What is the purpose of this decrease?

#1

Hello and Happy New Year

I’m working a bottom up modified drop sleeve.
Basic increases up the sleeve, a marker 2 cm before the bind off at the top to mark where it joins the body.
Just before the bind off is this

Then decrease (purled) 4 stitches evenly on A.5 from the right side = 66-70-72-76-78-82 stitches. Cast off on the next row from the right side.

I wonder what the purpose of these decreases are?
A5 is just a cable chart.

Here’s the pattern

I’m modifying quite a lot, the pattern is aran weight (16 sts = 4 cm) and I’m using fingering weight (27 sts = 10 cm) and adjusting the stitch and row count. I’m not sure whether to include these decreases in my modified version as I don’t know the reason for them.

Any thoughts?

#2

It is puzzling. Perhaps the designer found that the decrease helped the fit of the top of the sleeve into the space for the armhole.

#3

Hmm, at the pattern gauge I think it’s about 2.5 cm narrowing of the centre panel. Yes perhaps it’s to fit in the armhole but wouldn’t it make sense to just make the armhole bigger or the sleeve narrower? Why increase each end to a certain width then decrease in the centre?
Could it be to stop the cable pattern flaring in the bind off? or because the cable pattern takes more stitches than stockinette so now those stitches are reduced to return to a more ‘standard’ width?
It just seems unnecessary.

I have some rows to go yet before I need to decide what to do there. Perhaps I’ll just put the sleeve stitches on hold instead of doing the decrease and bind off and then I can see it with the body sections later.

#4

It could be the flaring at the cables but usually that’s taken care of in the bind off. It’s a good question to ask at the bottom of the pattern page under Comment/Questions.

1 Like
#5

Good idea. I’ve done that, we’ll see what answer comes back.

#6

I got a quick response:

Hi, this decrease is used when we work cables. Otherwise the edge could be too long. Happy knitting!

So now just need to decide if I do it or not on my version with the lighter yarn weight. Perhaps it would be neater to do so.

#7

Your idea was right! Nice of Drops to reply to quickly, too.
I don’t think it will hurt to do the decreases even on the thinner yarn but you can try either way. It’s going to be another lovely sweater

#8

Yes they were fast replying.
I’ve done the decreases.
What I did was work out how many cm it would be in the pattern gauge for the decrease and bind off row, 2 rows is 1 cm, and decided to do my decrease row with 4 rows to go, which is roughly 1 cm in my own gauge (well, the row gauge I’m working with is 3.6 rows per 1 cm) so it would be roughly the same distance. I decided if it didn’t look right I could tink the few rows. But it looks good. The decreases are reasonably hidden in the purl sections and it does seem to straighten up the last few columns. To be honest it probably would have looked fine without but the small change does seem to make a small improvement.

Second sleeve started.

Thanks for the support, it’s helpful to just talk it through too.