Finishing touches important in knitted sweater

Sewing a sweater together usually begins at the shoulder seams. Next, the sleeves are sewn or knitted on. Finally, the side seams are done.

There are several methods for a strong, good look. Your local yarn store can recommend a good book to help you decide which method to use. The style of garment, weight of yarn and whether you intend for the seaming to become decoration are all factors in this decision.

The seams are done, and the sweater appears to be complete. Not so fast! This is where you can take your work to the next level. Many beautifully knit garments fall from grace when you look at the insides. This is tragic, to my way of thinking. A little bit more care and, in most cases, the inside can look as fabulous as the outside.

INSIDE JOB

I plan a seam from the very first cast on. Pull out a good, long length of yarn to cast on, and the "tail" can be used later to seam the sides. This way you will have matching yarn for the seam, and it is ready to go. I also look at the stitch pattern I will be using and determine if I should add an extra stitch at each outside edge for a "seam" stitch. If I choose to do that, I note on my pattern those two stitches and include them in the stitch count wherever necessary.

Remember that this will make the measurements bigger, so plan accordingly. Two extra stitches on size 13 needles make a BIG difference! Sometimes I will change only the outside edge stitch to a stockinette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row), which allows me to follow the stitch for the seaming and creates a flatter, cleaner seam.

You've knitted the sweater, and now you are ready to sew the seam. I prefer to sew the underarm sleeve seam and the side seams all in one long seam. Of course, you should plan to change colors as you seam when knitting color work. I like to begin with the sleeve seam and work from the cuff to the underarm. Leave a 12-inch tail of yarn when you reach this point. Now, working from the hem to the underarm, sew the side seams.

The 12-inch yarn tails can now be woven in and made to disappear at the point farthest from an edge, just in case the yarn ends might unravel with time and begin to peek out. Many schools of thought argue whether to tie the tails together before weaving them in. The traditional way is to weave the ends in, working in opposing directions from each other, but I won't tell if you tie them together first.

Using a blunt yarn needle, thread the tails and weave them through the edges of the seam for at least 2 to 3 inches. Some of the newer novelty yarns have slubs (a soft, thick nub in the yarn), and these can be carefully cut off to make the tails easier to work with. Cut the tails close to the seam. If the yarn is fraying, I will sometimes whip-stitch the ends for about an inch with matching sewing thread. If a ribbon or tape yarn is used, you can fold the end and make a few tacks with sewing thread. Lightly steam the seams from the outside.

Thanks to the knitting judges at the Alaska State Fair for this week's topic.

Catherine Hollingsworth, an interior designer, artist and professional knitter, has lived in Alaska for 17 years. A past president of Knitters of the North, she designs knitwear patterns for publication.