Easy bottom-up Raglan sweater by Norman Schwarze

Easy bottom-up Raglan sweater

This pattern is available for €7.99 EUR buy it now

A very detailed recipe for a bottom-up Raglan sweater. This tech-edited PDF and its accompanying video tutorial show you how to knit a sweater that truly fits - no matter the size of your body and the yarn you want to use.

Included in the pdf:

  • 21 pages with written instructions and clear schematics
  • video knit-along & tutorials for all techniques
  • detailed measuring guide with pictures & tricks
  • a unique way to calculate your gauge & fit

Difficulty: Advanced beginner

This Raglan sweater is fairly easy to knit. Most of it is plain stockinette stitch and ribbing. If you know how to knit and purl consistently, and won’t shy away from learning a new increase or decrease, you will be fine.
You can knit this sweater in one continuous round. Magic loop or alternatively double-pointed knitting needles are only needed for the sleeves.

The bottom-up construction splits the sweater into many, smaller and more manageable parts. Plus it makes it easier to try your work in progress on and adapt the fit.

Yarn and yardage:
This recipe comes with yarn and yardage recommendations. However, since it’s an adaptive design where you get to choose the length of hem & sleeves and the kind of yarn you want to use, I cannot quote a definitive number.

For DK-weight yarn, you will roughly need:
Size: XS, S, M, L, XL
Yardage: 1100/1200/1400/1700/1900 yds

Skills required:
knit, purl, k2tog, KLL, KRL, P2tog, PLL, SSK, SSP, a standard cast-on and bind-off, the Kitchener Stitch, and one short-row technique (like German, Shadow Wrap, or Japanese short rows).
There are high-resolution slow-motion tutorials available for ALL techniques (also available as text-only on my blog).

Sizes: XS-XL
Please understand that this is a basic recipe that you need to adjust according to your measurements. It takes you by the hand and shows you how to calculate your size. The above size range is meant as a rough estimate where this kind of calculation will typically yield excellent results.
The instructions are valuable beyond that size range but might require further modification like bust darts, narrower waists, broader shoulders and/or wider hips that are currently not included in this pdf. There’s “only” a very detailed part that shows you how and why you need to raise the neck using short rows.

The PDF already goes above and beyond any sweater knitting resource I am aware of. It already has 21 pages and the video is more than 2 hours long. While I value size-inclusivity, there comes a point where instructions and measurements become too complex and confusing for beginners. If you feel that standard store-bought sweaters do not fit you well, then this document can only be a starting point for you.

Additional materials:

  • a reliable tape measure
  • A spare needle one size smaller (for the ribbing) 5 stitch holders (spare cables from your interchangeable knitting needle set, barber cords, or scrap yarn)
  • tapestry needle

Further notes:
This pattern is available in English only. The base instructions are available for free on my YouTube channel and on my blog.