I am banging out a Carbeth Cardigan -in Jill Draper’s Middlefield. It’s going to be very cute. But I want to add length all around which is simple but I’d also like to have the back hang longer than the front by using short rows. I’ve followed patterns for this effect but I don’t exactly know how to free style. Anybody have some hints? My gauge is 3.5 =1" and I’m doing the 3rd size.
Thanks in advance
I haven’t done short rows in this project, but I hear that Andrew from Fruity Knitting is adding them to his project, although I cannot find that he’s gotten to that point as of episode 60.
With the decreases on every single row, I imagine that they’d be best worked in the ribbing.
I am far from well versed in anything like this but if I was trying this, my instinct would be to get some paper and draw a picture of what you want and then, using row gauge, figure out what I need to add. Not sure if that even makes any sense but I’m looking forward to seeing what you do.
Thanks Everyone-
I appreciate the thoughts. Watched the Fruity Knitting but his short rows were for a different purpose.
Soooo- I just decided to forge ahead. I wanted to have the back slope down several inches for a kind of modern take. I knit across to the mid back plus 12 sts. then started to wrap and turn on each row, back and forth.
On each row I would knit to the wrapped st, pick up the wrap , knit 3 ( or purl 3) W/T. I did this process till I was within a stitch or two of the side markers. It’s looking great-it added about 2" to the mid back and slopes up to the sides. I feel like a knitting genius!!!
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I totally misunderstood - I’ve had the neck shaping on my mind! Sounds as if you’ve got it.
I just knit a sweater pattern that has a u-shaped bottom both front a back. This one the same length front and back, but since you work the front and back separately at the end, you could reduce the number of stitches before you turn the work on the back, and that would make for more rows, so a longer back. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daydream-7 by Heidi Kirrmaier. She also uses an I-cord bind off, which helps those curved edges stay flat.
Hello skb2714,
I know this is after the knitting of carbeth. I have just finished the 5 stockinette rows and waiting to begin the yoke decreasing but I would like to create a longer back as you did and incorporate the short rows for the neck. Does adding the short rows for only the neck add length? I am not an experienced knitter so I am asking for more specifics so I can get back to knitting the cardigan. Where do the short rows begin and how exactly do you incorporate them. I am knitting the second size or the first size in parenthesis (sp?). Thank you for any help you can offer.
You are my hero.