Three needle bind off

#1

I am making a cardigan and the pattern says to bind off all shoulders but I am wondering if I can change that.

For the back I have 75sts on the needle and patterns says

bind off 25sts, K24sts slip 25sts just worked onto st holder, bind off rem sts. So that leaves me with 25sts for each shoulder.

For the right and left front I have 25sts left on each side.

Can I just leave the sts on the needle from the back and knit 25sts with the right front then put the next 25sts on a holder then knit the last 25sts with the left front.

:?? I watched the three needle BO and the working yarn has to come from the back so it works for the right front. For the left front the working yarn is at the other end so can I still do it or should I not even try.

#2

I always use 3 needle bind off, regardless of what the pattern says.

You can work the 3nbo from either edge, so you could go all the way across like you said, or you can work 25 in from each edge and put the center on the holder.

The right sides have to be together, though, so if you work the center stitches and then do the second shoulder, you might have to reverse those stitches, depending on what row you’re on.

#3

When I’ve done the 3 needle BO, I start with whichever end has the yarn on the back needle. I don’t think it matters if you do it from the arm to neck edge or neck to arm edge.

sue

#4

If I understand you correctly I would leave the front sts and back sts on the needle. Starting with the working yarn at the back Knit the first 25sts (back to front), knit middle 25sts then put them on the holder, knit the last 25sts (back to front)

What do you mean by reverse the stitches? :?? :shrug: I just got what you meant. I was doing the BO on the right side and since I have to do the three needle BO on the wrong side, the stitches that are knitted in the middle will have to be reversed, right?

I am glad you told me I could do it all at once. I was thinking I would do three needle BO with one shoulder then pick up a new piece of yarn to work the three needle BO for the other shoulder.