How to Finish a Sweater Seam by Hand

You can seam together any knitted or crocheted sweater with the slip stitch.

If you find yourself with a lap full of finished sweater pieces and are not sure how to finish the seaming, you can seam them together with a crochet hook and the simple slip stitch. The slip stitch is the least visible of the crocheted seaming stitches and is hidden on the inside of your sweater. You can accomplish this seaming stitch with little effort and will have a completed sweater in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Completed sweater components
• Safety pins or stitch markers
• Crochet hook
• Yarn
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Place the sweater back onto a flat surface. Place the sweater front right-side down onto the back of the sweater. Join the pieces together at the shoulder seams with the edges matching and pin in place.

2. Form a slipknot in the yarn and insert the hook into the knot. Insert the hook through both the first stitches of each front and back pieces of the shoulder seam. Yarn over and pull through the sweater and through the loop on the hook. Insert the hook into both of the second stitches, yarn over and pull through the sweater and the loop on the hook. Continue to slip stitch in this manner until the shoulder seam is completed. Cut the yarn, leaving 3 inches, and pull the end through the last loop on the hook. Slip stitch the other shoulder seam together in the same manner and tie off.

3. Lay the sweater on a flat surface right side facing up and the shoulder seams open flat. Lay the right sleeve with the right-side facing down onto the armhole of the sweater. Pin together at the first stitches at each end of the armhole seam. Pin together at the center point. This may look as if this seam will not come together, but it will. Work around the rest of the armhole, pinning the seams together keeping the right sides together. Slip stitch the seam together and tie off.

4. Pin the left sleeve into place in the same manner as the right sleeve. Slip stitch together and tie off.

5. Lay the sweater out with the right sides together and pin together starting with the bottom of the side seams, moving the underarm seam and finally the end of the sleeve. Continue pinning, keeping the sweater fabric even and flat. Slip stitch each side seam together and tie off.

References

• Chic Knits; How to Downsize a Sweater Seam by Hand; Bonnie Marie Burns
• Wool Crafting; How to Crochet Sems; 2009