# [Plan a picked-up curved neckline](https://threadcabin.com/explore/376/plan-a-picked-up-curved-neckline)

> Separate horizontal, vertical and curved edge sections and sample the transition between them.

- Canonical page: https://threadcabin.com/explore/376/plan-a-picked-up-curved-neckline
- Language: en
- Published: 2026-09-25T17:26:35.2224252+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-25T17:26:41.0015947+00:00
- Craft: Knitting
- Primary image: [Illustration: A curved knitted neckline with a neat picked-up band and small markers dividing straight, sloping and curved sections.](https://threadcabin.com/images/explore/focused/curved-pickup.jpg)

Separate horizontal, vertical and curved edge sections and sample the transition between them.

## Before you start

Use smooth, light yarn and a small sample that matches the lesson’s flat or circular construction. Mark the right side and record the starting stitch count. Follow the pattern’s own stitch key.

## How to do it

1. **Picking up stitches without a wavy band** — Use the finished body and band gauges to plan a straight edge, then check the joined fabric.
2. **Plan pickups around curves and corners** — Divide the edge into horizontal, vertical and curved sections. Assign counts to each section and test corners rather than applying one straight-edge ratio everywhere.
3. **Plan neckline and shoulder changes** — Draw the proposed finished outline before changing stitch counts. Keep neck opening, shoulder width, slope and armhole position consistent as one system.
4. **Plan bands, buttonholes and pockets** — Mark attachments on the finished schematic and sample their weight and stretch. Buttonholes must suit the actual button, not just a nominal hole count.

## Try this example

Mark the neckline into mirrored sections. Calculate a straight-edge pickup trial from gauge, then adapt the curved section using the reviewed pattern and check the relaxed neckline opening.

## Check your result

- Count live stitches, trace one column and inspect both faces. Compare the relaxed edge with the middle of the sample before repeating the operation on a project.
- Stitch names and mounts vary between knitting styles. Follow the required fabric structure and pattern key rather than assuming every front loop is the correct entry point.

## Sources

- [www.garnstudio.com: lessons.php](https://www.garnstudio.com/lessons.php?show=knitting&cid=19)
- [journals.aps.org: PhysRevX.8.021075](https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.021075)

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[Report a correction](/corrections).

## Sources and provenance

- [Picking up stitches without a wavy band](https://threadcabin.com/explore/56/picking-up-stitches-without-a-wavy-band)
- [Plan pickups around curves and corners](https://threadcabin.com/explore/189/plan-pickups-around-curves-and-corners)
- [Plan neckline and shoulder changes](https://threadcabin.com/explore/180/plan-neckline-and-shoulder-changes)
- [Plan bands, buttonholes and pockets](https://threadcabin.com/explore/181/plan-bands-buttonholes-and-pockets)
- [Why stockinette curls and balanced structures behave differently](https://threadcabin.com/explore/10/why-stockinette-curls-and-balanced-structures-behave-differently)