Multidirectional knitting

[pommedesang88]

I am trying to make this scarf using multidirectional knitting, but I do not understand the concept of short rows. Can anyone give me more explicit instructions on how to go about doing that? What do I need for that? I tried looking online, but all the stuff that I found was not particularly enlightening. I checked out that video on short rows on this site as well, but I am still confused. Help!

[zkimom]

I think you might be over thinking the whole short row process as it is really very simple. Have you started working on the pattern yet? If you do exactly as it says it will start out looking all wonky but as you progress the shaping will start to make sense. In the beginning, it will look as if you are doing something wrong, but keep going and soon your pattern will begin to take shape.

Short row knitting is simply knitting over a portion of stitches in a row and leaving a certain amount of stitches live on the needle. You work the required number of stitches and turn your piece before you have knit the rest of the stitches on the needle. Then you work your piece back to the beginning. Eventually you will reach a row in your piece that requires you to knit across all the stitches on your needle and then begin the process of short rows again to make the next part of the scarf.

I think the video on this site is one of the clearest explanations of what a short row is and how to work it. There is also a good explanation of it in this article on Knitty.com.

Really, my best advice is to trust the pattern ( I'm stealing that from Ingrid ) Follow the directions and see how it comes out.

[knitasha]

I agree with Zkimom --short rows are less complicated than you'd think from the directions.

Most of Iris Schreier's designs (her books include Modular Knits, Lacy Little Knits and Knitting Little Luxuries) involve multi-directional knitting using short rows. She offers a 14-lesson tutorials at her Web site, artyarns.com These may be more than you need for your your project, but they are a great course in making complex-looking knits without fancy pattern stitches or picking up stitches.

[suzeeq]

Again, which pattern is it? There are several and they use different techniques, and not all use the wrap stitch as described in the Knitty article. Basically, a short row is just that - you don't knit all the way to the end of the row, only knit 1 - 9 sts or so, then turn and knit back over them, however the pattern describes. Eventually, you add the leftover stitches, usually by knitting or purling together one of the leftover stitches with one of the sts you're working with.