Can someone explain....

[CLLinda]

Why the shaping (increasing and decreasing) seems to be done only in the knit rows in stockingnet stitching? It seems like every knit row you increase or decrease, but on the Purl row, you just purl even? It just doesn't make much sense to me.

 

Any explanation would be appreciated.

 

[Knit Happens]

Hiya CLLinda....the shaping instructions are meant to slant one way or the other. A right slant and left slant are often used in conjunction with with each other for good appearance and a savvy pattern will indicate exactly which increase or decrease is most suitable. Also, the increasing/decreasing is usually patterned evenly for good overall results and either high visibility or wanting them to be as subtle as possible. Anyhow, a) it is easier to SEE the result on the knit side as you work the stitches and b) the purl side is then worked "even" to "set" the stitches. If you worked decreases/increases on all rows, you'd get an awful looking result---consider the purl even row to be the "control" row.

 

There ARE patterns, where increasing is done on the purl side too...but you don't see that as often.

[eyrthmother1]

im no where near to being an expert knitter, but 1 thing i have noticed is (from doing dishcloths w/ increases) that even 1's that are knit on both sides, when you do an increase on line 2, line 3 will be knit across. not explaining it well, but thinking if you think of an idiots cloth. you increase the 3rd stitch, then across. when you turn, you again increase the 3rd stitch (on the OPP. side of the pattern, but then you knit where you increased on the last row....seems to sorta lock the stitch in place. am i making sense?