Adding length to a finished sweater

[Susan0520]

After making the sweater to measurements, I decided I would like it 2" longer. (I'm a fairly novice knitter). All my research has pointed me to cutting the cast-on row and ripping back to the body of the sweater. Because the sweater was knit in 4 pieces (seamed on sides and in middle of front and back), I hate to rip back to the body of the sweater.

The sweater has a simple garter stitch border. Is it possible to pick up and knit in the round to add length? Other ideas? Or should I just take it to my knitting store and beg to pay someone to rip this back for me?

[nicolethegeek]

I'd need to see a picture of the finished sweater to be able to offer more precise options. How many rows of stitching would need to be ripped back? Yes, it would kill to have to rip back in 4 sections, but when you pick up the stitches again, you could work all the way around {in one piece} and to the length you want. Also, what style is the sweater? Depending on the style, and if you can crochet, you can add a decorative edging to it to make the length you want, and add a small embellishment to the sleeves to make it match. That way it doesn't look like you tried to "fix" it!

Just my 2¢,

[Ingrid]

You could try to pick up and knit more garter all the way around the bottom. I would try that first. I've done it adding a ribbing to the bottom of a sweater that had no border and you'd never know there was an amendment.

The good thing about adding the garter is that if you don't like the way it looks you can just take it out without having done anything to the sweater first.

If possible, you could add the additional border in another color so it there is a noticeable difference, it can look like a design feature. You could also add some of the different color for a couple of rows to the sleeves to carry it through. I'm sorry, I'm getting carried away here!