The pattern states:
“Bind off 2x5 and 4x6 on both sides of every second needle”
I’ve got about 120 sts on my needle, and this is a bind off which will make the top of the shoulders a bit more round (less straight than just binding off the whole needle in one go). However, I don’t see how I can bind off at the end of the needle while knitting on.
I’ve been told that the way to go about this, is to BO 5 sts at the beginning of the needle on the right side, and then BO 5 sts on the beginning of the needle on the wrong side. I can see how this works, but as the pattern states so clearly that I need to do it on BOTH sides of every second needle, I wonder whether there is a way to do it all on the RS. I guess one would have to cut of the yarn quite often in that case?!?
Does anybody has experience with such an instruction, and is BO at the beginning of the WS and RS row enough to make it symmetrical?
AND as the knitting is in stockinette, will I need to BO with purl stitches on the WS?
I see two possible solutions: BO at the beginning of the rows as you say (purl rows included) or use short rows which would give a nicer edge.
You could use whatever short row method you prefer, I avoid wraps myself. This method would also allow you to use a 3 needle BO for your shoulder seam.
You can bind off as you suggest, at the beginning of the RS and then the WS rows. The pattern is suggesting every second needle (every other row, I assume).
GG is absolutely right about the short rows which are a rather elegant solution to the shoulder bind off. If you’ve never used them, it’s worth a try. You could try it out on a swatch if you don’t want to work on your sweater at first.
True confession: I’ve never used the short row method for armholes or sleeves because I always work top down. I will work from the bottom up one day and give it a go. I think it looks like [I]the [/I]best way to deal with those bleep stair-step bind offs. I remember trying to seam those edges. The stuff of nightmares. That was the last time I did a bottom up. :roflhard:
@GrumpyGramma: Thank you for your swift and clear answer. That link is very useful :cheering:
If you always knit top-down, doesn’t this turn around the lace patterns? I imagine it brings quite some trouble to knit patterns the other way around… Every methods has its pros and cons 
@Salmonmac: I’ll make a tester, thank you for that idea. 
I really don’t knit lace much. I always mess up on the repeats, get frustrated and frog the piece. The sweaters I’ve made have been stockinette or seed stitch or … I’m not sure what else I’ve done. :shrug: Mostly I knit Plain Jane Toe-Up Sox. There are lots of patterns written for top-down, one piece and no seaming or are easily adaptable to no seaming and that’s what I look at. That means raglan sleeves and so far that’s been OK. It’s possible to do even set-in style sleeves seamlessly and I have a pattern for doing it - I don’t remember if it’s top down or not - but haven’t tried it yet, it’s pretty complicated for me. If I knit top down I can try the piece on easily and as I have to alter every pattern to fit me that’s the only way that works when I knit for myself.
@GrumpyGramma: Yes, I can understand that. I really wonder how this sweater will fit. But one can’t really say, with just the back… 
I knitted the swatches. I’ve tried 3 things:
Just binding off regularly at the beginning of every needle (WS and RS). This looks a bit like a stairway, but not as much as I feared:
Especially the right side is actually quite even. And as I tried pulling a bit, I do not think the left “blubs” will be too hard to conceal in the seaming.
Then the short rows. The binding off looks beautiful, but it gives one (or two?) extra row(s) in stockinette.
Also, to the right I started with a regular BO and that part really sticks out so I need to not do that “on the real thing”. I noticed that I myself find it harder to think about changes at the end of a row than at the beginning, as I’m just happily knitting along until I get to the end and then I find myself frogging a few stitches as I forgot I needed to bind off :wall: So that is a personal problem with this method. Also, it is hard to recognize the “swapped stitch” which I have to knit together, but this is just a matter of counting. And I’ll have to figure out when to bind off the top stitches: while going to the left or while going to the right…
Finally, I tried the sloped bind off.
I expected this one to be the best of both, and it does look OK. But somehow it doesn’t quite do it for me… I can’t put my finger on it as it really seems neat and the bigger loops will fall away when putting the seam together. So there is really nothing wrong with it. AND it is quite easy.
In the end, while it is hardest for me I do like the result with the short row method best. I think that BECAUSE it is lace, it is nice to have an extra row in stockinette while seaming the front and back together. And as this falls on the shoulders, I don’t think it will be a bother. If there has to be a seam, I rather have it visible. 
Now I’ll have to try it on the real thing. :???: I think I’ll make full use of my lifeline again
The lace looks great.
I like the short row bind off too. You might even try leaving the shoulder sts live and using 3 needle bind off to join the fronts and back.
That’s so pretty. The color and pattern work well together. So, the short row bind off gives you a row of stockinette for seaming. Interesting. As I said, I’ve never used it on a shoulder or sleeve. I’ll have to remember your experience when I finally try it.
@Salmonmac: I thought about that method to join the front and back, but as the lace is already quite loose I think I’d like a clear seam to give it more structure.
@GrumpyGramma: I think for this lace the extra row in stockinette is useful. I’m not sure whether it is always necessary, maybe you could BO in the same row as you use to knit the swapped stitches together. I didn’t try that, also because that would have meant I needed to cut and reajust the yarn to bind off the other side.
This is the sketch I made of what I did. I could have done a knitted BO at the top, purling another row, but I figured that would be too much stockinette
I hope this shows my method. Recap instructions: I needed to decrease 2x5 and 4x6 on both sides, every second needle.
