In the pattern instructions for Sylvia’s sweater, while working the sleeves it just says to increase one stitch on each side, working them into the pattern. Okay… which increase should I do? :?? The pattern is a simple 6 rows of stockinette alternating with 2 knit rows (a garter ridge).
By the same token, not for this pattern but another I’d like to do soon - if a pattern worked in basic stockinette/garter calls for periodic decreases, which ones should you do?
I’ve only worked with increases and decreases that were exactly specified in the pattern.
Just use the same increase you normally use. If you want it to be REALLY simmetrical, you can use a make one on the stockinette, and a knit into the front and back loop on the garter.
I haven’t “normally used” anything though. I’ve done YOs for a specific pattern, as well as pssos and kfb. Those are more “patterned” stitches, aren’t they? i.e., a YO causes a hole, which is good for a specific piece but not a regular increase, correct?
I’ve mostly use kfb for increases. I like the KLR/KLL for nearly invisible ones, though M1R/L can be pretty hard to detect too. Just use whichever one that comes easiest to you or looks best with the pattern stitch and yarn you’re using.
A good all purpose increase is a kfb (knit into front and back of stitch). It is not an invisible increase however, so many people prefer to do the M1L (if you want left slanting) and M1R (if you want right slanting). Both have videos on this site, just look in the ‘Glossary’ tab at the top of this page.
You’re right that a YO makes a hole, which isn’t always desired, so just use one of the above mentioned.
As for decreases, the K2tog and the SSK are the two most commonly used decreases. The K2tog is a right sloping decrease and the SSK is a left sloping decrease.
You can use a Yarn Over, just knit into the back of it when you come to it on the next row, and it won’t make a hole. That seems like the easiest increase to use.
Okay, so in making a sweater sleeve, would I use a M1R on the right side and a M1L on the left? I just want to do this the best way possible.[/quote]
Well, if you have the knitting piece laying flat with the right side of your knitting facing you and you want to make increases, in other words make the knitting wider like this \ / … the beginning of your right side rows (the / in my wee illustration), that line of stitches will be slanting up and to the right so you would use a M1R at the beginning of RS rows, therefore doing a M1L at the end of RS rows due to the nature of the slant on that edge when increasing. Also, a good tip is to make sure to do the increases at least 1 stitch in from the edge. It leaves a nicer edge for seaming later on if the increases aren’t immediately at the edge of your work.