Today's video is a check in for my attempt at a compound raglan. I've said before that I don't love how Raglan sweaters fit my body, so when inspiration struck for this striped sweater (featuring the Norma stripe), I wanted to commit to making a compound Raglan with the hope that the resulting sweater would fit me in a more comfortable and flattering way. Here enters the math! Come with me today to see what resources I'm leaning on for this process. I've got some feedback so far, and can't wait to get more of the sweater knit so my questions about compound raglans can be answered!

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Mark is wearing: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ghost-in-the-orchard

Compound Raglan Resources:

Asymmetric Compound Raglan Article:
https://www.susannawinter.net/post/what-is-an-asymmetric-compound-raglan

Compound Raglan for Broad Shoulders Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r88CTylLC_A

Time Stamps:
0:00 intro
3:55 my compound raglan adventure
6:21 an adventure in self drafting
9:19 my goals for better fit
12:05 a look at my progress
15:07 mistakes and regrets from version 1
19:05 the compound raglan, my search for resources
26:04 video resource from Meaghan Schmaltz
28:33 making my pattern plan
35:57 comparing my two raglans, traditional and compound
46:54 my hopes for the sweater
51:01 two mistakes in my second version
57:44 fixing my colorwork pattern
1:07:34 final thoughts & outro

Patterns Mentioned:

Lighthouse Keeper:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lighthouse-keeper-pullover

Norma Sweater:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/norma-sweater-3

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I absolutely love a compound raglan. I understand why so many designers don't use it, but for my own sweaters, I will adjust to include it when I can. I also appreciate you showing your failed experiments on this sweater. I get frustrated sometimes when it seems like the only people who show their progress are smaller sizes and people whose sweaters have already turned out perfectly. Seeing someone else's mistakes really helps me understand why something may or may not work for me.  Thank you for explaining your process.

Glad your trying it out. I've done my own version of this, it took me a while to get it just how I wanted it and I have to frog and start again a number of times, but once I got it "right" I now have a raglan that fits me the way I like and I've knit it around 6 different times over the years in different yarns and colors.

Hey Mark,
I love watching your videos because it’s just so cosy with you. Every flipping time, you teach me something. Every video of yours that I watch suddenly offers a surprising solution to a problem I hadn’t even realised I had. It’s unbelievable – you’re such a gem. I hope you’ll be with us for a long time to come. Your videos are gold!

I think you are right. The wider blue area between stripes looks better/more proportional for your height. Major kudos for all that math!

It was really heartwarming to hear your explanation and vulnerability regarding your body shape and tastes, but it just made me realize how common all those issues MUST be. As a larger chested woman, this all makes perfect sense and I hadn't even considered why this specific construction could be a problem

I have two tips - Barber cord and wearable toiles (to-walls) for honing in your size/shape needs. The latter is going to be a lengthier explanation but stick with me.

Barber cord: if you have interchangeables, you can unscrew the tips and push it onto your threads and it stays firmly put. Especially if you have really slick needles. You can also use it as a way to "close the loop" for storage of a project if you don't have end caps with you. Threads + Barber = Solid

Wearable Toiles: I sew a lot of garments, both modern and historical, and I have WILD body proportions. I have a 30 cm/12 inch difference between my full bust and my under-bust/ribcage measurement. My neck is a M, my lower arms are a M but upper a L, my shoulder slope is normally an XL, but bust is normally a 3Xl/4XL (so much boob), my back is normally an XL and my sleeve/body length is shorter but I'm not a cropped girlie.  You can probably imagine the mental gymnastics I have choosing sizes on sewing or knitting projects. I don't always want to be fitting to my boobs because then stuff looks like I am wearing someone else's clothes or I always have to wear the over sized look, which I don't want to do either all the time.

Sewing wise we have these things called custom bodice and body blocks - That's just sew-lingo for a base pattern that is perfectly fitted to me, and I can then go ham on to whatever wildness my brain cooks up. From those blocks I can make mockups to work out where I need to take stuff in, let it out, change my shaping methods for the result I want for my garment. That leads then to a wearable toiles/mockup out of a decent fabric when I am pretty certain I am satisfied, but not necessarily sure enough for my final fabric. But how does this relate to sweaters? In sewing we are shaping fabric into the garment. In knitting we are making the fabric and the garment. A 2-for-1 and so we should have basic ideas of how our favourite yarns/weights match with different constructions without anything more than being just a basic sweater. It should give us fit information so we can really know what will make sense if we are prone to going with the spirit of the thing and not the letter of the law of the thing we are knitting. Every time I frog back I know I am get myself to that perfect block that can then help me choose or make my new favourite, comfortable and well fitted thing.

How does one go about this then? We all have yarns we love the most to knit with. So what I have done is taken the yarns I know I am going to knit with (because I always do), in a solid/easy to read  colour-way, and for each most-loved-yarn, I made a round yoke, a raglan, a compound raglan and a simultaneous saddle shoulder. Set-ins, and fully- pieced and sewn,  are my exception I didn't do because I think easy enough to use the piece measurements to know if they will fit. Is that a lot of work? YEP. But what I have is a bunch of wearable sweaters that have given me a TON of information. What is my perfect raglan depth, best compound raglan slope math, yoke depth, yoke + raglan, what my preferred rates of sleeve decreases/increases, what is my favourite neck opening stitch count size. I have learned from plenty of bad sweaters (bought and made) what I don't want. So I knit, frog, note down, try again until I am fairly certain I have it - then I knit my wearable toile. Does that mean I have a bunch of basic AF sweaters? Yep. Those basic, no frills sweaters have allowed me to figure out what my average meters needed per yarn for a normal length/long sleeve needs, what stitch counts need to be so I can then grade between sizes on different sweater portions, or adapt colour work, lace, cables, stripes, texture into what I need to have my perfect fit. I can see if someone else's pattern is going to work for me or if I am going to have to take what I like from them and make up the rest.

This solves the whole math it out on paper that doesn't work for a lot of us tactile folks. Where the math ain't mathing even if we offer up lanolin, stitch markers, and our finest winter hours to the Knitting Gods. You have a base you don't need to question so hard, just tweak a bit.

I hope this helps someone else...and frankly, if someone wants a video... I can make one explaining it further. Happy Knitting.

Hi Mark! This was a very thoughtful video. I knit the Relax Tee by Aimee Sher, and it has a compound raglan construction. Aimee is known for her attention to fit, and I’m pretty sure she has other compound raglan designs as well. I’m very happy with the fit of that tee.

I’m another note, I use barber cords all the time too. I attach a cord to each of my needles and slide the fabric over, keeping the needle on, when I try on the garment. I’m always learning something new from you!

@MakerMarkKnits your compound raglan project is incredibly intriguing! I have the same exact problem with traditional standard raglans... and I really hate any shirt that rides up into my underarms!!! It's a sensory issue that makes me so sad because I love the look of raglans. I also don't like how lifting my arms typically makes the sweater ride up. Please make more videos as you work on your personal sweater! The stripe style & colors are gorgeous & I'd love to know how your process is going. This is something I'd love to learn myself... how to make very customized knits. I'm far more of a "Maker" but I'm getting frustrated enough with purchased patterns that are not poorly designed, they just don't fit my body the way I wish they would! I want to figure out how to knit intuitively along with the maths to have a custom fit for ANY body. 😇 I'm currently knitting the last hat requested by my cousin. She's completed her chemo & radiation but needs to avoid UV for a year. Her head also gets incredibly cold in winter & it causes massive headaches. I volunteered to make hats for her for Spring, Autumn & Winter. She has the spring beanies, the Autumn hats are finished & 1 Alpaca Musselburgh for Winter. I'm knitting the 2nd Musselburgh hat in Mixed Grey Heather, Cranberry - Burgundy & Deep Oceanic Blue to match her winter coats. I can't wait to ship this care package to her just in time for the cooler weather here in the North East. ❤‍🩹 I love knitting along while watching your videos!

I don't know why I never noticed before, but your wedding ring is really beautiful!

You have improved my barber cord technique! Thank you for doing this on camera. I do pull from the beginning pushing and pulling and cursing! Why didn’t I think of this? lol.

Also I understand the fitting conundrum. Raglans look great on me, but I am pretty sure that circular yoke do not. I am afraid to do a color work yoke for that reason. But at some point I will, and I know I will one day doing experiments like yours. Thank you for leading the way and engaging the topic of we need to make things that fit us well!

Love for the fur babies. We need a puppy update

From a design standpoint, the raglan creates a line. Lines draw the eye and point to something. With the coral raglan, the eye looks at all the creamy colored lines, and they point places you don't want to emphasize. The navy raglan construction lines are over powered by the green & red stripes. The eye is pulled to them instead. Those lines create a frame for your face, so we focus on your face instead of your chest. The reason you naturally like the circular construction is that all the lines point up to your face, that's where our eyes are naturally drawn.

I do several short rows in the shoulder area to increase the sleeve length there. I'm essentially creating a sleeve cap. It really does improve the fit if you have broad or squared off shoulders.

Mark, once again you have educated me and greatly increased my confidence. Thank you so much!

I can't knit.  It's something way beyond my capacity, so whatever you make, I'm sure it's genius.  carry on and hope all your neighbors envy your beautiful sweaters.

I actually thought the Lighthouse keeper sweater looked amazing on you and also looked really flat & flattering!

Thanks for the Susanna Winter's article. I didn't know I needed that.

That raglan sweater - that yarn is absolutely beautiful 😍😍

Thank you for this. I really liked knitting along side you talking about your knitting. I've had a long year of sadness including losing my lovely dog, Sullivan (BMD). Watching you knit, your bb dogs, and sharing all that you do is really soothing. I hope to have the bandwidth to join a Zoom session one day.

I'm in awe! Encouraging to explore more about personal fit. As always, thank you, Mark.