I’ve done double folded neckband with sewn bind off before but I noticed when I try to put the sweater on, it wasn’t quite stretchy enough for my head.
What method do you use to make it very stretchy?
Also is there a way to do Jenny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off but as in sewn bind off?
I have a feeling that once you do sewn bind off, it’s difficult to make the neckband stretchy,
Double folded neckband bind off issue
A sewn bind off is usually very stretchy (as in a sock cuff). Jeny’s suprisingly stretchy bind off also has extra yarn in it for lots of give. I don’t know of a way to combine it with a sewn bind off but if you are going to fold the band in half to the inside, is that critical?
Is it clear that the problem is the bind off and not the number of sts picked up for the neck?
What is the name of your pattern and designer?
I’m knitting Ingrid sweater and first one I knitted, I did as pattern said(half turtle neck? I don’t remember how it was called). I wanted to modify it to double fold for my second. One I felt that the neckband was not stretchy enough was Lucia pullover by sari nordland.
Both sweaters have stunning stitchwork. Have you tried binding off with the righthand needle 1-2 sizes larger than the working needle for the body of the sweater? This won’t work for the sewn bind off of course but for Jeny’s or even the stitch over stitch bind off.
Having just recently made, and remade, a neckband on one sweater and performed some major surgery on another sweater neckband, I’ll offer my thoughts. This is what worked for me.
Checking the neck opening before picking up for the neckband to make sure it is not at all tight (in my experience it’s usually quite big and needs the neckband to bring it in).
Binding off the neckband stitches (one of mine had live stitches) to give some structure, prevents too much stretch and sloppiness across the neck/shoulder.
Picking up in a needle smaller than the one needed to work the neckband as pick up stitches can be a bit loose.
Working several rows/rounds then measuring or placing on thread to try on and make sure the pick up is stretchy enough and the stitch count looks like it will work.
Binding off the neck band stitches with a needle 1mm bigger than the needle used to knit with, and binding off in rib pattern to add stretch. And, not cutting the thread after bind off but placing the last stitch on a stitch marker or safety pin, checking the stretch again either measuring or trying on. If the bind off is too tight it is still joined to the ball of yarn and can be tinked back to change needle size.
Both of mine were folded neckband and I sewed the bind off to the pick up edge, making sure not to over tighten.
The main thing for me was that at each stage I could check the measurements, the stitches were safe and the last part worked was relatively easy to undo if needed.
I know it’s isn’t what you asked about. But for me this has worked out better than having live stitches and binding off by knitting in with the pick up edge or sewn bind off…
These are lovely sweaters, I hope you find a method of working the neckband that suits you.
Is the neckband done by pu&k on the cast on edge? Reading about the patterns that’s my guess. I wonder if a half graft technique would work for you. I’ve not done a double thick neckband so there may be reasons it won’t that I’m simply not aware of.
As an added bonus in this video if you pay attention she tells you how to know how to graft a stitch as it presents. That’s after 1:00, about 1:08. When you understand this you can skip the mantra for working a graft and just look at the work and see what to do. “Opposite first” makes grafting, not just a half graft, in pattern easy peasy.