Favorite method of stitching together shoulder seams?

[kitkat]

I am STILL working on my noro sweater - unfortunately that pesky April 17th deadline has totally taken away all my knitting time! Anyway, I am at the point where I need to seam together one shoulder seam and pick up stitches so that I can add the turtle neck. The pattern had you cast off the stitches on the shoulders and leave the center ones live.

One of my cast off's is too tight - so I will be undoing that cast off anyway. Should I undo the cast off's on the other to leave the stitches live to do a three needle cast off???

What is the preferred way from my gurus???

[IrishBaby]

I really like the three needle bind off -- it's pretty easy, very reliable, stable, and looks neat.

[Jackie F.]

I definitely prefer the three-needle bind off (3NBO) if it's appropriate (see next paragraph). I just tried it for the first time and loved the result! I usually do the woven shoulder seam, but plan on using the 3NBO whenever I possibly can.

The type of seam you choose depends on how heavy the sweater is, and if there will be serious tugging on the shoulders. You don't want the shoulders to be more stretched out than the rest of your sweater. If you're making a lighter sweater, tank, shrug, etc. the 3NBO would be perfect and look very nice, very professional. ...and it's not scary to do!

If you plan on re-doing the shoulders on both sides with 3NBO, just use short rows. When you get to the end of the last row where you're knitting or purling up the wraps, your needle will be pointing in the direction it needs to be for the 3NBO. This is true for all four sections.
Some references:
The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie Wiseman (pp.72-76)
http://www.knitty.com/issuefall04/FEATpatterns103.html
http://nonaknits.typepad.com/nonakni...row_shoul.html
http://www.purlwise.com/2004/03/post_4.html
and of course: http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting...s/bind-off.php

When you're ready to cast off with three needles, you can actually use the two ends of a circular needle in your left hand with a third needle in your right hand. I can't remember where I read this, but it is a great tip and prevents you from having to worry about having a third needle in the same size.http://(That is of course only if yo...attern. :oops:

[kitkat]

Any reason why I couldn't unbind off the shoulders that were already bound off and just stick em back on needles? I don't see why not....I already need to re-do one anyway.

With edit - its noro Kureyon - I think that a 3 needle bind off will result in a more professional finish up there, and should not be putting undue stress on it. Actualy I started this sweater as a class at LYS, and forgot we had discussed "knitting the shoulder seams together" which is what I would assume is a three needle bind off.

[Jackie F.]

In your pattern, does it have you working the turtleneck part back and forth on straight needles?

If so, you'll be seaming only one shoulder with the 3NBO, and leaving the other shoulder's stitches on a holder or scrap yarn until you finish the neck. If it says at the very end to seam the should and neck, you could split that into two steps: do the 3NBO first, then sew up the neck seam.

[Ingrid]

I always, always, always do three-needle bind off regardless of the weight of the sweater. It's just too good looking compared to any other method. you only have to consider short rows if the shoulder is bound off in steps for a slope. If it's straight across, or if you want to just do it straight across, you can just do the 3nbo.

You can also bind off both shoulders but use a circular needle for the neck stitches, rather than doing one shoulder and then knitting the collar straight.

[kitkat]

This is why I love this site! I love the help!

Yes, the pattern does call for seaming one shoulder, pick up the stitches all around, knit the turtleneck, seam up the the remaining...and I was sitting here wondering why that couldnt be done on a small circular and eliminate that seam??? (after all, I have my favorite girlfriend DENISE at home!)

Shoulder edge itself is straight across - the front neck has a slight scoop but the shaping ends well before the shoulder edge. I don''t think short rows are necessary.

With edit: on the back side I think I just need to rip out the last few rows, which would be the two bound off "shoulders" and the not bound off middle part - and then do the 3nbo on the shoulders, leaving the other stitches live.

Oh oh oh I can't wait to get home so I can work on it!!!

[Jackie F.]

You can also bind off both shoulders but use a circular needle for the neck stitches, rather than doing one shoulder and then knitting the collar straight.

That sounds so much easier -- and it would look much better, too! I'll have to remember that when I knit my future cold weather sweaters this fall. Thanks Ingrid! :D