Short rows between saddles - stitch count trouble!

How-to Questions
1

Help! I am so stuck!

I have two saddles recently joined by picking up their stitches and casting on additional stitches between them for the back of the neck.

120 stitches on the needles, as prescribed. 42 for each saddle and 32 for the back of the neck.

The next task introduces short rows to fill in the section between the saddles, below the cast on neck stitched.

The pattern calls for 42 stitches to be slipped (saddle), then 40 stitches to be knitted (encroaching beyond the neck stitches and into the next saddle’s space), leaving 37 stitches on the left hand needles before turning.

But this doesn’t work out with my 120 stitches!

42+40+37 = 119

So I have 38 stitches on my left needle rather than 37.

Driving me nuts. The only thing I can think of is whether the pattern has omitted a k2tog for the last stitch before I turn? But then I checked out the method for GSR, and k2tog isn’t involved.

I have checked the numbers of stitches for all the other sizes and this one stich discrepancy appears in all of them. It’s clearly something I don’t know about!

Really grateful for any help.

2

Welcome to the forum!
What is the name and designer of your pattern?
I’m not clear on the numbers: 42+42+32=116 not 120. 120-42-40=38 or maybe 116-42-40=34

What kind of short rows does the pattern call for? What kind of short rows are you working?

3

Thank you so much for the welcome, excited to be here!

I’m sorry, there was one typo in my description. There are 36 stitches cast on for the back of the neck.

The pattern is the Tee no. 1 by My Favourite Things. It doesn’t tell you what type of short rows to work, it leaves it up to the knitter to choose but in the overall workflow description they recommend using GSR.

I am stuck on the 2nd step (RS row).

Thank you so much salmonmac!

Now shape the back.

Begin with the left shoulder section (left when wearing the t-shirt) and pick up and knit 36 (39) 42 (44) 47 (47) 50 (53) sts along the long edge using 3.5 mm [US 4] circular needles. Begin at the stitches on hold facing out the way, and work your way in towards the cast on edge. The number of stitches is equivalent to 2 out of 3 sts. Ie.; pick up and knit in 2 sts, skip 1 st, pick up and knit in 2 sts, skip 1 st and repeat.

Then cast on 31 (34) 36 (36) 38 (38) 38 (41) new sts in extension using the knit cast on method = back neck stitches.

After casting on, return to working from the RS of your work. Pick up and knit 36 (39) 42 (44) 47 (47) 50 (53) sts along the right shoulder section. Begin at the cast on edge and work your way out towards the stitches on hold. You now have 103 (112) 120 (124) 132 (132) 138 (147) sts on your needles.

Break the yarn, turn your work to have the WS face you, slip the first 36 (39) 42 (44) 47 (47) 50 (53) sts (= right shoulder stitches) to the right needle of your circular needle, so that the first stitches you will work, are the newly cast on stitches at the back neck.

Now shape the back by working short rows.

1st step (WS row): Join in a new strand of yarn and purl the next 31 (34) 36 (36) 38 (38) 38 (41) sts (=back neck stitches), so you have 36 (39) 42 (44) 47 (47) 50 (53) sts remaining on your left needle. Turn. Next row is a RS row.

2nd step (RS row): Knit across the next 35 (39) 40 (40) 42 (42) 42 (45) sts = 31 (34) 37 (39) 42 (42) 45 (48) sts remaining on your left needle. Turn. Next row is a WS row.

3rd step (WS row): Purl across the next 40 (43) 45 (45) 47 (47) 47 (50) sts, until you have 31 (34) 37 (39) 42 (42) 45 (48) sts remaining on your left needle. Turn. Next row is a RS row.

Continue working short rows by turning 5 sts after the last turn on every row. For example: work to where you last turned, ie. the double stitch formed in German short rows, knit/purl the double stitch, work another 5 sts, turn.

4


Good looking, classic tee.
It may be that the designer is trying to make the pattern general for different short row techniques and is not counting the double stitch (ds) as one of the sts to knit or purl.
So in step one, purl 36 working the ds on stitch 36 and then knit across the next 40sts not counting the ds as one of the 40sts.
In absolute terms it’s not critical which stitch is used as the ds or how many sts remain on the left needle. What is important is that the spacing between turns is the same for all the turns in the series of short rows.

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