Need help with "Pinup Queen" shoulder shaping

#1

I’m currently making “pinup queen” from Stitch n Bitch, and am totally perplexed by the shoulder shaping directions. I’ve basically got a shape like this:
=================
XXXXXXX XXXXXX
The === line is the back of the neck that is being done kind of like short rows (stop and turn) leaving the X stitches on either side. This is the direction: “with WS facing, attach yarn to neck edge of left shoulder sts and complete row. Attach 2nd ball of yarn to neck ecge of right shoulder. Working both shoulders at one time, BO 2 sts from each neck edge twice, then BO 1 stitch every row twice. BO rem sts.” Am I binding off where the X’s meet the == ? Thanks in advance :slight_smile: Holly (PS I’ve been offline for a long time, and it is nice to be back on KH!)

#2

My “diagram” didn’t post well. It is supposed to be XXX on either side of the =====. I’ll try it this way:
XXXXX=============XXXXX Except that the middle dashed section is higher and bound off. Make any sense?!

#3

Yes, you BO the middle section and knit across to the end of the row. Turn and work that shoulder with the same yarn, drop it at the bound off sts, pick up a new end, BO 2 sts and work to the end of that row with the new yarn. Turn and knit that shoulder to the middle, drop the yarn, pick up the other yarn and BO 2 sts for that neck edge. Then you repeat and only BO 1 st, or - I’d rather do a dec for a single st on the RS row at the neck edge.

#4

Thank you! That does make sense. I’m going to go and try it now :slight_smile: Holly

#5

Yes, you will bind off where the XXs meet the ===s on each side. That will be where your head will go through and you are shaping that neck opening a little. The general rule is that you do bind offs at the beginning of the rows each time. It doesn’t work to bind off at the end of a row if you BO more than one stitch. So on one side you will be making your bind off 2s from the front side and on the other side you are binding off 2s on wrong side rows. These bind offs of necessity will be every other row.

Then it says to BO 1 stitch at the beginning of each row 2 times. That is technically possible but I like the look of it better if when you are only taking off one at the neck edge of each row to just work them as K2 togs or P2 togs depending on which side you are on. It accomplishes the same thing and I think it is smoother.

I know it says to work them at the same time, but sometimes that confuses me and I prefer to work one side and then the other following the directions carefully on each side. But if it works for you you can do them at the same time.

#6

This pattern says

to with WS facing, attach yarn to neck edge of left shoulder sts and complete row. Attach 2nd ball of yarn to neck edge of right shoulder.

Thus reattaching the yarn at the center on the neck side on both sides. But I agree with Sue about how to do it. It is usually not reattached on the one side where you already have yarn, you just use what is there.

I see Sue and I agree on just using a decrease when you are supposed to BO 1 as well.

#7

Thanks for all the great info. I will definately try decreasing rather than BO. I’m just getting ready to try it now!

#8

Success! Thanks much :slight_smile:

#9

Yeah, I thought the instructions for where to add the yarn were odd, and a dec makes much more sense than BO when it’s just one st. It’s a smoother edge.