drop1]

Say I have a pattern for a regular old sweater, the sort where you make the front... then the back... then the sleeves... then sew together and do a collar.

Is there any reason I can't start at the bottom and do it in the round on circular needles from the waist up? I know it would end up kind of weird when I have to split the front from the back but it should be do-able, right? Then could I do the sleeves in the round, either on dpns or circulars? So in the end I would just have to sew sleeves to the body and sew the shoulder seams and make a collar?

I know I could just do a top-down sweater but that doesn't answer my question.

[Ingrid]

Sure you can. You can knit up to the armholes, then do the front and back on straights. You could even do a 3 needle bind off on the shoulders and pick up for the sleeves and knit them down to the wrists. Not a seam in sight!

[Julie]

I've done it quite a few times! I hate seaming!

[Braden]

Or you could do a raglan sweater, or a drop shoulder sweater using steeks, which is what I do most of the time.

I've done what Ingrid mentioned many times, but I always thought that steeking produces the same result, you just knit up to the underarms, start the steek, knit, and then start the neck steek. Then you finish the shoulders with a 3 needle bind off, cut the steeks, pick up the stitches, and finish the sweater. Steeks are really a bridge to allow you to knit the entire sweater in the round. Great for colorwork (except intarsia).

Raglans are great, too. You knit the body up to the underarms, than knit 2 seperate sleeves, knit them onto the body with stitches on holders at all 4 underarm locations, and then decrease the sleeves onto the body, and knit a neckband.

That's the general idea I could help you calculate your pattern to be knit with steeks or like Ingrid said, if need be, but I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want a raglan sweater for that pattern, though.

[dakatzmeow]

if you want a pattern, the wonderful wallaby is knit in the round from the bottom up. you knit each sleeve separately, then work it in, in the neatest method, then graft 6 or so stitches under the arm. no seaming. just simple kitchener.

this pattern is originally for a hoodie, but i am thinking about making another one and making a sort of polo collar for it.

[Knit1Drop1]

Sure you can. You can knit up to the armholes, then do the front and back on straights. You could even do a 3 needle bind off on the shoulders and pick up for the sleeves and knit them down to the wrists. Not a seam in sight!

Whoa... you mean like pick up as many stitches around the armholes as you would end up on your needles with were you to do them from the wrist up... and then just knit to the wrists and end in ribbing??? That sounds awesome! And easy! I never would have thought of that. Doesn't it look upside down, though?

What is this wonderful wallaby pattern?

[Ingrid]

Traditional Fair Isle sweaters have sleeves that are knit from the top down and they don't look upside down.

I guess if you have a particular pattern to follow, either stitch or color, you'd have to reverse it, but the stitches certainly don't look upside down that anyone would notice.

[Knit1Drop1]

Yeah, you're right. Right after I posted that I went and looked at a hat I made and you can't tell one way from the other, right-side-up or upside-down. I don't know why I was thinking it looked different upside down.

I joined this forum less than 12 hours ago and already I am learning tricks that blow my mind. :D

[Braden]

And, if you do a steeked sweater, which most traditional Fair Isles/Norwegian sweaters are, than most of the stitches don't look upside down.

[dakatzmeow]

http://home.earthlink.net/~adbatiste/WW_FAQ.html

this should give you quite a bit of info. it's a hooded pullover sized from tiny kids to great big guys. very versatile. i've only knit one, so far, for my 5yo. she loooooooooooooooves it!