As promised, I'm letting you in on my new seaming/anti-seaming finishing process as it occurs on my latest project!

I had heard about this thing called a "three needle bind-off" and how great it was, so I wanted to learn how to do it.  I found dozens of places telling me how to actually bind off the stitches together, and will be bringing you my experience with that later, but I couldn't find anywhere to tell me how to knit the front and back so that I ended up with my shoulder stitches waiting to be knit, instead of bound off.

Here's what I mean: to use the three needle bind-off, you must have the shoulder stitches for both back and front "live" on the needles, so that you can knit them together.  So how does one finish the pattern after the beginning of shoulder shaping, and still keep those stitches live?

When in doubt, I turn to Ravelry, and as usual, it hasn't let me down.

The lovely Neen offered this cogent explanation:

When it says to bind off, don’t…just count off the number it says, and place a marker, then finish the row. On the next row, do the same for the other should, but stop knitting when you hit the first marker. Remove the marker, W&T (pass the yarn between needles to the other side, slip the stitch, pass the yarn back, replace stitch on left needle, turn work, pass the yarn to where it needs to be for the next stitch, if necessary). Knit the number to be bound off, place marker….keep going! When you have finished all the rows, you have a bunch of stitches that were wrapped, and a bunch of live stitches.

To the left, you can see how this looks on my current project (a delicious sweater from a 40's McCall's)!  When I reached the first row of shoulder shaping I was told to BO 6 sts at beg of next 2 rows.  So here's what I did:
1. I did not bind off.  That's right, I ignored the pattern.  It did hurt, just a little bit.
2. I knit in pattern for six stitches, then placed a marker.
3. I knit across the row and turned.
4. I knit in pattern for another six stitches, then placed another marker.
5. I knit across the row to my first marker and stopped, removed the marker, wrapped a stitch, and turned.

The picture to the left is just after I've wrapped the stitch, and am getting ready to turn the work.  I had now reserved 6 sts at each end of the row, so it was time to move onto the next shoulder shaping directions, which were to BO 4 sts at beg of next 10 rows.  So, after I turned, here's what happened:
1. I knit in pattern for four stitches, and replaced my marker
2. I knit in pattern across to the second marker I placed above (you are only ever working with two markers - one for each side - so you just knit across until you hit the one on the other side)
3. Removed the marker, wrapped and turned
4. Knit four stitches in pattern and replaced the marker
5. Knit in pattern across to opposite side's marker...

And repeat!

And as promised, after I had reserved all the stitches that I was instructed to bind off, I was able to bind off for the neckline, and what remained were two sets of live shoulder stitches, as you can see above.  So, onto the stitch holders they go, until the front is complete!

There are few things more frustrating for a knitter than finishing a project and finding:

A. It doesn't fit like it was supposed to (or like it would have when you began)
and/or
B. Your finishing skills are not up to par with your knitting skills.

For a long time I fell into this latter category, and in many ways am still learning all the tricks of the trade, so to speak.  What is important to remember, I think, is that there are a number of different types of seams possible for any garment, and that different pieces of the garment (obviously) require different kinds of seams.

In this, our vintage magazines can be of little to no help, as they unanimously advise you to simply "sew" seams.  Those magazines that do offer suggestions invariably suggest the backstitch, which, we will see below, may or may not be entirely appropriate.  So I thought I'd do a wee series on seams - my on-again/off-again love affair with the mattress stitch; my confusion and headaches over the kitchener stitch; the revelation of the three-needle bind-off; and my continued adoration of Barbara Walker, this time specifically for her inset sleeve instructions.

But to begin, our modern knitter must ask him/herself whether they actually care to seam at all!  I have a somewhat unusual opinion about this, so I oughtta let the cat out of the bag with it upfront:
I seam, and don't seam.  On the same sweater (gasp!)

Ok, it's neither that unusual, nor that big of a deal, but here's where I'm comin' from:

1. I am good at side seams.  The mattress stitch takes me forever , and I maintain that it is nowhere near as easy to match up "stitch for stitch" as many people would have you believe.  Nor is it all that easy to see "that little bar between the stitches" that you're supposed to work through.  I have twice been so focused on matching up stitches that I've found, at the end, that I've made a mess of the whole thing.  Two pieces that were blocked to the same size came out all wonky, with bunches and stretches along the side.   But, I digress, because the point of this bullet point is that I've gotten better at the little b*stards, and can actually complete a full mattress-stitch side seam without ruining the garment.  It takes me most of an afternoon, but it's done.
          1a. I believe the side seam is crucial to the fit of the garment.  Without that weight at the sides, it is very difficult for a garment to look fitted at all, unless you are willing to knit in the round with significant shaping and a negative ease. 

2. I am horrible at shoulder and sleeve seams. All the visible and (supposedly) invisible shoulder seams in the world have let me down time and time again.  I end up with the thickest, bulkiest, ugliest seam you can imagine.  Now, to be fair, if you follow the links above, you will see photographs of both of these techniques worked beautifully.  I am not suggesting that there is something wrong with the techniques, but there is definitely something wrong with the combination of those techniques and yours truly.

3. I am ill-acquainted with knitting on more than two needles.  Which becomes an issue when contemplating knitting everything in the round.  Sleeves will eventually have to be knit on three or four double-pointed needles, since their circumference eventually becomes too small for one set of circular needles.  I have seen this technique demonstrated, and understand how it works.  I'm fairly confident I could master it - but then again, I don't happen to own any DPNs, and I am all about making due with what you've got, rather than accumulating stores and stores of gadgets.

All of which brought me to my conclusion, which I am currently testing on my current project:

• I use a three-needle bind-off for the shoulders
• Pick up stitches for the sleeves, but knit them flat, instead of in the round
• Pick up stitches for any collars or necklines (where appropriate, and not knit as part of the original garment)
• And finally sew the side seam from sleeve cuff to waist-band.

So, having brought you along on my journey to this conclusion, I'll be bringing you the step-by-step process of my first full attempt at this finishing style, as it hits my needles.