SHAPING

How to space sleeve decreases evenly (“decrease every 6th row 8 times”)

Sleeves get narrower from the elbow to the cuff, or wider going up when knit from the cuff. Patterns spread the shaping out with instructions like “decrease every 6th row 8 times”.

What “every 6th row” means

You decrease on rows 6, 12, 18 and so on. That’s 5 plain rows, then a decrease row. Count the decrease row as row 6 of the group, not row 1.

A decrease row usually takes away 2 stitches, one at each edge. A common version is:

Decrease row (RS): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

If your pattern gives its own decrease row, use that one. See knitting abbreviations for ssk and k2tog.

Example: “decrease every 6th row 8 times”

8 decrease rows × 2 stitches = 16 stitches fewer. A sleeve that starts with 72 stitches ends with 56.
8 groups × 6 rows = 48 rows of shaping.
After the last decrease, the pattern usually says to work even (no shaping) until the sleeve is the right length.

Working out your own spacing

If you’re changing the length, the size, or your row gauge is different, you can work out the spacing yourself.

Stitches to lose: start stitches − end stitches. For 72 to 56, that’s 16.
Decrease rows: divide by 2, since each row takes 2. 16 ÷ 2 = 8 decrease rows.
Rows available: length of the shaping × your row gauge. For 7 in at 7 rows per inch, that’s 49 rows.
Spacing: rows available ÷ decrease rows. 49 ÷ 8 = 6.1, so decrease every 6th row 8 times (48 rows), then work 1 row even.

When it doesn’t divide evenly

Say you need 9 decrease rows in 60 rows. 60 ÷ 9 = 6.67, which isn’t a whole number. Mix two spacings: some every 6th row and some every 7th.

9 decreases over 60 rows

3 decreases every 6th row (18 rows) and 6 decreases every 7th row (42 rows) adds up to 60 rows. Alternate them, or work the closer ones first.

When you knit flat, an even spacing like every 6th or 8th row keeps every decrease on a right-side row. An odd spacing means some decreases land on wrong-side rows, where you’d use p2tog and ssp instead. Many knitters round to an even number to avoid that.

Knitting in the round? It works the same way, with rounds instead of rows, and every round is a right-side round.

Keeping count

Track two things: where you are in the group of 6 rows, and how many decreases are done. Write them as tally marks, or use a counter that does both. How to keep track of pattern repeats has more tips.