London.crafts wiki - Differences between Version 2 and Version 1 of Set-In Sleeve
| Version 2 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| == Line 0 == | == Line 1 == |
| Some useful info/musings from Chris Hitchcock on the [[Ample Knitters mailing list]]: |
The classic reference is Barbara Walker's "Knitting from the Top Down". I think it's currently in press as a reprint, and, at least where I am, the local libraries have it available for loan. |
| == Line 2 == | |
|
The classic reference is Barbara Walker's "Knitting from the Top Down". I think it's currently in press as a reprint, and, at least where I am, the local libraries have it available for loan. |
|
| == Line 25 == | == Line 24 == |
|
2. You can vary the rate at which you make the short rows, sometimes picking up more than one stitch. This would be equivalent to changing the increase/decrease rate, or even casting off some stitches. By contrast, if you skip some short rows, you can lengthen the shaping to every fourth row, etc. Commonly the rate of shaping on a sleeve is rapid at the top (often every row for a few rows), gradual for a long stretch (end of row or even every 4th row), then rapid again, so you get an S-curve shape. At the base of the sleeve cap shaping, the instructions usually say to cast off a long stretch of stitches initially. That would correspond to picking up the rest of the stitches on the last row. If I were to play with this, I would want to be careful about how the way I pick up the stitches as short rows around the armhole has an effect on the length of the sleeve down the arm (each time you pick up stitches, you are also making a new row, and so if you are picking up more stitches, you are also shortening the length of the sleeve head). |
2. You can vary the rate at which you make the short rows, sometimes picking up more than one stitch. This would be equivalent to changing the increase/decrease rate, or even casting off some stitches. By contrast, if you skip some short rows, you can lengthen the shaping to every fourth row, etc. Commonly the rate of shaping on a sleeve is rapid at the top (often every row for a few rows), gradual for a long stretch (end of row or even every 4th row), then rapid again, so you get an S-curve shape. At the base of the sleeve cap shaping, the instructions usually say to cast off a long stretch of stitches initially. That would correspond to picking up the rest of the stitches on the last row. |
| == Line 26 == | |
|
If I were to play with this, I would want to be careful about how the way I pick up the stitches as short rows around the armhole has an effect on the length of the sleeve down the arm (each time you pick up stitches, you are also making a new row, and so if you are picking up more stitches, you are also shortening the length of the sleeve head). |
|
| == Line 28 == | == Line 29 == |
|
---- <b>See Also:</b> [[Sleeve Types]] / [[Clothing Design Tips]] edit_type='Minor tidying' |
edit_type='Normal edit' |
The classic reference is Barbara Walker's "Knitting from the Top Down". I think it's currently in press as a reprint, and, at least where I am, the local libraries have it available for loan.
Here's what I remember about set-in sleeves:
Join the back to the front. Measure around the widest part of your arm (plus desired ease). Turn this measurement into stitches using your gauge. Pick up that number of stitches around the sleeve cap. She suggests using 1/3 of the stitches as your sleeve cap, which is probably about right. You could also figure it out using the desired length of the sleeve cap to the widest point.
For simplicity, I'm going to talk about "knitting" here - please understand that I mean knit, or purl, or work in whatever stitch pattern you are using.
Let's suppose we're using 1/3 of the stitches. Knit across to 2/3 of the stitches, wrap as you would with any short row, and turn. Knit back across 1/3 of the stitches and wrap, and turn.
Now, knit back and forth, adding one extra stitch on each row, and wrapping as you go. Pick up the wrapped stitches as you normally would when you come to them.
Continue to do this until you end up with all the stitches in work. Then continue the sleeve shaping as you normally would.
Thoughts about how to adjust this technique:
This is equivalent in shaping to a flat top, and decreases/increases at the end of rows to the full width of the sleeve, which is a fairly coarse way of shaping a sleeve cap. However, the one time I tried it, it did seem to work, although I was a little to clever for my knowledge base :) and made the sleeve cap too narrow, which made the sleeve itself too long and pointy, so the wide part of the sleeve is too far down my arm, and the shaping looks funny at the top.
There seem to be a few opportunities to adjust this method:
- You can vary the rate at which you pick up the stitches around the armscye (armhole), with more stitches in some parts and fewer in others. I'm not experienced enough to know why or how to tweak this, but I'm sure some here are.
- You can vary the rate at which you make the short rows, sometimes picking up more than one stitch. This would be equivalent to changing the increase/decrease rate, or even casting off some stitches. By contrast, if you skip some short rows, you can lengthen the shaping to every fourth row, etc. Commonly the rate of shaping on a sleeve is rapid at the top (often every row for a few rows), gradual for a long stretch (end of row or even every 4th row), then rapid again, so you get an S-curve shape. At the base of the sleeve cap shaping, the instructions usually say to cast off a long stretch of stitches initially. That would correspond to picking up the rest of the stitches on the last row.
If I were to play with this, I would want to be careful about how the way I pick up the stitches as short rows around the armhole has an effect on the length of the sleeve down the arm (each time you pick up stitches, you are also making a new row, and so if you are picking up more stitches, you are also shortening the length of the sleeve head).
- You can change how many stitches you start with at the top for the sleeve cap. Again, I think now that the size of the top of the sleeve cap has less effect on fit than the length of the sleeve from the top to the widest point, so I would be inclined to change it in the service of modifying the length of the sleeve, rather than the width at the top.
List all versions