Making non-rectangular shapes for garments and other purposes

On a (domestic) knitting machine, you knit row by row, using all selected needles. However, by increasing and decreasing the amount of needles you can adjust the shape of your knitted piece. You can also do partial knit, which means that some needles will stay on hold while other needles continue knitting. Using these techniques, you can create shapes like sleeves or armholes for garments, or other irregular forms for other purposes.