Hello,
I’m wanting to convert the top-down “Heath” sweater pattern to a bottom-up pattern.
I’m wondering if there’s an app or formula or template out there that can help with this.
Any advice at all is helpful too!
https://images4-g.ravelrycache.com/uploads/quinceandco/47…
Thank you!
-MeganN
May I ask why you would want to convert the pattern? To me it sounds like extra work when you could follow the instructions without reworking them. English is not my mother tongue and when I express myself it is pretty blunt but I want to kindly say that if you are not advanced enough to know how to do the conversion, then you are better off following ready written instructions because then you have better chance of getting help when you get stuck. With ready instructions you can just quote a part to us and somebody might help you understand that section.
Besides obvious things like swapping increase for decrease and cast on for bind off, there might be elements in the sweater pattern that will require a bit of extra effort when swapping the direction.
Hi engblom!
I don’t like what happens at the underarms with sweaters that are knit from the top down.
Even for top down knitted sweaters there are different ways to do the underarms. If you explain what you do not like with top down underarms we might find a way to avoid the problem.
Thank you for your patience…Bottom down sweaters appear to have a better fit in general. Top down sweaters often look bunchy at the armpit. I would be so happy to learn how to avoid this!
Thank you again for your thoughts.
Oops! I meant bottom-UP sweaters tend to have a better fit.
From the picture it looks like a raglan sweater. When knitting a bottom up raglan, you often sew a short seam exactly at the armpit. If you want to have a seam there when going the other direction, it is possible. Instead of picking up the armpit stitches when knitting the sleeves, just cast on the same amount and then later sew it together. Then it is identical to a down up knitted raglan.
Personally I prefer a completely seamless armpit so when I begin working the body down I use provisional cast on at the armpits and then when knitting the arms I pick up live stitches from the body and get no seam at all.
Hi there! I know it’s a bit late for this particular project, but I LOVE top down knitting and I found these two really good videos on how to knit on the sleeves with good underarms with no bunching and no holes.
First video:
Part 1
Part 2
They’re very informative and helped me tremendously with my first and second sweater <3
