Sloped shoulder seams

#1

I made thissweater and it’s [B]too short[/B] from the armhole to the shoulder, so I’m taking out the seams and adding 2" (if I have enough yarn) to the red part and then to the sleeve.

Here’s my question:
I had a terrible time with the shoulder seams, so I’m wondering if there’s a way to do them [B]without SEWING[/B]? Can I do Kitchner or 3-needle BO or SOMETHING? I’m not too familiar with where these techniques will work. [B]It’s a sloped shoulder[/B], so I’m not sure what will work or how to do it. Any sweater experts have ideas?
[B]THANKS![/B]

#2

You can only do a kitchener or a 3 needle bind off with live stitches so if the shoulder is progressively bound off to create the slope then you will have to sew up the seam.

#3

You can do short rows insteac of binding off the stitches to keep them live.

#4

How do you do short rows for a shoulder like this? I think I did short rows for a pair of socks once…

#5

On the row before the first BO, you stop knitting X sts before the end. X sts being the same number of bound off sts. If the pattern is to BO 6 sts at the beginning of the RS row, on the WS row before it, turn when you have 6 sts left on the needle and knit the RS row.

#6

Do you “wrap and turn” like for socks, or just turn?

#7

Wrap and turn, and on the final row, work across and pick up the wraps.

#8

Thank you all for your help and forgive my slowness!
Is thisthe video I follow for short rows?
If I understand correctly, I knit until I have the # of sts left on the left needle that I was supposed to BO. Then I wrap and turn, purling back to the beginning of the row (neck edge). Then I k back to the # of sts for the second BO and wrap and turn, purling back again, until I’m on the last section. Then I k back over all the stitches, picking up the wraps as per the video.
Then I can do the kitchner or 3-needle BO?

#9

That should work out about right.

#10

You’ve got it. I’d do the 3nbo, though, to give the sweater more strength at the shoulder.

#11

Okay, friends, I have hand issues so I can’t knit a whole lot at a time. It’s taken me this long to take apart the sweater and knit the additional shoulder rows. I’ve got the short rows done on the back, but I’m not sure how to proceed. :shrug:

I know I have to knit the row and pick up the wraps, and I also have to bind off the neck edges. And then, of course, I have to do the 3-needle BO to connect to the front. I’m not sure what to do next.

So I just did the last wrap and turn, and I’m back knitting toward the other shoulder. Do I knit all the way to the shoulder, picking up the stitches or do I wait and pick them up while I’m doing the 3NBO? If I pick them up now, I have to knit back to PU the wraps on the other shoulder, right? Or is there another way?

Thanks again for your help! Obviously, I need it!

#12

Okay, friends, I have hand issues so I can’t knit a whole lot at a time. It’s taken me this long to take apart the sweater and knit the additional shoulder rows. I’ve got the short rows done on the back, but I’m not sure how to proceed. :shrug:

I know I have to knit the row and pick up the wraps, and I also have to bind off the neck edges. And then, of course, I have to do the 3-needle BO to connect to the front. I’m not sure what to do next.

So I just did the last wrap and turn, and I’m back knitting toward the other shoulder. Do I knit all the way to the shoulder, picking up the stitches or do I wait and pick them up while I’m doing the 3NBO? If I pick them up now, I have to knit back to PU the wraps on the other shoulder, right? Or is there another way?

Thanks again for your help! Obviously, I need it!

#13

On your final row of shaping, you work back and pick up all the wraps on both sides. I don’t know how it would work trying to do it with the 3 nbo since you have the right sides facing each other.

#14

What do you mean I have the right sides facing?

So my last row, I do my wrap and turn (L shoulder) and knit ALL THE WAY TO THE R SHOULDER EDGE on the other side, correct?

Then, do I purl back, picking up the W&T’s on the LEFT side?

#15

BTW, Ingrid, I’m SO GLAD you answered! I’ve been reading all kinds of your posts on short-row shaping and shoulder seams. I just can’t seem to get my mind around what to do with the neck edge and doing both back shoulders at once.

Suzeeq’s answers are good, too! I just have read TONS from Ingrid!

#16

Ingrid’s been here longer and made tons more posts than I have! :wink:

I’ve also learned a thing or three from reading her answers…

#17

I’ve read through as many posts as I could find and I’m still struggling! :wall:

I’ve done all the short rows for the left shoulder (front and back) and am ready to do the 3nBO, but I’m stuck. On the back, do I knit back to the other edge to pick up the wraps?
ANd then do I purl back to the center so I have the yarn there to BO the neck edge?

#18

It doesn’t matter where the yarn ends up at this point. Do a row of knit to pick up the wraps. I’ve never had good luck picking up wraps on the purl side–just haven’t done it enough. What I’d probably do if the only choice was to pick up on a purl row is use a new strand and knit across from the other end.

Your goal is to have the shoulders done, wraps picked up.

I don’t know what your neck decreases are, but they’d be done before binding off of the shoulders, so do them however they would have been done if you were to bind off the shoulder seams. as your final step.

When you do a 3nbo, the right sides (knit side) of the pieces are facing each other, the wrong sides facing out. If there is a strand of yarn connected to either side, use that side to start the bind-off. If there is no strand, use a new one. You’ll have an extra end to weave in, but at this point the final result is what counts.

#19

Thank you SO MUCH! :hug:
I THINK it’s clear now! My DD wants me to proofread a paper for her tonight, so I won’t get to it right now, but hopefully, I’ll be successful tomorow! Sleep may help clear my head, too!

One more quick question: Do I BO the neck edge before or after seaming the shoulders? I’ll eventually PU stitches to make a contrasting neckband. (v-neck, which is a whole other issue. It looked terrible last time!)

#20

I’d do it before.