Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Yesterday TC tried on the sleeve and cuff options. Her right sleeve is the second option and the left is the first option I finished.

The right sleeve is knit to 13 inches and then there is a 6 inch ribbed cuff with the thumbhole opening from 16 to 17.5 inches. The total length of the sleeve is 19 inches from the underarm. The thumbhole placement is at a slightly different point on the round.

The left sleeve is knit to 11 inches and then there is a 7 inch ribbed cuff with the thumbhole opening from 16 to 17 inches. The total length of the sleeve is 18 inches from the underarm.

My overall assessment is that the right sleeve or the second try is the one I am sticking with so I’ve already ripped back the left sleeve. I love the fact that the top down style of sweater knitting allows for easy adjustment of the sleeves and the body length and edgings.

TC liked both sleeves and didn’t seem to mind either option.

I love the turned up cuff look as well. The cuff could even be turned up again for more of a 3/4 length sleeve.

This is the inside of the sweater. I don’t know why but I have always loved the purl side of stripes. I guess it’s that little blip of color that shows up on the round when you are changing colors.

Here is the purl side view with all of the ends woven in and trimmed. I’ll be back soon with the hood and the finished sleeves.

I hope you are all hanging in there! I’m starting to see some finished raglans popping up on Ravelry so that is fun. It’s good to see the success.

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Well, here’s a quick update for you. I am finishing up the second sleeve on TC’s Raglan. I am at the cuff. The catch is that I am not making it the same as the first sleeve. I finished the first sleeve as I had planned on paper. I had TC try it on yesterday morning before school. It turns out that I am not 100% sure I love the way the sleeve cuff looks. I want to try  a couple of changes.

Therefore I left the first sleeve intact and moved on to the second sleeve. I am making a few changes for this second sleeve. I am knitting the stripes to 13 inches from the underarm. I have 44 stitches on the needles. I am going to do a k2, p2 rib to 16 inches from the underarm and put in a thumbhole at a slightly different placement. To make the thumbhole I will work back and forth for an inch and a half to about 17.5 inches from the underarm. Then I will rejoin to work in the round again and finish the entire sleeve to 19 inches from the underarm and then bind off.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get a photo of TC with both versions of the sleeve to see which one I will keep. I will share that with you. My videographer is making an appearance at home tomorrow (he’s coming home from college for the day) and I will see if I can get him to film while I pick up the stitches for the hood.

I’ll be back soon with the sleeve conclusions.

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Here are my post-snack after school photos of TC trying on her raglan with a sleeve for the first time. Success!

The body length is just perfect and the sleeve is now to the point where I’ve started the ribbing to match the bottom edge in the Splash colorway only. She wants a long extended cuff that starts a little higher up on the arm so that’s why I am starting the ribbing at this point.

The fit is pure heaven! Whoot!

I loved her modeling yesterday. I was smart to wait until after the muffin and juice time because she went to town on posing for me. She is so fun.

Goofy little thing. Note the sleeved arm with her hand behind her head.

Okay, so let’s talk about that neckline a little bit. For TC’s raglan I will be adding a hood which I will post about when I get to it so we’ll put that on hold for now.

In Wendy Bernard’s book, Custom Knits, on pp. 154-55, the final step 10 says to add a clever neck edge at the end. That’s it. All you are doing here is picking up the stitches around the neck edge and adding on whatever edging you have chosen and then binding off. Simple as that.

Here is exactly what I did for the Grape Jelly Raglan for the neckline edging.

Neck Edging for the Grape Jelly Raglan:

With 16-inch circular needles in US size 7 and starting at the left front raglan line (this refers to the left side when you have the sweater on) I reattached the working yarn and picked up stitches as follows:

12 stitches down the left front

12 stitches across the front cast on stitches

12 stitches up the right front

10 stitches across the right sleeve

30 stitches across the back

10 stitches across the left sleeve

86 stitches total are now on my needles.

Place a stitch marker on the first stitch and work in the round.

Continue as follows:

Rnd 1: purl

Rnd 2: knit

Rnd 3: purl

Rnd 4: knit

Bind off loosely.

Note: It is very important to bind off loosely for the neck edge so the sweater will fit comfortably over your head. Some knitters like to go up a couple of needle sizes to work the bind off at this point. I just make a conscious effort to be relaxed and keep the yarn loose while binding off. You don’t want it to look sloppy loose just relaxed so it can stretch.

Cut the yarn and pull the end through the remaining stitch. Weave in all ends to the inside and trim.

You are officially done!!!! Give your sweater a blocking if you choose to do so. I gave mine a good steaming is all and let it dry flat.

Then throw it on and run out the door with your head held high!

By the way, when I get to the neckline point for TC’s raglan I’ll see if I can get someone around here to video me picking up the stitches for the hood and the neckline and I’ll share it on here. Is that something you are interested in? My former videographer has gone and left me for college – the nerve of him. He had the steadiest hand, too. Maybe TC will have to become my new video manager…..

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I have been working away on the first sleeve. I am at the point now where I am going to do a 2 by 2 ribbing, it will be an extended cuff.  I will add a thumb hole at about 15 inches by working back and forth for 6 rows. Then I will rejoin to finish working a couple more inches in the round.

I decreased 2 stitches at the second round, and fourth round and then at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 inches, measured from the picked up stitches under the arm. I have 44 stitches on the needles right now which is the perfect number for the 2 by 2 rib (it needs a multiple of 4 when working in the round). At the 11-inches is where I am planning on starting the ribbing but I am going to wait to try it on first.

The stripes on the sleeves will be mismatched. I have had several people ask that question. I love not having a plan for whatever reason. I just look down in my knitting bag and pull out a random color to add in next. It is fun.

Here is my little pile of goodness that I just wove in and trimmed from the inside of the sleeve. I actually love weaving in ends. It makes me feel like I am making good progress and I like having my work all cleaned up on the inside. I want TC to try it on after school so I wanted the ends to be gone so nothing would catch as she slips it on.

I’ll get a quick photo of TC in the sweater after she has her after school snack. I know better than to do it before snack time:)

I’ll be back tomorrow with neckline information!

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

I finished the body of TC’s Raglan. She has designated Splash as her new favorite color. That means that all edgings are being done in Splash. She has also requested a hood and possibly a kangaroo pocket in the front. We are also debating a long ribbed cuff on the sleeves that would come up to her knuckles. These cuffs would have a thumb hole worked in. TC has a sweatshirt that has this feature and she loves it. It’s like having attached fingerless mitts. These cuffs would be made in Splash and could be rolled up or worn down. This will make the pullover last a bit longer as she grows, too. I am considering all of these options right now. I’m not sure exactly how this will all end up.

Here is what I have done on TC’s Raglan for the body:

Length measured from underarms before edging: 13-inches

Edging: k2, p2 rib for 8 rounds.

Bind off loosely in rib pattern.

Total length from underarms including the rib edging: 14 1/4 inches

I have been weaving in all of the ends every few inches so there is nothing left to do on the weaving in ends front.

Now I am starting the sleeves on my double-pointed needles!