I’m designing a sweater for my husband and would really like to do a top-down sweater, because his measurements are different than the standard (very tall and slender, with long arms). I have it designed on paper for a bottom up sweater that has a design on the sleeves which can easily be switch to do a top down sweater, but I’m not wanting to do a raglan sweater and was wondering if you could do one with a saddle shoulder (yes, I know, it’s similar to raglan). I can’t wrap my head around how you would do the increases, can anyone help?
I’m thinking that maybe I should stick with the bottom up version this time and then figure it out with the next sweater I do.
Bottom up would be better, just make the sleeves and body the length required, and use Elizabeth Zimmermann’s [I]Seamless Saddle Shoulder[/I] shaping from Knitting Workshop.
You make the collar. Then you knit the saddles off the sides of the collar for as long as the width of your sweater.
Pick up stitches along the edge of the right saddle, knit across the collar and pick up stitches along the left saddle.
Knit back and forth until the length of the armhole. Do this on the back and front. When both sides are long enough for the armhole, you pick up stitches for the sleeves and knit them down.
Then you join the back and front of the body and knit in the round for as long as you want the sweater to be.
Thanks to the both of you for replying!! I haven’t yet got all of the books I want, and Knitting Workshop is on the list, as are all of Zimmerman’s books, so that wouldn’t help quite yet, however, I will definitely check that out.
Ingrid, thank you! You said that and a lightbulb went off, so that must be the way to do it. I still want to do some basic shaping, but I think I’ve already worked that part out in my head how to do that by just increasing the saddles and where I want the slope of the shoulders. That would also help because the pattern would be worked in one piece from the collar down to the cuff.
Now if I did the basic shaping, would I pick up the stiches along the side one row at a time then? We’re just talking the little drop in the front for the neck which I might just have to work a few rows with only a few stiches increasing on each side of the saddle for the neck shaping, then across one full row picking up the neck band, which could possibly be at the end of the saddle shaping - which would drop down about 2 inches on the shoulder to chest area, basic shaping for the slope of the shoulders would be worked with the increases on the saddles, so that I’m not worried about. Does that make sense?? - it works out in my head and it wouldn’t be that hard to do. Hmmm…going to have think through this, because it would be so much easier to do and I could have him try it on in stages. :woot:
I didn’t do any shaping on the neck of mine, but this site has collar directions that allow for a drop in the front for a raglan. I don’t see why it couldn’t be used in this instance.
this gives general instructions for top down saddle shoulder. Pic shows aran cardigan but is adaptable for pullovers and any stitch pattern etc. http://bigskyknitting.com/FLAK/knitalong.html
I think that there are good instructions for this type of sweater in Barbara Walker’s book Knitting From the Top. It looks good to me, but I haven’t actually tried it yet…
Barbara G Walker’s classic “Knitting from the Top” ($20) gives clear directions for three kinds of top-down saddle sweaters, as well as eleven other basic designs. It is well worth purchasing.
Thanks everyone, you have been most kind. I reviewed my pattern, and my original pattern has the saddle straight across, so that what I think I’m going to do, and do away with the shaping on this one (except for maybe the neck portion). It was only after I drafted it that I made the changes for the shaping, and my original idea was much more boxy. Back to the drawing board for the measurments, but I’ll keep my other design for another sweater and go with the directions from the top down, as Ingrid and Jints suggested.
I’m definitely going to have to purchase the book, just don’t have the funds (what, after the other books and yarn, lol) quite yet.
A huge heartfelt thanks to all that replied! Big kudos! :notworthy:
Heh, at least I know he’ll appreciate it, he’s a knitter himself!!
This is a really old thread, I know, but I have the same question, basically. I would like to learn how to make a saddle shoulder top-down, not at all interested in bottom-up, and am having difficulty finding FREE instructions. I don’t want a finished pattern, as id rather make my own. Unfortunately, the previous suggested sites mentioned here are not working any longer. Can anyone help?:knitting: