I am a beginner knitter and I’m working on a tie for a friend, using the pattern here:
Cast on 14 sts.
Work in Seed St until piece measures 21" [53.5 cm] from beg.
Dec Row Keeping to Seed St pattern, dec 1 st each edge – 12 sts. Work 7 rows even.
Dec Row Dec 1 st each edge – 10 sts. Work 35 rows even.
Dec Row Dec 1 st each edge – 8 sts. Work 7 rows even.
Dec Row Dec 1 st each edge – 6 sts. Work even until piece measures 54" [137 cm] from beg.
I’m fine until reaching the decreasing rows. How do I go about decreasing on each edge? Should I use decreases that slant opposite ways or does it matter if I just use k2tog/p2tog?
Also I heard from several ravelers that they find the decreases a bit sloppy, so would it be better to decrease once in the middle of a row, and work for a couple rows before decreasing again? How would I do that and keep with the pattern (k1, p1, etc.)?
I am very confused. Thanks in advance for your help!
You can use ssk/ssp at the beginning of the row and k/p 2tog at the end, or vice versa. The slant shouldn’t be too obvious with seed stitch the way it is in stockinette. Don’t dec in the middle of a row when the pattern calls for them on the ends; the point here is to shape the piece, not just to have less stitches.
The other knitters may just have sloppy edge stitches in general, but you can do them 1 st in from the edge (on the 2nd and 3rd sts from the edge) and work the edge stitch in stockinette. If it’s to be seamed, then it will be hidden anyway.
If I were to k2tog and p2tog consecutively in the same row, would it result in a slant (to the right) or would it balance out and become centred? I would like the decrease to be as centred as possible. Thanks again!
You’re not going to have a true centered decrease when you decrease one stitch at each end of the row. The decreases that Sue mentioned will be balanced but I don’t think the slant will be too obvious anyway. You could try these decreases out on a small swatch just to see what they look like and whether you like them.