Hi!
I’m a beginner and found a cute pattern for a dog sweater, it is made from the bottom.
( https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/buster-dog-coat-in-berroco-vintage ) I’ve got a problem with the part of shaping shoulders and back neck.
It goes like this:
Shape Shoulders and Neck: Next Row (RS):
Bind off 4 sts, k until there are 10 sts on RH needle,
sl center 16 sts onto holder for back neck, join
another hank of yarn and k to end. Working both
sides at once, bind off 4 sts at beg of the next row,
then 3 sts at beg of the next 4 rows. AT THE SAME
TIME, bind off 4 sts at each neck edge once.
My problem is, how do I work the neck part, when does it come off the holder (if at all) and if I work it, when? With which yarn ball?
Thanks in advance for any advise, I really have no idea how to work it and got stuck.
Welcome to KH!
That is a cute pattern and an adorable model.
Read along a bit in the pattern and it will tell you how to work the collar on the sweater under Finishing (at the end of the pattern before the abbreviations). The directions you quoted bind off all the sts except for those on hold so you can cut both yarn strands leaving about a 6" tail to weave in later.
Thank you so much!
Just one more thing, it says to bind off some sts from the neck part, any tips on how? Right now I have like 3 separate sections and two skeins and I am so lost haha. I guess my problem is WHEN to bind them off…
Most of the bind offs are at the armhole edge. There are just the 2 bind offs at the neck edge. When you bind off at the armhole edge at the beginning of the row, work across to the neck edge, turn and bind off at the neck edge. You will always be binding off at the beginning of a row.
You can work across one shoulder then drop the yarn strand, pick up the second strand and work across the second shoulder. An alternative is to finish all the bind off on the first shoulder, then start work on the second shoulder. Ignore the sts on hold for the collar for now.
Ok I think I’m slowly getting there (thank you so much for patience)
So should I work the shoulders until finished and then go back to the sts on holder and bind off there?
I guess the part “at the same time” mixed everything for me, like when exactly?
I tried binding off at the start but then the yarn is stuck on the middle part and I don’t know how to get it back on the shoulder part…
Don’t go back to the sts on hold until the pattern tells you to work them under “Finishing”. You won’t be binding off those sts but using them for the collar.
The neck edge bind offs are done at the same time as the arm edge bind offs. If you bind off at the beginning of the row the yarn will always be available to knit.
Bind off 4sts at the beginning of the RS row. There’ll be one stitch on the right hand needle at this point. Knit the next 9sts (10sts total on the right hand needle). Slip the next 16sts onto a holder or waste yarn. Join a 2nd yarn end and knit the remaining sts on the left needle. You’ll have 2 sets of sts on the right hand needle and a set of sts on hold.
Turn and using the second yarn strand, bind off 4sts (arm edge) then purl across to the sts on hold (the neck edge). Drop strand two.
Pick up the first yarn strand, bind off 4sts at the neck edge, purl to the end, turn, bind off 3sts (arm edge) and knit across to the neck edge.
Pick up strand 2, bind off 4 sts (neck edge) then knit across to the arm edge.
Now all the “at the same time” neck bind offs have been completed. Continue with the arm edge bind offs as given in the pattern.
Ok so far so good, but should itt look like just two small holes? Do I sew them after or am I still doing something wrong? One is a slit between arm part and neck part and the other turned as a hole with the highest point joined arm-neck.
Also, should I just leave the neck part after binding off or keep working it straight? I wish they gave clearer instructions… it did say “intermediate” though.
P.S. you have amazing amount of patience, thank you so much, if I can hit you with some points here or sth let me know
I’m not sure what you mean by holes. If you could post a photo showing the sweater and pointing out the holes, it would help.
By neck part do you mean the sts on hold or the shoulders on either side?
Here’s a diagram of the way the bind offs go and the end look of the neck and shoulders. Starting at the bottom with the bind offs at arm and neck edges shown. When you finish these instructions, all the shoulder sts have been bound off and only the 16sts on hold remain.
I took a fresh look at this after some very much needed sleep and it works! I just had to leave a longer “bridge” while picking up strand from the other side, the shape is correct, I just need to cut and tie these “brigdes” that are on the WS now !
Thank you so much 
I will come back with finished thing, hope you’ll come to see
Bridges? Are you only using one strand of yarn, one source or are you using two strands and two sources, one for each shoulder?
Two strands/sources but in this part of your eplanation:
Pick up the first yarn strand, bind off 4sts at the neck edge, purl to the end, turn, bind off 3sts (arm edge) and knit across to the neck edge.
Pick up strand 2, bind off 4 sts
I need to pick a strand from across the work and it has to create a “brigde” os yarn at the WS… right?
Each side is worked with its own strand of yarn. When you first bind off at the arm edge then knit across shoulder one, you drop strand one. Place the 16sts on hold. Then you join the second strand and knit across the second shoulder. On the purl row, use this same strand, strand 2, to purl across shoulder 2 to the neck edge and drop strand 2. You don’t need to bridge across the held sts. Instead, pick up strand one, bind off the 4 sts at the neck edge on shoulder one.
You’re always using strand one for shoulder one and strand 2 for shoulder 2.
