shaping arm hole or not

topic posted Wed, June 13, 2007 - 2:49 PM by  Dot
I'm trying to design a sweater to knit. What's the advantages to having a shaped armhole (bind off and decrease) versus, just knitting straight up to the shoulder and attaching a sleeve to that? Obviously, the latter is easier to design and knit, but how about fit and function?

Thanks!

Dot
posted by:
Dot
offline Dot
SF Bay Area
  • Re: shaping arm hole or not

    Sat, June 16, 2007 - 8:57 AM
    A shaped armhole will fit better and have less bulk under the underarm, while a dropped shoulder (when you just got straight up) will fit larger across the arms and have bulk. So, if you're looking for a sleek, fitted look, you want to shape them. If you're looking for relaxed and a bit oversized, go for the dropped shoulder. A shaped armhole can be more restrictive, if the shaping isn't just right. When you raise your arm, it may raise with you if it's too tight. Fortunately, knitting does stretch with you, so it's not as much of a problem as it is with a fabric shirt. But still, it may be a bit restrictive.
  • Re: shaping arm hole or not

    Mon, June 18, 2007 - 4:46 PM
    Hi Dot,
    If you are not going to shape, try to be sure and use a nice relaxed yarn. It will fall better. And I would stay away from bulky.
    Good luck with the design! I hope you post a picture when you're finished.
    Peace...................
    Helen

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