Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

The Goal

Because of how raglan sweaters are made, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure they fit well. Take the time to learn how to draft raglan sweaters in DAK. Combine these choices with the practicality of knitting the sweater with decorative seams or from the top down.
Explore construction methods available in DAK >>>

About Raglans in DAK

Walk-Through: Create a Standard Raglan Sweater

Create your own Basic Raglan

Knitting Consideration: Every Other Row (EOR)

Adjust the Neck Opening

The Impact of Gauge

Exercise: Change the Gauge of your sweater

Add Bust Darts

Front Porch or Curved Back

V-Neck Tweak

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

About Raglans in DAK

Because of how raglan sweaters are constructed, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure they fit well. Take the time to learn how to draft raglan sweaters in DAK. Combine these choices with the practicality of knitting the sweater with decorative seams or from the top down.

Creating raglans in Standard Garment Styling is pretty straightforward. But it is important that you make design changes in Standard Garment Styling BEFORE editing your pattern in Original Pattern Drafting.

Understanding the relationship of the sleeve, armhole and neckline is critical.

Do not skip this section of this course, it is the basis for everything that will follow.

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Walk-Through: Create a Standard Raglan Sweater

[DAK_AP — interactive element, needs manual review]

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Create your own Basic Raglan

Using the steps practiced in Module 2, use Standard Garment Styling and create a Raglan pattern in the size and gauge of your choice.

We will use this to explore more possibilities with DesignaKnit and Raglan sweaters.

Explore and Edit all the styling and sizing possibilities in Standard Garment Styling

For now, do not make changes in Original Pattern Drafting.

Name and save the file for use later in the course

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Knitting Consideration: Every Other Row (EOR)

By default DesignaKnit charts the raglan seams to be knit at every other row. As observed previously, that fixes the size and shape of the "yellow triangles" and the size of the neck opening, sleeve upper arm and armhole depth.

An alternative to every other row shaping is to use the Magic Formula to shape the diagonal seam.

Following are 2 studies in diagonals that you should understand

Diagonal shaping

Diagonal shaping in DesignaKnit (applies to DAK 8 and 9)

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Adjust the Neck Opening

Let's say you want to adjust the neck opening for your sweater. You can choose to make the adjustment to either the neck opening (Auto Sleeve Neck Edge) or the sleeve top. (Auto Neck Width)

Auto Sleeve Neck Edge

Assign your desired neck width and let DAK correctly adjust the associated pieces.
EXAMPLE: Adjust the neck opening from 7.5" to 10" and DesignaKnit will automatically adjust all of the pieces and maintain the correct raglan shaping

Challenge:
Use "Auto Sleeve Neck Edge" and adjust the neck opening of your raglan sweater and observe the changes.

Auto Neck Width

You might be planning a specific stitch pattern up the center of the sleeve and you want the top of the sleeve to be a specific size. (in this example, the cable section needs to be 6" wide)

Using "Auto Neck Width", enter the size of the top of the sleeve (6") and DAK will automatically adjust the front and back pieces. to accommodate that sleeve head and maintain the Correct raglan shaping

EXAMPLE: we changed the sleeve top from 2.8" to 6" and DAK adjusted the pieces of the neck opening.

Challenge:
Use "Auto Neck Width" and adjust the neck opening of your raglan sweater and observe the changes.

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

The Impact of Gauge

When creating Raglan styles, the stitch and row gauge plays critical role in the shape and measurements of your armhole and sleeve shaping.

Keep in mind the triangles that are formed by the rate of decreases or increases

Set-in Sleeves

Let's take a moment to look at how DesignaKnit re-shapes SET-IN SLEEVES at different gauges.

Dak changes the SHAPING SEQUENCES to accommodate the change in gauge

In this example the tension is set at 16 sts and 20 rows to 4". The depth of the armhole approx 10"

What if we knit this in gauge of 16 sts and 20 rows? the armhole remains 10".

Raglan Sleeves

Because Raglan shaping is traditionally worked over every other row, changing the gauge can be a challenge.
Changing the Gauge in Standard Garment Styling impacts the shape of each of the raglan pieces.

DAK will also attempt to use every other row or every 3 rows to shape the raglan edges depending on the gauge. The results may not be what you want.

It's best to confirm the measurements of your raglan pieces in Original Pattern Drafting.

Tip

Create your sweater at basic gauge (16/24 or 28/44)
Make all of your sizing changes in Standard Garment Styling.
Check all the measurements in Original Pattern Drafting
Make any sizing changes in Standard Garment Styling to maintain the every other row shaping.
Change your gauge in Original Pattern Drafting, (this may impact the shaping sequence, but the shaping will be correct for your measurements)

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Exercise: Change the Gauge of your sweater

Make time to play and observe what happens when you modify the gauge of your sweater.

Change your Gauge in Standard Garment Styling
(make an extreme change to notice differences)

Observe the changes in the pieces
Observe the changes to the pieces in Original Pattern Drafting

measure the armhole depth and any changes to the sleeve upper arm

Do not save your changes - preserve your original Raglan File.

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Add Bust Darts

Adding darts to sweaters can really improve fit.
Let DAK chart darts that are custom design for your figure.

Why Bust Darts?

Tools used:

Bust Darts in DAK

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

Front Porch or Curved Back

If the back is curved or the tummy is large, the sweater front or back can ride up.
For the best, most comfortable fit, the hem of your sweater should be even with the floor.

Curving the hem can solve this.

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

V-Neck Tweak

Create a Raglan Sweater that Fits

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