Hi. Hope some experienced knitter can help, please. I’m knitting a jumper with ‘puffed sleeves’ which are knitted from top down. [Drops 250-22 Summer Sonnet Pattern]
The pattern has three-quarter length sleeves but I plan to make a full length sleeve. Widest part of ‘puff’ has 87 sts. I then knitted 4 cm straight. Next I decreased every two and a half cm until I had 61 sts. Pattern says to knit (no further decreasing) until sleeve is 37 cm. long and then decrease on one row evenly to bring me to 46 stitches.
I have knitted to the 61 sts. stage (below the elbow). I fitted on the sleeve and feel it will be quite bulky under a coat or jacket. I wonder now:
Option A: Could I/should I rip the sleeve back to the 87 sts. and decrease faster (?? not sure how?) to reduce the bulk of the sleeve. If I do so, for how long should I continue to decrease?
Option B: Should I continue from the 61sts. and decrease as before (every two and an half cms) until I reach the cuff.
Option C: Should I continue as per the pattern (allowing for a full length sleeve) and then do the 1 line decrease rather than interfere with the puff sleeve effect.
Your opinions would be much appreciated as I’m very undecided about my next move!
This is my first attempt to post so unable to supply photo or copy of pattern.
Thank you.
Welcome to the forum!
It depends on the style of sleeve that you would like. If you would like a less full puffed sleeve then don’t work the increases to get to 87sts. You can slim down the gathering at the sleeve cap right away and continue with a modified fullness. That gathering at the top of the sleeve cap is eased into the armhole and you would have less knit fabric to ease in.
You can also measure your arm circumference and a sweater that you have and like the sleeve fit to get an idea of where you would like the taper in the sleeve to occur.
This two part video may help with the taper of the sleeve below the cap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92DueNzaRHw
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For future reference, you can post a pattern by finding it online and just copying the URL:
Should you wish to post a photo of part of the pattern instructions, there’s a little “landscape” icon above the text field which will let you do that. Don’t post large sections of the pattern, to protect copyright.
It might be good to put the sleeve you’ve started on a holder and begin the 2nd sleeve. That way, you can check that you’re getting a similar (but smaller) shape to your sleeve cap. Or you could lay the folded sleeve on a piece of paper and draw the cap shape.
I would probably cast on fewer stitches, and then follow the directions as given. If I was patterning this for fabric, I’d take the extra out of the center, so as not to alter the cap shaping. Figure out how much narrower you want the sleeve and deduct that from the cast-on. According to the gauge, if you left out 8 stitches, that would be 2" narrower, which might be enough.
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Thank you very much for your replies, salmonmac and ColoCro. They are both very helpful. Yes, I think, initially I will leave the wide sleeve on hold and start on the 2nd sleeve. I may need to ask for help again (when I’ve taken some measurements) but I’m so glad to have discovered this wonderfully helpful forum. I look forward to studying the link re tapering of sleeve before starting anew!
Very much appreciated.
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There’s also this knitting calcuwhich might be helpful. You need to know how many stitches your starting ih, how many you want to end with, and how many rows it’s over. You might find it useful. Scroll down for the tapered top down sleeve.
https://www.worldknits.com/knitting-calculators
Another optionnis a leg of mutton style so you have a but of puff at the top and work to the 3/4 length (reducing the puff if wanted) but then doing the decrease row for the transition to rib and working the rest of the sleeve in rib down to the wrist. I did this with one of mine and like how I get the impression of a bit of elegance with the puff but don’t have the bulk of wide sleeves in the lower arm.
Great. Thank you very much. When I get a block of time, I’ll watch the links and then sit down with
measurements and try to make some decisions!
Is it possible to send a photo using that ‘landscape’ symbol which you mentioned in your earlier reply.
Many thanks
Yes, that’s the link for photos. If you click on it, it will then ask if you want to take a photo or upload one.
Sleeve|480x640
Hello again,
I uploaded (maybe not successfully) a photo of first sleeve versus the sleeve of a well-fitting jumper. I marked the width difference with red wool. Blue sleeve (Drops Air)appears to be 1 inch (on the double) wider at ‘puff’, which suits the style, but c.2 inches wider i.e. on the double (you were right ColoCro) right down to below the elbow (61sts) which looks to me like 20 sts excess (counting front and back of sleeve).
I like the suggestion of casting on less sts. but because the already knitted 1st. sleeve (increased to 87sts at widest part) fits perfectly into the armhole, I fear that casting on less stitches could cause me a problem when fitting sleeve-top into the armhole?? I’d like a long ribbed cuff c.5 or 6 inches long and a full length sleeve.
Apart from that, my head is in a ‘tizzy’ as to how to decrease (if feasible) from 87 sts at top, remove the excess 2 inches (on the double) /20 sts in total (I think) so that I have a much less bulky sleeve (to fit under a coat) and be ready for a neat ribbed cuff (the cuff in the pattern picture looks a bit loose, to me)
I’m sure my post would benefit from a photo of the relevant section of the Drops Air Pattern and will upload it later if my first upload is a success.
Thank you so much for your patience and support. It means a lot.
Regards
Might help to add the following from the pattern (which I followed for 1st. Sleeve)
Cast on 16 sts.using Size 4mm needles. Change to size 5.5mm.
Work 2 rows of stocking stitch. Then work as follows from right side:
1 edge stitch in garter stitch, 1 yarn over, knit 1, work from - until there is 1 stitch left, 1 yarn over and 1 edge stitch in garter stitch = 31 sts. Purl back from wrong side (yarn overs purled to leave holes and edge stitches knitted)
Work as follows from the right side:
1 edge stitch in garter stitch, knit 2, 1 yarn over, work from - until there are 2 sts. left, knit 1, 1 edge stitch in garter stitch = 45 sts. Purl back with 1 edge stitch in garter st on each side (yarn overs purled to leave holes)
Continue in stocking stitch back and forth and AT THE SAME TIME cast on at the end of each row for the sleeve cap as follows:
3 stitches 3 times, 1 stitch 2 times, 3 stitches 2 times and 4 stitches 1 time on each side = 87sts.
The sleeve is measured from here.
Continue with stocking stitch over all stitches. When the sleeve measure 4cm from the join, decrease 1 stitch on each side every 2 and a half cms = 61sts. {I didn’t knit in the round, as pattern suggested but I knitted ‘over and back’)
The above brought me to just below the elbow as mentioned in earlier post.
The next relevant part of the pattern is, on the last row before starting the rib:
Knit 8, K the next 45 sts and decrease 15 sts evenly over these stitches, K the last 8 sts = 46sts.
Change to Size 4mm needles and do K1, P1 rib and cast off.
Thank you
When you say the sleeve fits perfectly into the armhole, is it fitting exactly, or eased in a bit? Knitting is quite flexible, so you may be scrunching it slightly without realizing it. Measure the armhole and the sleeve cap, without stretching either, and compare.
If it DOES fit exactly, with no scrunching, then you need to knit the cap exactly as given, and then decrease maybe every 1 or 1.5 cm instead of 2.5, so it tapers more quickly. Decrease evenly until it’s the width you want or where you want to start the cuff. The calculator @Creations posted would help with this.
Even after all this, while the lower part of the sleeve will fit better inside a coat sleeve, the puff at the top may still bunch up a bit.
So you’d like to keep the puff style at the cap? And then decrease more quickly to reach the width of your nice size sleeve? And reduce the size of the cuff width?
Or…did you want to eliminate the puff?
Only you can answer that, it’s the hard part!
You can eliminate the puff and make a smooth sleeve cap, it’s possible.
I’d probably keep the puff as it’s elegant and probably what drew you to the design in the first place (ie you didn’t choose a regular fitted set in sleeve cap style) and then I’d decrease more rapidly, the 26 (I think) that the pattern has you decrease and also the 20 you have calculated as extra bulk. A total of 46 stitches to decrease.
I would begin the decreases either in the same row (4cm from underarm) or a little ealier (2cm from underarm) and I’d work them across the same number of rows in your blue sleeve (work out how many rows you knitted from 87 sts to 61 sts, add on the other 2cm worth of rows if you want to start a touch earlier)
Therefore a smooth decrease would be something like
46 sts to dec. 46÷2 because 1 each end of a row = 13 decrease rows.
Number of rows to decrease over ÷ 13 would give an idea of how frequently to decrease.
Once you have an idea you can shift things a bit if you want only right side rows, or there is a fraction/decimal which can’t be worked.
Using salmonmacs link will help, or the calculator.
The blue sleeve will still be fuller in the top but would be the same as the nice fit sleeve by the below the elbow.
From there you can make a slow decrease down to the wrist if needed, it might not be. And/or a decrease at the transition to rib.
Use the rib around the hem to count how many stitches you want for wrist width (remember to work in the correct multiple for the rib to work and add seam selvedge so the rib seams align) and whatever inc/dec rate was used at the transition from rib to body use the same on the sleeve so that you know the gauge change works well. That gives you the number of stitches you want at rib transition which probably won’t be far off what you are at (87- 46 = 41).
I’m no knitting professional, I’m just saying what I’d do.
Wonderful assistance there from you both. I feel much more confident about tackling the 2nd
sleeve now (and keeping the puff) but slimming down the width. If it’s a success, I can then re-do the first one.
Thank you once more for your detailed replies. I have learned a lot from all three contributors.
Very useful forum. So glad I discovered it.
Regards.
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We’re glad you discovered this forum too!
It’s a lovely place. I arrived about 4 years ago I think, and never left. So friendly and helpful and I’ve learned a huge amount!
I look forward to hearing about your progress and seeing a pic of your knitting.
Thank you, Creations. As a matter of interest, did my earlier photo appear on your screen?..it doesn’t
show on my screen at top of the post.
No photos. It can take a while for them to upload…maybe you hit “post” before it was ready? The photo should appear in the right-hand frame when it’s ready, though this frame where you’re typing will still show the link.
Once the photo appears, you can click on “50%” underneath it, so it shows as a reasonable size.
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No, the photo doesn’t show but I was able to click on your link and download it. I prefer to see it rather than the link to download, I’m not sure how you just put a link though.
Yes, indeed. I obviously didn’t do it correctly or it would have appeared at start of post.
Thanks for feedback.
Hello wise knitters again,
I’ve ‘puffed’ the top the 2nd sleeve of the Drop Air jumper (87sts at this stage) and then knitted 4cm. straight, as per pattern. I was going to plan (with the help of the calculator) my next step which would be to gradually decrease as much as possible as I knit down towards the cuff. However, I’m wondering now, before starting the gradual decrease:
Should I/Could I get away with decreasing 10sts evenly across the next row ( K4, k2tog, k6, (k2tog, k7) 6 times, (k2tog, k6) 2 times, k2tog, k3) to get rid of 10 sts. now (or more maybe?maximum?) I need to be at 46 (maybe 40sts for the cuff)?
Thanks in advance
