Knit Talk - Ep 05 - Modifying Sleeves on Circular Yoke Sweater (top down)

[@AndréeMinois]

I've been knitting for 70 years, just discovered your videos. So informative! I knitted my first topdown sweater at the beginning of the year... the field sweater. Oh la la! Found the width of sleeves too small. Pity i didn't find your vidéo sooner. Thanks a lot.

[@anv4262]

Don t change anything, it's perfect already. To the point, perfect pace, not too much math,..even as a non native english, very good to understand. The length doesn't matter. Teaching is definitely a skill that you master perfectly.Thank you for all your effort , love your podcast very much

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much, An! I really appreciate you watching and appreciate the feedback! Happy knitting, my friend!

[@SusanJane-it8hi]

Your podcasts are excellent Meaghan. They are to the point, and I can understand you perfectly. Just the right length, and no mucking about. Thank you from Sue in New Zealand.

[@robinphyfe5047]

I think your show is perfect. As someone who needs to make mods to most sweater patterns because of a long torso, I appreciate the math behind modifications. I can usually figure them out, but watching you has helped learn the technical part of designs.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much, Robin! I really appreciate you watching and I'm so glad it is helping you feel more confident in the technical part of designing!

[@dianaemmick1811]

The videos are perfect, and I very much appreciate them! The only recommendation I have is to include the technique being discussed in the title, so when I want to come back to reference these videos, it will be easier to find! Thank you for doing these podcasts. I am learning so much!! 💜

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hi Diana! Thanks so much for watching and for that thoughtful feedback. You're not the first to mention it so it will be done moving forward for sure! Thanks for watching and happy knitting!

[@7Copper7]

NO changes or improvements needed! I love these videos 👍🏻

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much, Kathy! I'm so glad you're here and enjoying the videos!

[@robinmccamont]

Just found your videos, and I’m loving “binge-watching” them! I’ve just gotten to the point in my knitting journey where I’m really interested in “upping” my skills to be able to make sweaters that truly fit me. I’m in my late 60’s and haven’t used algebra since high school, but I found some KZbin tutorials that refreshed my memory, and was finally able to solve for x & y in your equations! Woo hoo! (I always did enjoy math!). I feel like I’m really starting to get the hang of all of this gauge, stitch count, & modification stuff. A little more practice and I’m sure I’ll be able to knit anything I want! Thanks for sharing your expertise with us…!

[@shebakeslove]

Meaghan, your videos are a gift from the heavens! Great pace, easy to understand, wonderful content, informative without being overwhelming. You are intelligent, awesome, and adorable and it's just so easy to listen to you explain things. You're a natural teacher :) As I knit, I sometimes find myself wondering why some things are the way they are and your videos are exactly the tutorials I've been looking for. Thank you for deciding to do this!! I look forward to many more ❤

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much for watching! If there's ever anything you're curious about let me know and I'll do my best to share what I know! Happy knitting!!

[@terriulmer655]

they are great. The most detail that I find so helpful. Math makes my eyes glaze but I know it's part of the alteration process.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thanks so much, Terri! I know math isn't everyone's cup of tea but you hit the nail on the head: it's necessary for mods! Happy knitting!!

[@suen6410]

I want to commend you and thank you for sharing your knowledge with everyone who wants to learn the mysteries of knitting😊 This is awesome ,I can’t remember which podcaster enlightened me but I am surely happy to meet you. I’m not a sweater knitter.. yet but I have yarn for enough of my dream sweaters. My 2023 goal , so I will be one of your students, thank you so much!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hi Sue - thank you so much for watching and for your kind words. I would love to see you Knit your first sweater and I'm so happy to be on that journey with you! I'm going to discuss this in next weeks video but if you're interested now, I've created a guide for first-time sweater knitters: www.unapologeticknitter.com/mfs Thanks again for watching and happy knitting!

[@mendezcher]

I think the videos are fine as is. Math is essential for modifying patterns so there’s no way you can leave it out! I think the length and pace are perfect!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much for watching, Cheryl, and for the feedback! I'm glad you're enjoying them!

[@falcordexter]

I am so happy I stumbled on your podcast. They are perfect. I would just like more, more, more! They are so helpful. Keep them coming 👍

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Aw - thanks so much, Lue! I'm so glad you're enjoying them and thank you so much for watching. There's definitely more coming!

[@jennessweldon9840]

Love, love, love your videos and explanations. I am not a new knitter but this reinforces all of the mods I have been doing with clear and concise explanations! Math is explained in clear language and I am finally using the Algebra I learned in school. Thank you so much for doing these videos.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Wow - thanks so much Jenness! I appreciate you watching and your kind words. Keep up the excellent mods (I'm REALLY excited to hear that you were already doing all this good stuff)!

[@lisahamilton3380]

Thank you! You are my go to for modifications! This one was needed TODAY! Now I can proceed with confidence and understanding. Sending all the best to Moo.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Wow - thank you! That made my day! And thanks for the good wishes for Moo. He's doing so great now!

[@kathybelcastro973]

Please continue these videos, they are just the right length and very informative.I really got into knitting when the pandemic hit. When I have a question, I first go to you tube to see if I can get an answer.so I love these videos. Because I am fairly new I want to knit sweaters but afraid I will not understand the pattern or know how to modify them for me. Thanks for explaining the math behind it.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Aw - thanks for the feedback, Kathy! I'm definitely not going anywhere, I just like to make sure that everyone is getting what they need to feel confident on their journey! We'll get you knitting sweaters in no time!

[@sandydonaldson2338]

You don’t need to change a thing. It is perfect. Great job.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thanks so much for the kind words of support, Sandy! Its lovely to have you here watching!

[@KnitsinMotion]

I’ve enjoyed all the episodes. They are perfect in length and detail. I love the way you are presenting the information. Episode 3 came at the perfect time bc my husband had just asked me if there was a way for me to adjust the sleeves on a 80’s drop shoulder sweater I had made for him back in the day.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much for watching and for the feedback. I love that the timing was so perfect for you - lucky husband to have you knit him a sweater and then adjust it! Keep up the awesome knitting!

[@sonyabarnes7098]

I'm so pleased I found this video. I'm rubbish at maths but I feel confident to give it a try now, thank you so much ❤

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

You're very welcome!

[@marydecker6197]

OMG! Just found this video because I want to make the Dark Academia sweater by Sharon Hartley and the sleeve circumference is way too small for the size body that I need to make. The increasing may be an issue here because of the heavy design elements of this sweater. However, I am fairly confident that I can figure out how to work them in. I don't have the pattern yet to see how the increases are incorporated into the design. Anyhow, I had thought of knitting the body size I needed and then doing the sleeves in a larger size. You confirmed that is possible. However, I had not thought about the yoke depth for the two different sizes, so you probably saved me with this video. By the way, your video was perfect...clear and easily understood. I must admit that I am a math geek so numbers are my friends. Thank you so much!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Yay - I'm so glad it was helpful to you. I'd love to know how your sweater turns out when you're done!

[@kpags6681]

Thank you for your videos. I have just discovered you through Tayler of Wool, Needle, Hands. These are great and I so appreciate your sharing of your knowledge❤😊.

[@mrspilgrim327]

I love your videos, they are a nice length, very clear and well structured. I think you have kept them to a perfect bite sized length too. If I was thinking really hard about a helpful addition, and this may be a bit fussy. But maybe time stamps would be helpful for someone returning to your video after already watching it, and simply wanting to fast track to a specific part for help. For future video ideas, just off the top of my head, coming from Australia, we work in metric. I appreciate many knitting teachers are American like yourself so all I hear in the maths is inches, 1/4 inches, etc, some of which is quite foriegn and unfamiliar to me. Just the other day I was trying to work out how many stitches to pick up on my cardigan button band. I had done a gauge swatch of the said band and was working and using the knitted garment gauge with it. I found myself getting muddled because the tutorial I was getting help from only gave the help in how to calculate in inches, and parts of inches. I just wished at the time I could understand how to work it out in metric, I couldn not find a way to convert they calculations they were using into metric language, not with my understanding anyway, so I just muddled my way through. I dont know if you are comfortable with metric, and I dont even know how it could be worked into your tutorials, but I thought it might be food for thought.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much for watching and for the feedback! All excellent ideas. I am actually Canadian by birth so I'm very familiar with the metric system; I didn't move to the US until I was 25 so I've got both in my head. In my first video I think I used both in my demonstrations (US and metric) but worried it was too many words. But this is great feedback! I'll make sure to include both. If not in the actual words, in the description below the video so that folks who work in metric don't get stuck. I really do appreciate that feedback! Thanks again for watching and happy knitting!

[@mrspilgrim327]

Im glad you found that helpful. Im also originally from Canada, BC. Im moved as a very young girl but recall be taught imperial measures in my first 2 years of school there, perhaps they were still in the transition, it was the late 70's. But it was well and truely drummed out of me in Aussie. I think your going to grow in popularity very quickly, theres a need for your videos and you are filling it perfectly. The only tutorials I have come across like this have been by desingners trying to assist in specific parts of their patterns. Having it set out this way is very exciting as it opens up a world of possiblilites and gives me freedom and confidence to play with my knitting. It also takes that whole mystery out of the construction. Thankyou.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

@@mrspilgrim327 Thank you so much. I do hope I'm able to help more knitters feel confident in modifications, and knitting in general! ❤️

[@Yarknit-o6p]

I would love to know how to modify the circumference of the sleeve to make it smaller. Great videos! Easy to understand

[@sandycross3343]

Hi from Australia. ❤❤❤ Love Love Love your videos. So very helpful & well explained/presented (particularly with the Maths being written into the show notes). And yes please could you do a video on modifying sleeves to be smaller size in a yoke down sweater and also for a cardigan knitted flat with set-in sleeves. I would like the sleeves to be a smaller circumference, particularly around the cuffs.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hi Sandy from Australia! Thanks so much for watching! You bet! I'll add these ideas to the queue!

[@lorrie6736]

I think your podcasts are just perfect! I was going to download the schematic for the sample sweater but the link won’t work.I tried episode 4 and 5 links. Thank you for starting this informative and much needed podcast!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hi Lorrie! Thank you so much for watching and for your feedback. And please accept my apologies about the links. I had a really bad 'tech' day yesterday and my website crashed. I'm told it's up to 72 hours for it to re-launch (HUGE sigh). In the meantime, here are some temporary links you can use to get the documents. Happy knitting! Schematic: www.dropbox.com/s/5o0ze2g9a6dy1pt/CircularYokeSweaterSchematic.jpg?dl=0 Mini-pattern: www.dropbox.com/s/aj9nk78df5j5woc/Circular%20Yoke%20modifications%20sample.pdf?dl=0

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

The website is now back up and running so the original links in the description below the video are available again - whew! Thank you again for letting me know that the original ones weren't working! Happy knitting!

[@stephanierend1261]

Fantastic 🎉

[@tlhbooth16]

Love your pace, voice and room you are using. Keep going! I’m having a hard time finding the downloads. That’s a me problem…

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much for watching and for the kind words of support! Here's a link to the downloads: www.unapologeticknitter.com/knit-talk-downloads I reworked my website last week so there may be a broken link to that page. Thanks for letting me know to check them! Happy knitting!

[@karenmarieknits1321]

I love the idea of this...genius! One suggestion for us visual people, is to actually show the math on the schematic as you're talking instead of having the camera on you. (Actually, now i remember that you have said you have a pdf attached, but honestly, i haven't looked at them, so am doing the math in my head with you....maybe this is the answer haha). Looking forward to future episodes, such a great reference!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hi! Thanks so much for watching! I totally get it - I'm super visual too! If you click the "Show More" below the video (in the little box with the description, below the title) I have all of the math shown there, too. So you can download the files or just go through it with me in the notes below the video. I hope that helps and happy knitting!

[@karenmarieknits1321]

@@TheUnapologeticKnitter thanks! I was busy knitting while listening so didn’t check that out… but I will!

[@justlease37]

I came down to see if anyone else had requested the math on the screen as well. I'm an autistic knitter, and because of that I have challenges wrapping my mind around math when I hear it only in words, but when I can hear the explanation and see the numbers at the same time, it all makes perfect sense! I appreciate that you have the math in the description, but it's a pain to pause the video and have to scroll down to find it, parse it separately from listening to you, go back to the video, etc. Would appreciate this accommodation for those with different learning styles than audio learners. Thank you!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

@@justlease37 Thank you so much for this feedback, Lisa. I'm always trying to improve my videos and have made an effort to include it in the latest videos as much as I can. Thanks so much for watching!

[@justlease37]

@@TheUnapologeticKnitter very cool! I'm working my way through your library of videos (which I'm thoroughly enjoying, btw) so I'm sure I'll come across one of those soon! Really enjoying the explanations of how to do sweater pattern mods because I've got quite narrow shoulders, relatively non-beefy arms and a full 10 inches between my upper bust and full bust measurement so standard patterns never fit right. Would love to see a video about dealing with full bust adjustments that are more than just adjusting for a couple of inches, and how to choose a pattern that can support making those adjustments. Looking to make adjustments so that my sweaters don't ride up in the front, or make me look like a sausage! :)

[@mendezcher]

I would love to see how to adjust a raglan top down (if you already have one, please direct!) So many raglans have extremely deep armholes and living in a long, cold climate, they don’t fit under coats. I feel like stopping the raglan early will then decrease the body width. Thanks for any advise!

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hey Cheryl! Good news - that's the topic of the next video in the Knit Talk series! It'll air in about a week and a half!

[@LC-yb9xm]

I love your episodes! It would help perhaps if the name of the episode mentions the topic (like a keyword?), since someday you will have many many episodes, and I am sure I will want to go back and review something you said. Thank you!😊

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Thank you so much for watching and for that thoughtful feedback! I'm trying to avoid too long a title but perhaps I'd be better just labeling it as Knit Talk - Episode 5: Modifying Sleeves on a Circular Yoke Sweater? What do you think? Thanks again! That's truly great feedback to consider!

[@LC-yb9xm]

@@TheUnapologeticKnitter Perfect!

[@SusanJane-it8hi]

Really good info. My problem is, that I reached the armhole, and have knit 6" of the body, before I decided to check the sleeve count. I need to go up a size. :( I will add the 2 extra's as you said, but...

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Sigh... that's frustrating for sure. Have you checked your gauge to see if you go up a needle size for the sleeves if it would make up enough of a difference? I know that's not a perfect solution but it might be enough different with the extra stitches??? *fingers crossed*

[@SusanJane-it8hi]

@@TheUnapologeticKnitter Actually thats exactly what I have done, and so far it seems to be fine. Thank you.

[@amandawilliams3785]

Does adding its to the sleeves also add to the width of the yoke?

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Well... it can, but it depends on how you are working the increases for the sleeves. If you add stitches to your yoke before you separate the sleeves from the body, and you don't place all of these extra stitches in your sleeves when you put the stitches on hold to complete the body, then yes, you'd have extra body stitches which would make the body larger. If you add stitches to the sleeves by casting on more stitches at the underarm when you separate the sleeves from the body, yes, you'll have extra stitches added to the yoke as well. If you don't add any extra stitches until you knit the sleeve (i.e., the yoke and body are already complete), then no, any stitches you add to the sleeve will not impact the body.

[@sandydonaldson2338]

If you want the sleeve bigger and you have follow for size 2 but the yoke is still not long enough can you just increase at the sleeve on the beginning and end.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hi Sandy - I'm not quite sure that I understand what you mean about "the beginning and end". If your yoke needs extra length beyond the final increase round you can always work the extra stitches that you need for each sleeve on a separate round but I recommend spacing them out over an entire round so that you don't end up with some weird puckers. But if I've misunderstood your question please let me know!

[@everystitchaprayer6268]

I love math! You are my people!🤣Thank you!

[@libbyfifis6806]

Hello Thankyou for a great video. I’ve knitted my first colorwork yoke sweater. Have just finished the first sleeve before trying on. The body is perfect but the sleeve circumference is way too big! Any tips on modifying? Im prepared to rip back the sleeve but not the body. Thanks again

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Can you just clarify whether this is bottom up or top down? I want to be sure I understand the construction before I give any guidance. :)

[@libbyfifis6806]

@@TheUnapologeticKnitter Thanks it’s top down. I’ve just checked my gauge also. My colorwork yoke is 19.5, stockinette body is 17 and sleeves are 16spi. I used 6mm on body and sleeves and 6.5mm on colorwork. Pattern calls for 18 spi. Thinking of ripping out sleeve and re-knitting in 5.5mm. Thanks for any advice you may have.

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

@@libbyfifis6806 Ok, so since you have a set number of stitches to place back on your needle at the top of the sleeve, you can't do too much with those stitches - they're not going to change. However, if you have to pick up and knit stitches at the underarm, you can pick up and knit fewer stitches than the pattern calls for, as a starting point. And then you'll likely want to work some decreases in shorter succession at the top of the sleeve to work out some of the bulk. Going down a needle size will also help. You just want to be sure you don't change too many needle sizes as it might be obvious that your gauge has changed. Going down one needle size would probably help to get you closer to the stockinette stitch gauge of the body.

[@libbyfifis6806]

@@TheUnapologeticKnitter thanks so much. I’ll give it a go

[@pegzappen4903]

always show your dog!

[@annettehoffmeister4144]

Hello from Denmark. I use the app KnitEvenly to help me with the increases. I love it. It is so easy. You tap in how many stitches you have and how many you want to increase or decrease and whether you work flat or in the round. And it makes all the math for you. It costs a little but it is worth it 🧶😊

[@TheUnapologeticKnitter]

Hello Annette from Denmark! Thanks so much for sharing about that software. I'd not heard of it before but that's a great resource! Happy knitting!