Set In Sleeves

We start with the body.

My piece will be 62 cms wide and 64 cms long. The armhole depth will be 26cms

The gauge/tension is 28sts and 40 rows to 10cm.

Okay so we need to cast on 174 sts(62 div by 10 x 28).

To knit up to the armhole, we need to find out how many rows we need. To do this we take the armhole depth away from the total length.

64 - 26 = 38

38 div 10 x 40 = 152

So we knit 152 rows.

Then we need to shape for the armhole. We need to decrease the stitches required, on both sides, to leave us with a shoulder width of 38cms.( I find this is the best fit for man's sweater, regardless of the actual width of piece. )The best way to ascertain this for yourself or someone you may be knitting for is to measure them from shoulder socket to shoulder socket. Then I take 2 cms away from that. We want the shoulder seam to be on the shoulder, not down on the arm.

Okay so 62 cm(our starting width) minus 38 cms(our end width) equals 24 cms. So we need to take away 12cms from each side.

Over how many rows? Well, we need to leave 10cms of str8 knititng after we have done the decreasing. So we need to decrease over 16cms.

BUT we also need to cast off 3cms first on both sides. This means we only have 9 cms to decrease over those 16cms.

This is how I work it out. It is not as complicated as it may at first seem.

First of all, once we have knitted up to the first decrease, in this case row 152, we decrease first on the right and then on the left. 3 cms each side.

3 div by x 28 = 8.4 sts. So we decrease 8sts at beginning of row 153 and at beginning of row 154.

Now set your row counter to 0.

We still need to decrease 9cms over a 16cm length. Here is how we work that out.

First of all the rows-16 div 10 x 40 = 64.

So we knit 64 rows. During the knitting of those 64 rows we need to decrease 9cms. 9 div by 10 x 28 = 25.2. I would decrease 26 sts.

For even decreasing we need to use the Magic Formula again.

64 div by 26. It goes in twice with 12 left over.

Now take that 12 away from 26 and you are left with 14.

So you need to decrease 1 st ev 2 rows 14 times and every 3rd row 12 times.(remember you always add 1 to the first figure, in this case the 2).
Start your decrease on row 3 and decrease 1 st ev 3rd row until row 36. Then you dec 1 st ev 2 rows(ev alternate row) until row 64. Your final decrease will be on row 64.

Then knit to top with no decreasing, in this case another 40 rows.

I do not do sloping shoulders.

RMEMEMBER to do your neck shaping, just as in the drop shoulder instructions.