Attaching a sleeve

On this page, I will show you how to attach a sleeve to the body by knitting. Since there are several types of sleeves and techniques, there is a section including a video on how to sew a raglan sleeve in knitting as well as how to how to sew in a knitted set-in sleeve.

How to seam a set-in sleeve

Set-in sleeves have their seam at the shoulder and they are also quite simple to attach to the body. Check out this great video from PatonsYarns that explains the whole process in detail:

Here are a few tips when attaching a set-in sleeve to the body:

  • Fold the top of the sleeve-cap in half to locate the middle of the sleeve. Pin the sleeve in place before starting to seam it.
  • You will need around 3 times as much yarn as the length of your set-in sleeve that you are attaching.
  • Knit loosely for about an inch at a time before pulling the seam tight.

How to attach raglan sleeves

Raglan sleeves are not just stylish and great looking on knitted sweaters and cardigans, they are also easy to knit for beginners. But how exactly do you seam raglan sleeves to your knitted sweater or cardigan body? While there are several techniques and endless video tutorials available out there, this video from Berocco Yarn explains the process slowly and in detail by using the mattress stitch. This process is also called mattress stitch seaming.

Here are two tips when knitting raglan sleeves to the body:

  • Pin the sleeve to the body in the right position with needles or stitch markers.
  • Start from the neck down. If you end up with any irregularities at the end of the process, these will be hidden under the armpit and not visible around the neck.

Here is another video that demonstrates how to sew a perfect seam when the flow of the knitting is at right-angles. You would do this to attach a sleeve to the body for example. It is a little fast and I think a close-up would make it clearer but it still shows a great seaming technique to attach a sleeve. See the video here:

Then I found another video from Diana Sullivan showing how to join raglan sleeves to the body pieces. Diana is a machine knitter but exactly the same principles apply with hand-knitted pieces. See Diana’s video here:

We hope these videos and tips have showed you some great methods on how to how to sew your knitting together. Happy Knitting!

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