Casting Off

#1

I am working on the neckline for a sweater based off a kit. The directions said I should cast off first 2 stitches and knit the remaining 13 stitches in garter stitch. I shortened my sweater so it only has 12 stitches total instead of 15 for each side. Do I still cast off the first 2 stitches? And if so, does that mean on the left side of my needle, there are 10 stitches waiting to be stitched and one stitch on my right needle? or should there be 9 stitches waiting on the left and 1 on the right side needle?

I only knitted one garter stitch and then did the cast off in the next stitch so far. Wasn’t sure if I needed to do that one more time…pic attached.

#2

Welcome to KnittingHelp!
If you want to cast off 2sts, go ahead and knit one more stitch and lift a stitch over and off the needle. That’ll give you one stitch on the right needle and 9sts on the left.

(Since you’ve decreased the number to start with from 15 to 12, casting off just the one stitch may be a good idea. That would mean one stitch cast off, one stitch on the right needle and 10sts on the left.)

#3

Thank you!! Why do you recommend casting off one stitch instead of 2 now that I decreased the number of stitches? How does 1 or 2 stitches impact the sweater?

#4

It’s not going to make a great deal of difference but just to keep the neckline proportions, you could change the bind off. It’s a matter of preference rather than a necessity.