Machine knitting a shawl collar with short row -

How do we knit a shawl collar on a knitting machine? In hand knitting, we can use the short row technique (wrap and turn) to create a taller collar and slope down on both sides. You can also use the short row on a knitting machine. It has its limits but the process can go much faster.

In this project, we are using a Brother 26o bulky knitting machine and sock yarn (fingering weight). It will work with other machines with adjusted stitch and row counts. A ribber is not required.

The construction is similar to the toe and heel short-row (partial knitting) in machine knitting. We create a curved pocket by placing some needles on hold. After the shawl collar is done, you can connect to a buttonhole band for a cardigan, and sew it onto the sweater.

Watch our video of machine knitting a shawl collar with short-row

Design and calculation of the shawl collar

As with all machine knitting projects, we start with a sample swatch and find the right tension.

For this project, I use the Cloudborn merino superwash sock twist yarn (fingering or sock weight). Carriage tension is 2 plus one click (2.1) on the Brother 260 bulky knitting machine.

My tension is about 5.5 stitches X 8 rows for one inch square.

The total length around the neck opening is about 20 inches. So 5.5 x 20= 110 stitches. That is almost full needles on the machine, so I reduce it to 100 stitches for easier knitting.

So I cast on L50 to R50. Total of 100 stitches.

Knitting the shawl collar with partial knitting

I start with an e-wrap cast on from left 50 to right 50 needles. Hang the cast on comb and knit 8 rows (You can decide how many rows before the short-row shaping).

Starting the short row (Partial Knitting)

To start the short row, we set the carriage to holding position (H button).

Set the tension to your main tension (mine is 2.1).

All other setting is the same as plain knitting.

Repeat the following for the short-row.

“On the side away from the carriage, move 5 needles out to E position.

Knit 1 row.

Place the working yarn under the first needle.“

Repeat until about 1/3 of the needles left, or your desired needle numbers left. When I have about 20 needles (L10 to R10), I started reversed short-row.

For a sharper slope, you can use 4 or 3 needles each time instead of 5 needles.