Knit Together with Cynthia MacDougall
One of the very best ways to make your knitting projects shine is to develop good finishing techniques. Seaming is a key component of garment finishing and is a great place to begin.
There are many kinds of seams a knitter can use to put together pieces of a garment. While some knitters and designers strive to avoid seaming, there are times when seams are needed to add strength. Shoulder seams are important, because they form the “frame” on which the garment hangs on the body. Back seams are important in a skirt: they provide rigidity which helps the garment keep its shape despite repeated sitting and standing.
Seams can be formed with a sewing needle, crochet hook, or knitting needles. The three-needle cast off is an example of a seam that uses knitting needles.
For garments made with thinner yarns, seams can usually be constructed from any desired method. In garments made with heavier yarns, seams can become bulky and the choice of seam can become important. In some cases, it may be necessary to choose a thinner yarn that matches the colour of the garment to keep the seams as neat as possible.
The yarn ends from cast ons, cast offs, and yarn joins can be used for seaming; in fact, it’s a good idea – it can reduce bulk, particularly in garments made of heavier yarn and it ensures that these yarn ends are well secured in the garment.
Read more in our Spring 2015 issue.
Article by Cynthia MacDougall
www.CGKnitters.ca
blog: cgknitters.blogspot.com
ravelry name: macknitnow
