Full-Fashioned Shoulders by Leslie Gonzalez

Fashion Framework Winter 2022-2023

Full-fashioned shoulder shaping is a gift from the commercial knitting to hand-knitters. This couture method for sloping shoulders is mainly used with set-in sleeves. And while the method has been in practice for many years, it has not been used much by hand knitters, although it recently has been gaining popularity. In a nutshell, the shoulders are sloped by making a series of decreases on the back piece. Extra fabric is added to the front shoulders, allowing the seam to lie slightly behind the top of the shoulder. The front and back do not mirror each other as they do with other shaping methods.

Full-fashioned shoulders work in harmony with the bone structure of the shoulder. Anatomically, the seam sits atop the scapular spine, which better anchors the sweater to the shoulder by giving the garment a structural point from which it can naturally drape and eliminates any unstable ridges created from having the seam sit on top of the shoulder. The angle created parallels the slant created by the neck-to-shoulder transition. The placement and angles create a very polished look. The method also helps prevent the back of the sweater from sitting higher than the front or riding up in the back. One final benefit of this method is that it can be used with almost every type of stitch or color pattern, making it very versatile. Below is a photo of a sweater back using full-fashioned shoulder shaping.

A Short History of Full-Fashion Garment Construction

There are two ways that commercially-knitted garments are constructed. In the first method, knitted cloth is made, and then pieces are cut to shape and sewn together. Increases and decreases are not used to shape the garment. This cut-and-sew method is a very cost-effective way to mass-produce sweaters.

The second method is a couture method called full-fashioning. Here, each piece of the sweater is knit to its correct size and shape with the pieces seamed together. This method dates back to the fifteenth century, when it was used by hand knitters prior to the invention of the knitting machine to create stockings. With the advent of the knitting machine, commercially-knitted items were produced using the cut-and-sew method; but as the knitting machine evolved and improved full-fashioning became possible during the nineteenth century, it became popular to commercially produce machine-made, high-end sweaters using the full-fashioned method.

Full-fashioned construction requires the use of increases and decreases for shaping; consequently, each piece is worked individually to the required size and shape. Increases and decreases are made so they slant opposite to the slope being worked, creating a distinctive ornamentation to the piece. Along with this trend came the concept of the full-fashioned, sloped shoulder. During the twentieth century, demand grew for commercially-produced, tailored clothing; and the full-fashioned method for shaping shoulders became the hallmark for high-quality, couture sweaters.

When working a garment, hand-knitters work each piece individually, using increases and decreases. They tend to favor blended over full-fashioning when making increases and decreases. They also tend to choose other methods for shaping shoulders. The original method for hand-knit, full-fashion shoulder shaping has been in publications for several decades but hasn’t been used much in mainstream patterns. I think this is because there are serious flaws that needed to be addressed. The following is a brief description of this method.

To create a full-fashion shape on the shoulders, the armhole is worked until it is two inches short of the total armhole length. Shaping occurs over three inches, one inch being added to compensate for the slope. The number of stitches decreased at each shoulder is equal to the number of stitches needed for the width of the shoulder. Shaping occurs over these three inches by using a series of decreases over a calculated number of rows. The front armhole is extended two inches beyond the total armhole length. Because the front armholes are lengthened, the extra from the front provides neck shaping for the back. The shoulder stitches on the front are bound off without further shaping. Neckline shaping is worked in the desired manner and without modification. Finishing calls for the bound-off stitches on the front to be seamed to the slope created by the shaping on the back. The diagram below illustrates the method. The red lines show the edges that will be joined together.

There are several concerns with this method. The back is worked until it is two inches short of the desired armhole length, yet shaping occurs over three inches, bringing the length of the back one inch longer than the desired length of the armhole. In addition, the front is extended two inches. Clearly, there is no way the armhole can be worked to the desired length. A second problem concerns garment construction that requires stitches from the front to be joined to rows on the back; however, the back slope will be longer than the width of the bound off stitches. The diagram above makes this very clear.

Full-Fashioned Shoulder Shaping for Hand-Knit Sweaters

Modern designers have been working on ways to correct these problems. The following is a method that works. The explanation requires some math, but the end product can easily be calculated with a simple calculator.

The Sweater Back: Transferring a Trapezoid

The back is worked shorter than the front, with some of the shoulder removed to create a slope. The section being taken out is trapezoid in shape. This trapezoid is transferred to the front piece. See the diagram below. To construct the back without the trapezoid, a series of decreases are made at each shoulder selvedge. Notice that the short side of the trapezoid creates the back neck shaping and is added to the front, dropping the back while creating neck shaping.

Transferring the trapezoid from the back to the front moves the seam to the back and angles it but does not slope the shoulder. The front is worked by adding increases to the outer armhole once the armhole is complete and ends up looking something like the following:

In practice, the increases widen the shoulder top but are not worked over the same distance as the decreases worked on the back. This modification allows the shoulder to slope rather than just shift the seam to the back and slanting it.

Creating Shoulder Slope

The steepness of the slope depends on the width and height of the shoulder shaping. The height of the shoulder shaping should be 75%, or three-quarters, of the width of the shoulder. This ratio creates a shoulder that anatomically works for most people. Deviation from this ratio will alter the steepness of the slope and can affect fit. Deviation should be done to accommodate special fit situations. Below is a table showing several shoulder widths with their calculated heights at 75%.

Once the desired measurements have been determined, calculate the stitches and rows needed. To determine the number of shoulder stitches, multiply the desired width by the stitch gauge in stitches per inch. To determine the number of rows for shaping, multiple the height by the row gauge in rows per inch. Since shaping will occur only on right side rows, divide the total rows needed by two to get the number of right-side rows available for shaping. If the total number of rows is an odd number, round up to the next even number. To determine how many stitches to decrease per row, divide the number of stitches needed for the width of the shoulder by the number of right-side rows available for shaping.

Example:
The gauge for the example sweater is 5 sts and 7 rows per inch. The width of the shoulder is 4.5 inches. The desired armhole length is 9 inches.

4.5” x .75 = 3.375” so 3.375” will be the height of the shoulder shaping
4.5” x 5 sts per inch = 22.5 sts rounded to 23 sts needed for the front shoulder
3.375” x 7 rows per inch = 23.625 rounded to 24 rows needed for shoulder shaping
24 rows ÷ 2 = 12 right-side rows available for shaping
23 sts ÷12 rows = 1.9167 sts per right-side row need to be decreased

Because partial stitches cannot be decreased, the breakdown for decreases will be one row using a single decrease and eleven rows using double decreases.

Next, calculate where to begin the armhole shaping by taking the length of the back neck drop—the short side of the trapezoid above—and adding it to the height needed for shoulder shaping. Take the total of these two measurements and subtract them from the desired height of the armhole. The back neck drop is calculated once the additional front stitches are calculated.

Continuing with the example above, if the desired distance from the top of the back to the top of the shoulder is 1 inch, then:

12 rows will be used to create the back neck
12 rows ÷ 7 rows per inch = 1.714”, or realistically, 1.75”
3.375” for the back shaping + 1.75” for the back neck = 5.125”
9” (desired armhole length) – 5.125” = 3.875”

The back is worked until the armhole measures 3.875”, or realistically, 4”. Then the back-shoulder shaping takes place over the next 24 rows. Decreases are made on every right-side row and wrong-side rows are worked without shaping.

Fitting the Pieces Together

Once the back is figured, the number of increases needed for the front can be calculated. The Pythagorean theorem is used to calculate the length of the back shoulder to be seamed to the front. Below is an example of a back shoulder. The right side displays the Pythagorean theorem and on the left is an example using a 4” shoulder.

With a shoulder shaping height 75% of the width of the shoulder, the actual shoulder slope will be 25% longer than width of the shoulder. See below. Therefore, you need to add 25% of the number of stitches needed to the front stitches. To do this, multiply the stitch count on the front by .25.

Continuing the example above, if the shoulder uses 23 stitches for the shoulder width, it will need (28.75) 29 stitches to seam to the back shoulder: 23 sts x .25 = 5.75 sts; round up to 6. Six stitches will need to be added.

Stitches are added to the armhole side over a series of right-side rows. The number of rows is twice that of the number of stitches, creating a neck drop somewhere around 1–1.5 inches. Much of this ends up sitting on top of the shoulder, with the neckline falling into a proper place. This is the length to be used when calculating where to begin the back-shoulder shaping. If a lower back neckline is desired, it is better to shape the back, working the shoulder shaping one side at time, rather than altering the front armhole. Altering the front will push the seam lower into a less desirable place. The photo below shows the addition of stitches to the armhole.

The blackboard below sums up the formula for working full-fashioned shoulder shaping.

Choosing and Working Decorative Decreases for the Shoulder Shaping

The use of full-fashioned decreases is conventional for this style. Selvedges along the decrease edge should be at least one stitch, with the decrease placed directly next to the selvedge stitch or several stitches from the selvedge. In addition to using full-fashioned decreases, using either enhanced versions of common decreases or cabled decreases is characteristic for this technique.

Enhanced Decreases

Most knitters are familiar with the k2tog and ssk decreases. These decreases are designed to be the least visible and are called minimized decreases. Enhanced versions of these common decreases can be used to make them more prominent.

Below is a table showing versions of decreases you should be familiar with and their enhanced counterparts.

If a triple decrease is needed, work a single non-enhanced (minimized) decrease to the outside and work it so it blends with or matches the slope of the shoulder. Work an enhanced double decrease to the inside, right next to the single decrease, and work it full-fashioned.

Example: K1, ssk, sskp, knit to last 6 sts, s1k2p, k2tog, k1.

Cable Decreases

Cable decreases are the preferred type of decrease and are particularly decorative when worked with simple stitch patterns, such as stockinette. These involve the use of a cable needle and work well to decrease multiple stitches.

Single cable decreases turn three stitches into two. For a right-slanting decrease or CDR, place the next stitch onto a cable needle hold to the back. Knit the next stitch. Then knit the stitch on the cable needle with the next stitch on the left needle. For a left-slanting single cabled decrease or CDL, place the next two stitches onto a cable needle and hold to the front. Knit the first stitch from the cable needle and the first stitch on left needle together. Knit the next stitch on the cable needle.

Double cable decreases involve taking two stitches and placing them on a cable needle. Hold the needle to either the front or back as you would to work a cable. Slide them to the other end. Then knit the first stitch on the cable needle with the next stitch on the left needle. Knit the second stitch on the cable needle with the next stitch on the left needle. If the cable needle is held to the back, the decrease will slant right. If the cable needle is held to the front, the decrease will slant left.

The triple cable decrease is worked similarly to the double cable decrease except three stitches are used instead of two.

All of the photos in this article show cable decreases.
For more on how to choose and work these decreases, see this article in Cast On: “Selecting Decreases”.

Joining the Shoulders and Sleeve Cap

Sleeves are knit without any changes to the cap shaping. Block all of the pieces prior to seaming. This will allow you to get the pieces to the correct size and to better see the selvedges. Leave the stitch or yarn markers on the front piece(s).

The front and back shoulders are seamed first. The formula above ensures that the areas to be seamed will be the same length, but the number of stitches on the front piece will not equal the number of rows on the back piece. A good way to work diagonals is to mark off one-inch increments with interlocking stitch markers and work an inch worth of stitches, determined by the stitch gauge, in each section.

Next, the sleeve is attached by finding the center of the top of the sleeve cap and matching it to the marker denoting the top of the shoulder on the front piece. The seam is worked from top to bottom on one side and then top to bottom on the other side.

For information on seaming set-in sleeves, see this article in Cast On: “Seaming a Set-In Sleeve” by Donna Estin.

Lastly, the sides and sleeves of the sweater are seamed.

Final Thoughts and Conclusions

I stumbled on this technique while trying to answer the question, “What is the ideal slope for a shoulder, or is there one?” I found the answer in this type of shaping, and it’s made me rethink other methods for shaping shoulders. Raglan shaping and yoke shaping create a slope that is far different from that of a drop shoulder. In fact, I see these as the two extremes. Stair-step, bind-off shoulders and short-row shoulders fall somewhere in the middle. The full-fashioned method is the most anatomically correct shoulder which is why it is used commercially. I was skeptical, but after working through the shaping, I am convinced that—at least for now—this is the best way to create a tailored sweater.

While the method can be found on many commercial sweaters, there isn’t much in the way of protocol on how to create the ideal seam. The Michelson/Davis design book, The Knitter’s Guide to Sweater Design, has the most information. However, there is a huge error in the diagraming of the front and back of the archetypical sweater, which threw me at first. It also presents the conventional method for working the shaping. As you can see, experimentation led me down a different path.

This article lays out the basics for working this sweater style. I have experimented with this design for about a year now, and here are a few things that I have discovered:

• Planning is essential.
• Working to both row and stitch gauge is necessary, although as with all knitted fabric, there is some give. If row gauge cannot be met, the knitter can recalculate the shaping.
• As the yarns get thicker, the more ripple will appear in the fabric with the cabled and multiple decreases. This is part of the design but something to consider when using a complicated stitch or color pattern.
• Yarns that are #2 Fine or #3 Light on the CYC yarn weight scale work best. However, many #4 Medium weight yarns work well, but expect more texture at the seam.
• Triple decreases should be used sparingly. Single and double decreases, evenly spaced, look the best.
• Work the single decreases first, followed by the double, or work the double decreases first, followed by the triple.
• The farther from the selvedge the decreases are made, the more decorative the seam will be.
• The farther from the selvedge the decreases are made, the weaker the seam will be.
• Twisted decreases can replace the traditionally used decreases.
• Stitch and color patterns should be considered when choosing decreases. Swatching ahead of time will help determine the type of decrease that works best for each situation.
• As you become aware of this technique, you will begin to see it more often. As you are out and about, you will also notice the cut-and-sew method being used to shortcut this method. The presence of decreases will tell you whether the item has truly been worked full-fashioned or whether it’s been simulated using the cut-and-sew method.

I encourage you to give this shaping a try. You may find that this style of shaping will create some of the best-fitting sweaters you make.

Bibliography

Brown, Carol. Knitwear Design. Laurence King Publishing, Ltd. 2013.

Butkevičienė, Aistė. “Fully-Fashioned Shoulder.” Vilnonis 28 Nov. 2021.

Holzmann, Margaret. “Designing Knitwear: Comparing the Commercial Fashion Industry with Hand-Knitting.” The Knitwit, 6 Feb. 2021.

Jalowiec, Sue. “European Shoulder.” Knit it Now, 12 Apr. 2022.

Michelson, Carmen, and Mary-Ann Davis. The Knitter’s Guide to Sweater Design. Interweave Press 1989.

Power, Jess. “Functional to Fashionable: Knitwear’s Evolution throughout the Last Century and into the Millennium.” Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, vol. 5, no. 4, Fall 2007, pp. 1–16.

Puri, Sunil Kumar. “Knitwear: The Geometry of the Fully Fashioned Sweater.” Knitting Industry, 30 Apr. 2010.

Rosenthal, Sloane. “Theory Thursday: Why Tailored Shoulders?” Sloane Rosenthal Knits, 28 Feb. 2019.

Rosenthal, Sloane. “Technique Tuesday: Seaming Tailored Shoulders.” Sloane Rosenthal Knits, 5 Mar. 2019.

Urban Outfitters. “Urban Outfitters Minimum Quality and Construction Standards: Sweaters.” URBN Apparel Technical Manual.

Pattern Associated with Article — Ferney

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