Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 10:17:00 -0600 From: GARDEN (garden2288@sisna.com) Subject: [BOND] HOLES IN SHOULDERS This is the article as I read it: "I still cannot get the hang of shaping shoulders properly, as I get large gaps when joining. I have tried casting off tightly and loosely, but it still comes out wrong...Please help" REPLY: "My favorite method on the Bond is to use what is known as short-row shaping, using needles placed in Holding Position (HP). The actual method is: Supposing a pattern says (for the back of the sweater): "Shape Shoulders: cast off 7 stitches at the beginning of the next 6 rows." It will then ususally say "Cast off remaining 30 stitches for the back of the neck. Instead of following these instructions, you should knit ONE LESS ROW than the pattern calls for before the shoulder shaping, and then * place the needles holding the first group of 7 stitches (at the end of the row, opposite the carriage) into Holding Position. Knit the row, and the yarn will be stretched over the needles in holding position. Lift the yarn, and make if go UNDER the first needle in HP and over the rest. Note: I believe the key word here is UNDER....Mind you I have not tried this but it sounds like the answer.....Barbara Repeat these instruction from * until all the shoulder stitches are in HP. Return all the HP needles to Forward Working Position (FWP) with their latches open. Knit one row across all the needles, and cast all the stitches off in one operation. The loop of yarn placed UNDER each first HP needle will be knitted into the stitches at the back, and will close up the hole which forms next to HP needles when extra (shorter) rows are knitted. There is also a similar technique written for hand knitters...if you want that one....I will be happy to post that too...let me know..Barbara ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 15:32:52 -0500 From: "dotss" (dotss@linkny.com) Subject: Re: [BOND] set in sleeves Set-in sleeves can be done from the shoulder down. I usually put the shoulder and underarm stitches on the machine. Take one third of the shoulder stitches in the center and put the rest in HP. Now on the center stitches, short row them, increasing at the begining of each row, not forgetting to wrap the yarn around the HP needle next to the new stitch. Continue to increase with the short row method until all needles are back in WP. Now just continue with the sleeve shaping from the armhole down. You might need to experiment with how many stitches to start with. One quater to one third is a good starting place. If you are adapting a dropped shoulder pattern, decrease an inch worth of stitches on each side at the armhhole markers. Hope this is clear. Email me with any questions. Keep smiling 8-) Evelyn in NY dotss@linkny.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 22:49:50 -0500 From: cpolfer@juno.com (Cindy S Polfer) Subject: [BOND] Seaming shoulders > What's the best way to sew the shoulder seams? Is it better to bind off > the back and front with chain st (or back st?), then knit them together > on the machine? Or is it best to put them on waste yarn and graft them > together? SEAMING SHOULDER STITCHES There has been some discussion lately about seaming methods. The following is one I always use for the shoulder, since it joins the shoulders easily and provides a much more stable seam than weaving or kitchenering the stitches. It is worked as follows: 1) Make sure your shoulder stitches have been removed from the machine on WY (waste yarn) - 4 to 6 rows is sufficient. Note: I often cut the end of the garment yarn leaving an end about 3 times the width of the shoulder to use for joining (less ends to weave in later!!!) 2) Bring forward into HP (holding position) the number of ndls (needles) needed for your shoulder. Place green card behind ndl butts to hold needles in place. (Note: If green card is too long for the number of ndls needed, use yellow card. It fits in-between needles in HP and NWP (non-working position). 3) With RIGHT side (public side) of one shoulder facing you, rehang sts of shoulder onto ndls. Push sts BEHIND latches. 4) With WRONG side (non-public side) facing you, rehang corresponding shoulder sts IN HOOKS. 5) Remove green (or yellow card). Now pull sts IN HOOKS through sts BEHIND latch. You can do them one by one using the needle butts or do them all at one by placing the green card between the front rail and ndl butts and pushing the card towards the back rail. (You will have only 1 st in each hook because the second set of shoulder sts you rehung IN THE HOOKS have been pulled through the first set of shoulder sts you rehung and pushed BEHIND THE LATCHES.) 6) Now thread the 3 times long cut end tail of garment yarn (or another piece of yarn) into carriage behind fabric guide. Insert Keyplate #4 into carriage. Using cut tail, knit 1 row. [Note: There is no need to hang hem weight to work shoulder seam. Also, if you were using KP#4 for the garment already, you will have to knit the sts with the cut tail LOOSELY by hand. A loose row of knitting is needed to work the following bind off.] 7) Latch tool Bind Off as follows: Starting at st opposite from end of yarn, remove edge st from machine onto latch tool. *Place st BEHIND latch. Remove next st from machine placing it IN HOOK. Pull st in hook through st behind latch. Repeat from * across row. Pull end of yarn through last st to fasten off. [Note: You may wish to slightly support hem weight while binding off.] This is the best shoulder seam that I have ever worked, and I even like to replicate it in my hand knitting. Hope these instructions will be clear enough to work. If any problems, please feel free to write. Cindy Polfer - cpolfer@juno.com
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Author : Steph Thornton.
Last modified on : 12th October 1998.