Short Rows
Short rows (also referred to as partial knitting or holding position knitting) is a fundamental machine knitting technique where only a portion of the needles on the needle bed are knit during a carriage pass, while the remaining needles are held in inactive positions.[1] This technique allows the knitter to add fabric height to specific sections of a garment without altering the row count of the rest of the piece, enabling complex three-dimensional shaping.[1]
Mechanical Operation[edit]
To perform short rows, the knitting machine's carriage must be set to hold, which prevents needles in the holding position from knitting:
- Brother: Set the Russell levers on the carriage to the I position. Needles pulled fully forward to the E position will be held, while needles in B or D positions will knit normally.
- Silver Reed / Studio: Set the carriage selection lever to the holding position (usually designated as H). Needles pushed forward to the D position will be held.
- Passap: Set the locks to slide/hold (e.g., using pushers and lock settings) according to the manual.
Wrapping to Prevent Holes[edit]
When transitioning between active needles and held needles, a small gap or hole can form at the turning point. To prevent this, knitters use a technique called wrapping:
- Move the carriage to the side opposite the needles to be held.
- Push the desired needles forward into holding position.
- Pass the carriage across the bed.
- Take the active yarn and manually wrap it under the shank of the first held needle closest to the active knitting.
- Return the carriage across the bed. The wrapped loop locks the boundary stitches together, closing the gap.[1]
Common Applications[edit]
- Garment Shaping: Creating sloped shoulders, bust darts, necklines, and curved hems.
- Three-Dimensional Contours: Knitting heels and toes for socks, crowns for hats, and sculptural art knits.
- Ruffles and spirals: Creating circular flounces or decorative ruffles by repeating wedge-shaped short-row segments.