Sideways Sweater Construction
Sideways sweaters are knit from cuff to cuff, with the rows running vertically when the sweater is worn. The construction is unusual but produces distinctive design opportunities, particularly for stripes and colour-change effects.
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Cuff-to-cuff method
Cast on at one cuff. Knit the sleeve outward. At the underarm, cast on additional stitches for the body. Knit across the body. At the opposite underarm, bind off the body stitches and continue knitting the second sleeve.
Why it works for stripes
Vertical stripes (which are difficult in conventional sweaters) become trivial in sideways construction — they are just horizontal rows in the sideways orientation. Striped sideways sweaters can have dramatic colour effects with no colourwork required.
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Body shaping
Shape the bust and waist with short rows worked into the body. The shaping is invisible in the finished garment because the rows run vertically.
Limitations
The yarn drapes vertically rather than horizontally, which can affect garment behaviour. Specific to certain silhouettes — sideways works best for relaxed, drapey sweaters.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CO | cast on |
| BO | bind off |
Tips
- Use sideways construction for vertically-striped sweaters.
- Plan short rows for bust and waist shaping carefully.
- Choose drapey yarns — sideways accentuates drape.
In depth
Sideways sweater construction is unusual but well-suited to specific design goals — particularly vertical stripes and dramatic colour effects. The construction is more demanding than top-down or bottom-up but opens up design possibilities that other methods cannot match.