Help understanding pattern instructions!

deb4566 · 11-06-2009, 11:12 PM

I'm knitting my first sweater from Bernat book "Urban Weekend" that I purchased at a local Michael's store. The back and front sides are knit flat as one piece and sleeves are knit in the round. From what I can figure out, the yoke joins it all together to make the sweater look like a sweater... only I'm now stuck on that part. The pattern reads:

"Sew raglan sleams."
With RS of work facing and circular needle, pick p and knit 38 sts up right front edge. K43 from right sleeve st holder. K78 from Back st holder, dec 0 st(s) evenly across. K43 from left sleeve st holder. Pick up and knit 38 sts dwon left front neck edge. 242 sts.

For the life of me I have no idea what that means! I'm close to finishing this sweater and wish I had someone to show me!! Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated!!

deb4566 · 11-07-2009, 04:21 AM

http://www.bernat.com/patternbook.php?PBS=530178

zkimom · 11-07-2009, 04:57 AM

"Sew raglan sleams."
This is where you sew the side seams of your sweater together.

With RS of work facing and circular needle, pick p and knit 38 sts up right front edge.

Hold your sweater with the front facing you and using your circular needle and starting on the bottom towards the neck, pick up and knit 38 stitches from the right edge of the sweater -- try watching the video on picking up stitches in the Knitting Tips section of this site.

K43 from right sleeve st holder. K78 from Back st holder, dec 0 st(s) evenly across. K43 from left sleeve st holder.

Knit all the stitches from the right sleeve so they are on your circular needle, then knit the stitches from the back holder and next knit the left sleeve stitches onto your circular needle.

Pick up and knit 38 sts dwon left front neck edge. 242 sts.

Same as for the front, but you will be working from the neck down this time.

You will have all the stitches on your circular needle now and you can start to knit on your yoke.

deb4566 · 11-07-2009, 05:40 AM

I follow most of your suggestions...though there are no side seams to sew actually. the sides and back are all one flat piece.
Should I evenly space out the first sts I pick up to begin at edge and then end at the back stitches I'm picking up after the sleeves? There seems to be so much space from the front edge to the back sts on the holder. I somehow feel like I need to pick up sts from the underarm of the body and the sleeves at the same time-though it doesn't say that.... did you see the picture link I posted?

My post doesn't sound appreciative...but I really am! Thank you and I'm going to try your suggesstions....

zkimom · 11-07-2009, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by deb4566

I follow most of your suggestions...though there are no side seams to sew actually. the sides and back are all one flat piece.
Should I evenly space out the first sts I pick up to begin at edge and then end at the back stitches I'm picking up after the sleeves? There seems to be so much space from the front edge to the back sts on the holder. I somehow feel like I need to pick up sts from the underarm of the body and the sleeves at the same time-though it doesn't say that.... did you see the picture link I posted?

My post doesn't sound appreciative...but I really am! Thank you and I'm going to try your suggesstions....

I'm thinking that you are not picking stitches from the bottom edge and up the fronts but from the front towards the sleeve. Then you add the sleeve stitches, the back, the other sleeve and go across the front. I'm assuming this is where you add the yoke.

It's hard without the instructions in front of me. Does your pattern have any diagrams?

suzeeq · 11-07-2009, 03:15 PM

The raglan seams are not the sides, but the sleeve edges. These will be angled up from the underarm to the neckline on the sleeves, and the back and front sections. Sew these together first because what you're doing is picking up sts for the neck and front bands.

Here's a diagram of the sleeve and left front for another raglan sweater, maybe that will help you see the top raglan shaping better.

zkimom · 11-07-2009, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by suzeeq

The raglan seams are not the sides, but the sleeve edges. These will be angled up from the underarm to the neckline on the sleeves, and the back and front sections. Sew these together first because what you're doing is picking up sts for the neck and front bands.

Here's a diagram of the sleeve and left front for another raglan sweater, maybe that will help you see the top raglan shaping better.

I think her sleeves were done in the round. If you look at the picture it looks like the raglan part gets incorporated into the yoke.

I'd love to see the pattern cause it's got me all confused!

deb4566 · 11-07-2009, 10:37 PM

Ok, second try...
having computer trouble...
here is a scanned copy of the diagram in the pattern. body and sides are knit flat and sleeves in the round..yoke added.

deb4566 · 11-07-2009, 11:42 PM

here is what I've typed so far....

suzeeq · 11-08-2009, 12:28 AM

The raglan seams are still the slanted edges above the underam, makes no difference if the sleeves were knit in the round or not. What I'd actually do with this pattern is join the sleeves to the body at the underarm, knit the raglan shaping decreases, then the yoke section and forget about making all the different parts and sewing together. What a lot of work!

But... you're following the pattern, so ---

Sew those slanted edges together so your sleeves and body are joined. Pick up sts along the R front neck edge, knit the sts on the R sleeve, knit the back st, then the L sleeve sts and pick up stitches along the L front neck edge. You should have 242 st altogether. Then knit the yoke pattern, which will dec sts as you knit. It seems like the L and R front neck edges should be live, I didn't see where you bound them off, but I could have missed it.