How to work a sweater top down

Several of our sweaters are worked top-down, and this is primarily because it provides more flexibility in terms of adjusting the swweater to personal measurements or preferences. It is easier to adjust the length of sleeves, body and especially the yoke. Working top-down also makes it easier to try the piece on while working.

In this lesson we show you how to work a sweater with a simple raglan increase. Start by picking the pattern you want to knit and use this lesson to guide you. If you want to work on a pattern with a different kind of raglan just follow the instructions for increases in you pattern - you’ll notice that the principle of top-down is the same as in this example. Similarly, this technique can also be used when working a round yoke, just follow the increase instructions for the round yoke instead of the raglan showed here.

Additionally, If you’re working a jacket top-down the technique will be the same, but you’ll work the piece back and forth on needle, starting mid front (a marker at the back will not be necessary).

Let’s get started

1) We have started this example by casting on 48 stitches and working 3 cm = 1 1/8" rib (knit 2, purl 2), before starting the raglan increases.

After the rib edge, continue in stocking stitch and place a marker mid-back. Continue by placing 4 marker threads for raglan in the transition between body and sleeves (from 1. mark to 1. marker thread = half back piece. From 1. to 2. marker thread = 1. sleeve. From 2. to 3. marker thread = front piece. From 3. to 4. marker thread = 2. sleeve. The remaining stitches between 4. marker thread and 1. mark = half back piece).

2) Start increasing for raglan on each side of the 4 marker threads.

3) Increase as follows: start 1 stitches before marker thread, make 1 yarn over on right needle.

4) Work 2 stitches (marker thread sits between these stitches), make 1 yarn over on right needle.

5) First increases (yarn overs) before and after 1. marker thread is now complete. Repeat increases at each marker thread (=8 stitches increased on round).

6) On next round, knit the yarn overs twisted (work in the back loop of stitch) to avoid holes.

7) Continue with pattern, and increase for raglan as explained.

8) When all increases for raglan are complete, continue working until you reach the measurements for where piece is divided for body and sleeves.

9) Divide piece for sleeves and front/back piece, and finish each part separately. Work until 1. marker thread (=half back piece).

10) Place stitches between 1. and 2. marker thread on a thread/stitch holder (= 1. sleeve).

11) Cast on new stitches under sleeve.

12) Work stitches between 2. and 3. marker thread (=front piece).

13) Place stitches between 3. and 4. marker thread on a thread/stitch holder (= 2. sleeve).

14) Cast on new stitches under sleeve (same number of stitches as cast on under 1. sleeve).

15) Work remaining stitches on back piece (until 1. marker).

16) Work the body in the round, follow instructions for increases, decreases, length and rib edge in your pattern. If you’re unsure about the length of piece, or considering shortening/lengthening it, you can easily try the jumper on while working (TIP: when trying the piece on, distribute stitches over several circular needles to minimise the risk of losing any stitches).

17) Work sleeves: place stitches from one of the threads/stitch holders back on the needle.

18) A: Cast on new stitches under sleeve (see pattern for exact number) and place a marker. The piece is now measured from here. B: Pick up 1 stitch in each of the stitches cast on under the sleeve.

19) Work the length stated in the pattern, place a new marker in the middle of the new stitches cast on. Decrease 1 stitch on each side of the marker.

20) Work until 2 stitches remain before the stitch with marker, slip 1 stitch onto right needle, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over (= 1 stitch decreased).

21) Work stitch with marker.

22) Knit 2 stitches together (=1 stitch decreased).

You have now decreased 1 stitch before and 1 stitch after marker (= 2 stitches decreased).

23) Follow instructions in pattern regarding the number of decreases and cm/rounds in-between each decrease.

24) When both sleeves have been completed, sew the hole under sleeves.

When the body and sleeves are completed according to the pattern, remove all markers and marker threads, and fasten all strands. The jumper is now finished!

Still haven’t chosen a top down pattern? Find some inspiration below:

Comments (151)

Duret wrote:

Comment comptez les mailles pour mettre les marqueur

15.05.2021 - 21:20:

Susan Malmlöf wrote:

Hur gör man om man vill ha en halsringning som är något djupare fram än bak ?

08.05.2021 - 14:06:

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Susan. For at et plagg i rundfelling /raglan som strikkes ovenfra og ned skal bli litt høyere bak i nakken, kan det strikkes en forhøyning. Da står det forklart i oppskriften hvordan forhøyningen / forkortede pinner strikkes. Om du ønker en dyp halsutringninge foran, må du neste strikke nedenifra og opp, felle av til hals og strikke skuldrenen hver for seg. mvh DROPS design

10.05.2021 - 07:47:

Marcia wrote:

Como se sabe según la lana y el palillo cua tos puntos se urden para comenzar la labor que tipo de muestra se debe hacer?

29.04.2021 - 16:06:

DROPS Design answered:

Hola Marcia, tienes que hacer una muestra para averiguar cuál es la tensión del tejido. Esta muestra tiene que ser según el patrón que vayas a trabajar, donde normalmente te indican el número de puntos y las agujas apropiadas, o según lo que muestra la etiqueta de la lana.

30.04.2021 - 22:25:

Schmuck wrote:

Geht das auch mit dem kleinen Perlmuster, oder muss man bei der Maschenanzahl etwas beachten?

27.04.2021 - 10:10:

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Frau Schmuck, hier finden Sie unsere Modellen, die mit Perlmuster und von oben nach unten gestrickt sind. Viel Spaß beim stricken!

28.04.2021 - 08:21:

Viviana wrote:

Al comenzar la explicación del cuerpo comienzan con más punto que los que indican al dividir el canesu, por favor me pueden explicar cómo llegan a aumentar esos puntos estoy haciendo este modelo en talla XL.

24.04.2021 - 06:45:

DROPS Design answered:

Hola Viviana. Puedes decir el número del modelo en el que tienes el problema?

25.04.2021 - 19:56:

Maria Adriana Martini Meyer wrote:

Al comenzar por arriba y en el medio de la espala cuando termino una corrida y al empezar de nuevo por el reves me queda un agujero no explican eso en el video por favor ayudenme

24.04.2021 - 04:29:

DROPS Design answered:

Hola Maria. El jersey se trabaja de arriba abajo en redondo, eso significa que no hay que trabajar por el lado revés

25.04.2021 - 19:59:

CR wrote:

Bonjour, ma question est générale car  chaque fois que je tricote un modèle top down, la taille que je choisie est adaptée en largeur mais un peu trop grand en hauteur ,les empiècements ou raglans sont toujours trop longs. Il faudrait que la manche commence un peu plus près du dessous de bras.  Quel est la méthode ? Si on adapte le raglan, faut il augmenter plus rapidement? Ou alors on modifie l'empiecement? Comment? Merci beaucoup pour votre aide car je suis assez découragée

08.04.2021 - 15:43:

DROPS Design answered:

Bonjour CR, pensez à bien vérifier votre tension en hauteur dans un premier temps et recalculez ainsi en fonction de votre nombre de rangs pour 10. cm la hauteur requise / le nombre de rangs requis pour la hauteur souhaitée. Augmentez éventuellement plus souvent/tricotez moins de rangs sans augmentations entre ceux avec augmentations si nécessaire. Votre magasin saura vous conseiller; ou vous pourrez également demander de l'aide sur des forums spécialisés si besoin. Bon tricot!

09.04.2021 - 08:19:

Madeline Macon wrote:

Comment fait on un col en v top down?

07.04.2021 - 17:44:

DROPS Design answered:

Bonjour Mme Macon, vous trouverez parmi nos modèles avec col V certains qui se tricotent en top down, comme celui-ci par exemple ou bien celui-là. Bon tricot!

08.04.2021 - 08:33:

Barbara wrote:

Ciao! Che tipo di chiusura si utilizza per questo tipo di maglione? Io ho provato una chiusura tubulare con l’ago, ma sulle maniche mi è venuta poco elastica. Grazie

05.04.2021 - 17:23:

DROPS Design answered:

Buonasera Barbara, può intrecciare le maglie normalmente o scegliere la chiusura che più le piace. Buon lavoro!

05.04.2021 - 23:47:

Renate Kik wrote:

Super gezeigt vielen Dank

08.03.2021 - 20:08:

Tanja Weiss wrote:

Wie lange muss die regan Linie sein habe 20 cm und passt immer noch nicht

13.02.2021 - 15:57:

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Frau Weiss, könnnten Sie bitte Ihre Frage in die "Frage-Rubrik" stellen? So könnten wir Ihnen am besten weiterhelfen. Für weitere individuelle Fragen zu einem Modell könnnen Sie auch gerne an Ihren DROPS Laden wenden - auch telefonisch oder per E-Mail wird man Ihnen weiterhelfen. Viel Spaß beim stricken!

15.02.2021 - 10:37:

Gio wrote:

Per le maniche vedo nell'immagine che utilizzate punte di metallo corte, ma non le trovo in vendita. Sono io che non ho saputo cercare?

01.02.2021 - 01:05:

DROPS Design answered:

Buonasera Gio, al momento DROPS non ha soluzioni per piccole circonferenze, ma le potrà trovare presso altri produttori. Buon lavoro!

01.02.2021 - 18:53:

Couleau wrote:

C est la 1ere que je tricote en rond. Merci de me donner definition de augmentation _1 et -2.

26.01.2021 - 15:15:

DROPS Design answered:

Bonjour Mme Couleau, à priori, ces augmentations sont décrites tout au début des explications, avant de commencer à monter les mailles, mais n'hésitez pas à poser votre question dans la même rubrique du modèle que vous tricotez afin que nous puissions vérifier ensemble. Bon tricot!

27.01.2021 - 08:02:

Renate Specht wrote:

Ich hatte noch nie Raglanärmel von oben gestrickt.Hat gut geklappt dank der tollen Erklärung .Danke

24.01.2021 - 11:00:

Cathy wrote:

Bonjour, je suis débutante en tricot et j’aimerais faire un pull top down, on tricote sur aiguilles circulaire et donc on doit fermer les rangs, j’arrive pas à trouver d’explication sur comment on ferme les rang au fur et à mesure, merci d’avance pour votre réponse

14.01.2021 - 01:51:

DROPS Design answered:

Bonjour Cathy, au tricot, on va tricoter en rond comme en spirale, autrement dit, on ne "joint" pas les rangs comme au crochet - cette vidéo montre comment tricoter du jersey en rond - celle-ci comment tricoter un pull de haut en bas, comme dans cette leçon. Bon tricot!

14.01.2021 - 08:33:

Maricarmen wrote:

Usaste palillos gruesos si uso más delgados como calculo la cantidad de puntos ?

12.01.2021 - 19:32:

Lotte Aaro wrote:

Jeg ønsker at strikke på rundpind oppefra og ned men ærmerne skal have anden farve end for- og bagstykke. Kan jeg det? Og Hvordan gør jeg det? Vh Lotte

09.01.2021 - 22:05:

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Lotte. Tenker du da på raglanfellinger eller rundfellinger? Du vil da få laaange tråder på baksiden med tråden som brukes til ermene. Evnt mange tråder å feste. Anbefaler deg å ta en titt på genseren i DROPS 194-38. Den er strikket ovenfra og ned, men frem og tilbake (forstykket, bakstykket og ermene er strikket for seg selv), for så å sy delene sammen langs raglanøkningene. På denne genseren er alt strikket frem og tilbake, men du kan prøve å kun strikke den øverste delen (forstykket, bakstykker og ermene) og deretter sy dele sammen og så fortsette å strikke bolen og ermene rundt. God Fornøyelse!

11.01.2021 - 10:37:

Ivi wrote:

Vælg diagram for rigtig størrelse (= 11 (12-11-12-12-13-13) rapporter à 6 (6-7-7-7-7-7) masker). Fortsæt mønsteret således og tag ud som vist i diagrammet. Hvad vil det sige?

03.01.2021 - 14:37:

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Ivi. Hvilken oppskrift gjelder dette? Om du strikker den minste str. skal du strikke et diagram som har 6 masker 11 ganger. Så følger du diagrammet og øker der det skal, les diagramforklaringen hvordan det skal økes. Om du strikker den største størrelsen har diagrammet 7 masker og det skal strikkes 13 ganger (da er det det siste tallet i tallrekken). God Fornøyelse!

11.01.2021 - 09:35:

Christa wrote:

Hallo, k zou graag de hals aan de voorkant wat lager breien dan de achterkant. Hebben jullie daar ook instructies voor? Ik brei de trui van boven naar beneden. Groeten!

20.12.2020 - 15:42:

DROPS Design answered:

Dag Christa,

Bij veel patronen voor tuien en vesten worden zogenaamde verkorte toeren gebreid. Je breit dan heen en weer vanaf midden achter in de hals waarbij je steeds meer steken op de naald breit. Hierdoor ontstaat er een verhoging van de hals aan de achterkant (of een verlaging aan de voorkant; maar net hoe je het bekijkt) In deze video vind je daarover uitleg.

20.06.2021 - 20:25:

Wil V Holland wrote:

Als je een trui van boven naar beneden breit met 78 steken hoe verdeel je dan de panden met markeerders Hoeveel voor voorpand en rugpand en hoeveel voor mouwen en meerder je dan elke tweede naald ?

18.12.2020 - 22:14:

DROPS Design answered:

Dag Wil

Dit staat aangegeven bij het betreffende patroon en hoe de verdeling is, hangt heel erg af van hoe het patroon ontworpen is, dus hoe de raglanlijnen lopen (meer op de panden of meer op de mouwen). Het hangt ook af van de vorm van de hals, de dikte van het garen, de maat etc. Dus raadpleeg het patroon voor de juiste verdeling van de steken.

26.05.2021 - 15:52:

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