As most of you probably know by now, one of my current works in progress is the Vitamin D Cardigan by Heidi Kirrmaier.  It’s been on the needles for a little while now, as I’ve been rather distracted by all of the other wip’s that I need to get through and the odd new project or swatch for Olann and.

For those of you that haven’t knitted a Vitamin D Cardigan, the design includes quite a lot of short row shaping and as a result, my favourite technique of the moment has become German Short Rows.

Whilst attending a workshop for the magazine at the weekend, I was thrilled to discover we’d be working short rows and noticed when German Short Rows were mentioned, that a few of the others present either hadn’t come across this technique, or were unsure of it.

This has spurred me on to record a short video tutorial for the technique, the first of many I hope.

German Short Rows are just one of several ways to work short rows.  The technique is easy to remember and your turns blend fairly well into the rest of your fabric.  For these instructions, I’m going to assume your working stocking stitch and you’ve finished with a purl row.

1. With the right side of your work facing you, knit to where you have to turn.  So if your work says knit 3 sts, w&t, you would actually knit 4 stitches.
2. Turn your work round so the wrong side is facing you
3. With the yarn at the front of your work (it will be anyway), slip the first stitch as if to purl.
4. Bring your yarn over your right hand needle and back through the middle, over your work (wrapping anticlockwise), you will have pulled the purl stitch up a little on to the needle.
5. Purl to where you need to turn.  Again if pattern says purl 3 sts, w&t, you would actually purl 4 stitches.
6. Turn your work round so the right side is facing yo
7. With the yarn at the front of your work (yarn over), slip the first stitch as if to purl.
8. Bring your yarn over your right hand needle, it will want to fall forward, so knit the first stitch slightly tighter than you would normally.  This time you will have lifted your knit stitch up onto the needle.
9. Work back and forth until you’ve completed all the turns you need to.

If you look along your needle, your turned stitches will have an extra leg to them.  To incorporate these, you work the leg and the stitch together, either as a k2tog on the right side of your work, or as a p2tog if you’re on your wrong side.

Not too visible and the video turned out pretty well – eventually.

I think the recording setup might need working on a little before I film the next time though 😉

Happy Making

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