Better Sweaters: Adding Structure

Sweaters represent a big investment of time and money. A well-constructed sweater will last for decades, becoming an important piece in your wardrobe. Creating structure using techniques that allow your sweater to retain its shape and size is the last piece of the better fit puzzle.

In this installment of our series on making better sweaters, we’ll look at the techniques that add structure to knit and crocheted sweaters. We’ll also see how yarn choice affects the structural integrity of sweaters.

There’s a lot of pressure to make the latest popular design on social media or Ravelry, whether or not it’s the right sweater for you. We often see makers quickly finish sweater after sweater without much thought about style, sizing, fit, fabric, or structural integrity. This fast fashion approach to knitting and crochet is at odds with the tradition of making sweaters by hand. Knitting and crochet are slow, hand-worked crafts that can result in long lasting wardrobe staples which are the core of our personal style. It’s worth taking the time to make the sweater that’s right for you.

Seamed vs Seamless Construction

Seams are the bones of our sweaters, creating structure and adding strength and durability to our clothing. Top-down, seamless construction methods have been very popular for a long time. But sweaters made this way are subject to stretching, “growing”, and generally losing their shape.

Those who prefer making sweaters using seamless techniques say they prefer them because they can try the sweater on as they go to ensure a good fit, and because they simply don’t like seaming. When questioned further, these same makers report that their sweaters without seams lose their shape quickly, usually stretching out at the shoulders and armholes. This happens because the entire weight of the sweater hangs from those shoulder stitches. Without seams, which stretch much less than the knit or crocheted fabric, there is little to prevent the sweater from stretching out under its own weight. This is less of an issue for those with smaller bodies who require less yarn for a sweater. As sweaters get larger, the yarn involved gets heavier. Seams become essential to retaining the size and shape of the sweater.

The I Hate Seaming Guide to Seaming

Seaming is a hand-worked process that many claim to hate, but when you see the steps broken down and prepare your sweater pieces for seaming from the moment you cast on, it’s much less daunting.

You can set yourself up for seaming success from the moment you start making your sweater. If your pattern has increases or decreases along an edge, move that shaping two stitches away from the edge of the piece. This leaves two clean stitches at the edges of each sweater piece: an unobstructed column of stitches that allows us to make our seam one full stitch away from the edge.

I keep a seaming kit handy so that I know I have everything I need.

Inside My Seaming Kit

Mattress stitch is usually the best choice for smooth, nearly invisible seams in knitted pieces. For side seams, sew in the space between the edge stitch and the second stitch from the edge.

If you’re having trouble keeping your seams straight, try weaving an empty circular needle along the column of stitches you’re about to seam. The needle cord will act as your guide while seaming.

By moving your shaping increases and decreases two stitches away from the edge and sewing one full stitch from the edge, you create a smooth, nearly invisible seam.

For shoulder seams, or other seams along horizontal edges, either a Three Needle Bind-Off or mattress stitch along the last row of each piece will provide a secure, stable join.

For easier seaming at underarms and shoulders, consider replacing the usual stepped bind-offs with short rows. The short rows create the slope you need, leaving you with a smooth line of stitches ready for a Three Needle Bind-Off.

Other Structural Elements

While seams are the easiest way to add structure to our sweaters, other methods can also help make your sweaters droop-resistant.

Yarn Choice Makes a Difference

The yarn you use for your project matters. In general, the softer the yarn, the more tendency it will have to sag, and the more your sweater will benefit from seams. A superwash merino/cashmere or silk blend makes a slippery yarn that wants to drape and stretch, whereas an untreated traditional wool (such as the yarns from Green Mountain Spinnery) will want to cling to itself and create a more stable fabric that keeps its shape and size.

Learning how to make better sweaters by making fabric that lasts, using techniques that give your sweaters structure, and making modifications to fit your body is an investment in your craft, and by extension, an investment in you. You deserve to have sweaters that fit you well and look great for years. Remember that as a maker, you have control over every stitch you make, and therefore ultimate control over your sweaters!

This is the fifth article in a series on Better Sweaters! Go back to Part 1 for tips on choosing sweaters that you’ll love to wear, check out Part 2 to learn about how to create a garment that’s “Size YOU” and get that great fit, head to Part 3 to learn all about ease in garment creation, and then move on to Part 4 for tips on swatching and designing from your fabric.

Originally published 8/29/2022. Updated 10/16/2023.