Your Turn - Short Row Practice

One of the most common uses for short row shaping is to shape shoulders. Instead of binding off to create a shoulder slope, working short rows allow you to hold live stitches. These live stitches can then be joined neatly for a beautiful shoulder finish.

NOTE: Normally you might be shaping a neckline at the same time as shaping the shoulder. To keep things simple, we'll work through the shoulder shaping only for this exercise.

This is only one of many ways short row shaping is used in machine knitting.

Shape a Shoulder

1. Cast on 30 stitches with any method.
2. Knit 8 rows.
3. Carriage on the right. Set carriage to hold (both Russel levers).
4. Put 5 needles on the left (opposite the carriage) into hold position.
5. Knit to the left.
6. Wrap
7. Knit to the right.
8. Wrap.
9. Repeat until 5 needles remain in work.
10. Break the yarn.
11. Thread up a contrasting color.
12. Scrap off.