Tutorial: Adding Short Rows to a sweater pattern that doesn't have them - Mostly Knitting Podcast

[@KnittingWithTravis]

Thank you so much for explaining decreasing and lengthening short rows. I had never encountered the lengthening in a pattern before and was completely flummoxed. I was so worried I was missing something. So helpful.

[@nicolechapman539]

That was really interesting! Thank you for doing this clear explanation. It’s amazing how being an experienced math teacher helps to explain knitting in such a straightforward, logical way.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much Nicole. Glad it was helpful!

[@jellybeanjessie852]

This was a very clear and brilliantly explained video. Thanks!

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much. I am so glad you found it helpful. :)

[@Sanibean1]

This is the first time I have actually understood short row placement. Thank you so much.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're so welcome. x

[@rhondacutler3831]

Tash, this is an AMAZING tutorial. I have often wondered where to place short rows in a pattern that doesn't call for them. I now have my answer. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are so inspiring!

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks Rhonda. I am so glad it was helpful! :)

[@carminamartinez4545]

What an amazing and clear tutorial! Thank you so much 🙏🏻💕

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much! I am so glad you found it helpful. :)

[@lindaturner2980]

Really helpful, thanks Tash. I’ve got lots of old patterns that don’t have short rows and you’ve remedied my issue by offering simple math to make it easy! Love and gratitude, Linda, UK💕🧶

[@mostlyknitting]

You are welcome Linda. x

[@vinalini]

Thank you so much for this explanation. I am working on a Color work sweater and would like to add short rows after the Color work . I now understand what I’ll be doing. Thank you.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're so welcome. I am so glad it was helpful. :)

[@georgyevans]

Great tutorial. Thank you! I've been thinking about this for ages and you pulled together everything so succinctly and comprehensively.

[@mostlyknitting]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your lovely comment. :)

[@claircondell5935]

Very helpful video. Really clearly explained - thank you.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks so much. I am so glad you found it helpful. x

[@almutbonner4031]

Dear Tash, thanks a million! I have knitted short rows several times already. But now I understand the concept much better. Kind regards from Berlin❤

[@mostlyknitting]

You are welcome 😊 x

[@KimberlyEllison-b2f]

Excellent tutorial, very very helpful.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful! :)

[@rosemaryeveleigh3562]

Thank you for your podcast regarding doing short rows. Looking at the knitted items with yokes added that special touch. Take care ❤😊

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much Rosemary. :) xx

[@lisacoy8524]

So helpful! I think I'm going to try this with Anker Summer shirt after yoke.

[@mostlyknitting]

That’s definitely a good place to do them for the Anker summer shirt. You can either place them between the ribbed sections or right after all of them. :)

[@heatherroach7817]

Yes, that's very helpful. I've been knitting for 2 years and, being in England, have been making garments in the tradition of knitting flat and sewing pieces together, which I hated! Six weeks ago I made my first top down, in the round (Midori Hirose's Ranunculus) and was introduced to short rows. I have studied the pattern Flax, from Tin Can Knits and noted the short rows occurred lower down on the back. I've just completed my own version of a top down raglan sweater with a lace pattern going down the sleeve. I made German short rows (shorter ones first) just after the neck ribbing, keeping the raglan increases and the lace pattern in order. It took a fair bit of thinking out! I'm glad to have your tips confirm my calculations. I have found some free patterns (I'm a pensioner) from Drops' Garnstudios that look interesting but most don't include short rows to lift the back. Thanks to your tips, I have the confidence to zoom in and put the short rows where I think they should be! ❤

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks so much Heather. I am so glad you are enjoying your knitting more by making garments in the round and working on modifying them to fit better. That's awesome! x

[@beverlythompson3246]

Thanks for so clearly explaining how and where to add short rows!!

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome Beverly. Glad it was helpful!

[@jensannes]

This was so interesting and thorough! I really appreciated seeing your knitted examples and the written explanation with numbers. Super helpful!!! Thank you!

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks Jen. Glad it was helpful!

[@maryannbergeron9531]

Thank you so much for this insightful tutorial. I appreciate knowing how to add short rows to those patterns that do not incorporate them into the pattern. ❤

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome Maryann. x

[@deniseengel1451]

Thanks Tash. Good explanations of the various types of short row shaping.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks Denise. :)

[@yarn_dragon]

Excellent information. It’s always been a mystery to me, those short rows for lifting the collars. Your video has been very enlightening. Thank you!

[@mostlyknitting]

You're very welcome! I'm so glad it helped. :)

[@barbarajenkins1811]

Thank you for such a clear explanation.

[@mostlyknitting]

Glad it was helpful Barbara. :)

[@TheFrenchSiana]

This video is amazing! Literally answered every single question I had about adding my own short rows (and I had a lot! 😅) Thank you!!!

[@mostlyknitting]

I'm so glad! x

[@karenberg4903]

This info. was so very helpful to me!! I never really understood short rows and your explanation was perfect!! Thank you so much, Karen.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much Karen. I am so glad the video was helpful. :)

[@mrspilgrim327]

Hey Tash, Just wanted to say thanks for doing this. I recently learned how to add my own short rows to a jumper and really had to dig deep to find any help, even then it was pretty vague and taken from a number of videos. I had to lift some serious brain weights to work it out, so we'll done on the vid 👍. I hope its ok to add this here, but bust darts are another rare one. I appreciate it's just short rows, but the variations such as top down, bottom up, and cardis versus jumpers can make it a bit confusing, not to mention bust sizes. I think those tailoring tips in general are what's missing in tutorials on the internet, all the shaping and polishing up techniques that takes knits to that next level. Anyhow thanks for this much need lesson. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome. Thanks so much for the encouragement. xx

[@subellekazooti9589]

Thank you for your work on this. Helpful to this novice sweater knitter.

[@mostlyknitting]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@anngreen9918]

Really appreciate this video tutorial! Thank you ! I have been very confused about which short row configuration to choose .. increasing or decreasing short rows. I had read increasing short rows produces a “ hump” effect in the sweater!

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks Ann. I havent experienced that hump effect as the number of rows are the same in the same places. I do find increasing to be better in terms of resolving the ones that are made on the purl side but then resolved in the knit when starting to knit in the round. If you do increasing short rows, there is only one of those to deal with at the end. :)

[@anngreen9918]

@@mostlyknitting Thank you again Tash!

[@AnnieM-54]

Thanks so much Tash. Your explanations and diagrams were really clear. I’m sure I’ll be brave enough now to give the short rows a go if they’re not in a pattern.

[@mostlyknitting]

Oh good. I am so glad Annie. :)

[@magsohara7908]

Thanks Tash. This will be very useful since I don’t like the back of my neck to be cold and raising it up even just a little will make such a difference. 🙋🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@mostlyknitting]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@miriambartley6622]

Thankyou for exlaining so well.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome Miriam. :)

[@maggieatanassova3170]

Thank you. This is very helpful for patterns that not include short rows.

[@mostlyknitting]

You’re welcome Maggie 😊

[@PamelaZumwalt]

Thank you! You explained it perfectly. I like how you resolve them on the same type of stitch they were made.

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome!

[@JanHowe-ll3zr]

That was great. I understand short rows a lot better. Thanks Tash.

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome! :)

[@enidwiese4449]

Excellent, excellent, excellent! Thanks Tash!

[@mostlyknitting]

You're so welcome! x

[@EHCH66]

Thank you so much Tash, very helpful! You look very beautiful in your dark blue and pink flower sweater 😍 Greetings, Elliard 🌷

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks so much Elliard. x

[@folkartjane]

Your Alpine Bloom is beautiful as well as your others. Love your color choices. Great explanation! Blessings

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much! :)

[@chrisgoudeau3598]

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I have always wondered where and how to start them. This was a great tip.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you Chris. I am so glad it helped. :)

[@EvieO1950]

Thank you so much! This really helped me understand the concept of short rows as well as how to accomplish them.

[@mostlyknitting]

Glad it was helpful Evie! :)

[@cathiapizetta4957]

Great tutorial Tash! Thank you❤

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome. x

[@gmarcelle]

Thankyou ! Concise and helpful 😊

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome! ☺️

[@stephaniewilliams8687]

Always helpful. I thought it would be hard to figure out, but it’s not.

[@mostlyknitting]

Sometimes it is just good to have your own instincts confirmed. :)

[@catrave8681]

I’ve found that the short rows closer to the cast on work better for me. My flat knitting is much larger and looks terrible when done further down the sweater and visible in the front. When doing short rows at the top, I don’t change to the larger needles until my short rows are finished to keep the gage on point. Then I’ll set to larger needles. Thank you again for such clear instruction. 😊

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome. I like to do them at the top as well if i can. I get better results there as well. Sometimes it doesnt work with the patterning, unfortunately. :)

[@CG-ie3di]

Excellent, as always. Many thanks for this one Tash, very helpful.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome. :)

[@Carol-Malinois]

Another great tutorial! Thank you

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much Carol. :)

[@sharons5723]

Great tutorial. Very clear and understandable. Yey math!

[@mostlyknitting]

Yes! Yay math!! Thanks Sharon. :)

[@Top-g919]

Thank you Tash ❤

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome xx

[@DavinaSandhu]

Thank you, thank you! I’ve watched so many videos and this one answered all my questions and I love your sweaters, and colour choices- beautiful! ❤🎉😊

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much Davina. I am so glad you found it helpful. :)

[@joanspiller1553]

Thanks for a great tutorial. Your explanation and diagrams really are helpful.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks Joan. I am so glad. :)

[@texasmom8827]

Very well explained. Thank you!

[@mostlyknitting]

You are welcome! :)

[@MarieJoFR]

Hi Tash, you just answered my question regarding short rows on my ankers cardigan. I am with you, I actually prefer to lengthen the short rows (ie doing the shortest on row#1) and confirm my GSR resolution is definitely better on the knit double stitches vs the purl ones, which tend to leave a hole (any advice is welcome). Great information, as always. Love from Paris, Marie

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Marie - Yes! We are of the same mind. They do look better when done in the direction you made them. There is always that last pesky one that has to be resolved on the knit but was made on the purl....

[@Ekaete_23]

Thank you so much for a great video! I know I’ll be using this.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome. Im so glad it was helpful. :)

[@annrupp2151]

Thank you for that! Great explanation!

[@mostlyknitting]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@catrave8681]

So wonderful! Thank you. 🙏

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome!

[@catherinethomes2910]

Genius! Thanks for the tutorial! I saved this one to watch again and again! Yup, I’ll probably need to watch it again and again 😂❤

[@mostlyknitting]

I'm glad it was helpful Catherine and something you think you can revisit when you need it. I love that about video tutorials. :)

[@catherinethomes2910]

@@mostlyknitting yes, me too🥰

[@dmiller8089]

Thank you so much, Tash. This was so very helpful and I appreciate you so much in doing these tutorials they make a big difference in my knitting. Again thank you thank you thank you❤

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome! x

[@RamblingKnitter]

A really clear explanation - thank you.

[@mostlyknitting]

You are welcome! Glad it was helpful. :)

[@sonettevermaak9641]

Thank you!

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome! :)

[@sophiecote7138]

Really clear! Thanks very much 😍

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome 😊

[@yolandahernandez-madsen4657]

Thank you. It's very helpful. ❤

[@mostlyknitting]

Oh good. I'm so glad! :)

[@tracycharalambous5223]

This tutorial was so helpful. Thanks Tash

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome Tracy. :)

[@MikiCrespo]

Thanks so much for sharing 🌸

[@mostlyknitting]

You are so welcome!

[@chantaldelage3269]

Thanks so much Tash, it's very useful por me.

[@mostlyknitting]

I'm so glad Chantal. :)

[@jilliankonig2759]

Interesting methods. I was wondering, though, if you have a yoke design, the short rows right under the ribbing would keep the design the level (from the floor), since theoretically, short rows sit up on the back of your neck. If you put the short rows below the yoke design, the design would be tipped higher in the back because when you would wear the sweater, the back neck is higher than the front neck. It would keep the yoke design level if the short rows are in the ribbing. For the Sorrel pattern, I had actually wondered if I might do the short rows in pattern, just below the ribbing, thereby making the dip stitch columns longer in the back than in the front. That way, the design would still begin right below the neckline ribbing. And no one sees both the front and back of your sweater simultaneously, so the fact that the dip stitch columns are longer in the back would be irrelevant.

[@mostlyknitting]

That's an interesting idea Jillian. I like it. It would keep the visual of the pattern starting right under the ribbing, but lengthen it for the short rows.

[@heatherroach7817]

@jilliankonig2759 I thank you for your suggestion. I am working on Tidal Treasures by Drops design, a free pattern. Many Drops patterns don't include short rows. I wonder if that comes from a tradition of having reversible knitwear? I decided to follow your advice of putting in 10 short rows before commencing the lace pattern. It has worked out beautifully. Thank you again.🌹

[@julietglenn249]

Thank you, so useful.

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome Juliet. Glad it was helpful. :)

[@sharonkennedy8612]

Thanks for this video, it’s great. Love all your sweaters.

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks so much Sharon. :)

[@heatherjohnson959]

Thank You!!❤

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome Heather. x

[@KimberlyEllison-b2f]

You mentioned that you would do another tutorial for adding short rows to a raglan sweater pattern - that would also be super helpful!

[@mostlyknitting]

Will do. I will add that to the list. :)

[@susanburke9273]

You are so clear and informative!! Thank you! I have been following all your videos on the Field Sweater and just got stuck on the short row portion after all the grains are completed. It would seem to me that she is doing it on the increase as you mentioned you prefer, but also, if I am reading it correctly, she is only doing it a total of 4 times. Can you please comment on this, am I correct in my reading. Thank you again for your tutorials!

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Susan. I’m so glad the videos have been helpful. Yes, she is doing 4 pairs of increasing short rows so 8 rows total. :)

[@susanburke9273]

@@mostlyknitting thank you!!

[@SusanJane-it8hi]

Excellent thank you Tash. I am thinking of knitting Whitmoor sweater, and I definitely need short rows at the back neck. In my older years I seem to get cold at the back of my neck. :) Because there is Lacework I thought I would make the Short rows in the back before the sleeve cast offs, but I think looking at the pattern the lace goes further down past the armhole shaping. In this situation I'm not sure where to do them. Any thoughts? NOTE: I just found a few notes on the project page of Whitmoor that someone has done the short rows before the sleeve shaping, so the lacework must finish higher than I thought. :)

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Susan. It may differ depending on the size you are making. If possible, i would do them after the lace and before splitting for the sleeves.

[@SusanJane-it8hi]

@@mostlyknitting thank you.:)

[@juliecorroto2289]

Hi Tash luv your work! Lucky us novice knitters have you around to help us become better at our craft. I noticed on your Ravely page you cast on 96 for your Novice Sweater. Do you just cast on that many to increase the neck size and then just continue the pattern instructions and just try on until you get your perfect sleeve start? Thankyou in advance ❤

[@mostlyknitting]

Thanks so much Julie. Yes, you are right. I wanted the neckline to not be as high up so I cast on more sts but then did less frequent increases when it came to the first increase so i could get to the right stitch count for my size. :)

[@heleng9008]

Hi Tash, I love all your sweaters, wish my knittting looked half as good as yours! I watched you making the first diagram a few times and I’m a bit confused. If you start at the BOR, shouldn’t you be knitting clockwise rather than counterclockwise. And therefore the knitting would proceed up towards the left hand side of the circle? If you start knitting counterclockwise, you would be turning your work at the BOR and starting with a purl row, wouldn’t you? I assume the right side of the work is facing us.

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Helen It can seem a bit confusing when working top down. You have to imagine you turn yourself around and look down on your knitting. When knitting top down, if your beginning of round is at the centre back, as you start knitting, you are working along the right side of your back, then your right shoulder, then the front, then around to your left shoulder, then the left side of your back. so when i draw on the circle on the paper, i am showing on the body where those stitches are being constructed. I hope that helps.

[@heleng9008]

Of course! Silly me 🙄

[@corteofs]

This is very well done , thanks. Is the effect of the short rows the same on the neck line if the Short rows are done on the bottom of the pattern in a yoke sweater ?

[@mostlyknitting]

It should be very similar as long as the short rows at the bottom of the pattern go around the body past the sleeve section towards the front of the sweater. If you arent doing any near the neck, you want to go all the way past the sleeves into about an inch into the front on either side.

[@elizabethord582]

I am knitting a sweater,in the round, from the bottom up. The pattern does not have short rows but I want to add them before the yoke. How would this be different than adding SRs when knitting a top down sweater? Thank you!

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Elizabeth. The approach is the same as top down. In the bottom up sweater patterns i have made that have them, they usually place some soon after joining in the round. The longest rows should go around about half way into what were the sleeve stitches. You usually have quite a few more sts between each short row than you would if you were adding them at the back of the neck.

[@AnneluvsKatz]

So interesting! Did you take some sort of masterclass??

[@mostlyknitting]

Thank you so much Anne. I have just done a lot of research through reading resource books on knitting construction and knitting a lot of sweaters! x

[@filomenamendes-hb4to]

❤

[@tamaratafoya9466]

I have heard a couple podcasters say they have not found a good place to put their short rows so they have placed them in their ribbed collar, or whatever type collar the pattern calls for. Have you ever down that and what do you think about that area?

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Tamara. That is definitely another option and I am going to talk about that in another tutorial on adding short rows in the ribbing. This is something Elizabeth Zimmerman talks about in Knitting Without Tears (and probably other books).

[@RobbieHutchins]

Great tutorial, Tash. If I wasn’t 1200 km away I’d be taking all your classes at Skein Sisters. You have a gift for uncomplicating the logic behind why we do what we do. Thank you.

[@bryonymika9284]

What is meant by the term resolved? And how do you do it?

[@mostlyknitting]

Hi Bryony. When you do a short row, you do a technique that will prevent a hole. It might be german short rows, wrap and turn, japanese - lots of different methods. Each one involves doing one thing when you turn and then another thing when you come around to knit that stitch where you made the short row. What you do when you meet that stitch again is often called resolving it. Here is a link to how i do german short rows - making them and resolving them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5rXpoypmc9-l6ssi=uVdt-k41HdX_Xg0J

[@veronicazimmerman3294]

Thank you!

[@mostlyknitting]

You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful. :)