Shoulder decreases (tutoial # 5)

Shoulder decreases in a garment knit from the bottom are a little tricky, because if you just follow directions as they are written, you might get shoulders looking like stair-steps.

Why is it bad? Because when you seam them together there would be ugly little holes right in the middle of your shoulders. And you don't want these holes.

You can use short rows to avoid this problem...

Or there is this method that can also work for the armhole or neckline decreases.

Step 1.

Make the first round of decreases as usual in knit and purl rows.

Step 2.

When finishing the purl row, purl two last stitches together.

Step 3.

Turn your work and start decreasing, including the stitch that you already decreased in the previous row in your count. For example, you need to decrease 5 stitches. You decrease 4 (one was already decreased in the previous row).

Step 4.

At the end of the knit row knit two stitches together.

Step 5.

Turn your work and continue decreasing, including the stitch decreased in the previous row in your count.

This way you won't have problems stitching shoulders together at the end of your work.