Quick fix: Rip out the bind-off and re-do it using a stretchy method — try the Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off or simply bind off on a needle 2–3 sizes larger.
What you are seeing
The sweater fits everywhere except the neck — you struggle to get it over your head, or once on it pulls uncomfortably at the throat. The neckline has no give. This is almost always a bind-off problem, not a knitting problem.
Why it happens
- Standard bind-off worked too tightly — very common on necklines
- Not accounting for the fact that the head is wider than the neck opening
- Ribbing pulling in more than expected after washing
Fix it now
- Rip out the bind-off by snipping a stitch and pulling the bind-off yarn carefully — it will unravel cleanly.
- Place all live stitches back on a needle.
- For the simplest fix: bind off again using a needle 2–3 sizes larger than the one you knitted with. This automatically creates a looser edge.
- For maximum stretch: use Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off (an instructional article is at how-to-do-jeny-stretchy-bind-off) or the stretchy bind-off method.
- Test the neckline stretch before cutting the yarn — pull it to check it clears the widest part of your head.
Prevent it next time
- Always use a stretchy bind-off for necklines — they need far more elasticity than armholes or hems
- Test the stretch of your bind-off on scrap yarn in the same stitch count before committing
- Bind off loosely by consciously pulling out more yarn with each stitch