knittingthestash Tutorial: Provisional Cast On for Sleeves in Bottom Up Sweaters

[@MsVideoWatcher100]

Thank you, thank you thank you. I have watched several provisional cast on videos. Yours is the first one that showed how to use it. Others just show the cast on and removing the waste yarn, not how to work it in a garment.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much! Appreciate your kind comment :)

[@petara6065]

In this tutorial the teacher is peeking through....very well done. It adresses the problem of sleeve length beautifully. This has been the reason I avoided knitting bottom up in the past. With your method I will give it a try again. Thank you!!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much!

[@Loveleione]

This is great! Many thanks! And the timing is perfect as I’m knitting a bottom up sweater and not enjoying the idea of attaching sleeves after knitting them bottom up. I am watching for the 3rd time and feel brave enough to give it a go. Thanks again! 🙋🏽‍♀️💜🧶

[@knittingthestash]

Wonderful to hear! Good luck with the sleeves--you've got this!

[@nonamenoname2767]

Thanks for the sketchy explanation. It made everytjing so clear 👍

[@knittingthestash]

Glad it helped!

[@loriflaglor5686]

Thank you! This technique solves one of my greatest problems. When I’ve attached the sleeves to the body of my bottom-up sweater, I find the stitches of the sleeves very tight and stretched at the point where they join to the body when on the needle, which is rigid and won’t flex with the stitches (as opposed to the flexible cord). As a result, I get several rounds of stretched stitches. This solves that issue! Yay!

[@doujamamelouk7237]

You are truly an amazing teacher! I have been trying to figure out on my own how to knit a sweater without a pattern bottom-up. Your video is so helpful! Thank you for this.

[@Janet-ov7zx]

Great explanation and demonstration of both the sweater construction and of how a provisional cast on works. Thanks! Janet

[@janchow88]

Fabulous. Thanks for the clarity of instruction. It was exactly what I needed at the most perfect time. This makes so much sense to do it this way. 💗

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Jan! Glad it's helpful :)

[@cathyinmt]

Excellent tutorial Melissa! This is perfect when you usually need to modify sleeve length! Thank you!

[@knittingthestash]

Yes--it's a great technique for sleeve length adjustment as well!

[@zoedoodle]

This was great. I am working on my first bottom up sweater and caring for this approach. Seems to make it a lot harder to make sure the garment is going to fit. And doing the the sleeves bottom up to attach afer the fact - that's just crazy. So, I was very pleased to see this instructional and how very thorough it was. I've never done a provisional cast on before though I've seen a couple of tutorials on it. They just left me confused. But now I feel confident that I can do it. Thank you!

[@slowstitches]

i agree with everyone's comments. This is a great video, Melissa. I appreciate your clarity and the calmness of your voice. Thanks so much.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Sandy!

[@cindymaag4212]

Brilliant teaching Melissa! I know that I can do this after watching your video. Thank you.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Cindy! Best of luck with whatever projects you're working on!

[@melissafauna]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!

[@christendeschenes4733]

Just what I was looking for!! I usually knit bottom up sweaters with set in sleeves. I recently knitted a bottom up sweater, constructed as you showed, and was researching how to do provisional cast on to knit the sleeves top down. Your video is great to see how it's done! Since I didn't find much info elsewhere on this, I planned on just winging it! I hope lots of knitters watch this and attempt bottom up sweaters more often because they aren't as bad as people think!

[@knittingthestash]

So nice to hear this, Christen! Thank you

[@r.mcd2921]

Thank you for this! It was a little hard to see (low contrast slightly blurry video), but I got the essence of it.

[@evelineblok4103]

Sublime tutorial!! This was very helpful! Thank you very much Melissa!

[@knittingthestash]

Excellent and thanks, Eveline!

[@donnaglaess6931]

Wonderful tutorial, I was always a bit intimidated by bottom up sweaters…. This is much more comfortable for me. Your instructions are clear and easy to follow. Love all your podcasts…. Thanks

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Donna!

[@Enig_Mata]

Perfect timing for this. I'm knitting the Maja cardigan and did not want to knit the sleeves separately. Thanks so much for sharing this. ETA: I followed your instructions and it worked out beautifully. To others, be sure to not cast on tightly.

[@knittingthestash]

Yes!!! So great to hear this, Enid! Way to go.

[@nicoleschouwey2077]

Thank you Melissa, outstanding explanation 🙏

[@celestegarcia486]

Thanks Melissa! I am saving this great tutorial so I can employ this technique on my next bottom up yoke sweater. It is clear and I appreciate your tempered pace so it is all the more understandable. Thank you!

[@sueaitkin8030]

Thank you! You are a wonderful teacher, makes so much sense.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Sue! Appreciate your kind comment.

[@mywoolmitten]

This is great Melissa, thank you so much for the tutorial!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Cary!

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you for making this video

[@knittingthestash]

:) Thanks for the kind comment :)

[@daniasv5349]

Melissa--how did you calculate how many stitches for underarm vs. overarm? Thanks for this fantastic video!

[@TrudySchwartzBurrill]

Great tutorial thanks, Melissa. 😊

[@kittencollective]

My first sweater, finishing off a bottom up UFO I inherited and this seems like an easier way to make sleeves than what's in the pattern? Lets see. Thank you.

[@despinavassos7865]

Thank you, that was great. Very easy to follow❤ I was wondering can you use this technique for bottom up raglan sweater or does it only on yoke sweaters? Thanks again!

[@SherryOram72]

Thank you so much for such an informative tutorial. I’ve been anxiously waiting all week for this. Cheers!! 🤗👏🏻🇨🇦

[@knittingthestash]

Awesome! So glad it's helpful, Sherry!

[@valeriebishop561]

This seemed a bit like Judy's magic cast on for toe-up socks? Fabulous idea!

[@mrscraftalot]

Love this. Your instructions are great! I was al set to try it on a current project but then I realized that as it is an all over colorwork pattern, the fact that the stitches will be upside down from the body will be noticeable. Oh well. Next time!

[@knittingthestash]

Ahh, yes!! Excellent point. And there are a few other cases where this might make a difference.

[@marny7760]

@@knittingthestash Such as cables or other textured work extending from shoulder to wrist?

[@knittingthestash]

@@marny7760 Yes--but there are ways to fudge this a bit and make it work . . . depending on how much 1/2 stitch would bother you in the end :)

[@marny7760]

Brilliant! I tend to avoid bottom-up patterns primarily because I don't want to have to knit the sleeves separately then join. You've removed that obstacle--thank you! Also, I've never seen this form of provisional CO--does it work in any provisional setting, such as a neck CO for a top-down sweater, where collar is later worked from neck upwards? I'll have to try it.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Marny! Yes, it should work in most other applications (at least the ones' I've tried, such as underarms) and it should work for neck COs too!

[@MikiCrespo]

Thanks so much for sharing 💗

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Maria!

[@dancetothebeat45]

Oh I love this idea! Thank you for the tutorial!

[@knittingthestash]

yay! happy knitting!

[@louannahendricks1598]

This was a great tutorial, I will use this technique thank you!

[@knittingthestash]

Wonderful, Louanna! Good luck with the projects :)

[@maryzcorner]

I LOVE, love, love this tutorial. Thank you! I was going to ask you if you would do a tutorial and you were on it before I asked. 💗😄👏🙌👌💖🧶✨

[@knittingthestash]

Wonderful, Mary! Thanks so much :)

[@victoriapileski3966]

Thanks for the informative video but I would like to know if there is a definitive reason to use German twisted cast-on vs a different type such as the cable cast-on?

[@marny7760]

A cable CO, as I know it, does not create two sets of live stitches, one moving upwards and one downwards.

[@ruthdennisKnits]

‼️👏🏽THANK YOU 😎

[@vindeljay]

That was brilliant.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Jenny!

[@victoriapileski3966]

Is there a definite reason to use German twisted carton for the sleeves instead of another option such as cable cast-on?

[@knittingthestash]

Hi Victoria, I'm not using a traditional German twisted cast on here (at least as I understand the technique). There are multiple ways to work a provisional cast on, though I have not personally seen one mixed with a cable cast on . . . I'd love to know! This is just my go-to provisional cast on for plain, stockinette sleeve stitches.

[@bsfb3ar]

Hi Melissa how many stitches did you cast on for the body, what is the weight of yarn? Is this a med size sweater? I love your tutorial so clear and flexible. Thanks for sharing.

[@knittingthestash]

Hey there. For the My Lopi sweater, I cast on 256 (between sizes 2 and 3) and I was working at gauge. Thanks so much!

[@valeriecalderon2993]

I like that method. The only thought I had was if there was color work on the sleeves. Wouldn't that change the v facing up or down on the the knit stitch.

[@knittingthestash]

Yes--Valerie--absolutely! If you're working in-pattern for the sleeves, then this method won't work very well or easily. But, I am now imaging alternate ways of dealing with that . . . hmmm, I wonder . . .

[@teresaharp]

?Would it be just as easy to wait until you finish the top before picking up the provisional cast on and under arm stitches? Or do you think it's better to pick up sooner? Thanks thus is a great tutorial 😊 I'm at the point of the provisional cast on for my sleeves now so I'll be watching again 😊

[@knittingthestash]

Hi Teresa, Yes, just as easy to wait. I was just doing the armpits here so that you could see them in the space of a single video :) Good luck with your sweater project!

[@Whistlewalk]

Question: I can't visualize it (late night watcher) but will the arm stitches point in the same direction as the body of the sweater using this technique, which BTW I think is ingenious. Love your tutorials. Always well thought out.

[@knittingthestash]

The arm stitches will be going in the other direction if you knit the body bottom up :) And thanks!

[@genier7829]

Great video, alas it came one day too late for me. I just attached sleeves the traditional way and once again got holes where they join. Does your method help eliminate these gaps? I will definitely try this nest time!

[@knittingthestash]

Ack! Just missed you! Next time around, then. And I should post a video of the underarm pick up . . . soon! As long as you grab a couple of extra stitches (at least one on each side of the potential "gap"), you should be OK

[@kathydent2116]

But why, why why? WHY would you want to knit sleeves onto a body if you didn't have to? I have just completed my first top-down jumper and I would rather stick needles in my eyes than ever do that again. Dragging a whole garment round and round and round while I knitted the sleeves was my idea of hell. I want my knitting to be as portable and UN-cumbersome as possible, so knitting a sleeve all by itself is exactly what I want to do. I would be so happy if you did a tutorial on how to knit a top-down pattern in a bottom-up way. I was very disappointed by your recent interview with Rachel Illsley when I went to her patterns and found that they are all top-down and therefore far too much of a pain for me to try. (Sorry, but I'm a recent arrival in the world of circular knitting and there are some days when I just want to go back to knitting on straight needles and sewing up the pieces. But the Lettlopi jumpers won't let me!!)

[@kayceegreer4418]

I wish I knew what you were talking about, maybe I'll understand if I listen long enough and then look up some words and then look up some instruction videos tutorials... I'm here to learn but I always did jump off the deep end with a sink-or-swim attitude.....

[@sidu333]

you drew and talked more. you just had to show how it's done. many blah blah blah. Those who do not understand the language need to see -