Raglan increase holes

Hi Knitters. I’m having a bit of difficulty with a pattern. It’s a top down raglan knitted in the round. The ribbing is K through back loop and P repetition then you divide the stitches into front, back, sleeves and 2 set s of 5 stitches that are always K through back loop and purl twice and K through back loop. The raglan increases are done with M1L and M1R, the M1L is always preceded with a K through the back loop and the M1R is always followed by the same.

The yarn is a sport weight Drops Baby Merino, on 3.75 mm needles so fairly thin yarn with a suitable sized needed to get 23 stitches over 10 cms.

The problem is I’m getting holes on the right hand side of my raglan sections. The left looks perfect. I’m not pulling the M1R-s out any more than I do the lefts. I’ve tried doing them through the back loop and it did tighten them up but they’re still noticeably looser than the left side.

Is there any advice anyone can give me please? This only happens when I’m knitting with yarn thinner than DK weight. I’ve done plenty of raglan before with thicker yarn and never had this issue :frowning:

Any advice would be most appreciated! Thank you!!

I wonder if you tried this on a swatch with a change in the knit stitch after the M1R. Instead of knitting through the back loop, would there be less tension and a smaller hole if you knit the stitch as usual. You’d probably have to change the knit stitch before the M1L for the sake of balance.

I thought knitting through the back loop is supposed to increase the tension and makes for a tighter stitch hence less of a hole appears? I entertained the idea of doing the purls in that 5 stitch section through the back loop as well for the same reason. Thinking back on past projects I think I’ve had the issue too when simple K through the front loop was around the M1R.

Yes, the twist at the M1 is supposed to pull the sts on either side and close up the hole. I’m wondering if there is just too much tension due to the ktbl.
A friend works a yarn over on the row before the M1 at the place for the M1. That adds a bit more yarn so that there is less tension on the M1. Your idea of twisting the purls is certainly worth a try, best worked out on a swatch. I’m a loose knitter myself and don’t see this.
The M1R sts may even out with washing and blocking although I don’t like crossing my fingers that this will happen once the sweater is finished. Another reason to work it out on a swatch.
I hope others have seen this and have some suggestions for you.

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I think it’s worth exploring in a swatch as salmonmac has suggested. Whilst I am ot experienced enough to know how to solve this I have had experience of needling some different treatment of a stitch due to where it is or what comes before or after it. What I mean is, pjrky working a m1r and a m1l in the same way doesn’t necessarily produce the same results.
If there is too much tension and this is causing the hole then trying working the front leg or adding a yarn over the row below could be just the ticket. If the hole is due to the tension being too loose you might need to focus not on the tension of that stutch but the 2 or 3 before or after it as these are where extra yarn can be taken up. Making the nearest 2 stitches pretty tight next the the m1 allows the extra in the m1 to spread into the next stitches along. If it does not work its way there naturally you can physically shift it along later.

Hope you find a solution

I came across this phenomenon in a Patty Lyons tutorial! I’ve not had they problem myself but it may be because I use thicker yarns or yarns that bloom? In any case, what she says makes sense! Hope it helps!

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Just noted that @salmonmac friend uses the same method i.e. YO on the row below!!

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