The Secret to My Sleeves: A Knitting Adventure
So, let me share a little secret about my sleeves. Buckle up—this is a story that starts with rock climbing! I know, I know, what does climbing have to do with knitting? Hang tight.
Back in my younger days, after a summer doing international development in Africa (that’s a whole saga for another time), I decided to take up rock climbing. I eventually graduated to ice climbing and splurged on my very first fancy outdoorsy rain jacket. Let me tell you, this jacket was a game changer. It was designed for climbers, by climbers—talk about attention to detail.
What blew my mind was how well it was tailored for movement. The hood had extra space for a helmet, and the shoulders were roomy enough to let you swing your arms around like a ninja. Even though I don’t live in a climate that calls for ice climbing anymore, I still have a soft spot for that jacket and have since bought newer versions.
Now, let’s fast forward to my knitting journey. When I started making sweaters, I was a bit shocked to find that some patterns didn’t have you cast on extra stitches for the underarms. It often looked like sweaters were just three knitted tubes haphazardly sewn together. If you’ve ever browsed Ravelry in search of the perfect sweater pattern, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
One particular sweater taught me this lesson the hard way. I spent months knitting a gorgeous fingering-weight piece, only to realize the armpits were so tight I could barely move. I loved the sweater, but it became a closet decoration because I couldn’t wear it comfortably (and to this day, it is still in my closet...)
Fast forward to today, and I’ve learned to customize my knits. I’ve ditched the idea of perfectly fitted sweaters for oversized, comfy ones. But here’s the kicker: I’ve realized that the secret sauce is in the stitches. My ice climbing jacket taught me a valuable lesson about ease of movement, and I’ve applied that to my knitting.
Here’s a little trick I’ve developed over time: 
*This is a bad picture of my cozy armpit method. Also, if you look at the underarm, I always pick up the stitches through the back loop. While this might not look the neatest, it helps close the gap created by picking up the stitches in the opposite direction and prevents the fabric from sagging. It works for me!
I always cast on a extra stitches for the underarms from what is recommended, knit a few rounds (about an inch or so), and then decrease in a v-shape to match the desired width of my arms. This little hack gives me the freedom to move without feeling like my sweater is squeezing the life out of me!
To create that pretty v-shape, just decrease every other round. I use k2tog on the left and ssk on the right to keep things symmetrical. Depending on my gauge and the extra stitches I've casted on from the pattern, I’ll decrease anywhere from 4 to 20 stitches—whatever feels right for the fit.
By keeping those extra stitches for a bit, I can enjoy more shoulder space.
So, if you’ve ever felt like your sweater’s underarms were a bit too snug, give this a try. Your knitting (and your arms) will thank you!