Sleeve lengths and Ann Budd

I just unearthed my copy of Ann Budd's book, The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, and there is a great description of sleeve anatomy on page 198. With the posts below, reading Budd's additional comments might help make all this even more clear.

Designing Your Own 102 -- sleeves revisited

One thing I really like to do to make a set-in sleeve -- especially when I'm not sure how long I want to make the sleeve (or not sure if my yarn will hold out to make a long sleeve) -- I knit the sleeve in from the top. That's how I did the Edelweiss sleeves.

Here's what you want to do (make sure you understand "short rows" before attempting this feat!).

1. After seaming the armhole, use a circular needle and begin to pickup stitches around the armhole, starting in the center of the underarm bound-off stitches. Pickup stitch-for-stitch on the bind-off edge and any decreases for shaping; then pick up 3 of every 4 on the vertical edges.
   
2. Count the number of stitches. Say you've picked up 72 stitches total. Divide by 3 (yes, you will be using lots of math in knitting, sorry!). This gives us 24 stitches.
3. Now we're going to start short-rowing the sleeve top:
   -- knit the first 24 stitches, place a yarn marker, knit the next 24, * put yarn to front, slip next stitch, put yarn back, turn * (from * * is called wrapping a stitch) and purl back to the yarn marker.
   -- wrap the next stitch, knit back across ending with knitting the stitch you wrapped in the previous knit row (now you've knit 25 stitches)
   -- continue knitting in this way until you've knit all but the bound off stitches, then you're done short-rowing and you'll work even for a row or two on all 72 stitches.
4. Work even for an inch than begin decreasing evenly both sides every 4th row till your sleeve is the length you want....

That's it -- you now have a short-rowed sleeve that is attached as you knit and fits perfectly! Magic.

You can do the same thing to make a cap-sleeve by increasing by 2 or 3 each time before you wrap the stitch....

Try it!

Designing Your Own 102 -- sleeves

In a recent post, Designing Your Own 101, I explained how to design a sweater that you'll enjoy using Ann Budd's books. My friend Jenn mentioned that she was good-to-go on all aspects but Budd hadn't mentioned how to do short sleeves.

Here's what I would do:

1. Measure a sweater or t-shirt that has the length short-sleeve you like. Measure from the top of the sleeve (where it joins the shoulder) down to the "hem". Length B is the measure from the underarm join to the hem.
   
2. Also measure the circumference in two places, a: at the hem and b: just where it joins the underarm. If using a form-fitting t-shirt to measure, add a bit to the circumferences as the sweater will be thicker (maybe add an inch or so for comfort).
   
3. Using your gauge (yes, it's the bane of most knitters but it is also extremely important), cast on the number of stitches necessary to obtain that Circumference A. Increase stitches evenly on both sides of sleeve until you have the length to underarm (Length B) that you want and the Circumference B you want. You can do the math -- how many rows will give me the length I want? How many stitches do I need to increase for CircumB? How often should I increase -- usually you can fudge this a bit: increase one each side every 2 or 4th row depending and then knit even till it's the right length.
4. Follow the directions in Budd's book for fitting the sleeve into the sweater -- this is all dependent on the style of body -- did you bind off for the underarm and then decrease a few to make a fitted arm or did you just do a straight armhole with no shaping. This way will work with ANY style sleeve -- raglan, yoke, set-in or square.....

What if you don't have a favorite shirt the right length? Use a straight ruler and measure the length from you shoulder to the length you want. Use the same ruler to measure the underarm. Add 1-2" for ease to these measurements. Using a flexible tape, measure around your arm at the length you want and then just under the underarm. Add 2" for ease here (or more if you want a loose arm). And then continue with putting it in.

How's that -- clear as mud?