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sheilajoyce_gw

tired of sewing in sleeves

sheilajoyce_gw
15 years ago

I am tired of sewing in sleeves on all the baby gift sweaters I make. I think I need to look up some raglan patterns to try. I imagine they might be more comfortable to wear too without the armhole seam.

Comments (5)

  • donna_loomis
    15 years ago

    Sheila Joyce, I'm with you. I don't like sewing in sleeves either. Lucky for us that so much of the new styles (both baby and adult) have little shaping (no sleeve cap shaping), so I often just pick up stitches along the sweater edge after sewing up the shoulder and side seams (if I don't knit it in the round) and knit the sleeve in the round.

  • damascusannie
    15 years ago

    I knit the bottom of the sweater in one unit, either in the round or back and forth if it's going to have buttons. When I reach the underarm, I divide into front and back units and knit them up separately, then join at the shoulders by knitting two stitches together during the cast-off. (I don't like grafting shoulders, either!) Then I just pick up the stitches around the arm and knit down to the cuff, shaping as needed on the way. I detest sewing seams, period, and I like boxy sweaters with a lot of room in the sleeves and shoulders so this works well for my own sweaters, too.

    Annie

  • profsusan
    15 years ago

    I think I posted this link before for you knitters but if you didn't see it or don't recall, here it is again - done in one piece so you only have side seams from sleeve to bottom

    I've made a crocheted version and both moms like the roominess of putting the arms in the sleeves

    Here is a link that might be useful: One stitch sweater

  • sandra_ferguson
    15 years ago

    Why on earth not knit 'in the round' with any of the many patterns available? I absolutely LOATH to sew parts together and have knitted in the round since reading the Zimmerman book 25 years ago. My current favorite book is THE SWEATER WORKSHOP, which also doesn't force one to conform their own knitting stitches to someone else's swatch. I absolutely love it, and it has lots of different patterns.
    When knitting baby or children's sweaters I generally use a Leisture Arts pattern 159 Knitted seamless Raglan 9 mo to size 50...as I'm not generally trying to 'fit' a baby or child like I would myself, this is as easy as you can get! Knit from the top down, increasing on either sideX2 to create the raglan between the increases...when you get to the underarm, remove the stitches of the sleeves you created with the double increases per sleeve, then start knitting the remaining ones round, to the bottom of the sweater...then, go back and put those sleeve stitches on sock needles, then, decreasing regularly you taper the sleeve, put on a cuff or whatever and, that's it...couldn't be easier....if you haven't done one of these, do yourself a favor and try one. When the knitting is done the entire sweater is done, except for a few little finish-ups.

  • mommytomany
    15 years ago

    May I recommend the Buttery Soft Baby Set at lionbrand.com. I just finished one and it was so easy and so adorable. The only stitching you have to do is under the arm and down the sides.

    Here is a link that might be useful: LionBrand Buttery Soft Baby Set

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