This is my first time knitting a pattern from Drops Design. I am completely stuck on how to proceed at the BAND section of this pattern:
RIGHT BAND:
The band is worked bottom up. Wind out a 90 to 120 cm = 35½" to 47¼" yarn-end and use it to knit up stitches along the front piece (this means you can continue working without cutting the strand afterwards):
Start at the bottom and knit up 1 stitch in each row, inside the 1 edge stitch, with circular needle size 5 MM = US 8 and DROPS Air.
Work from the end of the needle, where the wool-ball is = bottom of the front piece. Cast on 12 stitches from the wrong side, extending the band outwards. Work back and forth over these 12 stitches and work the band together with the front piece as follows:
I cannot follow the bolded section of this pattern. “Wind out”, does this mean I have to cut a piece of yarn this long to begin the band? I also cannot grasp casting on 12 stitches . . . I cannot figure this out at all. Help!
Thank you so much, in advance, for your input! I love learning new methods.
Wind out the yarn to 120cm. This is not cutting the yarn, just unwinding it from the ball. When you have unwound this length pretend the ball is the yarn tail you leave when starting a new ball and pretend the unwound length is the ball. You are going to leave the almost full ball of yarn at the beginning of the row and knit with the long length you unwound.
You pick up and knit along the right (right as you would wear it) edge of the cardigan from hem to neck, with right side facing. The length of yarn you unwound will be ample for the number of stitches you work up (and there will be some left at the end of the row for weaving in later).
You will be working these stitches with a circular needle, so there is a point at both ends, double pointed. After picking up the stitches do not turn your work but instead keep the right side facing and just move the needle to your left hand. You are going to work the stitches from the other end of the needle, stitch 1 that you picked up. The full ball of yarn will be attached at the beginning of the row, at stitch 1 - it was acting like a tail end but now it is the working yarn.
You would theoretically be able to work a right side row from here if needed.
The pattern calls for an additional 12 stitches to be cast on, these will be for the band and are going to work up at right angles to the cardigan edge.
Use a knit cast on or a cable cast on (there are videos if needed) to cast on the 12 stitches, these cast on methods keep the right side facing and they add stitches to the left needle, so that after casting on your yarn ball is in the correct position to begin working he row.
I would place a removable marker on the left needle between the band stitches (12) and the rest of the edge stitches. You will work 1 of the edge stitches each “row 1” with a slip knit passover dec as given in the pattern. This uses 1 of the band stitches and one of the edge stitches worked together to join the band to the edge of the cardigan. The marker will be kind of in your way but it is a good reminder to stop and think about the join and prevent you working the entire needle of edge stitches. At each join you can slip the last band stitch, remove the marker, work the edge stitch, place the marker on the left needle, perform the passover, turn the work, work row 2. The marker will be again between the band and edge stitches when you get back to this part on your next row 1 repeat.
That’s quite a lot to take in in one go.
See if it makes sense. If you are still confused please do ask again so that you can get the help you need.
Welcome to the forum!
You aren’t the only one confused about these directions for a double knit band. Drops has a video that shows the process just in case that helps.
Thank you so much! Watching the video made it all come together! I could not wrapt my head around working “right angle” to the band.
I think I can do this!
One more question. Any hints on how not to get that odd “pointy” look at the top of the buttonhole band?
I wonder if binding off 1-2sts from the outside edge on 2 rightside rows would help by rounding the edge. Use the sloped bind off to prevent steps along the bind off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3rD1v4NbKQ
