CROCHET / Cardigan4 / Calculations for chain, decreases etc. 

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CARDIGAN Project-in-the-making No. 4 / variation of crochet #Brickworkpattern / learn how to crochet #Freestyle / Blog No. 4/R

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Body of Cardigan, done in one piece

Calculations for Chain, Decreases, Armholes, Neckline

For someone not experienced in crocheting garments, or who so far preferred to have each and every number provided in the instructions, I suggest the Kimono-Style as your first Freestyle endeavour, because the only decreases you need are for the neckline, and they are made outside the pattern and at a time when you will automatically be capable to understand which stitches to place where.

If you have some experience in crocheting simple things but already did some tailoring before,  other styles should not be a problem for you.

Anyway - consider that working with ‘Pattern-as-you-go’, and especially ‘Colour-as-you-go’ with different yarns, you can never exactly determine the measurements of the finished garment. That’s why a cardigan is the best solution for a First in Freestyle, because it does not require fixed measures.

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To do the math you have to prepare swatches in each of the srp counts you intend to use

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Determine number of chains (all styles)

Measure the width of your sample garment, or use a tape measure around your body, at the height of the hem. Don’t forget an eventual overlap.

Measure 10 cm of your swatch and count the stitches. It’s best to do that inside the swatch, not including an edge (because the first and last stitch usually has another width). Divide your width by 10 and multiply it with the number of stitches in 10cm of swatch.

You then have to adapt that number to the necessary stitches to do whole stitch repeat patterns plus 3.

Start crocheting one chain for every stitch, plus 3.

Crochet your first 10 cm, (but read the whole blog first to understand if you already wish to make decreases from the start), then compare the measurements to your swatch again. If the width is not exactly the same, it’s perfectly fine, the garment will be some centimetres wider or straighter. Note: if you have a different measure from your swatch, you have to use that measure to calculate the decreases.

If the row height is not exactly the same as in the swatch, then again you have to use this number for the calculation after how many rows to decrease.

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I recommend stitch repeat patterns of 7 to 6/ 6 to 5/ or 5 to 4

Determine sequence of decreases (A-line and waisted style, moderate decrease)

To understand after how many rows to decrease 1 stitch per row, if you use two different srp counts, count the rows in 10cm of height within your swatch (or, if they don’t match, within the first rows of the body part, see above)

Measure from the hem to the waist (waisted type) or up to where the armholes begin (A-line), either on your sample garment or on yourself.

Detract 10 cm (because the first bottom 10cm should be crocheted without decreasing), divide the rest by ten, multiply by the number of rows per 10cm height in your swatch. This gives you the total number of rows within which you have to do the decreases.

Count or calculate how many srp you have in your width.

Every srp will be decreased by 1, one at a time.

Divide the total number of rows by the number of srp’s = this tells you within how many rows you have to do 1 decrease.

obviously it’s not probable that you get a whole number, so it won’t be every other row, or every 3 but in an irregular way (more or less like this 2,5 = in the second, then in the third … 2/3/2/3/2/3….; 2,3 = 2/2/3/2/2/3……; 2,7 = 2/3/3/2/3/3/….).

So, now calculate, with the help of your swatch with the deceased stitch number, if you are ok with the width this ‘inside the pattern’ decrease gives you.

If yes, 😅, fine.

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If you want the waist larger - do not diminish some of the srp’s - but do it very regularly, as you have to go on with this in the upper part. I suggest to go on with the system for the total decrease, and as soon as you have arrived in one decrease every other srp decide which ones to leave untouched - as by then you should have understood the effect of the shifting pattern.

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If you want the waist straighter, again I would suggest to go on with the system for the total decrease and place the added decreases as soon as you understand where to do them in a way they finish in a line under the armpits.

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This all sounds very difficult, but as soon as you have understood how the patterns shifts you can place your decreases accordingly.

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If you desire a larger bottom width, consider doing three different srp counts (7-6-5 or 6-5-4). To determine in every which row you have to decrease, do as described above, but divide the total number of rows by the number of srp’s x 2).

Recommended here: Start the decreases immediately after the first row.

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Waisted style: from the waist on, you can either go straight up (with the necessary decreases for armholes and neckline) or increase again in some srp’s, as regularly as possible, to achieve a blousy style.

A-line: straight up from the armholes on

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Where to place the decreases - recommendations

The very first one exactly in the most central srp - put a stitch marker in the srp element (safety pin is good enough, as you will need many)

2nd one - jumping 3 srp, to the right

3rd one - jumping 3 srp from the central one, to the left

By now you maybe have noticed that your central srp isn’t central any more, but had wandered off to the left. To compensate it, place the next two decreases to the right, always jumping 3 srp’s, and only one to the left.

Always fold your work in half before you do the next ones, and place the decreases symmetrically.

Don’t forget to place a stitch marker in every decreased srp element, and move them upwards, following this same srp as it moves to the left.

Once you arrive at the front edges, you start decreasing the middle of the 3 jumped srp’s, in the same system as above.

Take care to substitute each pattern element that has wandered off your fabric on the left with a new srp of one stitch less on the right.

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If you work with smooth yarn, where you clearly can see how many stitches one srp has, maybe you will not need all the stitch markers but only place one right and one left - always in the last decreases of the side. Carefully follow the shift and move them up regularly.

When you are done with the decreases in the middle of the 3 jumped pattern elements, go on with decreasing the remaining elements, always from the middle on.

Now it is time to jump some elements, in a regular way, if you wish to obtain a wider body.

Or to do two decreases in one element, possibly placed in a way these elements finish under the armpits where they won’t continue in the upper part, if you want a smaller waistline.

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When you arrive at the decreases for the armholes ….. 

(not with Kimono Style, where there will only be a slot, and the back and the two fronts worked separately

- but do not forget the decreases for the neckline, which usually start at about 10 cm below, if you intend to do a V-line )

…… you will already have finished your sleeves (see Blog 4/F 22/2/22, and the next Blog to follow, where I will describe the making of the sleeves).

Thus you know how many stitches you have diminished = worked less (in knitting it would be ‘cast off’, but I have no idea if there is a term for crocheting 😊), and you do the same here - usually 3/2/2/1/1 on the front, 3/2/1 on the back, for moderately wide sleeves (or less, for a bigger shoulder space, indications in the Blog about the sleeves, to follow)

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To determine where to do it:

Generally, for the smaller sizes and no big breasts the back is a little bit wider (4-6cm) than the two fronts together (not considering the overlap).

So, put a stitch marker at the start - left and right side - of the overlap; measure the the remaining width and divide it in two. Divide one of the halves in two again; subtract 2 or 3 cm, measure the obtained length from the stitch marker, left and right, and put stitch markers.

You now should have half of the total width (without overlap) plus 2 x 2(3) cm as the back.

For larger sizes divide evenly in overlap/ 1/4 - 1/2 - 1/4 / overlap, or even do the front a little bit bigger in case of big breasts.

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Front parts: Work the appearing pattern straight up to the neckline at the outer edge; do the same decreases as in the sleeves on the armhole side, then work straight up until the end (shoulder line).

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In case of V-neckline, at this point you should already have started the decreases at about 10 cm below, decreasing one in every other row (or every 3 rows) until you have just enough stitches for the shoulders left (usually for a cardigan at about 10-16 cm ore more, according to your size). From this point on, go on straight until you reach the shoulder line.

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In case of round neckline with  or without collar: Decrease only the last 5-6 rows. Determine the measure for the shoulder (usually 10-16 cm or more, according to your size), decrease (don’t work) the remainder of the width minus 4 stitches from the front middle in one row, decrease 2 stitches in the next row, 1 in the following and one the row after that. Do one or two rows without decreasing.

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The last row has to be worked without chains, putting single crochets in their place.

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Back: do the same decreases as in the sleeves (take care that the sleeve side with the lesser decreases is the one on the back), then work straight up to the neckline, in the pattern as it appears. When you have only 4-5 rows to go, measure the shoulders (same width as front), then decrease (don’t work) all the remaining stitches exactly from the center of the back part, except 6 -  this means 3 on both sides. You now have your work divided. Decrease 2 stitches in the next row, 1 in the following, and none in the next one or two rows.

Do the same (mirrored) on the other side of the neckline.

Again, the last row(s) has to be worked without chains, putting single crochets in their place.

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And that’s it for the whole body!

In my ‘Diary of Cardigan 4’ which will follow after all the technical explanations, I will, among others, describe the kind of collar I do - a flap-out lower part, no collar around the neck.

The next Blog will be about the sleeves, then about the finishing of the edges, collar, belt, and some more general considerations.

#crochet #masterclass #crochetdesign #crochetinspiration #crochettechnique #crochettutorial #crocheting #Cardigan4 #crochetaddict #crochetfashion #crochetlove #crochetidea #crochetproject #yarnaddict #yarn #craft #yarnlove #crochetpattern #mohairyarn

 

1) to determine when to start with the neckline - I'm nearly there

2) put the sleeve under the body part

3) put the two armhole edges together - the shoulder has to end exactly in the upper middle of the sleeve. There are only some rows missing, so I start the decreases for the neckline

 

4) Neckline done

5) The edge of the armhole on the front part has to reach exactly the upper middle point of the sleeve