Gotta Love Long Weekends

This sweater is coming together quickly!

The most challenging part thus far has been coming up with the right number of stitches to cast on. The typical raglan stitch count proportion is that the front/back stitch count should be roughly 3 times the sleeve stitch count. But that didn't work for me. I want a square neckline, but I want it lower. So I cast on almost the same number of stitches for the sleeve as for a front or back. I mapped out how many stitches I'd need when I'm at the armhole and it looked like it would work.

So, I've been knitting away hoping that this wasn't going to create baggy sleeves, and so far so good. I've taken this off the needles 3 times already just to try in on. Fit as you knit -- gotta love it.

All this on and off the needles has taken a lot of time, so this last time around I threaded through 3 circular needles (instead of threading some waste yarn). This was much easier and even helped with the curling too. I don't have to unthread them, I just knit off of the different needles for 1 round and I'm back to normal. I've also been steaming it a bit so the neck wouldn't curl either.

I'm 4 repeats away from what I thought I'd want to knit and I still think that's going to be a good stopping point. These rows are getting really long! The rows have gone from 170 to 282 stitches each.

I also gave some thought to the raglan increases. I took out Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top and she showed 10 different increases. I finally went with Increase #4.

Knit to the seam stitch (meaning, the seam stitch is still on the left needle). Knit into the back of the seam stitch in the row below by slipping the right needle from top down into the purl bump. Then, knit into the back of the seam stitch. Slip marker. Then, with the left needle draw up the loop of the same stitch one row below (it's now actually 2 rows below since you knit the seam stitch) and knit into the back of it (so it's twisted).

It sounds more complicated than it is. It's making a nice tight raglan seam that has no holes and looks symmetrical. I love it!