What does finishing each shoulder seperately mean?

 Hello! Thank you for reading my post!  I am not new to knitting but am new to doing more complicated projects. I am currently working on Drops Design Sweetness Imprint Sweater and this part in particular is driving me bonkers, from the front panel of the sweater. 
 'Place the middle 15-15-17-17-17-19 stitches on a thread for the neck and finish each shoulder separately. Cast off on each row from the neck as follows: 2 stitches 3 times and 1 stitch 2 times = 25-26-28-31-33-34 stitches on the shoulder. Continue working until the piece measures 50-52-54-56-58-60 cm. Cast off. Work the other shoulder in the same way.'
  Over an hour of googling has yielded no clarification. I am confused and don't know if I'm understanding it right, but I don't want to end up knitting something so wrong that it will regret being born. 
  Do you treat the shoulder and middle neck part as 3 separate pieces? Like, casting off or using a new yarn for each piece? 

Thank you!

Welcome to KH!


Yes, these are 3 separate pieces. The two shoulders are live sts on the needle and the middle section consists of sts held on waste yarn. You’ll get to that middle section of held sts later under Neck.
You’ll need 2 sources of yarn if you want to work the shoulders at the same time or you can work one shoulder to the end then work the other shoulder. You’ll be binding off 2sts at the neck edge on 3 rows (say rows 1,3 and 5) and then 1stitch at the neck edge on 2 rows (this can be the next 2 RS rows or the next 2 rows).

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I absolutely appreciate you replying, thank you so much. I’m also sorry to ask another question, what is the neck edge? Is it the middle? As in, sleeve line touches the sleeves, does the neck line mean the middle panel that is on a string/not being held? I am so sorry to have to ask for extra clarification. Just making sure I don’t do something wrong because I thought I understood.

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No problem. There are no limits on questions or clarifications. You’ll have sts on the needle for the two shoulders (the center sts on the waste yarn are out of consideration for now). The sleeve edge is indeed the edge that will connect to a sleeve or the outer edge. The neck edge is the edge that will become part of the neckline, nearest the neck and on the inner edge.

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Okay! So ‘. Bind off on each row from the neck ’ in the pattern means you bind off wrong side, purling on the neck side?
Further need of clarification is because on the diagram the sleeves are shown as straight lines, which confuses me more. If they are bound off they would be shown as sloped lines, correct?
Full Sentence: Place the middle 15-15-17-17-17-19 stitches on a thread for the neck and finish each shoulder separately. Bind off on each row from the neck as follows: 2 stitches 3 times and 1 stitch 2 times = 25-26-28-31-33-34 stitches on the shoulder.’
I am so sorry. You have been so helpful. English is also not my first language, which makes things a bit more difficult.Thank you so much.

Yes. If you have just finished the 2 rows of stockinette by working a knit row, then a purl row and you are about to work a RS row (the knit row). If you work this shoulder first because this is where your yarn is attached you are working the left shoulder, that is left as you would wear it. In this case the bind offs for the neck will be on the wrong side or purl side. Therefore work a knit row, turn, bind off, work to end of row.

When you work the other shoulder you can rejoin the yarn at the beginning of the row on the wrong side (purl side) work to the neck edge, turn, bind off, work to end of row. These will be on the knit side of the fabric.

By the way your English is amazing! I would not have know it was not your first language it’s so good. And don’t worry about asking more questions, just ask.

Right now you’re working the neck shaping as you knit the shoulders, one shoulder at a time. You can see the curve in the diagram at the neck opening (blue line in diagram below).
There is no shaping for the sleeve side of the shoulder. It’s a straight line from the armhole bind off up to the end at the very top of the shoulder (red line in diagram). The sleeve top or cap shows the same straight line. Once the sleeve is completed all the stitches are bound off in a straight line which will fit along the straight line of the sleeve side of the shoulder.
You’re English is precise and clear. No problems there at all.
KH5

Thank you so much to everyone who replied! I really appreciate all the help! You guys are all so kind! Now I can make the ultimate knitting craft: A sweater.
Thank you again!

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