Shrug question

How-to Questions
1

Hi,
I am working on a shrug that is knit from cuff to cuff. I got the pattern off of the Garnstudio.com website. They have lots of neat patterns, but this is the first time I have tried one. In knitting this I have come upon some instructions in the pattern that I am not familiar with. Usually I can figure things out but this has me totally confused. I am knitting the first half of the back section of the shrug and the pattern says that “when the piece measures 19 cm put 10 sts on a holder from lower edge of back up toward the neck every other row 4 times until 11 stitches remain on the needles. The shrug is now knit to the center. Place marker. Knit 1 row stockinette st over all sts on needles, then knit the other half, reversing shaping as follows: put 10 sts back on needles every other row 4 times. When putting sts back on needles pick up 1 st between the last st on needles and the 1st st on st holder and ktog. This prevents hole”. When I tried this I still have a gaping hole, as each successive pick up row is higher than the stitch holder stitches. Has anyone done this before? I’m not even sure what the purpose of this is.

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

2

It’s for shaping, I can tell you that. I think pick up 1 st between the last st and first st' doesn't mean make a new st (which I thought on first reading) but to take the last stitch and the first stitch and knit them together. The wordbetween’ is kind of a translation error…

3

Having seen another answer to your question, I think I may agree with her. You do make another stitch, but twisting it as you knit it should help take up any slack and minimize a gap. However, it’s not clear (at least to me, and I may be brain dead this morning) whether you knit it with the last stitch or the first one…

4

Thanks so much for your help. I am going to try and get in to see a yarn doctor at my LYS today. My brain just cannot figure this thing out. I don’t like the holes that are left in my shrug with this shaping thing. Will let you know what happens.

Thanks again.

5

The yarn doctor at my LYS showed me how to do the wrap and turn method of short rows instead of doing it the way this pattern calls for. I liked the results much better.

Thanks for your help.