Using Shadow Wraps for Short Rows

There are several different ways that short rows can be worked in a knitting project. In this video, Mary Beth Temple explains how to create shadow wrap short rows.

Shadow wrap short rows may seem mysterious, but they’re really quite simple to work. Mary Beth is working on a swatch of Stockinette stitch (knit on Right Side/purl on Wrong Side). She notes that a knitting pattern will tell you exactly where to place your short rows.

SHADOW WRAPS FROM THE RIGHT SIDE (KNIT)

To work the shadow wraps on the Right Side of the work, Mary Beth follows these steps:

• Knit to the point where the short row will be created
• Using the right needle, grab the right leg of the stitch below the next stitch on the left needle, from front to back
• Place leg of the stitch on the left needle and knit it
• Slip this new stitch back to the left needle so that it paired with the next stitch on the left needle
• Turn work

SHADOW WRAPS FROM THE WRONG SIDE (PURL)

To work the shadow wraps on the Wrong Side of the work, Mary Beth follows these steps:

• Purl to the point where the show row will be created
• Slip the next stitch on the left needle to the right needle
• Using the left needle, grab the left leg of the stitch that was just slipped, from back to front
• Purl the leg of the stitch through the back loop
• The stitch is now paired with the first purl stitch on the right needle
• Slip the paired stitches to the left needle
• Turn work

WORKING THE PAIRED STITCHES

Once the short rows are created on both the Right Side and Wrong Side, Mary Beth begins working the Right Side of the swatch. She knits the stitches, knitting the paired stitches together as a single stitch when the comes to them. She works another shadow wrap on the Right Side and turns the work to purl. She then purls the stitches on the Wrong Side, purling the paired stitches together as a single stitch when she comes to them. She demonstrates working another shadow wrap on the Wrong Side of the work.