Please help with shoulder shaping instructions?

How-to Questions
1

Hi there! I’m new here but this site looked like my best bet for figuring out what my pattern is talking about. It’s from Georgia Farrell Orchid sweater in the shape shoulders and front neck section on the front of the sweater. I wouldn’t say I am a super experienced knitter, but this is my second sweater and I am flummoxed. This is supposed to be a skill level 2 (simple techniques) pattern.

The instructions read:
Next row (RS): Cast off 7 sts, K until there are 43 sts on right needle and turn, leaving rem sts on a holder.
Work each side of neck separately.
Dec 1 st at neck edge of next 4 rows, then on foll 2 alt rows and at same time cast off 7 sts at beg of 2nd and foll 2 alt rows, then 8 sts at beg of foll 1 alt rows.

I managed the first part through putting the remaining stitches on a holder, but am stuck at the decrease at neck edge parts. This is stockinette and am I decreasing both the knit and purl rows? Just the knit rows? ( I saw advice that it’s just the knit ones). What the heck are the following alternate rows (are those the knit rows?) and how can I cast off at the same time? Ack! Can somebody please try and explain this to me? Any and all help is appreciated. I don’t want to mess this up at this stage and have to start the front over.

Thanks so much in advance.

Joolz

2

Hi Joolz, I think that you are casting off stitches on the purl row (alternate row) as well as decreasing 1 stitch at the neck edge (knit row). Then decreasing 8 stitches on the next knit row. I hope this helps.

3

Hello
Yes, you will need to do some of your decreases on the purl side of the fabric. This is to create a smoother shaping on the neck edge. It sounds tricky but its not so hard, here’s a video which explains the decreases. You can jump to a later chapter to get to the part you want but if it’s your first time doing this you might be insterested in all of it to get an overall understanding

If you have some spare yarn you can try out the purl decreases before going ahead on your sweater.

The reason for the ‘at the same time’ is because you are shaping both the neck edge and the arm hole edge on the same piece of fabric, som rows might be just shaping the neck, some rows just the arm hole, and some rows might be both at once.

Neck edge
Call the next row, row 1, dec 1 stitch on
Rows 1, 2, 3, 4 (that’s next 4 rows)
Then on rows 6, 8 (that’s 2 alt rows, alt means alternate or every other row)

Arm hole edge
With the same ‘next row’ being row 1,
Cast off 7 sts on row 2 (that’s the 2nd row)
Then cast off 7 sts on rows 4, 6 (that’s the following 2 alt rows)
Then cast off 8 sts on row 8 (thats the following 1 alt row)

See how rows 2, 4, 6, 8 have something happening at the beginning and end of the row to produce shaping, that’s what ‘at the same time’ means.

You can write these out before you begin or make a table with columns for neck and arm hole and tick them off as you go.

Now might be a good time to place a life line before you go ahead with the shaping, if anything goes wrong it’s easier to undo your work and the stitches are saved.

That’s a really lovely sweater design, have just saved it. The colour detail is very nice.

If you have any more questions, or if this doesn’t make sense, let us know so you can get more help. And we love to see pics if you want to post one when you’ve finished.

2 Likes
4

Oh wow, thank you all so much! I’m pretty sure I get it now. The lifeline video was incredibly helpful too. I could have saved hours on my last sweater if I had know that trick. I’ll give it a whirl and will be sure to post a pic here when I have finished it.

Thanks again to everybody who helps out here. I hope that one day I am clever enough to give back.

Joolz

| Creations
July 15 |

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Hello
Yes, you will need to do some of your decreases on the purl side of the fabric. This is to create a smoother shaping on the neck edge. It sounds tricky but its not so hard, here’s a video which explains the decreases. You can jump to a later chapter to get to the part you want but if it’s your first time doing this you might be insterested in all of it to get an overall understanding

Purl Decreases (p2tog and ssp) // Technique Tuesday

If you have some spare yarn you can try out the purl decreases before going ahead on your sweater.

The reason for the ‘at the same time’ is because you are shaping both the neck edge and the arm hole edge on the same piece of fabric, som rows might be just shaping the neck, some rows just the arm hole, and some rows might be both at once.

Neck edge
Call the next row, row 1, dec 1 stitch on
Rows 1, 2, 3, 4 (that’s next 4 rows)
Then on rows 6, 8 (that’s 2 alt rows, alt means alternate or every other row)

Arm hole edge
With the same ‘next row’ being row 1,
Cast off 7 sts on row 2 (that’s the 2nd row)
Then cast off 7 sts on rows 4, 6 (that’s the following 2 alt rows)
Then cast off 8 sts on row 8 (thats the following 1 alt row)

See how rows 2, 4, 6, 8 have something happening at the beginning and end of the row to produce shaping, that’s what ‘at the same time’ means.

You can write these out before you begin or make a table with columns for neck and arm hole and tick them off as you go.

Now might be a good time to place a life line before you go ahead with the shaping, if anything goes wrong it’s easier to undo your work and the stitches are saved.

How to use LIFELINES IN KNITTING (this will save you time & heartache!)

Ravelry

Orchid pattern by Georgia Farrell

Finished measurements:

Price: USD 7.00

That’s a really lovely sweater design, have just saved it. The colour detail is very nice.

If you have any more questions, or if this doesn’t make sense, let us know so you can get more help. And we love to see pics if you want to post one when you’ve finished.

1 Like
5

You’re very welcome.

With the life line, if you have a yarn or thread that is thinner than the yarn you are using this reduces the chance of distorting the stitches. I keep some embroidery thread for this job and for keeping stitches on hold as it’s nice and thin and slippery so doesn’t stick to the yarn.
You can prevent the life line falling out by knotting the 2 ends together, or I like to slip knot the two ends and place a removable marker through the slip knot, it holds it together but is very easy to undo so i can keep reusing my threads.

Enjoy learning the purl decrease and working your shoulder section.