neck shaping, fair isle, working in the round!

9 years ago

Hi! I hope this topic hasn't been covered elsewhere on the forum...I did a quick search but still did not find the answer to my question.
I'm knitting a Fair Isle Sweater from Meg Swanson's Sweaters from Camp. I'm not a total newbie, but neck shaping and steeks are new to me.

I can visualize the steek placement and knitting for the armholes but am really having trouble visualizing what she has planned for the neck. the pattern reads as follows:
"Work 65 stitches of round 12, place center 37 stitches on a holder, cast on 5 steek stitches, place markers before and after these 5 stitches for steek, complete round staying in pattern"

does this mean that I leave the 37 stitches on the holder, start with fresh yarn to cast on the steeks, and then knit the remaining stitches into a new "tube" leaving the 37 on the stitch holder for later?

she goes on to say, "decrease at neckline as follows on each of the following 9 rounds, work to 2 stitches before the first steek, ssk, work steek stitches, k2tog. after working the 9 decrease rounds work even until chart completed. place front stitches on a holder"

**I thought they were already on a holder??**

then "and work 6 rows on the 167 back stitches. after machine stitching and cutting the front and armhole steeks, weave the front and back shoulders.

so it seems like I would have two "tubes" that would be knit separately, to different places in my pattern. the tubes would then be released by cutting of steeks and then I'm assuming the stitches would be picked up so that the neck ribbing could be worked.
I just want to make sure I've got the concept in my head before I get out the sewing machine and the scissors!!

thanks in advance for your help!!

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Comments (3)

donna_loomis
9 years ago
It's very hard to visualize with just bits and pieces of information. After you "Work 65 stitches of round 12, place center 37 stitches on a holder, cast on 5 steek stitches, place markers before and after these 5 stitches for steek, complete round staying in pattern", how many stitches do you have (including the 37 sts on the holder)? It does seem odd to put the 37 sts on a holder, unless you will not be knitting them in the next round. You could just have slipped those sts to the right needle and started with a new strand of yarn for the steek stitches. If there were two sets of stitches on opposite sides that you placed on holders, I could see them being openings for set in sleeves, but just one opening? I'm at a loss.

I went back and reread your post and all I can say is that you are a very brave woman. I would need more information to convince me to cut into my knitting. I've done it for simple things, but not a sweater. But Meg (and her mother even more so) seem(ed) to leave a lot to the knitter's imagination.
sarahcmasco thanked donna_loomis
sarahcmasco
Original Author
9 years ago
there's 332 stitches total...166 on what will be the front and the same on the back. so 37 stitches is about a quarter of that. I think it's what will become the bottom of the neckline. I think what she's getting at is that you hold those 37 sts off and knit the rest into a new tube, with steek sts to cut later. once the steek sts are cut, that "tube" becomes the sides of the neck...it just gets confusing when she holds off more sts later, but without any steeks. making it seem that you work the last 6 rows flat, not in the round. that's a lot of purling in a complicated multi color pattern. not psyched about that!! I had planned to go into my local knit shop for help but I broke both my ankles 2 months ago and will be in a wheel chair 2 more months. so no trips to the knitting store for me! I guess I'll just figure it out as I go along!!
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donna_loomis
9 years ago
Sorry about your ankles! I wish I could have been of assistance, but I'm stumped.