Sewing up jumper

I took up knitting again when the DGD arrived.
Most of the new patterns I have used have set-in sleeves but I've nearly finished a garment with raglan sleeves; however this one has a hood.
The pattern said to join raglans first, but in fact I picked up and knit (in this case a hood) before I joined the raglans as I wanted to block it all flat before sewing up with mattress stitch. It seems fine.

However it would depend how much you then take in for the seam, if too much it could pucker where it joins the neck.

Thank you Rosequartz. I think that I will wait until I am at the making up stage and then decide which is best.

I do not have any problems with the knitting basics but have forgotten many of the tips and tricks that I knew when I was a regular knitter. I suppose as I knit more they will come back to me.

I join the raglans first but not the under sleeve or side seam. Then press with iron over a protective cloth. Pick up the stiches for the neck and finish it. Then sew up the sleeves from the wrist to the armhole matching increases, and then the sides from the bottom to the armhole.
Press side seams. done!

Margaret's is probably the best way.

I just hate sewing up and put it off as long as possible.

Me too rosequartz, I have three for DGS awaiting sewing up, luckily they're too big for him at the moment!

I have finished sewing up three small garments for DGC today!!
One had been on the needles for three years!

[patontheback]

Well done roseq!

[slinkingofftocooksupper]

I'm off to cook as well.
And have a after all that sewing up and sewing on buttons. Exhausted!

I do as much as possible on circular or double ended needles,so don't have sleeve or body seams. For a raglan I would sew up all the raglan seams and then pick up and knit the collar (again on a circular needle or double ended ones, depending on the size).

Well done from me too, rosequartz. It's great when you finish something which has been on the go for a while!

I've just finished a bolero for DGD, Margaret's way. If you don't, you can end up with a stretched stitch and thus a hole that needs sewing up.

But I do hate it. I sew up with cotton, usually doubled, I find it easier and less bulky.

When do you adapt a normal pattern or do you buy special patterns? And do you pick up and knit the sleeves shoulder to cuff?

I just adapt normal patterns,which is usually not a problem, although if it's a pattern with a repeat you have to subtract (usually) or add enough stitches to make the repeat work. If it's a set-in sleeve I often work from the top down - you have to be sure to cast off loosely enough at the cuff. That can involve some arithmetic to get the decreases right, but it's nice to be having fewer stitches as you go along rather than more. I haven't done it with raglans, but I have done the entire yoke of a raglan jumper on a circular needle, decreasing along what would have been the seams. It was a bit awkward at the beginning, with a lot of stitches, and I had to use several double ended needles as there were so many, but it was good fun, and it worked! All I had to do at the end was stitch down the collar and sew in the ends, so that was a bonus.

Thank you for the comments everyone.

MargaretX your method is the one that I always followed in the past and I think that is what I will do when at the making-up stage.

Well done on finishing those garments Rosequartz - you deserved that pat on the back.

Thankyou!

when I may try that method (with set in sleeves).
I could make a little jumper for charity first (it will be smaller than one for a DGC) so I won't waste too much yarn if I go wrong!

My knitting group are meant to be making maroon school V-necks next month for a school in Kenya. the lorry goes out in May, but I don't have the details yet. I believe they want any size from 7 to 13, but I am thinking that bigger ones will be better, for children to grow into, and most people will want to make smaller sizes.

Your version is best Lapwing, raglans first then neckline. Knitting is just like sewing, pin the seams together neatly before sewing them. Or you can actually knit both sides of a seam together by picking up the stitches on each side with two separate needles and, holding the two needles as one, knitting them together with a third needle. This can be done with either side of your garment showing and if done on the outside can look quite decorative.