My 5 Best Fitting Handknit Sweaters (and What Makes Them Perfect in 2025)
Hello y’all and welcome back to YoungFolk Knits. Today we are talking about fit, comfort, and the sweaters that make me feel like my best self every time I pull them on. I’ve knit a lot of garments, but five sweaters keep floating to the top of the pile because they check all my boxes for feel, silhouette, and wearability. I’ll walk through each one, what I love about the pattern, the yarn choices I made, the tweaks that helped the fit, and the little lessons I’ll carry into future projects. I’m keeping this list to full sweaters and cardigans, not tees, even though my short sleeve Ranunculus is probably my most worn knit of all time
Felix Pullover
A quick nod to the sweater I am wearing as I type. It is the Felix Pullover by Amy Christoffers in Noro Madara. I adore the simple raglan lines and the cozy feel, but there are a few things I would change if I knit it again, so it did not quite make my top five.
It has inspired me to plan a separate video all about sweaters that could have been great if I had not made some questionable decisions along the way. Now, on to the winners
The Celeste Sweater by PetiteKnit
The Celeste is a circular yoke colorwork pullover worked at a DK gauge, and it is such a sweet balance of approachable technique and elevated look.
The yoke uses beginner friendly motifs, mostly one by one colorwork, never more than two colors per round, and no long floats. If you want to try colorwork without juggling a million strands, this is a lovely on ramp. I worked a tubular cast on for a clean edge, then went straight from ribbing into the chart so the transition looks crisp
The pattern is written for a rustic DK, but I wanted a next to skin sweatshirt vibe, so I knit mine in Sandnes Garn Double Sunday for the main color. It is a non superwash merino that is soft, worsted spun, and beautifully smooth. For two of the contrast shades I used Peer Gynt, and the blend worked perfectly against Double Sunday. The hand of the fabric is soft and calm, no itch at all, which makes it a sweater I can wear with just a tank underneath
I made my Celeste a bit oversized and here is the big fit lesson. Oversized circular yokes can go from cozy to weird if the underarm depth is too shallow. If you split for sleeves too high, excess fabric bunches at the front of the armhole and has nowhere to go. With raglans, the diagonal increases manage that fabric, but circular yokes need room to drop. For an oversized look, let the underarm depth come down a little more than you think. That one change keeps the body falling straight and keeps the silhouette clean
Blocking taught me another lesson here. The sweater grew more than expected, especially in length, partly because I had already knit it longer than the pattern. If I could rewind, I would stop an inch or two sooner. If I decide to trim it later, I could cut the body above the ribbing and graft the rib back on. Even as is, I love wearing it over fitted jeans or leggings. The colorwork is simple yet striking, the mock neck is cozy whether you fold and tack it or leave it as a soft funnel, and it styles up or down without effort
The Pohjola Pullover by Sari Nordlund
This one steps the colorwork up a notch. The Pohjola uses three colors in the yoke, and several rounds require all three at once.
There is also purling inside those colorwork rounds, so your tension and color dominance have to stay consistent. If dominance flips, the motif looks muddy. If you hold color the same way throughout, the design reads clean and graphic.
For yarn I used Sonder Yarn Co. Sunday Morning 4 ply, gifted as yarn support during a knit along Sari and I did together.
The blend of BFL and Masham gives a light fabric with a gentle halo and excellent stitch definition. My colors were Full English for the main, Personal Space for the blue green, and Offline for the oatmeal gray. It is fingering weight, so the fabric is thinner than DK, but the halo adds warmth without bulk
I changed the fit strategy from the Celeste. This time I went with less positive ease and kept the underarm depth higher for a closer silhouette. The pattern offers short rows in more than one place. I chose the set that sits across the back just before the split for sleeves, which subtly lifts the back neck and helps the sweater sit correctly on my shoulders. I left the mock neck unsewn for a soft rolled look and skipped colorwork on the sleeves so the yoke could be the star. It is one of those pieces that feels as good as it looks, and it proves that short row placement can completely change how a circular yoke hangs on the body
The Lumme Pullover by Sari Nordlund
Lumme was the third of my recent colorwork pullovers, and I think it fits the best of the trio.
It is written for worsted weight and I am pretty sure Sari’s sample used something like Cascade 220. I wanted a very specific color and feel, so I chose Isager Alpaca 3. It is a chainette yarn labeled DK, but in practice it knits up closer to worsted or even aran for me. The fabric is lofty, warm, and full of bounce. I am allergic to mohair, and Alpaca 3 gives me that beautiful halo without the itch
My fitting plan here will be my go to for many circular yokes going forward. I chose the size based on my upper bust so the shoulders would fit cleanly. I worked the entire yoke chart in that smaller size. When it was time to split for sleeves and work short rows, I added shaping that is not in the pattern. I cast on a couple of extra stitches at each underarm, then worked several rounds of raglan style increases, adding stitches on both sides of the armhole, front and back. With a larger gauge you do not need many extra stitches to get an inch or two where you need it, so a few rows made a visible difference. The result is a sweater that fits my shoulders without collapsing while still giving me the room I need through the full bust. I also echoed the yoke motif on the sleeves, which ties the whole piece together
I love this one so much that I am planning another in Sonder Sunday Morning DK for a lighter, cooler version. If you tackle Lumme, take time with your measurements and do not be afraid to blend sizes or add underarm stitches. Small, intentional changes at the split for sleeves can unlock a custom fit
DRK Everyday Cardigan by Andrea Mowry
Now for cardigans, which tend to fit me best with raglan shaping. The DRK Everyday Cardigan is the most effortless, best fitting cardigan I have ever knit, and I did not modify a thing.
I used the called for Mountain Meadow wool, a farm yarn with merino in the mix, in the undyed shade Flint. The sport weight fabric is light but not flimsy, perfect indoors and useful most of the year
This pattern lets you choose stockinette or reverse stockinette on the outside. I chose reverse stockinette for the texture. The folded neckband adds structure and warmth without feeling stiff, and the double knit button band is clean and sturdy. Andrea’s raglan shaping lines run neatly down the body, which gives the cardigan a subtle architectural detail that elevates a very minimal design
The key for me was ease. I knit a size with about zero to one inch of positive ease, and it hits the sweet spot. On my frame, a lot of ease in this shape looks less flattering unless I crop it, so if I make another I will repeat the same size and the same ease. I have worn it so much that I popped off two buttons and still kept wearing it while the buttons waited to be sewn back on. That tells you everything about how easy it is to live in
Stria Cardigan by Andrea Mowry
Andrea knows how to fit a cardigan and Stria proves it again.
It is another raglan, but the shaping is not a simple increase every other row. The rate of increase changes through the yoke, which is one reason the shoulders and armholes sit so nicely. The fabric is half fisherman’s rib in a warm Corriedale fingering from Amperand Fibers. That stitch pattern builds lofty, squishy fabric, which is cozy and very forgiving
I used a main color plus four contrast colors, and I did not need much of the contrasts, so it is a good stash buster if you like gentle striping. The button band is simple rib rather than double knit, which keeps bulk down. The hem transitions from half fisherman’s rib to one by one ribbing, which keeps the profile lean. The sleeves are close fitting, which suits a ribbed garment. You can block them wider if needed, but I like the clean line a closer sleeve gives to a textured cardigan. Overall this one hits a perfect balance of cozy and streamlined, and it wears well open or buttoned
A Bonus Sixth Favorite, the Tessellated Cardigan by Andrea Mowry
I had to slip in one more because it represents a different construction that has also worked well for me. Tessellated is a drop shoulder, knit bottom up, then grafted at the shoulders with a visible join detail that becomes part of the design.
The button band is a minimal ribbed V, and I increased the ribbing on the bottom hem for a little extra visual weight at the hip. It gives me library vibes in the best way
I used three yarns. The main color is Spinster’s Daughter, a sport weight superwash merino, and the contrast yarns are Dyed in the Wool and Oh Dang from The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers, which adds a soft suri halo. It is mosaic knitting, so there is yarn carried inside the fabric, but since the base is sport weight the final fabric is not heavy.
Superwash gives lovely drape, which is great with a drop shoulder. My note on fit here is ease. Drop shoulder needs a few inches of ease so the sleeve can actually drop, otherwise it binds at the bicep and looks tight. With the right ease you get that relaxed, effortless fit that this construction is meant to deliver
What These Five Teach About Fit
Circular yokes can be oversized or fitted, but underarm depth is the lever that makes them hang smoothly. If you want an oversized look, split a little lower so the body can fall straight. If you want a close fit, use short rows thoughtfully and consider sizing the yoke to your upper bust, then adding stitches at the split. Raglans manage excess fabric naturally and often suit cardigans especially well, and they shine with modest ease for a clean shoulder line. Drop shoulder loves ease, a little extra length in the armhole, and fabric with drape so the sleeve hangs rather than tents
Short rows are your friend. Placed at the back neck before the yoke chart, they lift the neckline so the front does not creep up. Placed just before the split, they help the back sit properly on the shoulders and improve the balance of front to back length. Small changes in where you add or remove a half inch can transform the fit
Yarn choice changes everything. A lofty chainette that puffs after blocking will behave heavier at the same stitch count than a tightly spun DK. Non superwash wools will often hold shape and block memory differently than superwash bases. Halo from BFL, suri, or alpaca can add the look of fullness without adding weight, which can be a gift in colorwork.
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Final Thoughts and an Invitation
Each of these sweaters taught me something I can apply to the next cast on. Celeste reinforced that simple colorwork can feel special when paired with a soft, wearable base and the right underarm depth. Pohjola reminded me that tension and color dominance are everything in three color work, and that short row placement can tune a fitted yoke. Lumme was a breakthrough in blending sizes, adding underarm stitches, and sneaking in raglan style increases to shape for a fuller bust without drowning the shoulders. DRK Everyday Cardigan proved how far thoughtful construction and an inch of ease can go. Stria showed that graded raglan shaping and ribbed fabric create a polished, body friendly cardigan. Tessellated highlighted how drop shoulder needs ease and drape to look intentional
I am still planning that companion roundup of sweaters that almost made it and what I would change next time. If that sounds fun, let me know. Most of all, I would love to hear about your best fitting garment. What construction worked for your body, what ease felt right, where did you add or subtract length, and what yarn made it sing. Different bodies shine in different shapes, and your notes help all of us knit smarter. Share your wins and your takeaways in the comments, give this a thumbs up if you enjoy fit deep dives, and subscribe so you will not miss the next sweater chat. Until next time, happy knitting, y’all!
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