knittingthestash Tutorial: Picking Up Sleeve Stitches for a Colorwork Sweater

Hello fellow knitters! If you've ever struggled with picking up stitches for the sleeves of a colorwork sweater--or, really, any top down sweater, this is the tutorial for you! I'm working on Rachel Illsley's Orbits sweater and this is the way I plan for and pick up my sleeve stitches. Special thanks to Nargis for requesting this particular tutorial. If you have suggestions for future tutorials, you can email me at [e-mail] or leave a comment on any of my tutorial videos. And, I'd love to know how you pick up stitches, so leave me a comment below! ~Melissa
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[@karenesplen6005]

Thanks SO much for this video. I have struggled for years picking up sleeve stitches. They always looked messy. Your explanation of the “A” and “V” stitch was clear and concise and it has resulted in the perfect pickup! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I am a faithful watcher of your podcast and appreciate your attention to detail in knitting.

[@clairerosenfrisk2003]

Great video! Thank you for taking the time to painstakingly show us the A versus the V of top down versus bottom up. I'm a self-taught knitter so seeing your explanation really helped. Thank you!

[@metaspencer]

Mad knitting skills on display! Cool to see your yarn magic happening

[@knittingthestash]

You're the sweetest!

[@slowstitches]

Thanks, Melissa. Your explanations are so clear. I appreciate your time and talent.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Sandy!

[@SherryOram72]

Thank you so much for sharing such an informative video. Not everyone understands how to do this. It can seem quite daunting. I'm sure many will appreciate such a wonderful tutorial ☺

[@knittingthestash]

Thank you Sherry :)

[@kikizag]

love it!!! very well explained it

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much!

[@vindeljay]

Thank you, very easy to understand, perfect timing for me.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Jenny!

[@heyBrownBerry]

I'm not yet working on this sweater style, but I still found your approach SO enlightening and useful. Your reasoning for this approach (and the extra care to show the stitch orientation, marked columns, and the area for closing up gaps was brilliant! Thanks, Melissa!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Marce :)

[@tracys.5143]

Thanks for this very clear tutorial. Your sweater looks magnificent!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Tracy!

[@MikiCrespo]

Thanks so much for sharing 💙

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Maria!

[@KateMH_]

Great vid!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Kate!

[@pattyg6871]

Thank you for this tutorial. I’m knitting mittens and need to pick up stitches for the thumb. I can apply the same technique with my current project. This was very helpful in multiple ways.

[@knittingthestash]

Excellent! Thanks, Patty!

[@pennybowman7734]

Thank you, that was so helpful & I realized watching it that I’ve also been knitting together the extra picked up stitch with another picked up stitch instead of together with the stitch already on the needles. So helpful.

[@knittingthestash]

Awesome, Penny! So glad this is helpful :)

[@bead9609]

Love the tutorial, thank you. I don't know if you ever did a tutorial for picking a stitches for V neck for 1X1 and 2X2 rib it would be nice to see it done by you . Happy knitting !

[@knittingthestash]

Hi Bea, I do not have one, but I do have instructions in one of my patterns (Parks and Rec)--I should do a video--great idea! Thanks.

[@NargisRashid]

Thank you so much for this tutorial!! I think what I've been doing wrong is that I've tried to pick up stitches at the top of the V's instead of the A. This was so helpful and I'm feeling a little more confident to try knitting the Orbits pullover. Yours is so beautiful!

[@knittingthestash]

Ah ha! Yay! Sounds like your in for some excellent armpit success ;) Great suggestion for a tutorial--thank you!

[@danalear8562]

Thank you for the video. I knit that sweater but don't remember how I did the underarm. I'm knitting another by the same designer. It calls for casting on two colours in pattern. I can't tell from the video: are you picking up from the stitch or from the long-tail cast on? I'm having a terrible time trying to get my needle or hook into the cast on stitches.

[@mistakkesweremade]

Random question, is there a structural reason to cast on and pick up at the underarm rather than use provisional? I know seams help distribute weight and keep things in place but am curious to know if and how that might apply to underarms... Awesome vid as usual, thanks!

[@michellelindgren8419]

I’m glad you mentioned this on your podcast because I had missed it. I was wondering if you’re going underneath the cast on edge when you pick up stitches or are you going into the stitch itself? It looks really nice and neat.

[@knittingthestash]

Hi Michelle, I'm trying to remember now that it's been a few months . . . sheesh, memory! I believe I was going in under the bound off edge here, but I'd have to look back and see :)

[@emmadobbs2638]

Great tutorial, thank you! I was wondering if you would consider doing a tutorial on decreasing for colourwork sleeves? I love Fair Isle and other types of colourwork with all over motifs but sometimes the colourwork along the inner arm where the decreases are doesn't look as good as I'd like.

[@knittingthestash]

Hi Emma--a great idea. I'll add it to the queue. In the meantime, we do have a thread on just this topic over in the knittingthestash Ravelry group that might be helpful. Some excellent advice over there from some experienced colorwork knitters.

[@emmadobbs2638]

@@knittingthestash Thank you! I'll look forward to it! Unfortunately I can't use Ravelry since the site redesign due to migraine which is unfortunate since your group always had very good information.

[@knittingthestash]

@@emmadobbs2638 Ahh, Emma, I know what you mean and I'm sorry that the site designers went that way! It's been such a frustrating change for so many.

[@user-fc3sx2cw5x]

How many hours a day do you typically knit for? I’m curious :)

[@cristienicklas9512]

Since I found provisional cast on I haven't looked back. Is colorowork that goes beyond the sleeve separation different and needs the pickup method?

[@knittingthestash]

It all depends on the sweater, I suppose, Cristie :) I do love a good provisional cast on!

[@carolinegray3150]

Good video