1. What is a short row?
A short row is where part of a row is knitted and then the work is turned before the end of the row is reached. A single row in a pattern may have one or more short rows within it to provide the full shaping. After each short row (or set of short rows) all the stitches in the row are worked across without any turns, sometimes this may simply be positioning to enable the working of another set of short rows to add shaping to the other side of the item, such as on the heel of a sock.
2. Why are short rows required?
In most cases increases and decreases in the number of stitches over several rows can be used to give shape. However in some cases such as trousers, curves are only required on the back section to accommodate body shapes. In these cases the length of seam at the side has to be the same as the front section, but as humans are generally not spherical, extra short rows are added to the back section to fit the dolls curves.
Short rows are also used on miniature toys, which have curved shapes, such as our miniature elephant toy:
3. How do I minimise holes at the turning points on short rows?
On occasion the turns can show up as unwanted holes, so a slip stitch is often worked immediately after turning the work on the return row, to minimise the size of the hole. If you are still not happy with the size of the holes produced, then you may wish to sew up the holes on the reverse side of the garment.
4. How do I conceal turning rows in miniature knitting?
Depending on the yarn used, the stitches involved in the turn could still show on the finished work, so another way of working the turn is as follows:
· Knit the required number of stitches before the turn, turn the work, wrap the yarn round the needle to make a stitch and then slip the next stitch without working it, continue to work as detailed in pattern. Remember to count the slipped stitch in any stitch counts, but DO NOT count the yarn wrapped round needle as a stitch.
· On the next row where you work across ALL the stitches in the row, each slipped stitch and following yarn round needle are worked together to form ONE stitch, if this is not done then there will be extra stitches on the needle at the end of the row.
