Making a baby caftan. Front includes 6 bound off stitches, and then separately continuing both sides of the front, i.e. leaving a space in middle. After a few rows of working each side separately, instructions state to shape neck: “At each neck edge, bind off 2 sts once, then dec 1 st every other row 5 times.” here’s the question. when I am working towards the gap in the middle and bind off 2 stitches, I am left with the final stitch sitting at the end of the bind off, positioned next to the gap. It looks wrong. On the other side of the gap it looks just fine, since the bind off flows nicely into the remaining stitches to be knit on the row. what should i be doing on the bind off that precedes the gap. I have used the normal bindoff where you pass the 2nd knit stictch over the first.
Binding off on both edges of placket
The pattern probably could have stated this more clearly, but what you need to do is–on the side where are working toward the gap in the middle, bind off at the begin of the next row when you turn the work, not at the end of the row. (By row, I mean the row of the individual section of knitting on that side of the neck.)
You may have noticed that patterns with sleeve shaping will usually say “bind off x stitches” at the begin of the next two rows instead of “bind off x stitches” at the beginning and end of the next row, for example. This is an example of the reason why.
Hope that makes sense!