technique: achieving desired sleeve length

To begin, you will need your center back neck to cuff measurement.  This isn’t a measurement you can take on your own, so enlist an assistant.  Stand with one arm slightly bent while your assistant measures from the center back base of your neck, across a shoulder, around the bend of the elbow to the point just below your wrist where you would like the bottom edge of the cuff to land.

Next, compare your measurement to the center back neck to cuff measurement listed under the heading Approximate As-Worn Measurements on the materials page of your Swirl pattern. The difference between those two measurements is the length adjustment you will need to make for each sleeve.

Now find the section of your pattern instructions with the heading Back Bodice and Sleeves.  Five or six paragraphs below that heading you will come to a passage that reads “Note: To achieve desired sleeve length, add or subtract (X) stitches for each inch distributed across all rows in this and the next (Y) welts.”  “X” is the sleeve stitch gauge as measured in the finished garment. In some patterns, the number of stitches is given as a range of X to (X+1).  This occurs when the sleeve gauge included a fraction of a stitch. If you wish to err on the side of less adjustment, use the lower figure; if you wish to err on the side of more adjustment, use the higher figure.

Then apply the information you’ve gathered to this equation:

# inches in length adjustment  X  # stitches per inch in sleeve stitch gauge = 

# stitches to add to or subtract from each pattern sleeve

Now that you know how many stitches you will be adding or subtracting from the pattern sleeve, it is time to figure out how to distribute them “across all rows in this and the next (Y) welts.” I do this by making myself a chart with five columns:

In the first column, I list each of the rows in “the next (Y) welts” by welt and row number.  The second and forth columns I use for recording the number of CO sts the pattern calls for in each row, placing the entry in the second column if the row starts in the left sleeve, and in the forth column if the row begins in the right sleeve.   I use the third and fifth columns to record the adjustments to the pattern for each sleeve.  Do double check your work by totaling stitches in all columns and making sure that the difference between columns 2 and 3 and between columns 4 and 5 is equal to the number of stitches you planned to add or subtract from each pattern sleeve. Some tips to keep in mind as you fill in your chart and plan your adjustments:

·         The bodice schematic is helpful in identifying which rows begin in which sleeve.

·         It is best to keep adjustments to a minimum in the group of stitches that make up the cuff.

·         If you need to reduce the number of stitches in a sleeve by as many as, or more than, the number of cast on stitches the pattern calls for in the welts suggested for sleeve length adjustment, begin the sleeve length adjustment a welt or two earlier (see example #3 below).  To do otherwise would end the building out of the sleeve too soon and result in wider cuffs than designed.

·         If you have substituted yarn in the pattern (bravo—I am all for creativity) or are working at a slightly different gauge, take this into consideration when calculating number of stitches to adjust per sleeve.  If you substituted a less resilient yarn than the yarn used in the pattern, or your gauge appears a bit loose, your sleeves are likely to stretch more than is anticipated in the sleeve gauge. In both cases you should consider increasing the number of stitches per inch in the sleeve gauge.

·         Keep your chart of adjustments so that you can apply the adjustments in reverse order when binding off the sleeves in the front bodice.

Example #1

Pattern: Tangerine Rose, size one

Knitter’s center back neck to cuff measurement: 31.25”

Approximate As-Worn center back neck to cuff measurement: 33.25”

Sleeve length adjustment needed: -2”

Sleeve gauge: 4 sts/in

Sleeve length adjustment area: Welt 35 (4 rows) and Welt 36 (5 rows)

2” (length adjustment) X 4 sts/in (sleeve st gauge) =

 8 sts to subtract from each pattern sleeve

You’ll notice here that I avoided making my adjustment in the last two rows in which the pattern calls for casting on 10 stitches.  I did this because those 10 stitches form the cuff and I wanted to keep them together and form a nice straight selvedge edge at the cuff.

Example #2

Pattern: Shades of Grey, size two

Knitter’s center back neck to cuff measurement: 31.5”

Approximate As-Worn center back neck to cuff measurement: 33.75”

Sleeve length adjustment needed: -2.25”

Sleeve gauge: 3-4 sts/in

Sleeve length adjustment area: Welts 33-36, 5 rows per welt

2.25” (length adjustment) X 4 sts/in (aggressive choice sleeve st gauge) =

 9 sts to subtract from each pattern sleeve

Example #3

Pattern: Going Green, size one

Knitter’s center back neck to cuff measurement: 31”

Approximate As-Worn center back neck to cuff measurement: 32.5”

Sleeve length adjustment needed: -1.5”

Sleeve gauge: 5 sts/in

Sleeve length adjustment area: Welt 35 (6 rows) and Welt 36 (5 rows). Area proved insufficient for adjustment needed. Welts 33 (6 rows) and 34 (5 rows) added.

1.5” (length adjustment) X 5 sts/in (sleeve st gauge) =

 8 (rounded up from 7.5) sts to subtract from each pattern sleeve

In this example, the number of stitches the knitter needs to shorten sleeves by 8 stitches. In order to avoid making the adjustments within the stitches that make up the cuff, I begin the sleeve length adjustment with welt 33 which allows me to distribute the adjustment evenly and to continue the build out of the sleeves to the last row of the last welt of the sleeve.

Example #4

Pattern: Going Green, size one

Knitter’s center back neck to cuff measurement: 34”

Approximate As-Worn center back neck to cuff measurement: 32.5”

Sleeve length adjustment needed: +1.5”

Stitch Gauge: 5 sts/in

Sleeve length adjustment area: Welt 35 (6 rows) and Welt 36 (5 rows)

1.5” (length adjustment) X 5 sts/in (sleeve st gauge) =

 8 (rounded up from 7.5) sts to add to each pattern sleeve

Categories