Sweater Body
The sweater body is the main section of a sweater or cardigan covering the torso, meaning the front and back considered together, without sleeves or yoke.
Explanation
The sweater body refers to the torso section of a sweater or cardigan, meaning the front and back knitted together in the round, without sleeves and without the yoke or neckline. In top-down knitting, the body is often knitted as a continuation downward from the yoke, while the sleeves are set aside on waste yarn and finished later. In bottom-up knitting, the body is knitted first, often starting from the ribbing and working upward, before stitches are picked up for sleeves or they are sewn on at the end.
Also known as: Body
The straight section
The body is the garment’s trunk from underarm down, and in most sweaters it is worked as a straight tube with no shaping. Where there is shaping, it is usually gentle waist shaping or a widening over the hips.
Length is measured from the underarm down, not from the shoulder, because that is the measurement that compares between garments.
Deciding the length
Body length is the simplest modification you can make to a pattern, and the one that most changes how a garment feels. Working top-down, you can simply try it as you go.
Remember the garment lengthens under its own weight, particularly in heavy yarns and in fibers without memory like alpaca and cotton.
Common mistakes
- Measuring body length from the shoulder instead of the underarm.
- Forgetting that the garment lengthens under its own weight with wear.
Keywords
- sweater body
- knit body
- torso section
Frequently asked questions
How long should the body be?
Measure a sweater whose fit you like, from underarm to hem. That gives a number you can use directly.
Should the body have waist shaping?
Only if you want it. Most modern patterns work the body straight and let ease govern the fit.