A KNITTER’S GUIDE TO PICKING UP STITCHES FOR A NECKBAND
For horizontal edges
Insert the knitting needle through the center of a stitch below the
bind-off chain (Photo 4), wrap or pick the working yarn, and pull
it through the stitch to the front. Picking up through the center of a
stitch creates continuity from the sweater body into the neckband
ribbing. Picking up between stitches or directly under the bind-off
chain will cause the columns of stitches forming the neck ribbing to
have a half-stitch offset from the body stitches, as can be seen on the
right side of the swatch in Photo 5.
Continue inserting the needle through the center of each stitch
directly below the bind-off chain, even as the bind-off edge steps up
to a different row. (For sweaters worked top down, this is a cast-on edge.)
CORRECTING THE STITCH COUNT
IN THE FIRST ROUND
Because you aren’t picking up 1:1 along vertical edges, getting the
exact number of stitches called for can be hit or miss, especially if
your row gauge differs from the pattern gauge. But don’t worry: You
can adjust the stitch count while working the first round of ribbing
by evenly increasing or decreasing in each section where adjustment
is needed. Use k2tog or p2tog to decrease in the rib pattern, and
use k1f&b to increase wherever a knit stitch will be immediately
followed by a purl (because k1f&b results in a knit stitch followed
by a purl stitch).
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Some knitters notice that the pick-up round is looser than the sub-
sequent rounds of ribbing. Using a needle several sizes smaller for
the pick-up than the needle used to work the rest of the neckband
may be helpful and will also minimize gaps.
Cabled fabric has more stitches per inch than stockinette, but
the number of ribbed stitches needed for the neckband has to be
the same as for stockinette. Picking up fewer stitches across a span
where cables cross can cause gaps. You can either pick up more
stitches than called for and work decreases on the first round, or
you can decrease stitches while you bind off the cables. If a cable-
crossing row coincides with the bind-off row, you can decrease while
crossing the cable by working stitches on the front needle together
with stitches on the back needle. As each decrease is worked,
stitches are also bound off. The swatch in Photo 6 shows a pick-up
in process across a bind-off row where cables were decreased as
they were worked.
By planning ahead as you work the neckline shaping and adjust-
ing stitch counts with increases and decreases where needed, picking
up stitches and establishing the ribbing will seem less like a juggling
act and more like... well, knitting!
ROXANNE RICHARDSON is a certified master handknitter
who lives, designs, and teaches in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Find her weekly videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user
/roxmpls.
PHOTO 6PHOTO 4PHOTO 5