Tuesday Tip – Working German Short Rows in the Round
The love of German Short rows is strong in knitters! We worked with the wrap and turn method in both the Tortola and the Rising Spades and for Costa Maya we uses German short-rows. We learned how 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
This is one of the tricks from Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks
German Short Rows in the Round
A while back 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
4) 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 tricks (like how to get W&T to look lovely in the round, check out my book:
For more fun with w&t short-rows, check out one of my sweater classes:
For more fun with German short-rows, check out Costa Maya
You’re brilliant. Thank you!
Thanks!!
Does your book have this tip in it?
It sure does! I’ll also be featuring this in my Knit Stars class in October. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter for info on how to join in.
I have looked everywhere for these instructions. Thank you ever so much.
So glad it helped!!
I still got holes, but I also knit my garment in the round and there are no instructions I could find for knitting German short rows in the round so I don’t know if that’s what caused my issues.
IF you are continuing in the round then you’re not working short rows. When you work short rows you are stopping working in the round because you are working a round “short” and turning, thus working flat back and forth. When the short rows are OVER, you continue working in the round. That’s what this post is about.
Just follow your pattern exactly as written and you’ll be fine.
I don’t have holes in mine but the GSR section in the round bubbles up… any tips on that?
Try following the instructions in the blog. I think you’ll like it.
Would this result in an increase? It seems that I would be creating two stitches using this method?
Try it again, it sounds like you must have skipped step 3
I’ve had the same question, are you knitting through the back loop, the slipped stitch and the last leg of DS together? Thank you
It’s the steps in the blog. I wouldn’t write these steps if I was I was knitting two together, I would have written that. HONESTLY. It’s these steps.
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
4) Knit the second leg of the DS through the back loop
Would the instructions be the same if working on the purl side ? After slipping the stitch you would purl in the back leg on both legs of the double stitch ?
This is for working in the round. So the issue is returning to the round after working flat. Are you working a German Short Row pattern in the round in reverse stockinette?
I am knitting a tee that has a curved hem using German Short Rows. I have a series of double stitches one right after the other and I cannot find any info on how to resolve these. I have used your method of resolving double stitches on other projects but they always have a regular stitch that can be slipped before the double stitches. I love your tutorials! You are my go to when I need knitting help! Hope you can help me on this one! Thanks!
This is not about resolving all german short rows (K2tog on knit side, p2tog on purl side). It’s only for the last unresolved one that you come to after returning in the round, so you’ll always have a stitch before that last unresolved short row.