Craft Forum

I am knitting the Miren dress in Manos del Uruguay (page 37 issue 33) but not doing the lace pattern ie I am knitting it in plain stocking stitch.
I've come to shaping the right shoulder on the back. I've got to 19 stitches. It says next row work in patt , then shape shoulder, then next row work in patt which should then be 13 stitches. However as there is only one decrease on each row my 19 stitches has become 17 stitches, not 13. This carries on so that I am left with 13 stiches at the end.
Can anyone explain how decreasing 1 stitch each row means that there are 2 stitches less per row.
I'm totally baffled??????

Judith

Hi Judith,
Welcome to the forum. I'm Adrienne, the Deputy Editor at LK.
So, you've got your 19 sts (I take it you're working the third size?), where it says 'Next row: work in patt' this refers to the lace pattern without decreasing so you should work this in just stocking stitch. You will still have 19 sts at the start of SHAPE SHOULDER. Again, work in stocking stitch without decreasing but only work 13 stitches on that row. Then wrap & turn - see the special abbreviations on page 36. Leave the end sts unworked.
This is why you only have 13 sts. You're not actually decreasing them, you are just stopping the row before the end, turning, then working back along the WS for the Next row.
Hope this clarifies things, let me know if you have any other questions.

Adrienne