I just started a new pattern that was translated for me from French to English. I’m pretty sure the translation was done properly (another knitter friend who speaks French did the work) so I’m guessing my problem is with my lack of experience. My pattern asks me to “make the short row as follows”:
Row 1 (RS): K 79 sts but leave 15 sts on the left needle. The 15 sts form the neckline. Turn your work round. This is the beginning of Row 2 (WS).
Row 2 (WS) The first st, kf&b. You will have made an increase. Continue knitting the other 78 sts to end. Turn work.
Row 3 (RS): K the 80th st together with the first st on the left needle (15st). K to end. Total sts 94 sts. Turn work.
Row 4 (WS) K 94 sts to end.
I followed rows one and two with no problem, but row three I keep thinking it’s suggesting I join the knitting in the round, but that wouldn’t make sense for the neck line of the left front of a cardigan sweater.
Can anyone help me out of my loop of short row insanity?
Thank you!
Cheers,
Nicole
Okay. When you knit the first row you knit 79 and left 15 on the left needle unknit. Then row 2 you increased in the first stitch of the 79 and worked on across the stitches (except for the 15) so you now have 80 on the one part and the 15 isolated on the other needle still.
Row 3 work across 79 of the 80 stitches and then hold the needle with the 15 stitches on it up next to where you are working and knit 2tog. The two you knit together are the last stitch of the 80 you have been working on and the end stitch of the 15 on the other needle. Then continue across the other 14 stitches that you haven’t been using for a few rows. Now altogether you have 94 stitches and everything is back on one needle.
Whoa Nelly! Your explanation makes a lot more sense! Thank you so much for your help.
Now, just one question. Why in the world would I need to repeat those four rows for 8 1/2 inches?
Cheers,
Nicole
I have a general question about short rows. I’m a newbie, in case you can’t tell! I’m looking at wool soaker patterns, trying to decide which to try first, and a few of them recommend short rows and this is a new term to me. I’m assuming that when the pattern says to knit 15 and turn, I simply keep the remaining stitches on the left needle and turn the work around so I’m doing a new row with the previous 15? I’ve been watching videos of knitting in the round but I think I’ll do a flat soaker first.
Thanks for your help.
Okay. Your explanation is super clear, but for some reason I can’t seem to figure it out exactly. I’ve got 15 stitches on the left needle and 79 on the right. I turn my work around so I’ve got 15 on the right and 79 on the left. If I start knitting the 79 stitches I’m going to end up with all the stitches on the right needle. How do I get the 15 isolated again?
Cheers,
Nicole
KazooKnits, what I said before was messed up. Sorry. I was figuring it out without actually doing it. This time I did it and here is a better explanation.
When you do row 1 you are knitting off of the left needle and you have all 94 stitches on it to start with. You knit off 79 of them and leave the 15 on the left needle. Then you turn.
Row 2. So now the 15 are on the right hand needle, but you are skipping them for now. The 79 stitches are on the needle in your left hand now. Knit in the front and back of the first stitch of the 79 (now you will have 80 in that section) and work on across the stitches that are on the left needle. Now every thing is on the right needle again. And there are 95 stitches on the needle.
Row 3 you are going to work across all of the stitches on this row, and close the gap you made when you turned in row 1. You knit across the first 79 stitches and close the gap by knitting the stitch to the right of the gap (the 80th st) together with the stitch to the left of the gap (the first of the 15 that you skipped before). Then knit across the other 14 stitches. I fouled up before by saying they were on a different needle or whatever I was thinking. LOL They will be right there in front of you, and whereas in row 1 you turned and didn’t work them this time you work across the whole row to the end.
Row 4 you work across all the stitches again.
You said you are shaping the left front of a cardigan sweater. I have never seen a neckline done this way, but I can see that it would make the 15 stitches at the center edge lower than the 79 because you work the 79 more times than the 15.
Valerie5, you are right. If it said to work 15 and turn you would turn and work over the same 15 you just did. With short rows you are making rows that are not across all the stitches (they are short), it causes part of the work to be longer than another part and is used for shaping. They are not that hard in themselves.
Sometimes the pattern has you do what is called a wrap and turn to prevent the gap where you turn. There are other ways to deal with the gap as well and sometimes they don’t do anything and just live with it, because as it is used it is not very noticeable. The wrap and turns are a little more complex because of the wrap and then when you work back past the wrap you pick it up and knit it with the stitch it wraps.
If all the pattern does is has you ‘turn’ with no wrappng needed it isn’t that hard, just follow the directions carefully and it will work like magic.