Who wants to try my UNWRAPPED technique???? *Pics Added*

[ravingcutie]

I've been playing around with how I handle the wrapped stitches of short rows. (Can you believe someone else is bringing it up again????) Anyway, I've found a great way to hide that second wrap - so much so that the wraps are pretty much invisible even on the back side. I discovered it by accident and have been using it ever since.

It's never failed me, and I want to know if it will work for others, too. So try it and tell me what kind of results you get! :bigups: I think it's pretty easy to do, too!

ETA: the pictures. I took them myself, and labeled them. I hope they're useful.

As you work your short rows, wrap the stitch as normal.

You have now knit back to your FIRST wrap:
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/3995/1stwrap15fc.jpg
1.) Slip the wrapped stitch off the Left needle & gently pull the wrap off the stitch. (I use my right needle to do this.)
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/9098/1stwrap21ps.jpg

2.) Place the original stitch back on the Left needle. Place the wrap on the Left needle as well.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/9310/1stwrap30ze.jpg

3.)Knit the wrap and the original stitch as one stitch. (Like K2Tog)
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/3167/1stwrap41ne.jpg

I've found that it really doesn't make a difference how you slip the wrap onto the needle - it becomes invisible by the next round. In this picture of the backside of the wrap, the wrap is really loose, so you can see it. Normally, it's virtually invisible.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/2685/1stwrapback5fv.jpg

For the SECOND wrap:
This is worked the same way, except you reverse the position of the wrap and the original stitch.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/433/2ndwrap14od.jpg

1.) Slip the wrapped stitch off the Left needle & gently pull the wrap off the stitch. (I use my right needle to do this.)
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/3716/2ndwrap22bw.jpg

2.) Place the original stitch on the Left needle. Then place the wrap on the Left needle After the original stitch. (This reverses the original order of the stitch and wrap.) Simply pull the wrap untwisted across the back of the work.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/9366/2ndwrap36pp.jpg

The original stitch and the wrap back on the Left needle.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/9310/2ndwrap44eo.jpg

3.)Knit the wrap and the original stitch as one stitch. (Like K2Tog)
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/1952/2ndwrap56bf.jpg

The backside of the second wrap. Original stitch in blue, wrap in orange.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/6868/2ndwrapback1yi.jpg

Let me know if you'd like to see pictures to make the instructions more clear! Plus, I'd love to hear what you think. :scratchc:

[RufusBeans]

ok I found my naptime activity

[knittingmama]

Ooh! I'd love to try this too!

[pmcgary]

And I committed to the EWS being my next project in line--- well right after a LTK pumpkin hat....

[ravingcutie]

You could try it on a swatch, Pam! Lol! It's not hard at all, and it doesn't take up much room!

[chloesmom]

So it's kind of like the Japanese short rows without using the pins then? :scratchc:

[ladydemetreis]

Hmm, sounds intriging! I will try it! Thanks!

[pb_and_j]

Hrmmm, I will have to try it too! I've got a pr of shorts to start tonight... maybe I"ll try it on them :)

[pamelamama]

I do that too!

[ravingcutie]

I do that too!

If Pamela does it, it's gotta be good. :dust


After further reflection (and reading about Japanese short rows here (http://nonaknits.typepad.com/nonaknits/2005/04/japanese_short_.html)) I have concluded that my method is a combination of the wrap method and the Japanese method. I must admit I think it's better than both of these, simply because I find it easier...but I claim my opinion to be completely biased.

It's like the Japanese method, only instead of relying on a pin to mark your yarn (and pull up that loop) the wrapped stitch holds it for you. I'm kind of pin impaired, so this is much easier for me. Plus, it's one less step and one less implement that I have to worry about. And I think it's better than the traditional wrap method because I get more consistent results.

So what do you gals think? Was this a helpful post? Should I take and post pictures?

[chloesmom]

I'm kind of pin impaired, so this is much easier for me.

Me too! I always seem to get the yarn stuck in the little circle at the end of the safety pin. :lol:

[ravingcutie]

Becky - you should get coiless safety pins. They don't have the circle at the bottom to get the yarn caught in. Most knitting stores have them for cheap!

[chloesmom]

Becky - you should get coiless safety pins. They don't have the circle at the bottom to get the yarn caught in. Most knitting stores have them for cheap!

Ahhhhhhh! Good to know! lol

[chloesmom]

Thanks for the "unwrapped" tip Katie! I just tried it, and it really helps! :bigups: Karma to you! ;)

[Susan_WW]

This sounds cool Katie! If you get a chance I'd love to see pics :bigups:

[ravingcutie]

Ok. I gotta dig up some yarn that isn't so dark. Right now I'm working with Earthy Rainbow overdyed on natural grey wool. It won't show up too well in the pictures.....off to make a swatch for pictures!

[sugarwoman]

Sounds great! I would love to see pics.

[Lavenderlane]

I'll have to try this next time. I usually do the Japanese method but I hate having to dig out my paperclips everytime I want to do short rows.

[Knitting24/7]

I do almost the same thing
got it here (http://www.sweaterscapes.com/shortroh.htm)

works everytime;)

[Perogi]

I would love to try this!! I'm working on a soaker now but WonderPants are next in line. I still hate those blasted short rows and basically have just learned to put up with the imperfection of it all because they are just for my kiddos.
Pictures would be very, VERY helpful! I'm a visual kind of gal ;)

[lestouffer]

My method is pretty good, I always slip the first stitch when reversing, then when I get around to that place again, I pull hte second stitch through the first one and then knit them in reverse. It works which ever way you are going. I have jsut figured this way out in the last couple of pairs and you can barely tell and itcertainly doesn't leave a hole......

I know this doesn't make much sense...but it doesn't involve wrapping at all, I am not a knitter who reads a lot of books (I thought I had invented the three needle bind off all by myself for a long time). so there is no other basis fo rhtis method, just th eother ones I was trying left holes...

sorry toddler helping type...

[ravingcutie]

Just a bump. I added pics - so anyone who has subscribed, come see! :photo

[Susan_WW]

Thanks so much for the great pics! :love I'll have to try it out next time around.

[Perogi]

Awesome pictures!!! SOOO clear!! I can't wait to try it.

[Jewel]

Thanks for the pics. By the way, what brand of needles are you using, they are so nice and shinny?

[sugarwoman]

Ooooo great pics! I think I will give that a try.:)

[knittingnana]

:wowza I do almost the same technique! By the way, you have very nice nails!

:knit :wool :ribbon :ribbon

[clothusingmama]

Is that HPY bulky handspun? If not, what is it? I am always interested in trying out another single twist yarn :bigups:

Oh and I totally agree on the nails, :wowza

[ravingcutie]

Thank-you, thank-you.

The nails are courtesy of being preggo. Drives my dh nuts when I have them long....but I don't care. After 14 years of piano playing I want long pretty nails! lol!

The yarn is actually HPY merino worsted weight - those pictures are just super close up.

The needles are Inox Express - my low budget alternative to Addi turbos. Although the UK Angel Yarn store is making the Addis more affordable in the 12" length. Inox starts out at 16".

[Susan_WW]

I just wanted to tell you Katie that I tried this method on the shorts I just made and it worked great! The only thing I did differently is that for the purl side, I put them both back on the left needle in the reverse order as yours, then I did a SSKtbl on them. I think that it is probably the same thing in theory, only in my mind it seemed to work better that way LOL!

[KaliD]

TY for the pictures! I tried this on the last two things I made w/ shortrows and it is so much more invisible! (grammar police I'll pay my fine!)

(do we have a light bulb smilie?) I see where a few of my stitches went not-quite-right because I wasn't making sure the original stitch went before the wrap stitch when putting them on the left needle...it really does make a difference!

Whee...off to make more shortrows disappear!

[ravingcutie]

Hooray! I am so glad this technique is helpful.

Susan, I'll have to try the SSK through the back loop - I'm sure it's just another way to do the same thing :bigups:

[whitecalx]

Oh my! It works and its so much easier than the Japense method.

Thanks so much for sharing it.

[JustLookin]

yeah it gives great results, I posted a thread about it a few days ago with pics of my results

[twouglyducks]

Oh, thanks!! This is so easy.

[Castle]

I bookmarked this thread when I first saw it a few weeks ago for when I was next ready to do short rows. And of course when I was ready, the forums were down! Now that they're back, I found the thread (different link than before), but the pics are gone. :( Do you still have the pics? Can you post them here, or somewhere so I can see how it works? Thanks so much! I can't wait to try this out.

[DixieChick]

I just got to the short rows on my LTK picky pants
off to try this now!

[newmommy04]

Thank you so much for posting this! I've been looking for a way to make my short rows invisible. I'm going to be trying this today!

[averymybaby]

well i guess i should try this soon! :LOL looks great!

[CadenJames062503]

That is pretty similar to what I do! I will have to take pictures of how I do mine sometime. :)

[mamaofthreeboys]

Oh my gosh I love this method! Thank you so much for posting pictures it helps soooo much. I just couldn't live with the other method and ripped out my entire pants as soon as I saw this technique lol! Now my pants won't have holes YES!~!!!!

[stacey0402]

that's too funny, I've been doing it this way on "accident" too :) I watched the video at knittinghelp, and it didn't make sense to me, so I played around and did it the same way. Works great and I cannot find my wraps unless I look at the striping of the soaker. :jack

[ravingcutie]

Yay! I'm glad it's working for you!

I don't think I really "invented" this - I just took some pictures of what I found worked the best for me.

[~Jo~]

Can we have this posted in the tutorial section too, that way it's easy to find when needed? Please! :)

[ravingcutie]

Jo - I'm not sure what you mean. This is the tutorial table - did you want it somewhere else?

[bluebird15]

i want to try this method, but can't see the pics. i just get boxes with red exes in them. how else can i access them? also, what does "amp" mean in your instructions??

thanx!

[CraftyMommaOf2]

the amp is just a computer thing you get sometimes when using "&".

the pics are there for me, so no help there. :(

[bluebird15]

:LOL And I thought it was some knitting acronym I didn't know of!

[pamelamama]

Bump

[Angela_hk_n_knit]

bumping this so I can find it easier tomorrow!

[DUknit]

This is great. Haven't done short rows for a while and being a perfectionist I was going to give up.

[jenmatt]

Thanks for this, I'm going to give it a try!

jenelle