So guess what I am working on now?

As I recall, for set-in sleeves, you'll do shoulder "decreases" ?by short-rowing (so the shoulder slants down from the neck), and you'll do more short-rows at the top of the sleeve to make a round shoulder cap. I'm pretty sure Barbara Walker's "Knitting from the top down" (originally published c.

1980, but still worth every penny) has complete directions for making your own patterns this way.

That shapes the shoulders and sleeve tops; but before you get that far, you need to shape the set-in for the sleeve hole. On a circular knit, that's done by binding off (or putting on a holder) about ten stitches (maybe fewer, on big needles) for the bottom of each armhole. Then you switch to knitting back and forth on the front and back (one at a time, usually). (You could just knit the tube all the way up and then machine stitch where you want to cut the armhole. The shaping is done with the sewing machine then, but where's the fun in that?)

To make the sleeves set in a little more, you do bindoffs on every knit row on both sides of each armhole, to make a little slanted edge, until you narrow the flat part to the width you want it.

Usually the measurement is the width at the points of the shoulders, but it can be an inch or so in toward the neck. If you make the back and chest of the sweater narrow, you have to make the sleeve tops wider to cover the ends of the shoulders. With doubled yarn and big needles, a few stitches either way will make a very big difference, so I recommend putting in a lifeline before you begin the shaping. If you have to rip it out, you will have a marker for where to start again. Try it on as you go, too.

You can knit the sleeves wrist-up and sew them in or you can pick up stitches from the completed armhole and knit down to the wrist.

=Tamar

As always Tamar has wonderful explanations !!!! thank you mirjam

It was indeed a wonderful explanation that I saved for later use, but I am a little bit flummoxed as to how I am supposed to adapt it for a bottom-up sweater that is in progress.

When you have knitted the body up to where you want the bottom of the armhole to begin, decide how wide you want the armhole to be. Generally it's what's left over after you mark how wide you want the front and back to be.

Put markers at the four positions: two edges of front, and two edges of back. The two spaces in between are for the left and right sleeves to be sewn into: the armholes.

Decide whether you want to have the armhole slightly curved (slanted in) at the bottom. If you do, knit a few stitches past the place where you marked the edge of the front/back. This gives you a few stitches to decrease over the next few rows until the front/back are the width you really want.

Having knit almost to the beginning of the first armhole, either do a k2tog just before the last stitch (to start a slanting decrease) or do the k2tog at the very edge (not as nice an edge). (Or if you just want a square armhole, just bind off across the bottom.)

Once you've bound off across as far as you need to for the bottom of the armhole, start knitting again, creating the slant on the other edgee with a k2tog (or a mirror image, ssk) after the first stitch. You could do it at the exact edge but it makes a smoother slant if the k2togs are set in.

Do the same when you get to the other armhole. Knit across again.

Now you need to know whether you want to sew and cut steeks (knitting the tube in the round up to the shoulder shaping) or knit the front and back separately, flat knitting.

If you purely hate flat knitting and are willing to machine sew and cut, then after you have done the next k2tog or ssk to shape the armhole at the edge of the front (let's say), cast on about six stitches to make an edge to sew and cut, and work the back (doing the decreases you decided on). Do the same when you get to the other armhole. Continue knitting in the round until it's time to shape the shoulders. After you've done the shoulder shaping, _check your work_ to be absolutely sure you've got everything right (because a steek once cut can't be easily mended and the task is not for the faint of heart). Then once you're sure it's in the right place and the right depth, machine stitch two lines (or four for extra security) down the middle of that place where you had cast on extra stitches, and cut between the stitches. There's your armhole. Repeat with the other, making sure they're the same depth.

Then either knit the sleeves separately and sew them in, or pick up stitches and knit the sleeves down to the wrist. Either way, remember that the cast-on stitches that are now making a little flap on each side of the armhole are the seam allowance. They can be sewn down inside later. If you knit the sleeves separately and sew them in, the flaps can be sewn over the seams.

=Tamar

*lots of great stuff snipped*

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