Over all that raglan business

I am definitely over my desire to knit a top down raglan. Class me solidly in the raglan-haters category. It's not that I can't follow direction as far as knitting them goes, nor am I incapable of modifying them, as I have found over the course of the weekend. It's that I get about ten or twenty rows in, realise that I hate the fit and immediately rip it all out again.

I'm pretty sure that I am in the minority as far as my dislike of top-down raglan sweaters goes - many of the top hits on Ravelry for sweaters are raglans, many are top down. And, like I said, I do like them in theory. But I learned to sew long before I learned to knit and I am more familiar with the kinds of garment construction that appear in sewing rather than knitting.

Raglan construction doesn't often appear in sewn garments for adults. It's generally relegated to pyjamas and sweatshirts. It also occasionally pops up in sportswear. There are reasons for this. Raglan construction doesn't fit as close to the body as a set in sleeve, particularly when working with woven rather than knit fabrics. The fit of a raglan can't be altered in the way, or with the ease that a set in sleeve can be. In short, set in sleeves are the way to go when sewing.

After my dismal attempt to get anywhere on a top down raglan, I decided that perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to tackle the mountain of projects I already have on the go. I looked through the naughty box and found a few abandoned gems.

Apparently, a while back I decided to make a little tailcoat-esque sweater. From the bottom up in garter stitch with set in sleeves. Apparently, a while back I was a GENIUS. I picked this thing back up and I was off to the races. The recognisable shapes, the logical shaping, the tailored look and the soothing, soothing garter stitch were like a balm to my raglan traumatised mind. I'm considering submitting the pattern somewhere so I'm keeping this picture free, but imagine the level of awesome. Sounds great doesn't it?

Predictably I'm not just knitting the little jacket. I've got a simple cabled pullover on the go. It's not too exciting in terms of pattern but it's going to be cute with a little bit of a retro feel. I'm happy about it.

And for your viewing pleesure:
Couch seeks home. Barely mouse infested. Housebroken.