Knit two rows back and forth on 5 front band stitches only

I am working on the Lady Love Vest–lovely pattern with very concise directions. Half way up the front, instructions say to knit back and forth on the 5 front band stitches only. Seems to me this will leave a gap–tried it on a swatch and indeed it did. I think it is meant to curve the band in prior to beginning dec for neck. Just curious as to whether this is a common strategy.

Yonni's vest pockets

Also, when I added pockets to the pattern, I I think I should have knit the lining in from the WS, as I ended up with 2 K rows in the garter band.

This is a short row to add length on the band but not the rest of the sweater. I’d do a wrap and turn on the 6th stitch to prevent the gap. Another short row technique could be used but in this case I find a w&t to be the easiest to use. The video shows turning on both sides but you’ll only need to do it once for the band.

I tried to find the pattern but couldn’t. I’ll leave the pockets for someone else.

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It seems like the extra rows on the band are just before the V-neck shaping. It’ll give you the extra fabric in the band to turn the curve without buckling the band.
If the band were longer it would be worth doing this every so often because rows of garter stitch are denser and shorter in length than stockinette or your stitch pattern.

Yes, there’s so much going on when adding the pockets that it’s easy to disregard the button band garter stitch pattern. Maybe you could duplicate stitch purl bumps on the band on the joining row?

Thanks! Well, I decided to frog back to pocket insertion row and knit it in from the WS. Couldn’t live with the double knit rows (even as a “design element”). And even though the 99 yr old woman I am knitting this for wouldn’t notice, I definitely kept noticing
it. . .

So, in the bending in of the band by knitting 2 non short rows, I suppose the gap will close in, or I can cinch it in later. . .

Thanks, again!

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Did you do seamless pockets? I don’t see pockets as part of the pattern salmonmac linked but I add pockets to things. I hate trying to seam pockets to the sweater so I much prefer seamless. Doing them as an addition to a pattern can be interesting and involve some trial and error IME.

Thanks, GG! I hadn’t thought of adding a w&t. Makes sense—and maybe the designer expected me to do so—the instructions are very—concise. Accurate, but concise—making it sort of fun to follow.

The pattern is available for free from Drops—not on Ravelry. A similar pattern—Lady Love cardigan–is available on Ravelry. I like the vest better as the cabling on the sleeves seems a little much. Maybe, if I knit this again for myself, I will make it with
sleeves, but leave out the cables. (The vest is for a 99 yr old friend of mine—I added the pockets so she would have a place for tissues!)

Cheers,

C

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Definitely not seamless:

Yonni's pocket front.jpegYonni's pocket.jpeg

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Your knitting is beautiful!

Drops patterns aren’t for rank beginners with nobody to ask for help. Even experienced knitters find them to be challenging at times. They’re great patterns but do seem to assume the knitter knows and will employ needed techniques. It’s possible that after finishing the gap from the short row would never show. I don’t know.

I never managed to seam pockets into place to my satisfaction so I was motivated to find out how to avoid the seams. If you’re interested in pockets that are joined to the main body of the piece and don’t require seaming, either for now or future projects, I can probably find some links to help you figure it out. I’m not sure I can come up with a tutorial for all the steps for every pocket. It was a tricky concept for me but finally I got I and I love it!

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I like drops because I can save lots of patterns jn their site and I like the way they are written too.
The patterns have video tutorials on the pattern page. I often forget about them. If you scroll down to the videos and then scroll down in the video menu there is a short row tutorial. They are usually short and get right to the point.
Here’s the short row video they present for this pattern

Of course, you can do whatever type of short row you prefer as with all patterns you can swap and change to any style you like.

Your vest looks lovely, the cables or teavelling stitches are great, and I like the addition of a pocket. My son has asked for a sweater with lots of pockets so ine day I will be looking into the variety of options on how to make them.

Thank you for your kind words!

So, what I hear you saying is that the w&t is implied in “work 2 rows back and forth on the 5 front band sts only.” I will do the w&t (on the 6th st?)—basic method, or maybe my new fave—German short row.

I like the way the pattern is written as well. Haven’t used the save function on their site, but will look into it.

Best,

C

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In this particular video no wrap is used.
After the turn (5sts) the first stitch is slipped and tightened, that’s all. There is initially a gap and it closes after the next row when it is worked across.
There is a also a word description below the video.

It is of course your choice to swap for wrap and turn or German depending on preference and what looks best to you.

I also like drops patterns there free and they provide a link to yarn to purchase. But I find them difficult at times sometimes they leave out a certain detail and assume you will know what’s omitted. But they always have links to tutorials to use for pattern. Then they have section at end of pattern that they answer questions. I have many times ask a question and they answer back in 24 hours.

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