[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=2][COLOR=royalblue]I’m making a vintage sailor collar sweater for my mom and the button band (placket, in sewing terms) is 4 stitches in garter stitch. The bottom 3" of the sweater is 1x1 rib and the rest (until the collar) is stockinette. The button band seems to be shorter than the rest. Is there a way to remedy this? I’ve been trying to knit these 4 sts VERY loosely, but the gauge still seems different–a bit short. Any advice?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
So, you’re picking up stitches all along the edge for this button band and it kinda pulls in a bit so it’s not even with the bottom? Is that what I’m understanding? Perhaps it’s something that will even out a bit with blocking. Garter is going to have a different stitch than row gauge so it probably won’t match up with the body straight off, but maybe once you wet it and let the yarn bloom and do it’s thing it’ll self-correct?
I’m NOT picking up stitches. The 1st 4 stitches along the center front are Garter st. Then I knit the rest according to the pattern. The bottom 3" in 1X1 rib and the rest in Stockinette. Esp along the rib, the 4 stockinette stitches pull up and seem to be too tight.
Do you have an image you could show?
I’m also slightly confused BUT, could you change the knitting needle size up one and see if the stitches do sit better? I agree that blocking may correct but I have seen a few items made where that strip for the button seems shorter right near the bottom edge or hem of the garment and although on blocking I suspect it looked fine, when the garments were done up I think that lifted the band up.
So, bigger needle size at least for bottom few rows perhaps or, at the end, could you pick up stitches along the bottom edge and knit a few additional rows? That may show of course. Hmmm…
[INDENT]See pics. Does this help make it clear? INstructions said to knit rib with smaller needle. That’s fine, but along the WHOLE center edge, the button band seems to be shorter than the rest. YOu can kind of see my lifeline just above the ribbing. IT’s pulling up, even tho it’s on the same row.
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Thanks for showing and taking the time with the pixs. Although I do believe blocking will correct much of that, I’d be tempted to go up half a size in my needles. I wish we could see images once we start to reply. I want to take another look.
Back…I wanted to look again as it struck me - which is really what you had said before - that the tightness is against the rib section rather than the stockinette. When I looked closely and enlarged the bottom pic you can see that your edging stitch is different in the rib than the stockinette and it may be this that is partly causing the issue.
What is the edge stitch on the rib section…as compared to the stockinette. I presume the latter is a knit. I thought both would be knit but they do look quite different (as may be apropos to rib style)
Again, I do think blocking will resolve quite a lot but it is bunching against the rib edge and I think trialing a little may help.
I would look at three options. Casting on with a half size needle up and work two rows and then resume recommended size. Or, perhaps changing the edge stitch against the rib section and/or adding fifth stitch to the bottom few rows or that rib section.
Have you enough yarn to make up a swatch and trial? The swatch would need both ribbing and stockinette section.
I hope one of the more experienced knitter will throw two cents in 
It’s the same K4 st on the center front all the way up, from ribbing to stockinette.
Being garter works up wider (in width) and short in depth/length than st st, you’ll need to compensate by adding short rows every 4th/6th/8th row…whatever is needed…to match them in length.
cam
Hi…I was meaning the edge of the rib vs the edge of the stockinette. I clicked on your bottom image and you can see the edge of your rib is different than the edge of your stockinette. Thus, I posed that the four stitches MAY be sitting differently between the two sections given those edges are different. I would swatch it and see as suggested but you might just trust blocking or wait and see if one of the mods or more experienced knitters comments.
I just saw cam has posted and is making another suggestion for how to adjust.
Cam…isn’t it the rib section that is really the problem area tho and not the stockinette?
I suspected this, but I’m not sure how to do this. Can you give me instructions or a link as to how to do this?
Thanks SOOO much!
cam…what you were saying just struck me also. Thanks!
Gj. This is where I think you need to swatch. I would cast on four stitches and knit say 12 rows. I would put a marker in and then knit another 13. Then measure the difference. You may need to knit another 13 on top of that you really judge but this should help. I suspect it may only be in that strip next to the rib where you need to do this and that may be enough because your image only shows a few rows short really doesn’t it.
Okay, I’ll do the swatch. :knitting:
Now I’d like to practice adding a row of garter so it line up better. But I need help with that. Cam, can you help? Or anyone?
Thanks again!
Probably best to do a swatch so you get a feel for how many rows of garter you get to rows of st st. Better to do this before you redo the entire front of the sweater, just winging it, and end up still not having a matching buttonband. (Easiest swatching is to knit several rows in st st. CO and knit same number of sts/rows in garter. Compare. For instance, if 8 rows of garter=1" but 6 rows of st st=1", you’ll need to add one SR to each 4 rows of garter to every 4 rows of st st.))
Knitty.com has tut info on short rows (I think KH also has info on wrap and turn). If you have access to Vogue’s Knitting book or Big Book of Knitting both have pictorial info on adding SR’s to align garter to st st.
The general concept is quite easy in that you work to the point where garter hits st st, W&T, work back across the buttonband two more rows of garter and then work back across the entire width picking up the wrap in the process. But you first need to find out how often you need to do this step. Too few and your band will still pull, too many and it’ll flare.
HTHs a bit,
cam
I know you said you used a smaller needle for the ribbing so maybe you needed to use the bigger needle for the button band … that would make those 4 side stitches bigger. :shrug:
I must admit I’m getting a little confused and would have done it differently - except that I do agree a proper swatching would have ribbing and stockinette and then the garter alongside.
I presumed one was picking up a stitch from the edge of the ribbing/garter to make the band. Given once again it’s the ribbing section that needs the adjustment (the band against this) isn’t it perhaps a matter of picking up an extra stitch on the side between rows so to speak and knitting an entire additional row (I am confused about what short rows do in this context of 4 stitches).
If you are now going to do extra rows I would not go up a needle size.
Thank you all for your input! I sure wish pattern designers put instructions in for stuff like this!
Thanks again!!
Cam…isn’t it the rib section that is really the problem area tho and not the stockinette?
Susan, in regards to your query about the ribbing perhaps being the problem, the disparity in the depth of sts between the ribbing and the garter is just more noticeable adjacent to the rib given rib, worked with the same ndl sz as the st st, will actually cause a slightly larger st. To create a rib st similar in size to st st you’d need to go down 1-2 szs. (Visually it’ll look to be a better match, as well.)
Working the button band on the same ndls will almost always call for some adjustment w/in the band in this scenario given there are three diff sts (st st, rib, garter) that need to be balanced. Working the band separately can usually solve these issues. (But then you need to seam or pick up as you go.)
cam
Thanks for this. Once you realise these issues they are self evident although I am fascinated as the rib stitching is bigger and yet the pull from the band is more noticeable there.
Since you are willing to be so educative (which I appreciate) I honestly don’t know what short rows means in this context. Does it mean you are picking up an extra stitch from the side between the stitches you would be picking up as per the pattern? I know you said to ‘turn’ but that isn’t helping me visualise.
To be honest, aside from the pain of seaming, I would rather do a separate band I think after reading this I’ve never made a cardigan and know I must one day but feel scared to try given all these issues and the cost of the yarn here! I think I should try with a child’s size first perhaps as a way to learn the techniques and work through problems I encounter.