Reducing more than 2 st per row

[paperflowers]

I'm making a women's top with a V-neck made up of two pieces that overlap (like a bathrobe). To form the neckline, each piece needs to be very slanted, almost horizontal. I've been trying to figure out a way to reduce stitches rapidly. I started with about 40 dc at the bottom and I need to reduce to around 11 st within 9 rows to form the strap at the top.

 

I've been experimenting with different height stitches to try to form a clean slant to the piece. What I'm trying now is at the end of the row do a dc-red, turn, 2 sl st, ch1, sc-red, hdc, then dc across. That reduces by about 7, but the dc-red juts up and looks like a bundle of loops.

 

Any ideas?

[Aggie May]

You can decrease more stitches at a time by doing SL ST across X number of stitches on one row, then working back to within the same number of stitches.

EG: you have 40 stitches and you want to reduce the number quickly so at the start of the row, at the neck edge, SL ST across 6 stitches then finish the row.

Next row, work to within the last 6 stitches.

Repeat this once more and you will have 24 stitches left.

Decrease at the neck edge only ,the rest of the stitches over the next few rows then work straight when you have the desired number.

This is only a vague idea of what you need to do because, if you are doing DCs you will end up with a step effect which you will need to eliminate.

It can be done though so keep at it.

To do the other front, just reverse the shaping by working to within the last 6 STS on one row, then SL STing on the next.

Hope this is of some help.

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

[paperflowers]

Thanks. I'm trying 3 sl st, then when I come back to the end of the row, skip 3, turn sl st 3 and go from there. I'm still getting steps, but the work looks much neater. Maybe there's way to even those out with the edging.

[Aggie May]

You are right, it will even out a bit when you add the edging, as long as you work into the right places on the first row.

After you have done a few rows of the shaping, you can have a little practice to see what the neck might look like with a SC edge.

You only need to do a few stitches to see what it will look like.

I just thought of another way to even out the edge.

At the neck edge, if using DCs, work the last 3 STS as 2HDC and 1SC, then when you start the next row, SL ST across these stitches then start off with a SC and 2HDC then revert to the DC.

This might make the slope a little smoother.

Worth a try anyway.

Have fun.

Colleen:hug