The Key to Raglan Cardigans that Fit

I’m not sure that I’ve ever knit a raglan cardigan, though I do love raglan pullovers. Designer Jessica McDonald knit a couple of them and then was distressed to discover that they quickly became misshapen while wearing, to the point that they wouldn’t stay on her shoulders properly and eventually became unwearable.

Being a clever knitter, she wanted to figure out what the problem was and how she could counteract it to knit the raglan-seamed cardigan of her dreams. The long version of the story is documented in a post on her blog.

The problem is in how raglan cardigans are built. When knitting from the top down, all the weight of the sweater rests on a handful of stitches: usually just one or two each for the fronts, a stitch for each raglan seam, and a handful of stitches that go across the back of the neck.

Because of the weight of the sweater pulling on that small framework, it can easily stretch when you wear it, leading to shoulders that, well, don’t stay on your shoulders.

Part of the solution is in the design of the sweater itself, but if you’re knitting a raglan cardigan from someone else’s design, the main thing you can do to make your sweater wear better is to make your cast on tighter than usual so that it won’t stretch as much.

You can also look for designs that are worked in pieces, because having physical sewn in seams gives your project more structure. Cardigans with buttons that you wear buttoned up should act more like raglan pullovers, too, so that might also help.

If you’re looking for some fun cardigan patterns, check out this roundup of summer cardigans I did a few years ago (I’m working on a cozy cardigan roundup, too, so be on the lookout!).

[Photo: Jessica McDonald Designs.]

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Why should the fireplace get all the fun? Instead of knitting stockings this year, why not whip up a pair of Christmas themed socks? These Christmas sock knitting patterns are lots of fun to make and you can wear them to holiday gatherings for years to come.

For our friends in the southern part of the world, there are the Christmas in July socks from the Kiwi Lodge – Kylie (Ravelry link). These shorty socks are covered in Christmas trees and have bright pink heels and toes for a tropical feel. There’s also an option to make a longer sock if you celebrate somewhere it’s colder.

Twin Stitches Designs (Ravelry) has a fun pattern with mix and match colorwork motifs you can use to build your own cozy Christmas socks. From the sample socks I see Christmas puddings, trucks hauling trees, Santa belts, ornaments and a couple of different borders. There may be more patterns included but the listing doesn’t say. Make a pair that matches or use different motifs on each foot for extra holiday cheer.

If you want to stick to Christmas puddings on your holiday socks, check out this cute pattern from Stone Knits. These lovely socks feature a band of puddings around the leg and a bit of holly by the toes.

These vintage holiday light socks from Grey Owl Knits by Sarah are classic looking and lots of fun at the same time. I love this color combination but of course you can make your lights and stripes whatever colors you like or have on hand. They’re worked using stranded knitting.

And if you’d like even more of a mix of patterns for your socks, try Barbara Ceglédi’s Christmas Chaos socks, a free pattern on Ravelry. The pattern includes 25 little motifs you can choose from, ranging from snowflakes and Christmas trees to elf hats, reindeer and hearts.

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