Knitting a Mens Sweater.... HELP

[spirals420]

I have agreed to knit a friend a hooded sweater. I am getting paid for the work which is really cool but I really want to make sure i get this right.
I want to make it as easy as possible. thats why i was thinking top down raglan... but, most mens sweaters are set in sleeves or drop shoulders (right???) I do not want to do a lot of seaming. Am i being too demanding? hahaha

The sweater is going to be knit out of worsted weight wool and will have about 3 to 4 inch stripes  (2 colors) on it. No zipper, with a hood and i want to do the kind of hem for the sleeves and around the waist that is turned under (and knit out of a contrasting color cause that looks so badass)

SO, any advice on how to make a sweater as easy as possible with set in or dropped shoulders, whichever will look best would be greatly appreciated.
Im just writing this quickly before i go to work to throw it out there. if its too vague i can add more info when i get off work later.

thanks for anything.
spirals.

[soozeq]

Quite a lot of men's sweaters are raglan too. There's a top down sweater pattern generator at knittingfool.com and another at thedietdiary.com/blog/

[thankyoulocust]

Here's a pattern for a men's top down raglan:

http://www.bluealvarez.com/bluealva/patterns/vanille.pdf

I don't know if the hems are what you were going for, but maybe you could improvise.  Also, on the hood, I'm sure you could find a random pattern with a hood and use that as a guide or something.

[spirals420]

cool thanks friends! im going to discuss more with the recipient about the whole raglan idea... but hes got his mind set on a non raglan sweater... we shall see...

this is a picture of the sweater he found online that he was liking the look of..

 except for the hem's on the cuff and at the waist it would be more like...
http://brainylady-knitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/saddle-shoulder-sweater.html
this sweater is freakin rad and is so inspiring.

so, i will get back to him and try to convince him the men do wear raglans.... we shall see!!

[nevergirl]

hehehehe, men do wear raglans!

check out brooklyntweed for tons of manly-man knitting inspiration, and ooodles of fantastic knitting-pr0n photography.

i knitted my first boyfriend-approved sweater from a jared flood pattern. he is a constant inspiration.

edit to add: look, look! no seams, AND contrasting hem facings! i tell you, this website has everything...
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2006/08/seamless-hybrid_30.html

[funkyflower]

If you want to knit a topdown hoodie, why not base your pattern on ysolda's apocalypse http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2006/02/22/its-finally-here-the-apocalypse-hoodie-2/

the hood part is very clever... you could use it as a guide, size it up a bit maybe and then use http://woolworks.org./patterns/raglan.html to make the rest of the sweater.

[ThreadOrYarn]

cool thanks friends! im going to discuss more with the recipient about the whole raglan idea... but hes got his mind set on a non raglan sweater... we shall see...

this is a picture of the sweater he found online that he was liking the look of..
http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/hoodie3.jpg
 except for the hem's on the cuff and at the waist it would be more like...
http://brainylady-knitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/saddle-shoulder-sweater.html
this sweater is freakin rad and is so inspiring.

so, i will get back to him and try to convince him the men do wear raglans.... we shall see!!

I think doing this top down would be easier than a raglan -

Use a provisional caston - cast on enough stitches to go from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. (you don't have to use a provisional cast-on, if you don't, you just have to pickup stitches instead)

BACK: (knit flat)
Knit straight down until it's to the bottom of the armhole (so if he wants a 10" armhole, knit for 10"). Put these stitches on a holder.

FRONT: (knit flat)
Go to the caston, and pickup stitches for the left front. Do the left front to the bottom of the neck. Put the left front on a holder. Do the right front. Join the fronts together and knit straight down until it's same length as the back. (or do the right front first and left front second. Or use 2 balls of yarn and do them both at the same time.)

BODY: (knit in the round)
Join the front & back together and knit until it's long enough

SLEEVES: (knit in the round)
Pick up stitches around the armhole and knit until it's the right length (decrease as necessary)

HOOD: (knit flat)
Pick up the stitches from the neck/back and do a hood.

Definitely see Barbara Walker's book "Knitting from the Top" - she has a chapter just on drop-sleeves sweaters. And a chapter on raglans too, for that matter.

[spirals420]

hehehehe, men do wear raglans!

edit to add: look, look! no seams, AND contrasting hem facings! i tell you, this website has everything...
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2006/08/seamless-hybrid_30.html

ok so he came over last night (drunk, so hoefully he remembers) and he REALLY liked this sweater... so i think im going to use this idea for a sweater... i am pretty sure i can figure out how to do it. and i am pretty stoked to actually start in on this.  THANK YOU ALL for the advice. i will be sure to come back if i am having issues. i love craftster and all the wonderful helpful people out there... makes me all warm inside

If you want to knit a topdown hoodie, why not base your pattern on ysolda's apocalypse http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2006/02/22/its-finally-here-the-apocalypse-hoodie-2/

i can not afford this pattern. but i was wondering what does this hood look like? im curious now

thanks again. everyone rocks my socks..

spirals.
oh and if anyone else has more info to add go for it. others might want advice too!

[knit_north]

hehehehe, men do wear raglans!

edit to add: look, look! no seams, AND contrasting hem facings! i tell you, this website has everything...
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2006/08/seamless-hybrid_30.html

ok so he came over last night (drunk, so hoefully he remembers) and he REALLY liked this sweater... so i think im going to use this idea for a sweater... i am pretty sure i can figure out how to do it. and i am pretty stoked to actually start in on this.  THANK YOU ALL for the advice. i will be sure to come back if i am having issues. i love craftster and all the wonderful helpful people out there... makes me all warm inside

just to add - you can get Elizabeth Zimmermann books from your library - i heart her books

[funkyflower]

hehehehe, men do wear raglans!

edit to add: look, look! no seams, AND contrasting hem facings! i tell you, this website has everything...
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2006/08/seamless-hybrid_30.html

ok so he came over last night (drunk, so hoefully he remembers) and he REALLY liked this sweater... so i think im going to use this idea for a sweater... i am pretty sure i can figure out how to do it. and i am pretty stoked to actually start in on this.  THANK YOU ALL for the advice. i will be sure to come back if i am having issues. i love craftster and all the wonderful helpful people out there... makes me all warm inside

If you want to knit a topdown hoodie, why not base your pattern on ysolda's apocalypse http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2006/02/22/its-finally-here-the-apocalypse-hoodie-2/

i can not afford this pattern. but i was wondering what does this hood look like? im curious now

thanks again. everyone rocks my socks..

spirals.
oh and if anyone else has more info to add go for it. others might want advice too!

i though the was paying you to knit it?