I’m currently knitting this Serene Forest Cardigan from Drops Design and somewhat confused on the knitting instructions for the Back piece:
BACK PIECE: = 68-76-82-90-102-112 stitches. Continue with stocking stitch, AT THE SAME TIME cast off for the armholes at the beginning of each row: 2 stitches 1-1-1-2-3-4 times and 1 stitch 0-2-3-4-6-7 times on both sides = 64-68-72-74-78-82 stitches.
Does this mean that on the current row (knit row), I cast off 2 Sts at the beg of the row, and then on the next row (purl row), I also cast off 2 Sts at the beg, then continue knitting normally until the desired length? I’m knitting size S, so I have 68 Sts to start.
EDIT: Below is the rest of how the back piece needs to be knit. I’m on a purl row now, so I’m wondering how I can BO just that last stitch (at the neck where I BO’d the 24 sts)
“When the piece measures 49-51-53-55-57-59 cm, cast off the middle 24-26-28-30-32-34 stitches for the neck and finish each shoulder separately. Cast off 1 stitch on the next row from the neck = 19-20-21-21-22-23 stitches on the shoulder. Continue with stocking stitch until the piece measures 52-54-56-58-60-62 cm (= 19-20-21-22-23-24 cm from the bottom of the armholes). Cast off. Work the other shoulder in the same way.”
A sloped BO would be appropriate here, right? Maybe an SSK like this lady does?
For the other shoulder, I’ll be starting on a knit row, so does that mean, I leave the last stitch (near the neck cast off) un-knit, turn, then do an SSP?
You want to bind off at the beginning of a row. So bind off the 24sts work to the end of the row (the second shoulder), turn, work to the neck bind off then drop the current yarn strand. Attach a new end of yarn and bind off one stitch on the first shoulder neck edge. Work to the end of the row on the first shoulder, turn, work to the end of row (the neck edge) and drop the yarn strand. Pick up the yarn attached to the second shoulder, bind off one stitch and continue on to the end of row.
If you would like to work the bind offs as a sloped bind off that’s fine. When you work the sloped bind off, you leave that last stitch unworked and on the next row slip the stitch next to it and lift the first stitch over.
The alternative is to work a decrease, either a ssk or ssp if you prefer.
I have quite recently discovered that when only 1 stitch is to be bound off it is a neater finish to decrease instead of bind off - exactly what salmonmac has suggested. It looks good and you don’t get the holes across the curved edge (which the sloped bind off is trying to avoid) and also easier to work.
Thanks, salmonmac! Sure, I"ll post a photo once I’m done. I’m trudging along as this is the first time I’ve actually followed a DROPS design pattern. Not used to how they write their patterns.
I’m now doing one of the front panels and once again confused with this:
When the piece measures 46-48-50-52-54-56 cm, place the outermost 14-15-16-17-18-19 stitches towards mid-front on a thread for the neck. Then cast off stitches on each row from the neck: Cast off 2 stitches 1 time and 1 stitch 2 times = 19-20-21-21-22-23 stitches left on shoulder.
I’ve separated the 14 sts (nearest mid-front) and starting on a purl row. The next BOs would be shaping for the neckline, right? Does “each row” mean that I have to BO 2 sts at the end of my current purl row, turn, then BO 1 st (knit row), turn, then another 1 st BO on the 3rd row (purl)?
Also, would it be okay if I just decreased instead of BO as I am going to be picking up stitches along the edge for the double collar later on anyway?
Sorry for the questions, and thank you once again in advance!
Hello
If this is the right front which is the first panel worked in the pattern (right as you would wear it) then you would be working a knit row for these neck edge shaping instructions.
I think you might be instead working the left (left as you woukd wear it) panel? As you say you are on a purl row.
Either way just check you are working the neck on the correct edge (ie not the armhole shaping edge) and work in stockinette accordingly.
When working the neck edge at the beginning of the row, bind of 2 sts, work to end of row.
Turn, work next row
Turn bind off 1 stitch (yes this can be a decrease), work to end of row
Turn, work next row
Turn, bind off 1 stitch (yes this can be a decrease)
If you are working a purl row you will bind off purl wise.
If you are working a knit row you will bind off knit wise.
Thank you! Yes, I’m on the left-front piece. I was confused with " cast off stitches on each row from the neck" as I initially thought that would mean I had to BO on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rows.
It’s a bit of a translation problem with the “each row from the neck” but really either way (every row or every other row) would work out. I would go with the method Creations is outlining for the bind off and decreases. Since you’re going to pick up later for a neckband it makes a neater edge to decrease one or two sts in from the neck edge.
Drops patterns aren’t always easy to follow but you’ve done well and you’re almost there!
Yes sometimes the translation is a little unexpected. I have used several Drops patterns and love them as I can save my faves on the drops site which I find very handy.
Often at the neck shaping on a sweater it will be written every alternate row but in this pattern it’s every neck row. As bind offs can only be done at the start of a row that’s the indication of it being every other row. Otherwise you’d have to bind off some of these together because the bind offs for one row would have to be done at the end of the row meaning working to the end, turning binding off but counting it as the row before and then binding off again for the new row - you’d get 2 or 3 bind offs on a row rather than a shaped slope. I may have confused you but it may be handy to know sometimes if you read “bind off each end of row” you actually have to bind off at the beginning, work the rest of the row, turn and then bind off… it is the next row.
These can be confusing but often patterns will give the general direction to “bind off.” When it’s only one stitch, I invariably go to a decrease.
And there are patterns that call for a decrease every row. It’s just the mind of the designer and how he or she sees the shaping.
Sorry, but I’m back with more questions. Almost done with the first sleeve, and would like to check if I’m understanding correctly.
This is the rest of the instructions: When the sleeve measures 43-42-42-42-41-39 cm, cast off 3 stitches on each side of the marker (= 6 stitches cast off under the sleeve) and work the sleeve cap back and forth.
Cast off at the beginning of each row as follows: Cast off 2 stitches 3-3-3-3-3-4 times and 1 stitch 1-2-2-2-3-3 times on both sides.
Then cast off 2 stitches on both sides until the sleeve measures 50 cm in all sizes, cast off 3 stitches 1 time on each side and then cast off the remaining stitches. The sleeve measures approx. 51 cm in all sizes.
So let’s say that R1 is the round right after my sleeve measures 43cm. Is this basically how I’m supposed to go about it?
R1: CO 3 sts, knit, then CO the next 3 sts (before the marker), cut yarn.
Row 2: Re-attach yarn, CO 2 sts, knit til end of row.
Row 3: CO 2 sts, purl til end of row.
Row 4: CO 2 sts, knit til end of row.
Row 5: CO (or decrease) 1 st, purl til end.
Row 6: CO 2 sts, knit til end
Row 7: CO 2 sts, purl til end
*Repeat Rows 6 and 7 until piece measures 50cm.
Then, I CO 3 sts on the knit row, knit til end, then another 3 sts on the next purl row, knit til end. On the next row, I CO the rest.
Is it possible to start the CO on the 3 sts before the marker, then continue on to the 3 sts after the marker so that I don’t have to cut the yarn and re-join?
After you reach 43cm cast off 6sts at the underarm, 3sts before the marker and 3sts after the marker, then continue to knit around to the end of row, turn and begin the cast off of 2sts. You’ll be alternately purling and knitting rows casting off 2sts at the beginning of the rows until you’ve cast off 6sts on each edge. Now cast off (or decrease) one stitch at each edge.
Continue casting off 2sts at the beginning of each row until 50cm, cast off 3sts at the beginning of the next 2rows and then cast off all remaining sts.
There are ways of casting off at the end of the row but it just seems to awkward and frankly not worth the trouble. (You can make a case for casting off 4sts at the beginning of the rows to compensate for the “every row” but I only mention it as an alternative.)
Salmonmac has already answered this but I just want to add that if you don’t want to go around your round again you can tink back the 3 stitches. Bind off 3, remove marker bind off 3 etc as already described.
I’m done with the sleeves and have gotten the seaming part done (yay!) Now on to the last bit …the double neck collar. The instructions seem easy enough, but I’m trying to figure out the bolded bit. I’ve transferred the 14 sts from the scrap yarn on to a 4mm needle, and have picked up 53 sts then the rest of the 14 sts on hold to to the needle (81 sts total), but then the working yarn isn’t attached to the last 14 sts.
Do I knit the last 14sts to get to the wrong side (which would make my row uneven??)? Or was I supposed to actually knit the first 14 sts (right front), pick up 53 sts, then knit the last 14 sts?
DOUBLE NECK:
Start from mid-front and from the right side. Using short circular needle size 4 mm, knit up 75-93 stitches around the neck, including the stitches on the threads in front (the number of stitches should be divisible by 2 + 1).Work rib as follows from the wrong side: 5 band stitches in garter stitch, work rib (purl 1, knit 1) until there are 6 stitches left, purl 1 and 5 band stitches in garter stitch.
