Shaping of sleeve top edge 🐙

Hello! Hope you’re all well!

I’m starting to do the shaping part of my octopus sleeve and I’ve spotted an area I’m not sure how to tackle. There’s an area (which I’ve amateurishly circled in red) where I need to decrease 2 stitches at the beginning of a row and then at the end, too. Should I just cast off 2 stitches at the beginning of the first row and then do the same at the end of the following row and reattach my yarn or is there a better way to do it? Does leaving these 2 as live stitches make sense?

Hope the picture makes sense!

IMG_0885

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This is amazing progress!
You could cast off 2 sts at the beginning of the row work to the end, turn and work the next row then cast off 2 or even 3 at the beginning of the following row.

Alternatively, there is a way to cast off at the end of a row which you can consider.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycM0YG9SKcs

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Oh that’s a clever little trick! I’ll try that! Thanks so much as always salmonmac!

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Hello! I’m having a moment of self doubt and I’m not sure if I’ve done this right.

What I have done to do the shaping is knit 7 stitches across the row and then put the blue stitches on scrap yarn then gone back and cast off 2 stitches so I have the 5 for the row above. Does that look right if I’m just trying to copy the picture as it were? Or should my live stitches be on the next row down? IMG_0885

Sorry, the picture quality is really janky!

It looks to me like the blue sts are on hold then knit across the remainder of the row decreasing one stitch at the sleeve. Turn, decrease one stitch, work to the neck and bind off 2sts.

Thanks yet again! My brain just refused to help here :joy:

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You are doing so well with this complicated pattern. The brain sometimes just needs to take a break.

Just wanted to share my excitement that I have an eyeball! :joy:

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Woo-hoo! There’s no stopping that octopus now. It’s so much fun to see this sweater and its octopus take shape. Thanks for the update.

Yay! Looking great.
It must be eyeball day, I reached an eye on my knit too, not an amazing octopus eye though.

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@Creations @salmonmac I was meant to stop at the end of the eyeball and do other things but it was close to the end so I had to keep going. That’s all the pieces knitted! Phew!

Now “just” to weave in the ends, seam and finish. :joy:

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You had one-more-row-itis!

Looks great. Do we get a pic of the spaghetti wrong side too?

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Oh god! Now there’s an ask! Slightly embarrassed that it might be a bit Frankensteined together but I can’t deny you when you’ve been so much help.

🫣

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The other bits are a bit closer to intarsia proper but this one just had such a crazy amount of detail it’s a hybrid. :joy:

That looks great, very neat and not so many ends to weave.

The long spaghetti trick worked a charm!

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It looks terrific! I know how that, “one more row” goes and next thing you know you’re finished. Such fun.

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The spaghetti method is surprisingly smooth going isn’t it? The anxiety over all the jumbled twisted ends is the hardest part to overcome. I think I mentioned the first time I used this method I was using shorter lengths as I’d seen advised on a blog or tutorial, and so I ended up with a lot more ends but gradually increased the lengths I cut. I’m using this method again now and I’m so much more confident over pulling out much longer lengths. Fewer ends to weave but also when you finish with a length and cut it off there is a more decent length remaining on it which can often be used again.
I’m glad it worked for you because it feels risky suggesting it, knowing what a mess it looks like during the working.

Your sweater is neat inside and out. I think you’ve handled it perfectly. It was a real challenge pattern and the result is magnificent.

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