Finishing knitted garments: the final polish
The last stitch is bound off, and it is tempting to sew the garment together quickly just to wear it. But finishing, everything that happens after the actual knitting, is often what decides how the garment looks in the end. Crooked seams, ends peeking out, and rippling edges can undo the impression of many weeks of careful knitting.
The good news is that finishing is not difficult, just less familiar than the knitting itself. This guide walks you through weaving in ends, blocking, and the most important seaming techniques, in the order that gives the best result.
Weaving in ends: invisible and secure
Every loose end is woven in on the wrong side of the garment, never knotted. Knots work themselves loose with washing and wear, and they leave hard little bumps you can feel through the fabric. Use a tapestry needle and secure each end by sewing it into the stitches on the wrong side.
- Weave the end into an area of the same color, so it does not shadow through on the right side.
- Sew diagonally through the purl bumps, around 4-5 cm in one direction and a couple of centimeters back. The diagonal anchors the end in several directions and keeps the fabric stretchy.
- Leave a few millimeters of tail instead of trimming flush. It gives the end something to spare when the garment stretches.
Blocking evens everything out
Blocking means wetting the garment or its pieces and letting them dry in shape. It sounds like a detail, but the effect is striking: the stitches settle and even out, edges stop curling, and lace opens up to show the pattern the way the designer drew it.
The most common method is wet blocking: soak the pieces in lukewarm water until saturated, squeeze the water out gently in a towel, and lay them flat in shape on a mat. Use a tape measure and pins to bring each piece to the measurements in the pattern. The alternative is steam blocking, hovering a steam iron just above the fabric without touching it. Steam is quick for cotton and light touch-ups, but wet blocking gives the best result for wool.
Tip
Block the pieces before you seam them. Flat, even pieces at the correct measurements are far easier to sew together neatly than curling pieces straight off the needles.
Mattress stitch for side seams
Mattress stitch is the seam that makes side and sleeve seams all but disappear. You sew from the right side with the pieces lying edge to edge, picking up the horizontal bars between the edge stitch and its neighbor, alternating from side to side. Every few stitches you pull the thread snug, and the edges roll together into a seam that is nearly invisible from the outside.
Because you sew from the right side, you can see exactly how the seam is turning out as you go. Use the garment yarn where possible, and keep the thread no longer than about 45 cm so it does not twist and wear through as you work.
Grafting and setting in sleeves
Grafting, also called kitchener stitch, joins two sets of live stitches without a visible seam. It is the classic choice for sock toes and shoulders. With a tapestry needle you sew a new, false row of stitches that binds the pieces together, and done well, the join is completely invisible.
Sleeves that are sewn into an armhole need a little planning. Pin the sleeve in place first: match the top of the sleeve cap to the shoulder seam and the underarm to the side seam, then distribute the rest evenly. That keeps the sleeve from twisting and stops you ending up with spare fabric on one side.
Buttons, bands, and edges
Button bands and neckbands are usually picked up and knitted along finished edges, and precision pays off here too: pick up the stitches evenly spaced, and count rather than eyeball it. Sew buttons on with the garment yarn split into thinner strands, or with sewing thread in a matching color. On garments that get heavy use, back each button with a small button or a thread anchor on the wrong side.
The right order of operations
Finishing goes most smoothly in a particular order. Not because anything else is forbidden, but because each step makes the next one easier.
- Weave in the ends you will not need for seaming.
- Block the pieces to the measurements in the pattern.
- Seam: shoulders first, then set in the sleeves, and finally close the side and sleeve seams in one pass.
- Pick up and knit bands and edgings, then sew on the buttons.
- Weave in the last ends and give the seams a light steam.
Patience is the main ingredient
Set aside proper time for finishing, ideally an evening or two in good light. You have spent weeks knitting the pieces; the seams deserve more than fifteen minutes on the sofa. If a stitch goes crooked, pull the thread out and sew it again. This is where the garment gets its final lift, and the difference between haste and care shows every single time the garment is worn.
Related guides
Gauge in knitting: why it matters and how to measure it right
Wrong gauge is the most common reason finished garments do not fit. Here is how to knit and measure a swatch that tells the truth.
Caring for and washing wool garments: make your knits last for years
Wool needs far less washing than you think, but one wrong wash can ruin a garment. Here is how to air, wash, dry, and store wool the right way.