Why oh Why?

[wannabe]

Which stitch should I use on the purl side to get a left slanting decrease on the front. As you are looking at the sweater I am working on the side of a V neck that is on the left . Recipe calls for a decrease at beginning of each row--can't make it happen on the backside!

[Dimpledapple]

I think if you purl two together on the wrong side (right slanting decrease), you'll get a left slanting decrease on the right side.

[wannabe]

Hi dimple:

Yaaah, that's what I thought too--it does not seem to be working that way!

[suzeeq]

Then try another method - p2tog through the back loop, or slip slip purl.

[MerigoldinWA]

Wannabe, is this still on the little sailor sweater? The consensus was that you were supposed to decrease coming and going on the next edges since the pattern said at every neck edge (or something like that). Did you decide it should only be at the beginning of the rows? When you are talking about,

As you are looking at the sweater I am working on the side of a V neck that is on the left

Do you mean that the sweater is, for instance lying on a table in front of you right side up? And you are talking about the side of the vee on the left?

If that is what you mean, and this is in stockinette it seems to me that the beginning of a row on that side of the vee would be a knit row and to get it to slant left \ you would ssk. On the way back on the purl side, to get the front side of the work to slant left and you are at the end of a row, you would purl 2 together through the back loop.

But it sounds like you are saying you are purling at the beginning of the row so I must be totally off.

If you mean the left side of the sweater as worn, it would be on your right if the sweater was lying on a table in front of you right side up. But then it seems like you would want a right slanting decrease /. In St st that would be at the end of a row and you would just K2tog. If you wanted a / decrease at the beginning of a row on that side, it would be on a purl row and you would just p2tog.

I'm sorry, this may have confused more than helped. But I'm trying to help. Really.

[wannabe]

Dear Merigold: Your insights are always welcome!

To answer your question--yes, this is still the same little sweater--boy I am learning a lot of good things on this project. For instance I learned to do the decrease two stitches in from the edge--looks much nicer on the finished side.
This is correct:
"Do you mean that the sweater is, for instance lying on a table in front of you right side up? And you are talking about the side of the vee on the left?

If that is what you mean, and this is in stockinette it seems to me that the beginning of a row on that side of the vee would be a knit row and to get it to slant left \ you would ssk. On the way back on the purl side, to get the front side of the work to slant left and you are at the end of a row, you would purl 2 together through the back loop." [ How do you paste the copy text into that little box?]
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I do not understand purl through the back--is there a video for that? I have done ssp, but I have not done the k2 tog, purl in back.

Best,

[MerigoldinWA]

Hi Wannabe,
To get the text in the little quote box, first copy and paste it into your post, then run your mouse over it while you are holding a left click down. That high lights the text, then while it is highlighted go up to the little icon on the bar above where you are working that is on the right end (it looks like a speech balloon) and left click on it. It will throw some words around that part, that will turn into the box when you post it.

You are right about putting the decrease in a bit from the edge. It will look better. One stitch in works too, just depends on the situation.

The p2tog tbl is a little tricky, and I think some folks a way to avoid it that also works, but I use it. Here is how I do it. If you are going to do it 2 stitches in from the edge, work until you have 4 stitches to go in the purl row. Leave the yarn in front for purling. Now move the left end of the left needle away from yourself in a clockwise arc until the back side of the work is facing you. Now insert the RH ndl from right to left into the second stitch from the tip of the LH ndl and on through the first stitch as well (this will be purlwise). Then move the LH needle in an arc to the left into the normal position. Yarn around the RH needle and finish purling the 2 stitches together from there. It can be a little hard sometimes to get the new loop pulled through and you may have to try more than once, but you only have a few you'll have to do.

[sweetpea]

This is a a cheat's method but it does work:

Purl 1, slip the stitch you just purled back on to the lefthand needle and pass the next stitch over, slip it back on to the righthand needle and continue as normal.

[wannabe]

Ohhh! thank you!