adding a sleeve to a raglan sweater

 Here are my current thoughts on adding a sleeve to a raglan sweater.  Since I like to knit from the top down, at the time I'm ready to add a sleeve, the body is complete, most of the sleeve stitches are on a spare circular needle, and the rest of the sleeve stitches will be picked up from the stitches cast on at the bottom of the armhole.   The only difference between this and what I've done before is that I've now decided to start working the sleeve at the center of the underarm seam.

To start the sleeve: With the garment right side out, identify the stitches that were cast on at the bottom of the sleeve opening. (Using a crochet hook,) pull yarn from the nearest stitch (on a spare circular needle) through the top of the right-most of these stitches and then place the stitch back on the needle. Do the same for the left-most stitch. (Disregard these two cast on stitches for the following.)  Slide a double-pointed needle --or a 16" circular needle -- into the garment to the right of the sleeve opening (to keep the needle from slipping). Starting with the middle cast-on stitch (or the stitch just to the left of middle), (with a new ball of yarn) pick up and knit (or purl) this stitch and each of the remaining underarm stitches going to the left. (Knit the knit stitches, and purl the purl stitches.)   Work the pattern around the sleeve and then pick up and knit (or purl) the remaining cast on stitches at the bottom of the armhole.  --  finishing round 1 for the sleeve.