Cannot Find Lost Stitch -- Shaping Back of Sweater

#1

Hi there,

I am making a bottom-up sweater with a pattern I found online and I just separated the front and back of the sweater to begin knitting flat. I divided the 160 stitches and I just knitted and purled a row but now it seems I am missing a stitch. I can’t find any holes or gaps in the seater except for maybe at the end of the row? I’m concerned because the rest of the pattern is as follows:

Knit 80 sts, turn your work and purl back. Repeat for another 33 rows or until your work measures 16 cm from where you divided for back and front.

Row 1: Knit 27 sts, bind off 26 sts and knit 27 sts

Row 2: Purl 27 sts

Row 3: Bind off 1 st and knit 26 sts

Row 4: Purl 26 sts

Row 5: Bind off 1 st and knit 25 sts

Row 6: Purl 25 sts

Row 7: Bind off 1 st and knit 24 sts

Row 8: Purl 24 sts

Row 9: Bind off and cut the yarn.

You have shaped the left side of the back. Now shape the right side of the back as follows:

Row 1: Join the yarn at the outermost edge and knit 27 sts

Row 2: Bind off 1 st and purl 26 sts

Row 3: Knit 26 sts

Row 4: Bind off 1 st and purl 25 sts

Row 5: Knit 25 sts

Row 7: Bind off 1 st and purl 24 sts

Row 8: Knit 24 sts

Row 9: Bind off and cut the yarn.

If I ignore the lost stitch, how does the math for the neckline binding work? Ideally, I would like to be able to find the stitch but the sweater looks seamless so it’s difficult to tell. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you :slight_smile:

#2

Welcome to KH!

Looks like a very nice pattern and sweater.
You’ve just worked a row or two after the bind off at the center of the back? When you count the sts on each side of the bound off sts, are there 27 on one side and 26 on the other and that’s the problem? Sometimes holding the sweater up to the light shows you the missing stitch. Check that first just in case.

The pattern doesn’t account for the stitch leftover on the right needle after the bind off. In fact you would bind off 26sts then knit another 26. That would leave you with 27sts for each shoulder and 26 bound off.

There are alternatives if you really do have a missing stitch. You could omit the last bind off of one stitch on the side with fewer sts. Or you could add a stitch near the armhole on the shoulder with fewer sts.
If you’re up to take out a row or two you could tink back and bind off 25sts at the center back leaving you with 27 on each shoulder and 25sts bound off loosely at the center.
Here’s a video for tinking back in case you decide to go that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBAK3BtEEPE

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#3

Thank you for your reply! I haven’t yet gotten to the bind off. I just divided the sweater and I’m currently knitting/purling the back side for 33 rows but I was just worried about eventually starting the bind off for the sweater having one less stitch. Should I try to add a stitch back in?

#4

Yes, you can certainly do that now. Make an increase somewhere near but not at the ends of row.
Make sure that that stitch really is missing. You don’t want it laddering down at the worst possible moment. Have fun with the pattern. It’s going to be very pretty.

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#5

Thank you for all your help! :slight_smile: