Tuesday Tip – Substituting German Short-Rows for W&T Short-Rows

I love short-rows. They are an amazing way to add super cool shapes to knitting. I use them a lot in my designs and I’ve enjoyed teaching them in my video knit-alongs. We worked with the wrap and turn method in both the Tortola KAL and the Rising Spades KAL. We worked with the twin stitch for Volition, and in the video sweater class Costa Maya uses German short-rows. Many knitters fell in love with this technique and now want to know…

How to convert a wrap and turn short-row to German short-row.

German and wrap and turn are just two of many ways to create short-rows. There’s also Japanese, slip stitch, twin stitch, and yarnover. Since there’s been so much interest in the Ravelry group for the different methods, I’m currently working on a new live class that will compare all the methods.

Today we will compare German short-rows(DS – double stitch) to Wrap and Turn (w&t).

When Would I NOT substitute

As much as I love German short-rows there are four times I would not substitute for a w&t

1. When working in garter stitch. The w&t hides perfectly in garter and does not need to be hidden.
2. When working a pattern that uses the wrap for decorative effect.
3. When working a short row heel where the turns are stacked and the same stitch is worked twice.
4. When working a top down short row sleeve cap. I find the distortion of the pick up row is not attractive.

What They Have in Common

Both methods are worked in order to close the gap created when working a row short. How this gap is eliminated creates a different “marker” relative to the turning point.

Both methods involve turning at the same place. No matter what short row method you work, you will always be turning on the same stitch called for in the pattern. It is the following short rows that become the issue. Although the turn is in the same place, what marks the turn will be different. Since subsequent short rows will refer to how many stitches you work before or after the “wrap”, the is what will have to be adjusted.

How They are Different

The w&t uses a loop of yarn across the turning point. The wrap is made first and then the work is turned. This results in the first unworked stitch being wrapped, so the wrapped stitch is PAST the turning point.

The German short-row the turn comes first and then the first unworked stitch is slipped and lifted. This results in the doubled stitch is the first stitch of the next short row set, so the doubled stitch is BEFORE the turning point.

Working Long to Short (from my class Short Row Magic)

In this example we are working on short rows to create a fabric that gets progressively shorter.

If the w&t pattern was written:

Row 1 (WS) Work to last three stitches, W&T
Row 2 (RS): Work to last three stitches, W&T
Row 3: Work to 3 st before last wrap, W&T
Row 4: Work to 3 st before last wrap, W&T
Row 5 & 6: Repeat these last two rows.
Row 7 (WS): Purl across closing gaps
Row 8(RS): K across closing gaps

To convert this to German short rows, you’d have to work one fewer stitches before the doubled stitch as before the wrap . . . OR count the doubled stitch as stitch number 1 and follow the pattern as written. You can remember it this way . . . when short rows are getting smaller work one stitch fewer.

German short-rows would be written as:

Row 1 (WS) Work to last three stitches, turn
Row 2 (RS): DS, work to last three stitches, turn
Row 3: DS, work to 2 st before DS, turn
Row 4: DS, work to 2 st before last DS, turn
Row 5 & 6: Repeat these last two rows.
Row 7 (WS): Purl across closing gaps
Row 8(RS): K across closing gaps

If you were to chart it out it would look like this (arrow is w&t, D is doubled stitch)

Working Short to Long (from my class Short Row Magic)

In this example we are working on short rows to create a fabric that gets progressively longer, like in a shirt tail hem

If the w&t pattern was written:

Cast on 28 stitches
Mark 8 center stitches
Row 1: K18 sts, W&T
Row 2: P8, W&T
Row 3: K to wrapped stitch, hiding wrap, k3, W&T
Row 4: P to wrapped stitch, hiding wrap, p3, W&T
Row 5: K to wrapped stitch, hiding wrap, k2, W&T
Row 6: P to wrapped stitch, hiding wrap, P2, W&T
Row 7: K to end of row, hiding wrap as you come to it
Row 8: P to end of row, hiding wrap

To convert this to German short rows, you’d have to work one more stitch after working the doubled stitch as you would after the wrap (with the exception of the very first in the pair which is actually one fewer stitch). You can remember it this way . . . when short rows are getting longer work one stitch more.

German short-rows would be written as:

Cast on 28 stitches
Mark 8 center stitches
Row 1: K18 sts, turn
Row 2: DS, 7, turn
Row 3: DS K to DS, work as one, k4, turn
Row 4: DS P to DS, work as one, p4, turn
Row 5: DS K to DS, work as one, k3, turn
Row 6: DS P to DS, work as one, p3, turn
Row 7: K to end of row, hiding wrap as you come to it
Row 8: P to end of row, hiding wrap

If you were to chart it out it would look like this (arrow is w&t, D is doubled stitch)

For more fun with w&t short-rows, check out one of my sweater classes:

Volition Tortola   Rising Spades

Form more fun with German short-rows, check out Costa Maya:

Costa Maya