Short rows question

knitqueen · 05-17-2005, 10:32 PM

I'm pretty sure I have the concept of short rows now. I have two projects on the go right now that I will use short rows with, a tank top and a sweater.

All I'm unsure of is this....when you add these short rows, am I right that the original "row" then has a bit of a curve to it?? Do the rows ever even out and become totally straight again? I'm worried that it will interfere with my V-neck on the sweater.

Fernwood · 05-18-2005, 04:53 AM

Have you seen this article in Knitty? The diagram and the pictures toward the bottom made the short row thing a lot clearer for me. My brain is not wired well for 3D thinking and I struggle to visualize things like this unless I have something to refer to, right in front of me.

In spite of that, I made this little test piece to work on shaping for a felted pillow cover project that I am working up. I used both short rows and stitch increases to get the volume in the center and keep a flat border around the edge. But I find it hard to explain which element accomplished what, even with my work in my hand to demonstrate.

knitqueen · 05-18-2005, 06:11 AM

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I have seen the Knitty short rows tutorial. I found another one HERE that made a lot of sense to me, too, and with some great pictures. Here's a photo of my short row attempt this evening. It went well but my knit side wraps are not invisible when I'm done. My purl-side ones look GREAT. It almost looks like the knit side ones aren't tight enough so it might be something I just need to practice. It's a bit difficult to see on the photo though.

:XX:

KellyK · 05-18-2005, 12:31 PM

Can you knit up some alfredo sauce to go with that ravioli, Fern?

THAT looks GREAT! WOW it must have taken some serious brain power to figure that out....Id be on EMPTY right now! Good job!

Fernwood · 05-18-2005, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by KellyK

Can you knit up some alfredo sauce to go with that ravioli, Fern?

THAT looks GREAT! WOW it must have taken some serious brain power to figure that out....Id be on EMPTY right now! Good job!

Thanks, Kelly!
What filling do you think would be tastiest with strawberry pink acrylic?
For anyone reading this who is feeling slightly confused, Kelly is referring to my comments about this bizarre ravioli in this thread, where I obsess about the pillow project.

Knitqueen,
Thanks for the other link! I was going to say that I find the wraps very obvious on the knit side of stockinette, but I didn't know about that disappearing trick. I wasn't worried about how they looked for this project, which will be felted, but I am definitely going to test that method, cause I don't much like the way they would look if I was doing bust shaping on a top with a nice smooth finish, say.

So, will your short rows and V-neck work out OK?

knitqueen · 05-18-2005, 08:39 PM

I think it will work out. It makes a lot more sense now that I've done a test sample. I had this vision because I'm adding more rows in the middle of my work, that I'd have these few un-worked stitches on the left and right edges where I've started the short rows, then a hill of new rows and my work would stay curved like that. But in actuality, it doesn't form a 2-D curve like I imagined it would, it forms a 3-D boob holder!! hehe

Sorry, this really cracks me up!! Anyways, it appears that it will probably work fine with the V-neck. Thanks for all your help. I think I'll take another look at Amy's video about short rows because she seems to be able to get the wraps to be invisible on both the left and the right. Maybe I'm not picking up the wrap properly when I knit it in.

knitqueen · 05-18-2005, 09:02 PM

I just watched Amy's short row video again, did a couple of test rows and it came out great!! I like her sequence of how to do it better than the other directions I've read. It seems less complicated. And to make it invisible from the right side when you're done, it all depends on HOW you pick up the wraps when you are knitting (or purling) them into your work. Do it exactly as Amy shows and it will be invisible.

knitqueen · 05-18-2005, 10:09 PM

Okay, another question.....related to doing short rows while working in the round.

So I'm going to be doing short rows for bust shaping, obviously only on the front half of my stitches which are currently on a circular since I am knitting in the round. I am totally clear on how to actually DO short rows, but my question comes once all of the wraps have been made. Say, for example, I'm doing 6 wraps total on EACH side of the front. Let's say I've just finished my final wrap. The next directions are to then KNIT all the way across the row, picking up and including the wraps, then turn around and PURL all the way back across the row, picking up and including the wraps on the purl side. All fine and dandy if you're working flat, but what if you're working in the round. Does "knit across entire row" actually then mean "knit around entire round"??? In other words, knit across the front stitches as usual, picking up the wraps, then continue on knitting around the back stitches which have been up till now on hold????? If so, what happens when you come up to the wraps that were done on the purl side?? Can you pick them up on the knit side and just keep going in the round as usual??

I hope this question is clear - I'm really having a tough time envisioning this in the round.

Hildegard_von_Knittin · 05-19-2005, 02:01 AM

Is the pattern you are following originally written for flat knitting?

knitqueen · 05-19-2005, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by Hildegard_von_Knittin

Is the pattern you are following originally written for flat knitting?

No, but it doesn't specifically say how to add short rows. It is written in the round and says "for cup size C or larger we STRONGLY recommend using short rows for bust shaping".

I have gotten some advice from a friend of mine though and I think I know what to do now.