Just thinking - trying to avoid raglan seaming

[Lucy78green]

I am making yet another baby cardigan, I usually end up making a bottom up raglan, but I am fed up of seaming. Seems a waste of wool too.

I am thinking about knitting the back and two front panels as one flat piece. I am just not sure about how to handle the sleeves. I was thinking about knitting up to where I would normally cast off for the sleeves, but instead of casting off 5, just keeping those stictches on a stitch keeper, then doing the same with the last stitch of every row on the way up when decreasing. Then I was thinking that when I knit the sleeves I could graft the sleeves on... Would this work this way or is there a better way. Not sure how others have handled this!

[Ellieblue]

why don't you just start at the neck nd knit down. It is really easy and there are absolutely no seams. Check out some of the free pattern sites for instructions. I just finished a huge sweater for my son and he says it fits prfectly. Ellie

[Lucy78green]

Problem is I am using a pattern I made already and it's v-neck, not sure how to do v-necks top down - although it's probably easier than I think!

[Ellieblue]

it is you just do increases at the neck edge as you go down and also do inc for the sleeves. if you normally dec x# sts every other row on a bottom up sweater you do increases instead from the cast on neck edge. When you come to the underarm slip the sleeves to a holder and then proceed to knit the RF B and LF as one piece then knit the sleeves in the round

[Ellieblue]

I have a booklet I bought at a local store It is Patons Upside-downers (easy cardigans to knit from top to bottom) and it was only $4.00 and has sizes from 2 throughadult xl

[Ellieblue]

there is also a pattern at woolworks.org/raglan called the incredible custom-fit raglan sweater which is really great. Hope I haven't overwelmed you with advice . Have a great night Ellie