Armhole shaping

#1

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Hi,
I am so grateful for this forum. I also have a question about decreasing for an armhole. I have completed the back of this V-neck sweater. the picture with the blue marking is the armhole instructions for back. The picture with the orange marking is instructions for the front. I am now working on the front left armhole. My sizing is the middle number (i.e. the first one in the ()
First, I assume that the armholes should be similar shape. I started with 60 stitches on the one side. For the front left armhole, I binded off 6 stitches, then started decreasing every second row. I thought that I should decrease 7 times (instructions from back armhole) and then decrease every second row for another 17 times (V-neck shaping instructions). However, that makes the armhole to veer into the center be a very different shape on the front - ie. does not match the back.

I was thinking that I should only decrease 17 times (V-neck shaping instructions) but if I do that I will end up with too many stitches at the end. 60-6-17-6 = 31 stitches. After the reductions I should have 24 stitches, as per the pattern.

I hope you can help.
Thank you, Wendy

Decrease knitting
#2

Welcome to KH!
What is the name of your pattern?

You have 60sts for the left front. Shape the armhole in the same way as the back, bind off 6sts, decrease one stitch every 2nd row 7 times (13sts decreased). Front and back shaping will match. Remember that you’ll also be decreasing at the armhole edge after the bind off of 6 sts.
At the neck edge, decrease one stitch every 2nd row 17times. Then dec every 4th row 6 times (23sts decreased). That’ll leave 24sts for the shoulder bind off which is the same as the back shoulder.

Please delete your third photo which shows the first page of the pattern. You can use the pencil icon in the bottom right of the post to edit. We can’t post large portions of patterns due to designer copyright.

#3

Hello. Thank you for the answer.
The pattern is from a book called Campus Hand Knits from Bear Brand & Fleisher yarns. It’s publication date in 1963, so I imagine is out of copyright. I cannot tell how to remove the picture of the full pattern, sorry.
Maybe I am not clear about the instruction to “decrease one stitch every 2nd row”. That would seem to me that each decrease is on the same side (i.e. along the armhole), but I do not see how repeating that 7 times yields a decrease of 13 stitches. Would it not only decrease 7 stitches? or would it be a decrease on both ends of the row - both to make the armhole and the V-neck. I am concerned that there is no decrease in the middle of the sweater for the V-neck.
Thank you.

#4

You’re right the decrease of one stitch every 2nd row 7 times is a decrease of 7sts. Plus the bind off of 6 equals the decrease of 13sts.
Under Front, V-Neck Shaping the pattern gives you the decreases for the V-neck. It’s not as clear as current patterns usually are but that happens in vintage patterns.
The neck shaping starts before the armhole shaping. It begins with the “…decreasing 1 st at front edge at beg. of 2nd row and …”. This pattern is calling the neck edge the “front edge”.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/bear-brand-fleisher-yarns-vol-71-campus-hand-knits-for-men-and-women

#5

That makes a big difference: that “front edge” is the neck edge! Thank you!
The way the length has worked out the “front edge” neck shaping and the armhole shaping would take place at the same point. Does that mean that I will reduce every second row on the armhole side and every second row on the “front edge” neck, which would mean I would reduce every row for 14 rows (i.e. the 7 times decreasing for the armhole). That seems to make logical sense, but just checking.

#6

If you’re decreasing for the neck and the armhole at the same time, then decrease at the beginning of the row (neck edge) and the end of the row (armhole) every other row.

So for the first 14 rows you’ll be decreasing at the same rate on neck and armhole. Then the neck continues the decreases every other row until you’ve decreased 17 times tottal at the neck edge. Following that are the decreases every 4th row, neck edge only.