Reverse Shaping

#1

Ok, I am trudging along on this newborn cardigan still and the reverse shaping is kicking my hind region! I have provided a picture, b/c I am unsure of how to fix this issue, but basically, the instructions want me to bind off 5 sts on the pearl side WS row, the problem is I have one stitch left on the needle and I need to go back to the rest of the stitches on the RS row and bind those off. Am I supposed to bind off 4 and then bind off the last stitch on the needle as number five, then cut the yarn and rejoin? or am I doing something completely wrong? Then original directions are as follows:

*I have 14 sts at the beginning of these instructions
Row 4(WS): With Yarn A, p across
Row 5: Bind off 1 (2,2) for neck, K to end
Row 6: Bind off 5 (7,9) for shoulder, p to end
Row 7: Bind off 1 (1,2) for neck, k to end
Row 8: Bind off 4 (6,8) for shoulder, p to end

#2

*I have 14 sts at the beginning of these instructions
Row 4(WS): With Yarn A, p across
Row 5: Bind off 1 (2,2) for neck, K to end
Row 6: Bind off 5 (7,9) for shoulder, p to end
Row 7: Bind off 1 (1,2) for neck, k to end
Row 8: Bind off 4 (6,8) for shoulder, p to end

To reverse the shaping you need to begin the shaping either on row 4 or row 6. Let’s do it on row 4:

Row 4 you are on the wrong side and you bind off one at the neck edge (like row 5) and purl to the end.
Row 5: RS bind off 5 for the shoulder, knit to the end.
Row 6: Bind off 1 at the neck edge, purl to the end.
Row 7: Bind off 4 for the shoulder, p to the end.

As you found out, you can’t bind off 4 or 5 at the end of a row, so in reverse shapings you do the BO on the other side from what you did them in the first place. It makes one front 1 row longer than the other, but that doesn’t show when you are done. You can bind off 1 stitch on the right side at the end of a row, but I would just work two stitches together myself instead of using a BO in this instance.

#3

wow! you just cleared that up for me! Thank you so much!

#4

I’m glad that helped. :slight_smile: