Confirm neck/shoulder shaping please

#1

Not a free pattern, can’t link, but men’s cabled cardigan. Working the back, after the armhole is completed, you start the shoulder shaping, which seems pretty standard with the BO 9 sts at the beg of so many rows la la.

The part throwing me of is an “AT THE SAME TIME” shape neck as follows, Work to center 24 stitches, join another ball of yarn, BO center 24 sts, work to end. Working both sides at once, BO 3 sts at each neck edge once, then 2 sts once.

I don’t have much garment experience, so just want to make sure. After the neck shaping, I will have X amount of stitches for each shoulder side and the reason for the 2 balls of yarn is because it’s then split by the X bound off stitches for the neck, yes? So like my first rows, for example, would be:

BO 9 sts, work to center 24 sts, join new ball of yarn, BO 24 sts, work to end.

BO 9 sts, work to last 3 sts, BO last 3 sts (neck edge). Drop this side of shoulder, pick up other side of shoulder, BO 3 stitches, work to end.

(I might not be visualizing the RS/WS correctly, but is that the gist?)

And also, that “then 2 sts once” is the end of the back instructions, is it safe for me to assume that with the shoulder shaping in concert with the neck shaping, all my stitches will be bound off at that point? I could do math but it’s almost 4 a.m. lol I just mean is that how it traditionally works?

Thanks a bunch!

#2

It’ll essentially correct with one change because you can’t bind off 3sts at the end of the row. Bind off at the beginning of the row.

Row1 BO 9 sts (right shoulder), work to center 24 sts, join new ball of yarn, BO 24 sts, work to end (left shoulder).
Row 2 BO 9 sts, work to neck. Drop left side of shoulder, pick up right side of shoulder, BO 3 stitches, work to end.
Row 3 Work right side of shoulder. Drop yarn, pick up yarn for left shoulder, bo 3sts, work to end.
Row 4 Work left shoulder to neck edge. Drop yarn and pick up yarn for right shoulder, bind off 2sts and work to end.
Row 5 Work right shoulder, drop yarn, bind off 2sts on left shoulder.
Continue with directions.
These bind offs accounnt for 52sts so if that’s the total number then you’ve finished the back!

#3

Ok, just one question, and it’s probably silly, but not doing the binding off the first time I encounter that side of the neck edge (which would be at the end, like you said,) isn’t that going to make the bind offs asymmetric by a row? I’m probably not saying that right either, but do you know what I mean, and would it even matter if it is asymmetric by a row? LOL

Thanks so much!!!

ETA: Is working them at the same time really necessary? I’m on a circular, couldn’t I just leave the one dangling on the cable, finish the one shoulder and then do the other or is there some significance to it? Thanks!

#4

You’re quite right, the bind offs will be asymmetric by a row but it won’t show. It’s usually small fractions of an inch difference. For that matter, the 9st bind offs for the shoulder are offset too. You’ll never notice the asymmetry.

#5

Thanks a bunch! Just one more question, which is probably also silly:

Is working them at the same time really necessary? I’m on a circular, couldn’t I just leave the one dangling on the cable, finish the one shoulder and then do the other or is there some significance to it? The only thing that comes to mind is it’s written that way so if you have to put down the knitting for a bit, your gauge won’t be different when you return, thereby potentially being different on one side than the other or something? That’s all I can come up with. :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks!

#6

You know, you see patterns written both ways. Some work the shoulders at the same time, some say work one shoulder at a time. So no, there’s no reason not to finish one shoulder before working the second. Your preference.

#7

The reason to do them both at the same time is they’re going to measure the same. You’re not going to get one shoulder higher than the other. This is what always happens to me when knitting socks. I get out the measuring tape. The measurements on each separate sock seem to match. When I get done, I have one sock smaller than the other. Happens every time. Maybe this pattern will help you understand the concept of doing two at a time.

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/2-needlemitts.html