Raglan cardigans don’t have to fall off shoulders
Larch is a simply-textured top-down seamless raglan shawl collar cardigan.
The first two sweaters I knit for myself were top-down seamless raglan cardigans. I was so very proud the first time I put them on. They fit okay, and I wore them constantly. Your very first handknit sweater is something truly special!
However, it didn't take very long for me to discover a common problem. If you've ever knit a top-down raglan cardigan you probably know what I'm talking about.
This style of sweater frequently ends up falling off the shoulders.
My two lovely sweaters ended up being completely unwearable. It's impossible to wear a sweater that won't stay on your shoulders.
I tried a few things to try to counteract gravity, but with no success. I tried reinforcing the back neck with crochet slip stitches. I tried frequent re-blocking and trying to coax the back neck back into shape. On one of the sweaters, I eventually resorted to making a huge pleat on the back neck and pinning it in place with a safety pin.
It was so frustrating. All my work was rendered worthless, and I was so disappointed that I swore off top-down raglan cardigans for a few years.
But I love how they look so I set about finding a solution. I read blogposts from people with more experience than me. I knit patterns from people who had already figured out how to solve this problem.
And, eventually, I figured out what it takes to make a raglan cardigan stay on your shoulders.
Wildhorse adds some interest with garter detail along the raglan lines.
The key is in the back neck because the entire sweater hangs off the cast on edge. All of the weight is pulling on the back neck, and it can stretch the back neck out to unreasonable proportions. You need to proactively address this problem in two ways.
How to keep raglan cardigans on your shoulders.
First, you need to use a very strong and inflexible cast on method.
The Cable Cast On is my preference. The Long Tail Cast On seems to be the default cast on for most things in the knitting world, but it is way too stretchy to be suitable here. The Cable Cast On really doesn't stretch at all so it gives the back neck the strength to resist the weight of the sweater pulling down on it.
Second, the width of the back neck needs to be kept in check during the grading process.
When grading a raglan sweater, it can be easy to just add more and more stitches to the back neck to help achieve the proper chest stitch count. As you go up to the larger sizes, the sweater ends up with an enormous back neck width. From the very beginning the shoulders will not fit properly, and the problem will only worsen with wear. In the larger sizes, the problem is also exacerbated by the additional weight of the sweater.
The range of measurements used for the back neck width needs to be kept quite small. 5 to 7.5 inches is an acceptable range. Remember, the larger sizes will have additional weight pulling them down, so it is especially important to keep the back neck width in check as you go up sizes.
Grading a raglan sweater properly is not as straightforward as it may seem! It takes quite a bit of time and knowledge to end up with a yoke that fits all the sizes properly and maintains it's good fit as it is worn.
When I am grading a raglan sweater, I keep the back neck measurement quite small and adjust the rate of increases so that you end up with a sweater that fits nicely in the shoulders and chest while staying securely in place. It’s a ton of work to do properly, but you will find it worthwhile when you are wearing your sweater. When you buy my raglan cardigan patterns, you can be assured that I have considered the fit and longevity of your cardigan and have taken steps to make sure it fits well across all of the sizes.
So far Larch (on the left) and Wildhorse (on the right) are my only top-down seamless raglan cardigans. Both of received a robust wear test from me. In other words, I just wear them constantly. They fit my style of tees and jeans perfectly and also look wonderful tossed on over one of my linen dresses. In spite of all the wear I have given them, they still fit and look perfect. The back neck is solid and has resisted gravity as it should. The cardigans still sit properly on my shoulders even after being worn probably 100+ times. I wear my sweaters all the time.
I’m looking forward to designing another raglan cardigan for next fall. Figuring out how to design this style of sweater has made me very happy because I love how they look, and I love wearing them! If you would like to check out Larch and Wildhorse, simply click on their names and the link will take you to the pattern page. You too can have a wonderfully fitting raglan cardigan that will stay where it should!