Top-down jumper construction has become very popular in recent years, and we’ve embraced it for its ease and sense of satisfaction! Some of our most popular patterns, like the Isabella Jumper, and the Demi Diamond Top, are knit from the top down.
Why make a top-down & in the round pattern?
Here’s some of the reasons people love top-down knitting like this:
- You can try it on as you go to get a perfect fit or length.
- No seaming required – you're knitting the whole garment in one piece!
- It allows for complex lace or colourwork patterns around the yoke of your garment, without having to line up different pieces.
- Similarly, gradient yarns can be used for the whole yoke of the garment to give a beautiful smooth colour transition, like in the Isabella Jumper.
- You’re working on the ‘right side’ for almost the entire garment (aside from any short rows), so there’s usually no purls – which most people find to be faster!
Why NOT choose this option?
Some reasons you might prefer a traditional, pieced construction:
- More structure around the shoulders – you may not like the raglan shoulders or circular yoke styles that are commonly used in this type of pattern.
- It’s easier to make low necklines or deep v-necks when working flat.
- Without seams, garments can be more prone to stretching or sagging, especially around the neckline. (Some people like to crochet a row of surface slip stitches around the inside of the neckband to help give it more structure).
While it can be intimidating to try a new construction technique, this one has become a fast favourite with knitters around the world. If you're ready to give it a try, read on!
We’ll explain how this style of garment is constructed, and give you some tips and tricks to improve your project.
Steps of knitting a top-down garment:
Before you start, be sure to knit a gauge swatch! It’s a good idea to knit this in the round, as many knitters find their tension to be different when working flat. To do this, just cast on a bit over double the number of stitches as you would for a tension square, join to work in the round, then pin it flat and count the stitches as you usually would.
Ready to start?
Casting on and knitting the yoke
First, cast on for the neckband, then join to work in the round. As a tip, it’s often easier to work the first couple of rows back and forth THEN joining in the round, as it helps avoid twisting your stitches. You can use the tail of yarn to seam up those first few rows.
Next, you begin the yoke of the garment, working in rounds. As you knit each row, you’ll add increases to shape the shoulders of your garment. These increases might be in a neat diagonal column at the front and back of each arm (forming a raglan sleeve) or evenly spaced around the garment (popular in colourwork and lace designs).
The Sofia Top-Down Raglan, with increases neatly stacked to form raglan shoulders.
The Demi Diamond Top, with increases spaced around the garment (circular yoke).
A note on short rows:
There might sometimes be some short rows in your pattern as you knit the yoke—this helps the garment fit better around the back and neck, adding extra fabric to the back and shoulders without making the neckline too tight. Short rows aren't worked in the round; they are knit back and forth in rows, then once they’re done, you resume knitting in the round.
Short rows on the Sunny Stripes jumper – you can see them in the first stripe after the neckband, they add extra fabric to the shoulders and around the back of the garment.
Once you've done all the increases in your pattern and it’s almost time to divide the sleeves, it’s a good idea to try your garment on to see how it fits around the neck and shoulders. You may feel like it needs a little more length to keep you cosy without being too tight around the yoke.
Dividing the body and the sleeves
Next, it's time to divide the body and the sleeves. This is the scariest part for a lot of knitters, but just follow the instructions carefully! You'll usually cast on some extra stitches during this process to add more room underneath the arm.
Tip: this is a great time to put in a lifeline! That way, if you make a mistake, you can frog back to the lifeline without losing too much progress.
The directions for dividing might be slightly different depending on your pattern.
For the Sunny Stripes Jumper, dividing the sleeves from the body looks like this.
- First, knit from the beginning-of-round marker, across the back of the garment.
- Next, slip the left sleeve stitches onto a holder/waste yarn.
- Back on your main circular needles, you'll turn the work and cast on extra stitches for the underarm. You'll place a marker in the centre of these stitches to make your new beginning-of-round point.
- Flip the work back over and knit across the front of the garment.
- Slip the right sleeve stitches on to waste yarn.
- Repeat the cast-on you did for the left underarm - turn, cast on the extra stitches, then turn back over and keep knitting to the beginning of the round.
At this point, you have the body stitches (including the extra underarm stitches) on your circular needles. On each side, you'll have the sleeve stitches set aside (on waste yarn or spare circular needles/cables) that will form the armholes and the top of the sleeves.
Congratulations, you’ve divided your body and sleeves!
Knitting the body:
Now, you can start knitting the body of your garment, working in rounds following the pattern.
Note: A lot of people like to try their garment on as they work the body - this is a great time to add adjustments to fit your specific shape. You might like to add increases for some extra space around your hips, or decrease for a closer fit around the waist.
Keep knitting according to the pattern (and your desired length), then cast off.
Time to knit the sleeves:
After the body is done, it’s time to start a sleeve! Put the stitches from one sleeve onto your circular needles. You'll usually be instructed to pick up the extra underarm stitches here too.
You may prefer to switch to double pointed needles or a shorter circular needle for the sleeves. The Magic Loop technique can be used if preferred.
From here, the sleeve is knit in rounds all the way to the cuff.
When your sleeve is long enough, you can cast off! Repeat for the next sleeve.
Finishing touches:
You’ve finished knitting! It’s time to weave in your ends, block your garment, and give yourself a pat on the back for tackling a new technique!
Ready to give it a try?
Knitting a top-down garment in the round can be intimidating, but it’s become a favourite construction for many crafters around the world...so why not give it a try?
Browse our range of top-down & in-the-round knits, and find your next cast-on!
If you'd like a little extra support as you learn this new technique, keep an eye on our Facebook over the next few weeks, as we'll be running a Knit-A-Long for the Sunny Stripes Jumper this May!
