The Knitting Fiend

As some knitters know, Lion Brand has tons of cute, free patterns. However, they sometimes provide very brief instructions. In fairness, so do many pattern magazines and books. It’s a pattern, not a knitting lesson!

However, many beginners use these free patterns, and the traditional brevity can cause beginners real problems. A knitter on the knitlist asked:

Does someone have a plain english or more detailed explanation on how to work the neck shaping using two skeins of yarn?

She noticed this instruction both in her pattern, and many others. As it happens, I never work both sides of the neck at the same time. I ignore instructions like this, “work the two sides separately”. I prefer to count rows to be certain both are the same length. Working separately spares the knitter from counting; on the other hand, you end up with two skeins of yarn in your lap. Six of one; half a dozen of the other! It’s the knitters choice which they prefer.

So, for beginners who want to work both sides at the same time, here’s my elaboration of Lion Brand’s instructions:

Lion Brand:

Neck Shaping Cont to work Raglan Armhole Shaping as for back, join 2nd ball of yarn and bind off center 6 (6, 6, 6, 8 ) ; 8 (8, 10, 14, 14, 14) sts.

Note that the Lion Brand Sweater project is knit in stockinet. They have you start shaping the neck with a knit side facing row.
So begin knitting across the row. When you are 6/2 = 3 stitches before the center stitch, drop the yarn in your hand. Get another ball and attach it. Bind off 6 stitches, and then knit to the other edge. You now have two balls of yarn in your lap.

Lion Brand:

Working both sides at once, dec 1 st from each neck edge every other row 2 (2, 2, 2, 2) ; 2 (3, 3, 3, 3, 4) times.

You are going to work decreases at the neck edge every other row, repeating the number of times required for the size you are knitting. So, you will alternate a plain row and a decrease row. There are several ways to do this; this is the way I would do it if working in stockinette; it results in perfect symmetry.

Plain row: Turn; purl side is now facing you. Purl across across to the neck gap. Drop the yarn you are holding. Notice the other skein of yarn patiently waiting for you. Pick it up. Purl to the other side.

Decrease row: Turn; knit side is now facing you. Knit until you are 3 stitches from the edge ahead of the neck gap. K2tog. K1. (The k2 tog is the decrease at the neck edge.) Drop that skein of yarn. Pick up the other one. K1, SSK (the decrease at the
other neck edge), knit across the row.

Repeat these two rows the required number of times.

But stop a second. It’s time for you to make design decision.

Compare the K2tog to the SSK. One slants one way; the other slants the opposite way. Decide if you like the way they are slanting, or if you’d rather the decreases slanted the opposite way. After all, to make the neck opening, you need to decrease at a certain rate. But you get to decide what type of decorative effect you’d like. Why let me decide? I may have no taste
whatsoever. If you’d prefer them to slant the opposite way, rip back past the first decrease, and make it an SSK, k1. Drop the skein, pick up the other one yada, yada, yada.

There you go: More complete English!