decresasing stitches

dawnhl · 03-19-2011, 12:35 PM

Hi, I'm new at this.

Working through 8 rows of set pattersn. Now am shaping the armhole and have to cont in patt as set by working 3 rows dec 1 st at armhole edge in every row. But this is throwing my pattern off?!?! How do I do this??

Thanks for your help

suzeeq · 03-19-2011, 06:11 PM

You have to start your pattern st on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sts from the beginning instead of on the first st. What pattern is it, or what is your pattern stitch.

dawnhl · 03-19-2011, 06:42 PM

1st row k7, *p1, k7, rep from * to last 6 sts, p1, k5.
2nd row p4, k1, p1, *k1, p5, k1, p1, rep from * to last 7sts, k1, p5.
3rd row k1, *p1, k3, rep from * to end.
4th row k1, p1, *k1, p5, k1, p1, rep from * to last 3 sts, k1, p2.
5th row k3, *p1, k7, rep from * to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
6th row k1, p1, *k1, p5, k1, p1, rep from * to last 3 sts, k1, p2.
7th row s1, k1, psso, k3, *p1, k3, rep from * to end (28sts)
8th row p4, k1, p1, *k1, p5, k1, p1, rep from * to last 6sts, k1, p3, p2tog. (27sts).

Cont in patt as set (throughout) as follows :- work 3 rows dec i st at armhole in every row (24sts).
Cont without shaping until armhole measures 7cm, ending with a rs row.

Would love some help

suzeeq · 03-19-2011, 06:55 PM

Okay, just subtract sts. It depends on which pattern row you're on when you dec sts (did you BO any sts, btw?) so here's an example of how you start the rows depending on how many dec rows you've done at that point -

1st row k7, *... begin with k6 or k5 or k4
2nd row p4, k1... begin with p3, p2 or p1
3rd row k1, *p1, k3, rep from * - begin with p1, k3, or k3, or k2 then do the p1 k3 repeat.
4th row k1, p1, *k1, p5, - begin with p1, *k1, p5 or *k1, p5, or p5.
5th row k3, *p1, k7, - begin with k2 or k1 or the *p1, k7 repeat
6th row k1, p1, *k1, p5, k1, same as row 4
7th row s1, k1, psso, k3, *p1, k3, - this begins with a dec in the first place, so it's a little trickier; skip the dec and k1 in it's place, or if it's after 2 or 3 decs, start with k3, or k2 then the p1, k3 repeat.
8th row same as 2nd row.

This is how each row would start with 1, 2 or 3 sts taken out at the beg of each, so that should cover all of them after you do just the 3 decs and work straight. It depends on what row you're at when you do the first dec row, start the next row with 1 st less, the row after that with 2 sts less, the row after that with 3 sts less. And if you're only doing a front, then you don't begin the WS rows with a dec, you'd only be doing that on the armhole edge and the WS rows would begin as written and end with 1, 2, or 3 sts less.

dawnhl · 03-19-2011, 09:42 PM

To do the dec then do I k2tog, so instead if k7 I would k2tog, k5?

suzeeq · 03-19-2011, 09:49 PM

Ooops yeah, I forgot to include the decs in there too. But at the beg of a row, it would look better to do a ssk/sl k, psso so it slants to the left.

dawnhl · 03-19-2011, 10:28 PM

Ok, have tried another eight rows, dec the first three rows but my pattern isn't working? Any suggestions what I'm doing wrong?
K2tog, k5 then same
P2 u2 then same and at end p2 tog
K2tog k1 then same

suzeeq · 03-19-2011, 11:38 PM

Are you working on a front piece or the back? Do you have an armhole edge on both sides or just one. If it's just on one edge then dec at the beg of that row, but do the next row the same as you did on the rows you didn't dec, except there will be a dec at the end of the row.