Knitting sweaters out of order

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the reel I posted last week about the order in which I knit my sweaters. In cast you missed it, or maybe you just need a refresher, here’s the text from the reel:

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How I knit literally any top-down sweater, no matter what the pattern says:

1 – Shoulders & chest
I cast on and work the shoulders and upper chest to the point where the front and back join at the underarms, then I work about an inch on the body. Most patterns (including my own) will instruct you to finish the body, but I pause here and put my stitches on a spare needle cord.

2 – Neck
If the pattern includes any kind of neck finishing, I work that next. Neck finishing is usually the very last instruction in a pattern, but I work it here because it impacts the fit of the sleeves.

3 – Sleeves
Next I pick up any stitches for the sleeves and work at least one full sleeve. I usually pause several times to steam block and try it on to assess fit and length while working the first sleeve.

4 – Body
Finally, the last thing I do is go back and finish the body, continuing to pause to steam block and try on as I go.

Working sweaters in this order sets me up to get the body length exactly right, no matter what length I’m going for!

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The reel elicited a lot of excited questions and comments from folks, and it got me thinking more about the ethos behind the order in which I knit my sweaters: an unwavering commitment to fit and the problem-solving required to achieve it. I am often asked questions about sizing or knitting that seek a straightforward answer — “should I size up or down in this pattern? Do I need bust darts? Should I swatch flat or in the round?” — and I almost always have to ask several follow-up questions before I can answer. Sure, a lot of knitting is about following the instructions, but making a sweater that fits is often about figuring out when and how to deviate from those instructions, about problem-solving for your unique body and the fit you want.

So while this reel focused on top-down sweaters, I think there is value in re-evaluating the order in which we knit anything that we expect to fit our bodies. Most patterns include an overview of the construction of the garment at the start of the instructions. When you read this, ask yourself how you think the various parts of the sweater will impact each other. When are you picking up stitches and therefore cinching in the fabric? Where are places you might expect the fabric to grow, and how can you account for that in your process? What if you started a bottom-up sweater with a provisional cast-on so you can return to finish the body after the sleeves?

I have loved chatting about technique with y’all on Instagram and I am feeling inspired to share more fit/knitting tips this year! I am also so grateful for the enthusiasm for the design featured in that reel, which will be out in early February. Feel free to follow along with my amazing test knitters on the #SportiShrug hashtag!