I’m undecided that I’ve ever knit a raglan cardigan, although I do love raglan pullovers. Designer Jessica McDonald knit a few them after which was distressed to find that they shortly turned misshapen whereas carrying, to the purpose that they wouldn’t keep on her shoulders correctly and ultimately turned unwearable.

Being a intelligent knitter, she needed to determine what the issue was and the way she might counteract it to knit the raglan-seamed cardigan of her desires. The lengthy model of the story is documented in a put up on her weblog.

The issue is in how raglan cardigans are constructed. When knitting from the highest down, all the burden of the sweater rests on a handful of stitches: normally only one or two every for the fronts, a sew for every raglan seam, and a handful of stitches that go throughout the again of the neck.

Due to the burden of the sweater pulling on that small framework, it will probably simply stretch while you put on it, resulting in shoulders that, effectively, don’t keep in your shoulders.

A part of the answer is within the design of the sweater itself, however in the event you’re knitting a raglan cardigan from another person’s design, the primary factor you are able to do to make your sweater put on higher is to make your solid on tighter than traditional in order that it received’t stretch as a lot. 

You too can search for designs which are labored in items, as a result of having bodily sewn in seams provides your venture extra construction. Cardigans with buttons that you just put on buttoned up ought to act extra like raglan pullovers, too, so that may additionally assist.

In case you’re searching for some enjoyable cardigan patterns, take a look at this roundup of summer season cardigans I did a couple of years in the past (I’m engaged on a comfy cardigan roundup, too, so be looking out!).

[Photo: Jessica McDonald Designs.]