Friday Finishing Part Thirteen

So, we’ll finish this series up for the time being with # 13. 🙂

Today’s topic for Friday Finishing is picking up Neckband stitches.

Here is a video tutorial I made on working this pickup:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7YtBPc5c_c&w=560&h=315]

This works for armhole pickups as well, and pretty much anywhere you have stitches to pick up.

Similar to last week’s horizontal to vertical seam, you need to measure your gauges (the neckband pattern in the needles you will be using, and the vertical edge of the base piece) and determine your vertical pickup ratio. A standard ratio that is sometimes listed in books or assumed in patterns MAY NOT work for your project. Usually a knitter can match the stitch gauge of a project, but then the row gauge is slightly different. Because of this, the pattern’s pickup ratio may not work in your project if your row gauge is differing. To look the best it can, you should determine your particular ratio.

Once you know your ratio, the steps for working this pickup are:

1. Using working yarn and needles, and starting at a horizontal edge, working left to right, insert the needle into the center of the first stitch (selvedge st) directly below the bind off edge. Pull up a loop of the working yarn from back to front.
2. Move to the next stitch and insert the needle into the center, and pull up a loop of the working yarn.
3. Repeat along the horizontal edge. At stair steps, move up to the stitch directly below the bind off edge in the next column over. (It will span a couple rows – don’t worry, it will end up looking nice!)
4. Beginning at diagonal lines, work the ratio of pickups determined by your gauges. Do not go into the first ‘hole’, skip that space and go into the next ‘hole’. Pick up a loop of the working yarn from behind the work and into that space. Skip one (or two) bars, depending on your ratio, and pick up another loop. You are picking up at the space between the selvedge stitch and the next stitch in.
5. Continue up the diagonal edge and along the straight vertical edge as well, maintaining the ratio.
6. When all stitches have been picked up, begin working your neckband pattern. Your first row will be a wrong side row (unless you are working in the round.)

So, that’s the last of my Friday Finishing posts for a while! I hope this series has been helpful – let me know if there are other finishing techniques that you would like me to post about!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!