Tuesday Tip – Working German Short Rows in the Round

The love of German Short rows is strong in knitters!  Last year we worked with the wrap and turn method in both the Tortola and the Rising Spadesand for Costa Maya we uses German short-rows. In April we learned out to substitute German Short Rows for Wrap and Turn and when I would and wouldn’t substitute. 

Although the work beautifully in the round, there is one trick to closing the gap

German Short Rows in the Round

A couple of weeks ago a knitter posted a question in my Ravelry group about the problem of closing the gap when you finish short rows and continue in the round.

The problem is when you come at the double stitch (DS) created on the purl side, from the knit side, working the stitches together will not close the gap. The gap is on the other side of the DS.

The DS at the right of the photo is worked like all the others (knitting the two legs of the DS together) and as you can see it leaves a twisted stitch with a small hole to the left. The second DS is worked with this trick:

Here are two DS worked on the purl side. (NOTE: For this photo tutorial, Since I have a flat piece, I have slid the work to the other side of the needle and brought the yarn around to the back to work the next row as a RS row, as if I had closed the last RS short rows and then continued to work in the round.)

Working both legs of the WS DS together won’t look lovely on the RS

Instead Try this:

1) Work to one stitch before your DS and slip that stitch as if to knit

2) Knit the first leg of the DS through the back loop (you may have to wiggle the tip of the needle a bit to get in there)

3) Pass the slipped stitch over

2) Knit the second leg of the DS through the back loop

Ta Da . . . a big difference from the traditionally worked DS

German Short rows in the round

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

Tortola   Rising Spades

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

COSTA MAYA