I like a three-needle bind off at the shoulder seams because I think it makes a neater looking seam. This means my shoulder stitches must be live, which is why I do all that horsing around with short rows for shoulder shaping that you saw in the previous post. Another way to work your shoulders is via binding off stitches, and then grafting the seams or sewing them with a backstitch, but try as I may, mine always look messy. That’s why I like the method I’ve shown.
I tend not to post any videos but my own, but this video on the tulip buttonhole from Interweave knits is not to be missed. If you’ve tried making a decent buttonhole, you’ll see the value in this immediately. It looks like a little trouble, but the result is so worth it.
Armholes are next. I have you start on the back of the sweater, where we’ll concentrate on the armholes. We leave the back unfinished–we’ll return after the front is finished. That way we can take one new technique at a time.
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