How do I get rid of pilling on a knit sweater?

Actually, pilling isn't a death sentence for your favorite sweater - you can get rid of it, but it's better to prevent it from happening in the first place. Material with short fibers (acrylic, polyester) suffers from it way more than natural fabrics like premium-quality wool. If pills have already appeared, you remove them with special electric shavers for lint removal - you can find them in any supermarket and they're cheap. A regular lint roller with sticky tape also works, though it takes longer but is more precise. The main thing is not to rub the sweater aggressively, or you'll damage the fabric itself.

After cleaning the sweater of pills, you need to take proper care of it so they don't come back. Wash it on a delicate cycle with the garment turned inside out - this significantly reduces pilling. It's better to dry it flat rather than hanging it up, because damp fabric stretches and becomes more vulnerable. Store your sweater separately from other things with rough textures - they also cause pilling.

If the sweater is really nice and you hate to get rid of it, occasionally go over it with the lint remover. I sometimes do this with my favorite sweaters, and they last way longer. Of course, the fabric will eventually wear out anyway, but keeping a piece in good condition is definitely doable.

A lint remover saves you from pilling - they're dirt cheap and actually work, though you gotta be careful not to wear a hole through the fabric. I once left my favorite sweater at the dacha in humid conditions, it got covered in fuzz all over, but the machine helped. The main thing is - after that it's better to store the sweater in a sealed bag so it pills less.