Knitting - raglan sleeve too wide. Help?

Is this a top down sweater? What size?

I’ve knitted the Canadian TinCanKnits Flax top down sweater many times. The pattern is written for worsted weight (DK). I usually do the large size. (I send them to Knit for Peace.)

tincanknits.com/pattern/flax-worsted?g=16

Is yours similar?

The large size has only 10 stitches under the arm, 5 either side of BOR marker.

20 sounds far too many stitches. I would guest at an Aran weight it’s going to add a good 8-10 centimetres under the arm which is a lot so I’m not surprised you have bunching.

You sound like an experienced knitter but are you sure you are reading the pattern correctly? Any chance of a photo of that bit of the pattern just enough not to infringe copyright?

Thank you - sorry for the delay, I have been out.

Here is the relevant bit of the pattern. I am doing size 5.

It looks to me that you only make 10 stitches under the arm on each side not 20.

I am assuming the BOR marker is under the left arm.

• Knit across the front body sts
• Place 86 st onto a spare needle for the right sleeve
• Make 10 sts under the right arm
• Knit across the back body sts
• Place 86 sts onto a spare needle for the left sleeve
• Make 10 sts under the left arm.

I say “make" rather than cast on as when I knit the Flax I work a provisional cast on a small needle for the underarm stitches and incorporates those into the body. That means that when I come to work the sleeves I can unpick the provisional cast on so I have live stitches to incorporate into the sleeves rather than pick up from the cast on edges. It makes for a smooth join rather than a hard edge under the arm if it’s a sweater you will wear next to the skin.

I hope that makes sense.

Yes, you're right, and that's what I've done. I've just counted, and there are ten stitches under the arm (phew!). My mistake in the post, but not in the knitting.

All the same, it is a very wide armhole, possibly as the jumper is loose. I am making a bigger size than I would make to 'fit', as I like jumpers loose, (but not to have enormous sleeves 😀).

Is there a way I could make the sleeves narrower without having bulk under the arms? The whole of the body has been knitted with the ten (total) extra stitches, so I ca't reverse that.

I must say that 86 plus the ten underarm stitches = 96 does sound a lot of stitches especially for an Aran weight.

I think I would be aiming for around 60 or perhaps 72 before you start the traditional arm decreases. I’d also be aiming to decrease to say 44 or 48 before the final straight section before the ribbed cuff - assuming there is one. What does the pattern say on that?

96 divides evenly by 12.

I’m wondering whether you might start the sleeve by decreasing 12 stitches evenly over a round to 84, work a couple of rounds then decrease another 12 evenly to 72 and see how it looks. I’m wondering if it will look too puffy.

I’d be inclined to cast on 96 stitches in the round as a separate piece and try out different ways to get an even decrease around that top shoulder area and a sleeve shape you like.

On the upside, if you go down this route, as you are incorporating some mohair, the fluffiness should mask the placement of some unorthodox decreases into the body of the sleeve before you start the traditional sleeve decreases.

If you try this. I’d be interested to see a screenshot of how it looks.