Nubby pattern sweater decreasing the pattern

[Pinemom]

I’m at my wits end. I’ve been working a sweater tunic pattern that goes sc/*hdc/slipstitch, repeat pattern to last stitch then sc turn sc then repeat pattern of hdc/as. It’s an Annie’s pattern and I don’t want to break the rules of purchase but I have reached out to them to help with my problem and I haven’t heard back from them. It’s stalled my project. 
I was hoping that you might be able to help. This is my problem. I started the sweater with my widest measurement around my belly. The pattern goes bottom to top. When I get closer to the top I know I need to decrease my stitches from 110 to 88. I’m two sizes smaller at the top and want to avoid the puckering at the top. I’m not sure how to decrease the pattern so that it looks right.

[Granny Square]

I would put the decreases at the side seams, even if you are making it in the round (or in 1 piece if open in front and 1 piece up to the armholes) and it doesn't have side seams; people expect garments to have seams or shaping there.  

What is hdc/as?  Did you mean a row of all HDC across?  Or hdc/sc?  It would be probably better to put a decrease on the plainer row if so.  

Math:  110-88=22, so 11 decrease rows, assuming 1 decrease on each side. 

The front and back are often the same when worked bottom up, until more or less the armholes, when bust and neck shaping changes.  So, you're  going to have to figure how many rows under the armholes to start out your decreases

Shaping is usually not done every row, it's usually decrease on either side of the 'seam', x rows plain, decrease, repeat.  so you get a gradual taper. 

The minimum number of rows below the armhole for size adjustment would be 22, which would be decreasing 1 stitch each side every other row.   You've made some rows already, do you have at least 22 rows?  Mark 11 correction: 6 stitches in from each side, and 22 rows down, and see what it looks like.  You may have to go 33 rows down for the right taper (decrease row, 2 plain rows, repeat), or another scheme, (maybe 26 rows, alternating 1 and 2 plain rows between increase rows) depending on if you are  short or long waisted etc. 

A variable would be - is the tunic made in 1 piece up to the armholes?  Then what I said would be easy to do (make sure you mark the decreases so you can see where they are to count them, and keep them in a straight line).  You'll have to read ahead in the pattern to see where the armholes are, to position the 'side seam'.  If it's made back & 2 fronts and seamed, you'd probably want to stagger the increases so half are on the back and half are on the fronts, but on alternating rows;  the decreases should be at least 1 stitch in from the side.  

[Pinemom]

Oops 🙊 I guess I made a mistake when typing. 

I’ll post an excerpt of the pattern  pattern 

PATTERN STITCH
Nubby Pattern: (even number of sts) Row 1: Sc in first st, [hdc in next st, sl st in
next st] to last st, sc in last st, turn. Rep row 1 for 108 rows. 

Then you work the shoulder and neck. 

I’m up to where I make the shoulder/neck.

I added a picture of the pattern 

[Granny Square]

That's a nice stitch pattern, I like the DC, SC version of that as well. 

So is this the back?  And if you are up to the shoulder/neck, you are past the armholes?  Does it have drop sleeves (like T shirt construction), or sleeveless?  Sleeveless would make this easier, as you could continue to decrease in the armhole area, depending on whether the fit works for you.

Notice I made a correction in my above post:   If you are looking at the just the back, or a completed garment with fronts folded together, decreasing 11 on each side of the garment would result in seeing a 5.5 stitch indent on one side, and 5.5 on the other when it's folded (which I rounded to 6 in my amended first post).  5.5 left front + 5.5 right front + 5.5 left back + 5.5 right back = 22 stitches.  But you can only see 5.5 stitches indented on each side, when the garment is folded.  Sorry for not thinking straight  yesterday.

I think, if you read my post, you know what I'm going to say...if that includes the armhole, and you needed to decrease between tummy and bust, you should have started to decrease not far from the bottom of the photo.  Which means you need to rip back that far.  Shaping decreases/increases need to be gradual, which is why I sort of hinted that decreasing every other row would be too 'steep' and you may have to decrease every third or more rows (which isn't uncommon).

Another factor, if it is sleeveless - where do you need to take it in?  By the bust?  Or bust, plus narrow shoulders? If this is sleeveless, depending on your shaping you might get away with ripping out less if you spread the decreases to span part way below the armhole and part above, and rip out less, IF this works for your fit.  This would mess up sleeves, tho, as decreasing in the armhole area would make a bigger armhole and you'd have to redesign the sleeve to be wider at the top--would be hard to get right.

Before you rip out, assuming this is the back...do you have a garment that fits in a way that you want this to fit?  Lay your crocheted piece on a bed, and your existing piece centered over it, folded at the side seams.  This might help you figure out how much, and where, you need to decrease since you can count the extra stitches and their position.  I hope that makes sense?  I do this all the time when I am crocheting or knitting tops from new patterns for myself.