Short Row Shoulder Shaping Class

I rescheduled my Short Row Shoulder Shaping Class from this past weekend to next Sunday, March 18 at 1 pm at Needlework Unlimited.  If you missed out on signing up for this class, now's the time!

Some sweater patterns have you cast off all the stitches for the shoulder at one time.  Others have you cast off in a "stair step" fashion.  The advantage of the straight bind off is that whether you bind off and seam separately or use the 3-needle bind off (which binds off and seams at the same time), the seam is neat and flat on the inside of the garment.  The disadvantage is that human shoulders aren't straight across, so fabric can bunch under the arm, or the hem can hang lower at the sides.

The advantage of the stair step bind off is that it provides shaping (shorter at the outer shoulders, longer at the neck) that matches the slope of the human shoulder.  The disadvantage is having to seam that stair step edge, which leaves a lumpy inner seam.

Short row shoulder shaping allows you to provide the shaping you need, while maintaining all of the sts on the needle.  This then allows you to seam straight across all the sts or use the 3-needle bind off, giving a smooth finish on the inside of the seam.

This two-hour class will teach you how to do short row shaping, how to convert a pattern with straight across or stair step shaping to one with short row shaping, and will discuss when short rows might not work for your pattern.

The short row technique used in the class will be the German Short Row technique, although the standard wrap & turn method will also be discussed.  German Short Rows give the same result as Japanese Short Rows, but is far less fiddly.  No pins, no wraps, easy peasy!

I hope to see you Sunday!