SHoulder seam looks bad. Is there a better way?

[G J]

I'm finishing a set in sleeve pullover. I was hoping the shoulder seams would even out after blocking, but they still look crappy. I tried mattress stitch, kitcher stitch and ended up doing a 3-needle bind-off, even though I had already bound off. (Thank goodness for Amy's video's! I actually learned how to do these with the videos! She makes it so easy!)
Is there a better way? There seem to be holes where the cast offs switched and the seam is WAYYY too tight. I'm willing to take off the neckline stitches, sleeves and unknit/frog if I have to. I really want this sweater to turn out! I already have to take off the bottom and add some length (we'll see how that goes), but I want to get the shoulders to look good. I have to say, the yarn is looking a bit worn where I've worked it so much along the shoulder. I'm thinking taking it out and using new yarn would work.
Can someone please look at the pattern and tell me if I should have done this differently? I think the 3-needle BO would have looked better if the stitches hadn't already been bound off, but what about the various cast-offs and the holes between? Would it work to put the stitches on a holder instead of binding off? How do I eliminate the holes? Here's a link to the pattern:
http://www.magknits.com/Aug05/alice.htm
THANKS SO MUCH!

[Jan in CA]

The 3 needle bind off is the correct method for shoulder seams. It provides a nice neat seam. It probably would have been better w/o the previous seaming. Can you take it all out and fix it?

[G J]

I'll take it out, but what do you mean "without previous seaming"? that I tried the other stitches first or that it is already bound off? The fact that it's bound off in three sections seems to make the holes.

[Jan in CA]

I'll take it out, but what do you mean "without previous seaming"? that I tried the other stitches first or that it is already bound off? The fact that it's bound off in three sections seems to make the holes.

Oh... I meant that it was bound off. 3 needle bind off as you know is done with live stitches. I'm not experienced enough to know how you could work with the bound off edges other than undoing them. :thinking: If you feel it's too tight you could go up a needle size or two when binding off, too.

It's a gorgeous sweater btw!

[G J]

Thanks! It's been fun to work on, until the finishing! I'm not experienced enough to know how to do the shoulder without the bind-off, either.

Can anyone with shoulder-work experience chime in and help? I need to know if I can put the stitches on holders instead of binding off? or will that leave my yarn in the wrong place for the next rows? Will doing it this way eliminate the holes or is there a better way to knit/shape the shoulder?

[CarmenIbanez]

I actually like to "graft" the shoulder seams, which can be done with seams that bound off. Have you looked at the grafting technique? It leaves an invisible seam.

Edited to add: I can give you a better explanation if you need it, and try to take pics?

[G J]

Do you mean mattress stitch or Kitchner? I tried those. If you have another technique, I'll need pictures and instructions.
Thanks!!

[CarmenIbanez]

Yes they are similar (some say the same) but maybe if we do a few pictures it would help. I don't have a knitted garment with me to use for demonstration though. Let me see if I can find something....

Okay, it is kitchener, but I do it sometimes after the edges have been bound off. Maybe I'm not understanding your problem exactly?

[G J]

The biggest problem is the holes between the levels of cast off. Maybe I did that part wrong? It also puckers and just looks too tight.

[CarmenIbanez]

Okay, now I understand better. I have sewn a ton of shoulder seams. Sometimes I just do it over and over, using different methods until I get something I can live with. I'm sorry I can't be more help!