Secrets of top-down raglan knitting.

To knit a sweater with "raglan" sleeves, you need to create a scheme. The stitches are calculated based on the neck circumference (NC) and the knitting density, which we will determine from a sample.
Method 1. For women with a large bust. If NC = 36 cm, the ease allowance is + 4 cm, and the knitting density is 2.5 stitches per cm, then you need to cast on (36 + 4) x 2.5 = 100 stitches. We will distribute these stitches across all parts of the sweater. If each raglan line consists of 1 stitch, then for 4 lines we will need 4, so 100 - 4 = 96 stitches. We will divide the remaining stitches into 4 parts (front, back, and two sleeves) 96:4 = 24 stitches. It has been experimentally established that 1 part should be allocated to the back, 2 to the front, and 1 to the 2 sleeves. However, to prevent the front from being too wide, we will reduce it by 4 cm, i.e., by 2.5 x 4 = 10 stitches, resulting in (24 x 2) - 10 = 38 stitches. From the subtracted 10 stitches, we will add 4 stitches to the sleeves: (24 + 4):2 = 14 stitches, and 6 stitches to the back: 24 + 6 = 30 stitches. We get 38 + 14 + 14 + 30 = 96 stitches + 4 stitches (4 raglan lines) = 100 stitches. We cast on 100 stitches and knit the first row in a 2x2 rib, join the knitting in the round, and continue knitting the collar-stand with a height of 3 cm. After that, knit 1 row of knit stitches and distribute the stitches across the garment details: mark the first raglan stitch with a colored thread (let's say it is at the very beginning of the row). From it, count 30 stitches to the left (back), mark the next stitch again with a colored thread (raglan stitch), from which count 14 stitches (right sleeve), again mark the next raglan line with a colored thread, from it count 38 stitches (front), then mark the last raglan line with a colored thread. Let's count how many stitches are left for the left sleeve (there should be 14, just like the right sleeve).
To prevent the collar of the sweater from pulling back, we will make a small extension to the back (but this can be omitted in women's sweaters, while it is necessary in men's): knit a row of stitches from the 1st raglan line to the 2nd raglan line, turn the knitting and knit a row on the purl side, going behind the raglan line by 3-4 stitches (do not make increases here yet). So, going back 3-4 stitches from the end of the previous row, knit a few more rows until you reach the middle of the sleeves. After that, we finish the extension and knit in the round, including all the stitches on the needle. This means that we are extending the back with short rows, but to make the "transitions" less visible, I do the following: each time I turn the work, I make 1 yarn over at the end, and then knit the row and when I reach the yarn over, I knit it together with the next stitch according to the pattern.
Now let's focus on knitting the raglan lines with stitch increases. We knit in the round, making yarn overs before and after the raglan lines (stitches) in every 2nd row and knit them in the next row as a twisted knit stitch (through the back loop). The raglan stitch should be transferred unknitted, leaving the yarn behind the knitting, and in the next row we will knit it. We continue knitting until the raglan line reaches 28 cm, then we will try it on. If the armhole is tight, we will knit a bit more, but to ensure that the sleeve is not too wide, make yarn overs at the raglan lines from the sleeve side every 2 knit rows. Next, we move on to knitting the individual details (back, front, sleeves). I usually knit a seamless garment, i.e., I transfer the stitches of both sleeves to additional (circular) needles, while the stitches of the back and front remain on the main circular needles. I continue knitting (front and back) in the round until the desired length. The sleeves can be knitted in straight rows and sewn together at the side seam, or they can be knitted in the round without a seam. To prevent the sleeve from being too wide, decreases must be made from each edge (or from both sides of the marker thread if you are knitting in the round).

Method 2. Knowing the knitting density, we determine the number of stitches based on the neck base and distribute the stitches on the back, front, sleeves, and raglan lines. For example, with a knitting density of 2.5 stitches per 1 cm and a neck circumference of 36 cm, you need to cast on 90 stitches (2.5 x 36). Let's say in this example each raglan stripe consists of two stitches, then 4 stripes amount to 8 stitches (2 * 4). The remaining stitches are divided into three equal parts – back, front, sleeves.
In our example – 82:3 = 27 + 27 + 28. The obtained parts need to be distributed beforehand: 27 stitches for the back, 27 stitches for the front, 28 stitches for the two sleeves (14 stitches for each). Then two corrections are made in the calculations.
1. To ensure that the sleeve is not wide at the chest line, each sleeve must be narrowed by 1.5-2 cm in the calculations, thus increasing the back and front. In this example: 2.5 * 2 = 5 stitches, therefore, each sleeve will be narrower by 5 stitches, while the front and back will be wider by 5 stitches. Sleeve: 14 - 5 = 9 stitches, front and back: 27 + 5 = 32 stitches.
2. To deepen the front neck, more rows are knitted on the back. For this, knit the back stitches, gradually adding the sleeve stitches to them in 3-5 increments as follows (while there are few stitches on the needles, it’s better to knit with double-pointed needles, i.e., on four needles knit): 1st row – knit the left sleeve stitches, back stitches, the first part of the right sleeve stitches (since we have 9 stitches on the sleeve, we divide them into 4 parts: 3 + 2 + 2 + 2, i.e., in the first row we knit 3 stitches), simultaneously adding stitches near the raglan lines on the back in each knit row; 2nd row – turning to the purl side, knit the first part of the right sleeve (3 stitches), back stitches, the first part of the left sleeve 3 + 2 stitches; 3rd row – on the knit side knit the first part of the left sleeve (5 stitches), back stitches, stitches of the first and second parts of the right sleeve 3 + 2 = 5 stitches. Knit 8 rows, as in this example the stitches of each sleeve are joined in 4 increments. By the time all the sleeve stitches are knitted, the number of stitches on the back and front should be the same. To achieve this, it is necessary to account for the stitches added on the back at the raglan lines. For example, if each sleeve's stitches are knitted in 4 increments, then at each raglan line on the back, 4 stitches will be added, meaning the number of stitches on the back will increase by 8 stitches. Therefore, the calculations should be made so that at the beginning of the work, the front is wider than the back by 8 stitches. In our example, from the back stitches, 4 stitches should be subtracted and added to the front stitches. Then there will be 28 stitches on the back (32 - 4), and on the front – 36 stitches (32 + 4).
Thus, after the final calculations, the number of stitches on the details of the neck will be: 28 stitches on the back, 36 stitches on the front, and 9 stitches on each sleeve.

 

 

The calculation of a smooth concave neckline is done using the following formula: the stitches of each half of the neckline are divided into 7-9 parts (from one to three stitches in each part), leaving a smooth horizontal part in the center of the neckline, equal to 4 cm. In our example: 36 - 10 = 26 stitches, 26:2 = 13 stitches, distribute the stitches into 7 parts – 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3. After the "extension" of the back is finished, we begin to connect the neckline stitches in the same way: in the knit row from both sides of the raglan lines we start making increases (note that during the extension of the back, increases were only made on the back) and knit as follows: knit the left part of the front, left sleeve, back, right sleeve, and one stitch from the neckline stitches, turn the work, knit the purl row and knit one stitch from the second part of the neckline stitches, and continue this way until the end, adding one more, then 4 times 2 stitches and at the end 3 stitches from each side. Gradually introducing all the stitches into the work, continue knitting in the round, continuing to add stitches at the raglan lines, the length of which is approximately 28-30 cm. Their length will be sufficient if the width of the back between the raglan lines is equal to the sum of the measurements – half the bust circumference plus the ease allowance (2 cm).

 

 

Then each detail is knitted separately. The stitches of the raglan lines are joined to the back and front. If there are many stitches (for example, cables), they are divided in half and joined to all details. It is possible to knit a seamless garment, separately on circular needles - front and back, transferring the stitches of the sleeves to other needles, and then knitting the sleeves on double-pointed needles (5 needles).
When knitting for a full short figure, to ensure that the raglan line does not become too long, simultaneous knitting of all details is stopped when the width of the back between the raglan lines is equal to the bust circumference (half-bust) minus 4-6 cm. Then each detail is knitted separately, obtaining the missing width in the first row by casting on air stitches. For example, if the width of the back should be 56 cm (54 + 2), knit all details together until the width of the back reaches 50 cm, and then cast on the missing stitches evenly from each side. The same number of stitches is also added to the front and sleeves from both sides. When knitting a raglan with a fastener, the stitches of the front are divided into two parts, and to each half, half the stitches of the placket are added. Thus, if the front has 36 stitches, and the width of the placket is 10 stitches, then there will be 23 stitches on each side (18 + 5). Raglan garments knitted from the top can have different necklines or collars. If the garment has a collar (stand, turned down), then knitting starts with it, and the stitches are distributed after the collar is finished, marking the raglan lines with colored thread. For a raglan garment with a V-neck, the stitch calculation is done the same as for a garment with a round neckline. However, in this case, only the stitches for the back, sleeves, and four raglan lines are cast on, and the stitches for the front are gradually added during the knitting process according to the triangle calculation.

Method 3. The simplest way to distribute stitches. The total number of stitches is calculated in the same way as in the previous methods, 96 stitches - 4 stitches (raglan stitches) = 92 : 3 = 30 + 2. 2 stitches remain - if we are knitting a women's garment, we add this stitch (or another number of remaining stitches) to the front, and if a men's one - to the back. Thus, we have 30 stitches for the back, 32 stitches for the front, and 30:2 = 15 stitches for each sleeve.

Happy crafting.