Armhole Shaping - Antique Lace Vest: Part 1

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Lessons

Ilga Leja has a pattern for a beautiful lace vest. It’s wonderfully written. Find it at www.ilgaleja.com/collection_summertime_antiquelace.php. It has a not-too-difficult lace motif, fagoting, and a stair step front - short in back, long in front. In the pattern the arm holes come straight up giving a drop shoulder appearance but, what IF you wanted a shaped armhole?

In this lesson, we’ll look at the charts and think about how to change the shaping of the armholes.

First, look at the neckline decreases in the original pattern. The neckline is shaped in a long, gentle “V” losing one stitch every four rows. There’s a chart for each front. The first six stitches on the neck edge are left unchanged and they don’t show on the chart. The decreases for the neckline shaping occur inside those six stitches. The two edge stitches and the fagoting continue uninterrupted up the neckline. The first repeat of the main pattern and the second line of fagoting are decreased away. It’s a beautiful deep-V neckline. I wanted similar shaping of the armhole.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Now, let’s think about underarms. When I started the project, I was thinking I’d just replicate the neckline shaping on the underarms, but then recognised that the stitches needed to come out faster to open the armhole quickly and let it come straight up after that.

Ilga gives a warning note as she shows the neckline decreases-

“Note carefully how the yo’s and k2tog’s and ssk’s following each decrease line up. Be sure that there is a corresponding k2tog or ssk for every yo that remains in the pattern. Omit any yo’s - and their accompanying k2tog or ssk - that occur at the line of dec’s.”

She’s giving you permission to think as you decrease. You can’t always simply work a decrease and expect to loose stitches. You have to watch for an accompanying YO. You must look at the stitches on your needle as well as at what may happen to the pattern stitches in the decrease row. In this pattern, the YO increases are not always immediately next to their corresponding decrease and, therefore, you may inadvertently increase and be frustrated because you then have too many stitches when you were doing your best to decrease.

In my Ravelry comments, I suggest you work sizes M and 1X as opposed to S, L, and 2X because of whole pattern repeats. Let me show you what I mean. These are the charts from Ilga’s pattern retyped in KsymbolW from Knitting Universe. They look a little different because I like to see the lace motif separate from the fagoting. Ilga includes both in each repeat - same pattern just a little different view.

Sizes S, L, 2X

8 ppkko<kkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkko<pp

kkxokkXkokxokkXkokokXxokkkokXxokkkk 7

6 ppkko<kkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkko<pp

kkxokkkXokxokkkXokoxkxokkkoXkXokkkk 5

4 ppkko<kkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkko<pp

kkxokkokxkxokkokxkXKoxokkkXKoXoKKKK 3

2 ppkko<kkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkko<pp

kkxokkoxkkxokkoxkkkXoxokkkkXoxokkkk 1

Notice the two four-stitch sections (in black, six stitches from the edge) on either side of the S, L, 2X pattern above. They are 1/2 of the full motif that is usually shown in red.

The M/1X pattern below has full motif repeats (in red) immediately inside the six edge stitches.

Sizes M and 1X

8 ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<pp

kkxokkXkokokXxokkXkokokXxokkXkokokXxokkkk 7

6 ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<pp

kkxokkkXokoxkxokkkXokoxkxokkkXokoxkXokkkk 5

4 ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<pp

kkxokkokxkXkoxokkokxkXKoxokkokxkXkoXoKKKK 3

2 ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<kkkkkkkkko<pp

kkxokkoxkkkXoxokkoxkkkXoxokkoxkkkXoxokkkk 1

Color Coding: Red = lace motif pattern; Green = Fagoting; Black = other stitches - in this case the two garter stitch edge stitches and the 1/2 motifs on either side of the top chart.

Symbol Coding: k = looks like a knit on right side

p = looks like a purl on right side

x= K2tog

X= ssk

< = p2tog

o= YO

C=there’s no stitch; it’s gone; decreased away

Let’s look at easier first. That’s sizes M and 1X, the sizes that have whole motifs.

Here’s a chart with just the parts we’re interested in.

The stitches indicated by the arrows will be decreased away. The six edge stitches will stay and be pulled toward the center to form a continuous (and very pretty) border.

Let’s work on the left side:

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<

kkxokkXkokokXxokk 7

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<

kkxokkkXokoxkxokk 5

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<

kkxokkokxkXkoxokk 3

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko<

kkxokkoxkkkXoxokk 1

Row 1. Working from right to left. Work across the fagoting and work across the lace motif to the last YO. If I omit the YO, I’ve used the K2tog immediately before it to decrease a stitch and omitting the YO doesn’t replace it.

Another thought, typically the bottom of an armhole is made by binding off several stitches at once. In this deep armhole on a vest that will be worn over something, the flat bottom to the armhole may not be as critical to the shape, but I think I’ll take out more than one stitch per row at the beginning.. So, let’s add a second K2tog. What would it look like on the chart?

ppkko<CCkkkkkkko< working left to right - A choice: ` do you want to take out another stitch?

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1 working from right to left - omit YO and work one extra K2tog (minus 2 st)

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 2. Wrong side. Just for fun, lets take out one more stitch on this wrong side row by working a P2tog at the left edge of what’s left of the lace motif. Minus 3 st.

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCkkkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 3. Right side. There’s another easy decrease by omitting the YO. The regular decrease serves to reduce my regular number of st. Minus 4 st.

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 4. Wrong Side. I choose not to decrease. “Choose” is the operative word. You certainly could decrease if you wanted.

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 5. Right side. Easy. Omit the YO. Minus 5.

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 6. Wrong side. I choose not to decrease.

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 7. Right side. We have 2 st. remaining in the lace motif. If I work the SSK without a corresponding YO, I”ll have lost stitch. Minus 6 st.

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Row 8. Wrong side. No decrease.

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Second Row 1. We’re into the second pattern repeat. Only one stitch remains in the lace motif and four remain in the fagoting. I’d like to loose one stitch.

Here’s one way to do it. Working right to left, knit the first two st in the fagoting; knit the next stitch. Think about that 3rd stitch. It grew from a YO on row 7. It and the 4th stitch would normally be decreased away by the normal K2tog in the fagoting. By knitting it, I allow the normal K2tog to use the last stitch in the lace motif. The result is one stitch decreases (the last lace stitch) and I still have 4 stitches in the fagoting pattern even though I lost a YO/hole. Minus 7 st.

kkxokkCCCCCCCxkkk

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Second Row 2. Wrong side. No decrease.

ppkko<CCCCCCCkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCCxkkk

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Second Row 3. Easy. Omit the YO. Minus 8 st.

kkxokkCCCCCCCCxkk

ppkko<CCCCCCCkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCCxkkk

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Second Row 4. At the end of row 3 you have 3 yet-to-be-decreased st on your needle. On row four, K1 and P2tog. Minus 9 st.

ppkko<CCCCCCCCCk<

kkxokkCCCCCCCCxkk

ppkko<CCCCCCCkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCCxkkk

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Second Row 5. Right side. This is making me tired. Lets knit those two st together and get rid of one of them. Minus 10 st.

kkxokkCCCCCCCCCCx

ppkko<CCCCCCCCCk<

kkxokkCCCCCCCCxkk

ppkko<CCCCCCCkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCCxkkk

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

Second Row 6. Like I said, I’m ready to get done with this decrease business, so on the next row, the second Row 6, at the end of the lace motif that preceeds all this decrease stuff, P2tog. That leaves 7 stitches in that lace pattern and gets rid of the last fagot stitch in the decrease section. Whew! Minus 11 st.

kkxokkCCCCCCCCCCCxkkkkkk

kkxokkCCCCCCCCCCx

ppkko<CCCCCCCCCk<

kkxokkCCCCCCCCxkk

ppkko<CCCCCCCkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCCxkkk

ppkko<CCCCCCkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCCXxokk 7

ppkko<CCCCCkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCCxkxokk 5

ppkko<CCCCkkkkko<

kkxokkCCCCkXkxokk 3

ppkko<CCC<kkkkko<

kkxokkCCxxkXoxokk 1

ppkko<kkkkkkkkko< This is the row you before your armhole begins.

We lost 11 st. in 14 rows. That’s more than twice as fast as the neckline decreases. From now on, the armhole can continue straight up to meet the similar stitches coming up from the front. Take one last look at our completed chart. Is it perfect? Probably not. Can you improve on it? Probably. The patterns continue as much as possible up into the decrease section. The stitches come out rapidly. Those were the goals. Could there be other goals?

I’m tired. A break is appropriate. There are lots of questions remaining but you need to take a break too. You’ve been working hard. Thinking is hard work and no one knits lace without Thinking!

We’ll take this up again in another Lesson.