Picking up Stitches at Armholes - Stress Free!

I used to dread picking up stitches. I never got the right number of stitches on the first try and I would try over and over to get it right. Sometimes I would stop working on the project because I knew it was going to be stressful.

That's no good! Knitting is my stress calming hobby (obsession?).

There is an easier way. I now pick up stitches everywhere it looks like I need to pick up a stitch to avoid a hole. Holes on either side of the underarm cast on, I'm looking at you! Afterward, I count the stitches picked up and formulate a strategy for getting to the right number of stitches. I have a method not stress. It is easy to decrease or increase to get to that perfect number. Here is how I do it. Note that I am using a yarn held double.

Armhole (upside down) and I'm ready to put the body on hold and start picking up stitches at the underarm. I like to knit the sleeves before finishing the body. The body will fit better, more accurately, once the sleeves are at least started. It also saves me from sleeve island (the dread of the second sleeve) if I get them done first. If I am short on yarn, this allows me to knit the body until I run out of yarn.

The sleeves on the needle at the top of the picture are the body stitches which will go on a holder or piece of yarn. The top stitch marker marks the center of the underarm for the body (also known as a side seam) where I might do hip increases eventually. The lower one marks the first place I will pick up a stitch to start the armhole pick up. (1/15)

Arm stitches on a needle and ready to start picking up stitches at the underarm. I used the cable cast on to pick up stitches for the body. It provides more structure than a backward loop cast on. (2/15)

Start picking up stitches in the stitches that were cast on for the body at the underarm. Pick up a stitch in each V of the underarm cast on starting with the stitch marked by the stitch marker. (3/15)

I always pick up extra stitches at the corners of the underarm. Underarm corners is what I call the transition from the cast on stitches to the sleeve stitches put on hold. It is easy to end up with holes at this transition. I pick up anywhere I fill like I need to do so. Don't be afraid to pick up too many. We will decrease them right away to get back to the correct stitch count. I usually end up with 5 extra stitches.

In the picture below you can see a hole waiting to happen. If you pick up in that hole, you will emphasize it. (4/15)

Instead I will pick up in an adjacent spot next to the "hole". (5/15)

And then another spot next to the "hole". This will squeeze the hole so it isn't visible once we are done. The red crochet hook is pointing to a spot just to the left of the "hole". (6/15)

One more in the column of stitches to the left of where we just picked up. Always pick up where you will have at least two strands of knitting above or beside the stitch being picked up. If you just catch the running thread (the horizontal strand between stitches), it will look like a hole. Though you could pick up the strand as a Make 1 (M1L or M1R). (7/15)

Three extra stitches picked up at the first corner. Don't worry if they look a little bit funky, we are about to decrease them and make them look tidy. I always place a stitch marker after the last corner stitch is picked up. (8/15)

Knit across the sleeve stitches and place another marker before starting to pick up stitches at the second corner. Pick up as you did for the first corner. Often I pick up one less stitch on this side. Again, we are picking up stitches where we have a need, not to meet a certain number. Continue to the marker that marks the location of the first underarm stitch picked up. Remove it and place it on your needle as you beginning of round marker. (9/15)

Here we can see the markers that show all the stitches picked up at the underarm. Count them and compare them to the number that the pattern wants you to pick up. The difference is how many we need to decrease. In this case I had 3 extra on the first corner and 2 extra on the second corner for a total of 5 extra stitches. I will decrease one stitch at each corner on each round until all five are decreased away. (10/15)

Knit until 2 stitches before the first stitch marker marking the edge of the picked up stitches and k2tog. One stitch decreased. Slip marker and work around to the second marker marking the picked up stitches at the underarm. (11/15)

Slip the marker, ssk the first two stitches. Two stitches decreased. Work across the underarm stitches until two stitches remain before the marker. (12/15)

K2tog, this one will stack above the first decrease on this side. Three stitches decreased. Work around to the second marker marking the underarm stitches. (13/15)

Slip the marker, ssk the first two stitches. Four stitches decreased. Work across the underarm stitches until two stitches remain before the marker. (14/15)

K2tog, this one will stack above the first and second decreases on this side. Five stitches decreased. If you picked up 5 extra stitches like I did, you should be back to the correct number of sleeves stitches per your pattern. If you pick up fewer stitches, decrease fewer stitches. If you picked up more stitches, decrease more. Match the number of decreases to the number of extra stitches picked up. (15/15)

Those extra stitches smoosh together as they are decreased, further obscuring any possible holes. You can remove the stitch markers at the underarm pick up and continue following your pattern.

Here it is, a finished underarm. This sweater was made with a linen and silk blend which has no memory (stretch). Memory helps to close up holes or de-emphasize them so to get this result with a yarn that has no memory is pretty satisfying. I did not use the tail to stitch up any holes; this is just from adding extra stitches and decreasing them away.

The body is on the lower half of the picture. The sleeve is above. You can see the start of sleeve decreases and the start of the lace pattern on the sleeve. 

If you have any questions, please email me at maia@blacksquirrelberkeley.com.