How to do Short Rows – draft one.

A short row is a row that you don’t knit all the stitches on. Hopefully, you are doing this on purpose, knitting something like Calorimetry, or a garment that uses short rows for shaping. The purpose of short rows is to shape the knitted fabric — either for shape (like the oval shaping on Calorimetry) or to provide fullness in the fabric, such as an appropriately shapely bust on a close fitting sweater.

Here is a simple short row swatch to knit if you want to practice this technique – it really is easier to do then to explain. If you need a nifty hattish headband kind of thingie, try Calorimetry next — it’s an excellent piece for practicing this technique.

Cast on 10 stitches.
Row 1 — Knit 10.

Row 2 – Knit 8, and turn the work as if you had finished the row, leaving two stitches unknit. Move the yarn behind your knitting.

Row 3 — onto the the needle with the two un-knit stitches, slip one stitch, then knit 5 stitches — this leaves two stitches un-knit. Turn the work again.

Row 4 — Slip one stitch, then knit to the end of the row.

Row 5 — Knit 10.

Cast off:

Further Resources:

Calorimetry: This is a quick and useful project by Kathryn Schoendorf published in the Winter 2006 Knitty. It is a a great exercise in short row technique, and in using short rows in ribbing. Be sure to work a gauge swatch with your yarn of choice for this – missing gauge will give youan overly large hattish thingie.

La Bonne Tricoteuse: Also on Knitty – a column about using short row shaping for busts, including a detailed deconstruction of a garment using the short row technique. Good photos.

Lagniappe: The short row swatch also has a simple and whimsical real world application, allowing you to avoid wasting the time, effort and yarn it costs you, while subtly showing the world around you your love of knitting.

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