left header image

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Decreases Up Close

There were some great questions in the comments of yesterday's post, so I thought I'd give you all some more info about the decreases and some close ups.

Here is a straight-on view of the sweater.  This is the image I'm marking up below.

The main feature of this stitch pattern, as I see it, are the wavy ridges of post stitches that I've outlined in red.

Next is the open space at the start/end of each oval.  There are two spaces (marked with green circles) but the bottom space looks bigger and is more prominent.

The yellow dot is the start of a motif.  I will be referring to this later.

There are two bust decreases on the edges of this photo.  You will find them by looking for 5 green dots stacked on top of one another.  The top two and bottom two dots are part of the normal pattern.  The middle dot is where I eliminated a motif (poof!) to create the decrease.

Right where the decreases happen there are four white dots where two wavy lines converge and only one wavy line continues.  The nice thing about this convergence, though, is that both lines continue to be wavy and seem to flow down/up.  There is not break or 90-degree shift in the flow.

This is the original decrease.  The wavy lines converge and end abruptly at the white dots, losing their gentle flow.

Also, the way I decreased I created 3 spaces on either side of the broken line, which is echoed no where else in the pattern.

And yet another problem, is that the top of the motif under the decrease, marked with the yellow dot, is split between two spaces, so the top of this oval motif is wide instead of pointed, like the rest of them.

Here is a close up of the new decrease where you can see all the parts more clearly.  Let me know if you have any more questions.
18 Comments leave a comment


OK that is REALLY cool how you did that and yes, very clear. You have an amazing eye for detail.
3/8/2011 8:46 AM

Really great job giving even more explanation of this. Terrific! It's really valuable information and I think it's awesome that you're taking the time to share it.
3/8/2011 9:41 AM

Tara said ...
Alice, you are so clever. Good job!

It amuses me how crocheters and knitters are so careful (read picky) about their work when to the casual eye no one would notice any flaws. But then, that's what makes an artist and artist.
3/8/2011 11:06 AM

Olubunmi said ...
I haven't done a sweater yet. I might just try it now. I am going to print out the diagrams and try it. Did the lace take long to knit for you?
3/8/2011 12:21 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Olubunmi ... This is crochet. It's hard to say how long it takes, since I've redone it so many times, but It seems kinda fast to me, once I get going. :)
3/15/2011 11:21 PM

Misty said ...
Thanks for taking the time to explain what you are doing! Also, it is really helpful to know that the design process is actually a process and not something that people just think up in their heads and create instantly.
3/8/2011 2:14 PM

Charlotte said ...
Just one word: Genius!
3/9/2011 2:07 AM

Seanna Lea said ...
Awesome. Of course I looked at all of your red wavy lines (including the ones for the rejected decrease style) and thought it all looked very much like the goddess figures. When the fabric isn't being pulled taut the decreases completely disappear into the background.
3/9/2011 3:33 AM

mimi k said ...
totally amazing. It looks fantastic!
3/9/2011 6:18 AM

Tanya said ...
I'm still/as ever awed and humbled by your crochet badassery, Alice!

Rock on!
3/9/2011 6:58 AM

Deepa M. said ...
Your new decrease method looks pretty invisible, especially after you pointed out the shortcomings of the "older" method ... thanks for the visuals too! I hope I get "good enough" at crocheting to where I can visualize complicated things like that just as well :) And that yarn must be *amazing* yarn because given the number of times you've told us you've frogged, I swear the yarn looks like it just came off a new skein!
3/10/2011 7:08 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Deepa M. ... This is amazing yarn. I can't believe it hasn't started pilling. This sweater is going to last forever.
3/15/2011 11:25 PM

Heather said ...
I find this decrease much more pleasing to the eyes. While I LOVE the peacock sweater and have enjoyed your trials with it over the months, I noticed the first attempt at decreases to be jarring and more noticable. Great job sticking to it! You are going to have such a lovely sweater once done.
3/10/2011 1:57 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Heather ... Thanks!
3/15/2011 11:25 PM

Tamara said ...
Thank you. This is really helpful. I'm a complete beginner!
3/10/2011 4:10 PM

My gosh Alice, in my dreams would I be this advanced in crocheting! You're doing such a fabulous job in all your projects, so inspiring!
3/12/2011 9:44 PM

tori said ...
You have a gift for explaining these things to those of us who are, for lack of a better term, total n00bs. Thanks for taking the time to do so.

P.S. Sometimes the robot foiler is really difficult for me to read and I stop and think, "Maybe I am a robot..."
4/20/2011 12:17 AM
 
futuregirl replied ...
tori ... My pleasure, for sure! I have issues with the robot foiler text sometimes, too. I think my fingers are number dyslexic sometimes. ;)
4/27/2011 3:31 PM

YOUR FIRST COMMENT MUST BE MANUALLY APPROVED


Leave A Commentprivacy policy 

Name


Email won't be displayed publicly


Website must start with http://


remember my info for next time

Comment html tags not allowed


Robot FoilerEnter the text from the image into the box.
get new image