Stitches

How do you cast on when you are knitting a sweater?

I am knitting a sweater for the first time. I am making the back and when it's time to make the sleeve, it says to cast on stiches. How do you cast on for the sleeves if you have already knit 13'' for the back?

Public Comments

1. The stitches you have for the back should be put on a stitch holder. You can get them at a craft store and they look like an oversized pin. You would pick up the stitches when you have the sleeves and the front made. Look further into your instructions and you will find the info. Also check the pattern as the 13" you mentioned [if it's for an adult] would only take you from the beginning [bottom ribbing] to the bottom where the sleeve joins the back and front of the sleeves. It should go on further and tell you to decrease X amount of stitches and then X amount every X amount of rows until you have X amount of stitches on your needle. These are the ones you put on the stitch holder. If this does not ans. all your questions or I can help you any further check my avitar and e-mail me.
2. It sounds to me as though your sleeves are knit as part of the back. Usually you knit the back first, up to the neck and then knit the sleeves separately. But I think with this pattern, you knit up to the part where the sleeves start and then cast on for sleeves and keep knitting. So, knit to the part where you cast on for sleeves. Then, leaving your knitting for the back on the needle, cast on stitches in the same way you would do if you were starting out. These stitches just get added on to the needle. After casting on, you begin to knit again, so that eventually you build up the sleeve, and continue on to the back. You then knit across the back until you get to the end of the row. Turn the knitting and cast on for the second sleeve. Knit the sleeve, continue across the back and across the first sleeve. As you knit, this will look like a big "T". It's a pretty cute way of doing a sweater I think. It's simple, but looks nice and you don't have to worry about sewing in the sleeves. Hope this description helps.
3. For this purpose, I'd use the e-loop cast-on method. This is the simplest. If you used smaller needles for your initial rows, when you began the back, Use the 3-loop method on one of those smaller needles, then knit back with your regular needle(s). This will make the cast-on just a wee bit tighter, so it won't look looser than the rest.