I posted this a while ago in the general forum but didn’t get a response. I decided maybe if I asked here, in the proper place, I might have better luck.
Basically I am doing the front panels of a cardigan and want to do them on the same circular needle. I cast them on and did the first 6" just fine. Two unconnected, identical front panels. I am totally stumped by the shaping though. It should just be a case of dec at the beginning and end of each row, pretending that the entire 2 pieces is one row (ignoring the fact that I drop one ball of yarn and pu another right in the middle)…but it isn’t. I keep ending up with yarn strands at both ends, or both in the middle.
Why is the shaped part different? Have I just psyched myself out somehow or is what I want to do not possible.
There isn’t any reason that you shouldn’t be able to do this. You must be picking up your work and starting from the wrong spot? If you work across the first panel, drop yarn, pick up new yarn, work across second panel, turn and work back, you should end up in the middle where you dropped the first yarn. Right? As long as you are paying attention and not turning when you shouldn’t. It should be fine.
However, if it were me, I would turn in wrong place and get confused. Which is why I admire your bravery! :teehee:
Mark where the centers meet (tie a piece of contrasting yarn on each, attach marker, etc). Try not to stop after doing one side if you’re apt to lose track (make sure when you work a row both sides have been done). If you do end up working one side more times than the other, you can work the shorter side on its end of the circs to catch up with the other (so that working yarns are in the same position on each).
I always have to put a marker between pieces so I don’t work one more than the other. If it gets too confusing, you could work one at a time at this point. :shrug:
The problem with knitting the fronts at the same time is you have to remember it is not one continuous row.Both sides of sweater are shaped differently.If you knit one continuious row you will have either 2 left sides or 2 right sides.You have to remember to reverse your shaping. It sounds confusing but it’s not really.
Say you’re knitting your left side from armhole shaping to button band .
When you cintinue on to the right side you have to start with BUTTON BAND and go to armhole shaping.I put a marker in between the sweater sides on my needle so I can remember which side I’m to do next.I used to get confused and end up like you did until I started using the marker to remind me which one I do next.
Thanks everyone! Since y’all said it was possible, I sat down again and really focused and it worked. I had marked the outer edges of each piece so I would know if I reached a marker I would turn but if I reached no marker I would skip to the next piece. I was trying to do it on public transit though so I must have just been distracted. I put on the entire lower shaping last night w/o a problem.