Hi! I really need some help with what I’m supposed to do with this sweater - I’m knitting on a deadline and need help ASAP, please! I’m at the point where I need to shape the neck on the front, but it sounds like I’m knitting just one side without placing the other stitches on a stitch holder, and I don’t know if that’s right or how to go back and do the other side after. Here’s the deal. I’ve got 36 stitches on my needle. The first step in shaping is to “Knit 15, turn. Cont on these 15 sts for left side of neck”, then it proceeds with the actual decreases, with which I don’t have a problem. So, what do I do with the rest of the stitches? After shaping the neck, it says to shape the shoulder, which goes like this: “Cast off 6 sts at beg of next row. Work 1 row. Cast off rem 5 sts.” After the decreases, this takes care of all 15 stitches for the left side. But the next step is to “Slip next 6 sts onto a stitch holder and leave for neckband. With right side facing, join yarn to rem 15 sts and knit to end.” Then, I proceed to do the right side shaping with those 15 stitches. So, are the other 21 stitches sitting on the needle the whole time I do the left side shaping? How does that work? And how do I join the yarn to the right side 15 stitches? I’m sure this is a really simple pattern, but it’s my first time doing shaping like this. Please help! Any instructions you could give or videos you know of would be most helpful. Thank you to anyone who has the time to assist.
Okay, I’ve been searching while I wait for help, and I’ve watched a few videos on short rows. But none of them are for sweaters! They all talk about wrapping stitches. Should I be wrapping stitches at every turn when the next 6 stitches are just going on a stitch holder? I’m going to have to attach a collar to this after.
Yes you just leave the rest of the sts on the needle while you work on the 15 until you dec and BO all the sts. Then 6 sts are placed on a holder for the neck and you work the remaining 15 sts like you do the first set for the other holder. You ‘join’ the yarn by simply knitting the sts with the end, leaving a tail long enough to weave in later.
While you’re working shorter rows, it’s not the same as the short rows you found that involve wrapping and turning, so just ignore them. You work the rows for each shoulder separately as full rows, decreasing on the neck edge then binding off gradually at the end.
When you get both shoulders done, and the back is done, you sew the shoulders together. Then you probably pick up sts around the neckline, knit the 6 sts on the holder and make the neckband/collar. Just follow the instructions as you have been and it’ll turn out okay.
Oh, thank you. I was hoping this didn’t have anything to do with wrapping. So, I can just ignore the other stitches and work only the 15 until the left side is done, right? Then 6 on the holder, and work the other side. I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand how to join - how does the yarn come to be attached to the other side of the knitting again? I’ve only ever joined yarn to the pre-existing tail. Also, since you’re so helpful 
can I keep slipping the first stitch of each row as I have been to keep my end stockinette stitches in order, or should I not do that when I have a decrease? I did my armhole shaping decreases one stitch in from the edge and slipped that first stitch, but I’m not sure that’s the thing to do with a neck hole that won’t be hidden in the seam.
The yarn is attached when you make the first stitch. It’ll look loose for the first row or so, but with a tail, you can keep pull it to tighten up, it won’t come out.
You can slip the first st and do the decs inside it, but many people find that slipping the sts makes it harder to seam or pulls on the sts next to them leaving gaps. It’s also not a good idea to slip a st on the edge you’re going to pick up sts on. The slip st spans 2 rows and many times you have to pick up 2 sts out of every 3 or 3 from every 4 and with a st that goes over 2 of them, it’s harder to pick up in without leaving a gap or the sts being uneven. The edge sts will still be hidden, they’ll be under the neckband.
I realized as soon as I picked up my knitting again how silly it would be to slip stitches on the neck edge 
I worked all stitches on that edge and continued my slipped stitches on the outside (which I intend to hide inside my seam). I’ve finished the left side and it looks pretty good! Now that I’m ready for it, I think I can see how to join the yarn to the right side. I pretty much just start knitting, I think! Thanks to your help, I’m almost done the front. I’ll just have some sleeves to work up, the collar to figure out, some piecing together, and it’ll be done. Thanks again so much for your quick help!
Yep, you’ve got it.