What You Need to Know: Knitting Flat or in the Round
You’re finally ready to cast on a sweater, and whether it’s your first or fiftieth, you have a decision to make. Are you looking for a seamed sweater - where you knit the garment in pieces and sew it up later - or do you want to cast on something seamless? The knitting community is often divided on which of these is the better construction, but I argue that a hybrid approach is perfect. Seam the parts of the sweater that get the most wear + tear and go seamless everywhere else.
This journal post will walk you through the benefits of each method, some things to watch out for, and a few quick tips sprinkled throughout. I’ll help you choose a pattern that suits your lifestyle, adds fits calmly into your knitting time.
Benefits of Knitting Flat and Seaming: Structure and More Control
easier to read patterns and fix mistakes
easier to manage stitch repeats
easy to modify: If you need to add or remove length, say in the length of the body or the depth of the armhole, it can be much easier to do this in a seamed knit. If you need to rip back or adjust something, there’s less work to go back and re-do than if it were seamless.
more portable: Because you like to knit whenever and wherever possible, it’s easier to knit your garments in pieces. This makes them super portable; you can tuck them in your purse and squeeze in a few rows on your lunch break or the school pick-up line. Not to mention, seamless sweaters can get heavy fast, especially if you are also work sleeves in the round from the armhole down to the cuff. By knitting in pieces, you’ll have less weight in your lap.
increased sweater longevity + durability
better structure and stability in your sweater’s sleeves + shoulders: I'd recommend seaming your wardrobe staples so they can be hard-wearing and stand up to your jam-packed schedule. If you want to make a seamless sweater, you can still create faux seams to add in extra stability
joining new yarn and weaving in ends: When you need to start a new ball of yarn, start it at the selvage edge. When you’re done knitting & your pieces are seamed together, you can easily weave your ends into the selvage on the WS.
What to Watch Out for When Seaming Sweaters
If you’re new to seaming, it can feel time-consuming.
Take your time when seaming and make sure to block your seams to ensure they are even and lay flat
You might have more ends to weave in as you cut the yarn to start the next piece. Check out my quick tip below to minimize your yarn tails.
A Quick Tip if You’re Going to Make a Seamed Sweater
If you leave a long tail before you cast on and you can use that as your seaming thread, you’ll have one less end to weave in. Make it 3 to 4x the length of the edge you'll be seaming and you’ll have enough yarn to complete your seam.
If you like Seaming, you’ll like these projects:
Benefits of Knitting in the Round: Flow State
No seaming for faster finishing and an easy polished look
Faster to knit Stockinette stitch in the round: eliminating purl rows often increases knitting speed and evens out tension and row gauge issues.
Can make complicated lace stitch patterns simpler since you don’t need to think about p2tog or p2togtbl
If you’re knitting from the top down, you can try it on as you go (just make sure to block it for an accurate assessment)
What to Watch Out for When Knitting Sweaters in the Round
Knitting can start to feel a bit monotonoous, espeically with large sections of Stockinette stitch
Managing double pointed needles (DPNs) or using the magic loop method can feel intimidating
If you like knitting in the round, you’ll like these projects:
Other Articles You Might Find Helpful:
The Ultimate Guide to Circular Knitting Needles
What is Row Gauge & Why Does it Matter?
How to Swatch & Why You Should
How my Knitting Patterns Combine the Best of Both Flat and Seamed Knitting
Most of my garment patterns, like the Semilla Cardigan, feature a body knit flat and seamed for stability—shoulder seams support arm movement, side seams prevent sagging, and they stand up to tugs from little hands. Then, I add a clever twist: Sleeves start by picking up stitches around the armhole, with short rows for a gentle cap, but knit in the round from bicep to cuff. This hybrid approach makes length adjustments easy and ensures a perfect fit in the modified drop shoulder. It’s the perfect blend of structure and seamless flow.