I’m knitting a lace sweater and was fine until I came to the decreasing for the armhole. Once I started taking off stitches I could not keep to the pattern and kept trying to start at different points in the design but I can’t find my way back to the lace pattern.
Is there a trick to knowing at what point to begin the wfwd and psso etc.,?
I have to do other increases and decreases so unless I can solve this problem I’m in trouble.
For decreasing at the end of a row, it’s pretty simple, because you just stop. I only mention the end because you need to make sure you have a balance of the increases and decreases. In other words, don’t do a yo unless there’s a corresponding decrease. Just work st st when it gets to that point.
I usually count backwards. I write out my pattern to a chart anyway, and that helps tremendously to be able to see exactly what’s what. If you have a chart you can just move a post it note over to the left one stitch each time you decrease on a row. You can also put markers around the pattern repeats, especially near the edge, so you can refer back to a complete sequence to see where you are on the edge. The ‘don’t increase unless you have a corresponding decrease’ applies here, too.
Hope this helps.
I have a very similar question, and I’m adding here so that we don’t duplicate posts…
Here’s my pattern instructions:
Left Front
CO 71 stitches
Keeping 1 st at each side in St st and remaining sts in Lace Patt, work even for 1/2" --> no problems up to here 
The lace patt is:
Purl all WS rows
Row 2 (RS) is yo, k2tog repeated across
Row 4 (RS) is SSK, yo repeated across
I’m having trouble with decreasing :?? :
Pattern says:
To dec when working Lace Pat, [color=darkred]eliminate the last yo of RS rows. Dec 1 st at end on next row[/color]
Rep this dec every RS row 30 times more, then every other RS row 15 times ; end on WS after piece mesasures 12"…then you work even
What I don’t understand about the part in [color=darkred]bold red [/color]is this…
Do I dec 1 st at the end of the WS row? Is that what is meant by the next row? Or do they mean dec one st at the end of the next RS row???
The Left Front image of the pattern shows 1 straight edge and 1 edge decreasing sharply until just before the shoulder. This makes me think that I should not do any decreasing on the wrong side to keep that edge straight.
Help? :verysad:
Rep this dec every RS row
Your decreases are done on the RS row.
I believe that the decrease is created by eliminating the final yo, so you’d end with k2tog, k2tog. You do this starting with the next RS row.
Make sense?
It does in a way, but then when I get to the SSK, yo row, should I skip that yo and just knit the last 2 sts together?
And in this example, any time I do this decreasing, I’m subtracting 1 from my 30 times decreasing right??
Why did they bother to put “Dec 1 st at the end of the next row” in there? That really threw me off. :-x
Why did they bother to put “Dec 1 st at the end of the next row” in there?
I believe it’s because you’re going to start your decreases on the end of the next RS row, by eliminating the yo.
The ssk is on the arm edge of the sweater and is balanced by the yo. That keeps the lace pattern. For the left front you want the decreases to be at the end of the row.
I get it!!! I get it!!! :cheering:
I was taking the Dec 1 st at end on next row as part of the general decreasing instructions! :doh:
:happydance: What a relief.
Thank you Ingrid!! 