135 comments on “Cropped Raglan Cardi Tutorial”

1. Dorothy – Not unusual at all! Your gage is your gage! I have learned from experience that I usually have to go down 2, even 3 needle sizes to make gage on most patterns. Also keep in mind that needles also have a millimeter measurement (example: US size 2 needles come in 2.50mm, and in 2.75mm). So you can fine tune your gage by using a different millimeter size as well, if the one you are using is not quite right. 🙂

2. Staci, your video tutorials are very clear, concise, and visibly clear– very easy to follow. I used the Cropped Cardi Tutorial and pretty pleased with the outcome. I did add length, faux side seam by purling 1 stitch on the knit side at both sides so that the garment would hang better. I also added a couple of stitches for the hip width. However, the worst part was adding the button band on the end row “v”s. I could barely make out the Vs, really did not have any Vs, had little balls, pearls, with lines in between. What do you think I’m doing wrong at the end of rows?

3. I don’t know, Ceci – you may want to take your knitting into your local yarn shop to let them get a look at it in person. The knitting teacher there should be able to help you more than I can, via email.

   Good luck!
   S t a c i

4. Staci – I LOVE your tutorials – I’m turning into a much better knitter because of you! That said, is there any reason why I can’t simply knit the sleeves using DPNs in the round instead of knitting flat – I don’t think so but simply want to ask you, the expert. Thanks again, keep posting those tutorials, they are wonderful.

5. Karen – yes, you can knit the sleeves in the round. I can’t really help you with pattern modifications, but that shouldn’t be too difficult to modify.

   Good luck!
   S t a c i

6. Staci- just finished watching your video and was impressed with your swatch. This sweater has a stitch gauge 18 sts + 24 rows = 4 in . Could you please tell me if you just do 18 sts for the gauge plus added stitches on each side in garter st.

7. Joyce – please look again at the blog post. Specific instructions for knitting a swatch like mine are there.

   S t a c i

8. Staci: I’m knitting my second cardigan and while I added an inch or two to the length, this one will be longer. Can you tell me how many inches your sweater is from under the arms to the beginning (top) of the ribbing on the bottom? Just curious.

9. i got into the pattern video and it only showed half of the video, i was wondering where the other half is? the part of the video that i say was for the cropped raglan cardi , it showed up to the body of the sweater and then it didnt have any more. can you please tell me where the rest of the video is. thanks

10. Teri – the whole video is there, in one spot…it is possible that the whole video didn’t load for you? Here is a direct link on YouTube: http://youtu.be/9sCaXn6Og_s

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11. Staci – I love how the raglan sweaters look, but when I try to find one it has the sleeves knit separate then sewn on. Is it possible to just knit this one in the round so that the sleeves are already a part of the sweater? For me its hard to find sweaters I like so this would be my first sweater.
    Amanda

12. Amanda – I can’t offer you much help with modifications, but yes – these sleeves can be knit in-the-round instead of flat.

    S t a c i

13. Staci – Is it possible to knit the sweater in the round not just the sleeves?

14. Amanda – if you knit the body of this sweater in-the-round, you will have a pullover, not a cardigan. Again, I’m sorry, but I cannot help you much with modifications.

    S t a c i

15. Staci – Thanks so much I know if I knit it in the round it will be a pull over. That’s what I want, but I couldn’t find one that I knit the sleeves right off the sweater. So I will try knitting it in the round and see how it goes. Thanks
    Amanda

16. Staci,
    I have been watching your video.
    Got my pattern, yarn and needles.
    Made a swatch with the larger size needles, it was too big
    Went a size larger and the width was off about 1/2 stitch (larger) but the length was about 1″ longer.
    I don’t know what to do in this case. I do want to make the sweater longer.
    I am a 38″ bust so am going for the medium size.
    Love your videos and hope you can help me on this one

17. Ann – it sounds like the larger swatch will be the closest you can get, and that is okay. With this style of sweater, you can try the sweater on before you separate the sleeves (as I demonstrate in the video), so you can guarantee a good fit. You can adjust the length as necessary.

    S t a c i

18. Thanks for the great teaching! You make it look so easy and interesting at the same time. I thoroughly enjoy your website and your videos. I am almost at the point to slip off the sleeves and knit the rest of the body. Your tips have given me the confidence I needed. Blessings to you, Stacy!

19. Thank you so very much for such clear and understandable instructions. I look forward to trying this project. I never tried adding a button edge and now I know how to do it. Thanks for making this visible lesson possible. I do better understanding a visual demo. Happy knitting !

20. Great tutorial! thank you so much. I’ve crocheted for years, and knit some scarves, but this was my first knit item of clothing, and it came out PERFECTLY! Your videos are so clear and easy to follow. Thanks again!

21. Hi Staci,

    Great video! Could you tell me how many yards there are in each skein of the Lion’s brand yarn you are using. I have 3 balls of yarn I have in my stash which I’d like to use (270 yards each) and I am an extra small, but not sure if that will do the sweater. I will do longer sleeves as well.

    Thank you!

    Lynn

22. Lynn – this video on substituting yarns will help you determine if you have enough yarn: http://youtu.be/3w9sJRKp9qY

    S t a c i

23. I got this yarn blend and would really like to make the lion brand pattern
    but went to the site and saw the wool you used and the needles sizes are 6mm and 8mm,
    The yarn I got same as the link is 5 mm, US 7 or 8, but the original yarn the pattern uses is with 4mm or 5.5 crochet hook does that mean that the yarn label is a 4 mm.

    http://www.woolfactoryonline.co.uk/25-wool-aran—peat-898-670-p.asp

24. I really enjoy your videos and your website. I am a very new knitter 3 washcloth and part of the scarf. But I want to do a lacy open weave cardigan and I’ve been looking for a pattern this one would be perfect. But is it possible to use a different stitch as long as I keep the same gauge and make it with a cotton thread.thanks in advance for your help.

25. Hi Staci! I had to put this project down for awhile and just got back to it. It really knits up nicely. I am adding the button bands and wanted to clarify something. From the video, it appears your first and last 2 stitches are knit stitches. I picked up my stitches from the right side which meant my first row of ribbing was from the wrong side. Of course, I followed the instructions to a “T” and did the K2 P2 which left me with purl stitches on the ends of the band from the right side. Why wouldn’t a pattern state to P2 K2 for row 1 and K2 P2 for row 2? Or did I do something else wrong?

26. Staci,

    I just finished my first big girl sweater using this pattern and your tutorial! There were a few changes I wanted to make to the pattern – longer length sweater and long sleeves (i even knit them in the round). These little adjustments were super simple and I could not be happier with the outcome.

    Thank you for helping me to be confident and successful! You make me brave! 🙂

27. Sooo glad I took the leap and tried this pattern. I have rarely rarely ever made anything for myself. I made some mistakes at the raglan point, only on one (?) And so am trying to create a way to fix or hide this.

28. My goodness I’m having FUN with this! My hands hurt I knitted so much this weekend! 😉 Glad to finally be getting started on this sweater!

    Oh, and I’m heading to Elements to get the travel sized hair products that are working perfectly with my haircut! THANKS again!

29. Hi there beautiful lady, thank you for the video. i just want to know how i can make the neck upper? can i continue knitting after ribbing for a bit more and then divied for the body? many thanks

30. Love it!

    I am a begginer knitter… and you videos are the best!
    I have one video request…. How can i knit the back of a raglan (for example) so it is longer than the front? 🙂

    Keep up the good work! 🙂

31. You showed picking up stitches for the button band of the left front with the top of the sweater to your right.

    So, to pick up the stitches on the right front, do we turn the whole sweater around so the top of the sweater is now to your left, and pick up the stitches starting from the bottom, which is now to your right?

32. Yan – yes. Pick up stitches from the right front from bottom to top, and left front from top to bottom, so that you’re always picking up stitches with the right side of the work facing you.

    S t a c i

33. I’m currently working on my Cropped Raglan Sweater from Lion Brand.
    I’ve not done a cropped version but made mine a little longer.

    I’ve just completed the section where you work in st st till piece measures (how ever long you’d like it to be).

    The pattern says…
    Ending with a WS row, dec 2 sts evenly spaced on last row.
    Can you please explain to me what that means?
    I’m not sure if it means to k2tog ever other st or just do a decrease 2 x’s in the last ws rod.
    Thank you in advance.

34. Linda – any decrease will do, you just need to get your stitch count down by two so that you can work the 2×2 ribbing. K2tog or SSK is fine, whichever you prefer.

    S t a c i

35. The sweater on Lionbrand site just does not hang nearly as nice as yours. Theirs is organic cotton, yours is wool-ease. Problem is that I live in Arizona where it is seldom cool enough for wool even in combination. Do you think that a soft cotton or cotton blend would hang as nice as yours? Anyway to make a good guess before investing so much time and money?

36. Pat – I haven’t knit this sweater in anything except wool or wool blend yarns. Wool yarns are the most “forgiving” when it comes to tension, but you can use other fibers if you choose. You can always knit a swatch out of the yarn you’re thinking of using..if you like the fabric it creates, then you should like it for a sweater.

    S t a c i

37. Staci
    I really want to use this pattern. My first sweater,but I want to use a DK YARN. This wool is way too heavy for me. How do I convert to make the correct Guage. ?

38. Hi Staci, I am now beginning to put the band on the front of my sweater. I love your teaching method and so far this sweater looks great. Thanks so much for all of your videos!

39. Hi Staci, greetings from Rome, Italy 🙂 I would call myself an advance beginner, and I have been following your tutorials for a few weeks now. I must say, you’re great…you make it all so clear and easy to understand… I love your blog, and find it very useful. Thanks so much for your great job!

    I have a question which probably has already come to your attention, but you will excuse me, I can’t see it… would you mind posting a link for me to see how to realize a top down sweater (rather than a cardigan)?

    Thanks so much again 🙂 Tania

40. Hi Staci, greetings from Rome, Italy 🙂 I would call myself an advance beginner, and I have been following your tutorials for a few weeks now. I must say, you’re great…you make it all so clear and easy to understand… I love your blog, and find it very useful. Thanks so much for your great job!

    I have a question which probably has already come to your attention, but you will excuse me, I can’t see it… would you mind posting a link for me to see how to realize a top down sweater (rather than a cardigan)?

    Thanks so much 🙂 Tania

41. Tania – most of my sweater tutorials are top-down…you can see all of them here:
    https://verypink.com/category/sweaters/

    S t a c i

42. Thanks so much! I have just purchased a pattern (green sweater for the summer) I am so excited, can’t wait to get started 🙂 Thank you!

43. Hi Staci, Thanks for the excellent tutorial.
    I was hoping to make this with a long sleeve. You mentioned decreasing every 5th row bit did not say how many stitches to decrease each time . Should I measure the circumference of the midway point of my upper arm, then above and below the elbow, mid-forearm and wrist and calculate based on gauge or is there a more straight forward way to do this. Thanks for the advice, Carla

44. Hi Staci, Thanks for the excellent tutorial.
    I was hoping to make this with a long sleeve. You mentioned decreasing every 5th row bit did not say how many stitches to decrease each time . Should I measure the circumference of the midway point of my upper arm, then above and below the elbow, mid-forearm and wrist and calculate based on gauge or is there a more straight forward / simpler way to do this. Thanks for the advice, Carla

45. Hi Staci
    I am knitting the Raglan Cardi in XLg size. Just finished row 5. I have the
    Designated 136 stitches and the 4 markers at end of Row 5. It says to contiinue
    in St st working yo Before and after marker on every RS row for a total of
    (my Xlg size) 32 times. … Ending with 368 stitches. Please help me
    With the math? Mine does not add up correctly. Thank you. YOU are my
    Fav You Tube tutorial instructor!!?? Ruthie

46. Hi Staci,
    I just finished this raglan cardigan and your tutorial was a fantastic help!! Thanks for your guidance. I’m wondering if you can help with a blocking question. I put my finished cardigan in the wash on the gentle cycle using Eucalan. When I took it out, I was surprised by how much bigger it got. I am about to make another cardigan and am wondering if I want to avoid my next one from getting so big, should I go down a needle size? I made my cardi a size M and got gauge using size 8 needles for my ribbing – would going down to a size 7 help at all? Appreciate any suggestions you can offer! Thanks again.

47. Tammy – to avoid surprises like that, you should always wash and block the swatch you knit to check your gauge. Treat the swatch the same way you’ll treat (wash) your finished sweater, and measure your gauge (stitches per inch) after the swatch has dried. Then you’ll know what needle size to start out with for whichever yarn you choose.

    S t a c i

48. Hi Staci,

    What method of bind off do you use for your 2 x 2 ribbing – is the same one you demonstrated for the toe up German short row socks?

    Many thanks 🙂

49. Theresa – you’ll want to bind-off in pattern: https://verypink.com/2011/01/18/binding-off-in-pattern/

    S t a c i

50. Staci,

    Many thanks for your swift response. Have saved the link for reference 🙂

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