Hi Everyone,
Still working on my Blue Suede Bikini from “Sexy Little Knits” by Ashley Paige. I am having incredible difficultly with this lace pattern, so I charted it out on graph paper, but I still don’t “get” how to end a row with a YO. Is this even possible???
Secondly, if I am making decreases in a lace pattern - how would you recommend I do this? K1, k2tog, k until 3 st are left, k2tog, kn1?
Thanks everyone!
Becca 
More experienced knitters can perhaps comment but I’m confused by that YO also as you would normally follow that with a K stitch. Given that sometimes patterns make mistakes, I’d do a stitch count on that row and ensure they have the current number of stitches there because if not it could be a mistake and you do need to follow with a K. (Unless there is some odd reason for it someone else here can suggest). But you wouldn’t actually do doing something “with” the YO by having that just at the end unless you do a stitch of some sort to follow. Anyway, that’s what my logic tells me
I would decrease as you suggested.
No, you can yo between 2 ks, 2ps, a k then a p, or a p then a k. However, some ways will give less slack in the yo - e.g. a purl, yo, knit - so you may want to do your yo backwards in some of those cases.
Do a normal yo - whichever you prefer for the surrounding stitches - and just be careful while turning the work that you don’t drop it.
The choice of decreases really depends on the pattern, what you’ve posted there seems logical although I would make one of them a ssk to mirror the k2tog, again I can’t really guess without seeing the pattern. Try searching online to see how others handled the decreases maybe?
Sarah
Hi redwitch. (Obviously) I agree you can follow a YO with various combos but I admit I’ve never seen YO as a last action and so thought a mistake may have been part of the pattern and a stitch left off…(I’ve come across mistakes myself and found them via a stitch count).
So are you suggesting that you do do just a yarn over and as you say you carefully turn the work and then keep going with the pattern? I must admit I’ve never seen that before and it would create a drop on the edge of the work but I guess as it’s a bikini that may make sense somehow.
I’m wondering why the pattern isn’t explaining how to decrease…
Sometimes, when I’m doing a yo at the end of the row, I’ll turn my needles first, then wrap the stitch before I start knitting the next row - don’t have to turn carefully then, just have to remember to do it before I start (particularly if I happen to get up and do something before I come back to my knitting)
You can just start the next row with the yo.
Well, any time you see something unusual in a pattern, I guess you could look carefully at whether it’s right. I’d be looking at the picture to see what the yos are doing just out of curiosity, I like understanding how the pattern works and what different stitches are doing before I start.
I can’t really suggest that this is definitely right, but some patterns do have a yo at the start or end of a row, so the fact that it’s there doesn’t automatically mean there’s a mistake in the pattern and a subsequent knit stitch forgotten. Especially in lace, funny yo-type stitches aren’t unusual.
I agree that the pattern should be specifying how to decrease.
If you are finding the yo especially difficult, I’d have a look at what they do in the pattern. If it’s something you feel can be dispensed with, you might prefer to do another increase instead (assuming the yo is retained in later rows).
Stitch count is one of the easiest ways to detect a mistake in pattern instructions so well done.
If you have further questions, a pic or link will help us advise you on yo and decreases.
Sarah
You learn something every day! I was also thinking that of course bikinis often have ‘tie’ sections at the side so the yarn over could create spaces for that and so on.
Thanks for all your replies and help so far. Here’s the base lace pattern. It’s 21 stitches with a decrease of 2 (one at the beginning, one at the end of rows 3, 6, 9, etc.)
knit
o yarn over
/\ sl1, kn2tog, psso
purl
/ kn2tog
\ sl1, kn1, psso
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1 - - O /\ O - - - - O /\ O - - - - O /\ O - -
2
3 - O / - \ O - - O / - \ O - - O / - \ O -
4
In theory with regards to decreasing st - here is what it “should” be:
Row 1-2 = 21 st
Row 3-5 = 19 st
Row 6-8 = 17 st
Row 9-11 = 15 st
Row 12-14 = 13 st
Row 15-17 = 11 st
Row 18-20 = 9 st
Row 21-23 = 7 st
Row 24-26 = 5 st
Row 27 = 3 st
Thanks everyone!!!