narrowing the waistline?

Here's a guess: if the doll is flat in front and back and the shape change is on the sides, do the decreases on the sides.

If the doll is basically round and the shape change is evenly spaced, space the decreases evenly.

Either way, I'd balance the directions of the decreases by working k2tog on one side and ssk on the other.

Similarly, if you increase again after the waist, balance the increases. I happen to like to increase by knitting in the stitch below, which can be done on either side of the current stitch, so the new stitch can be to the left on one side, to the right on the other side.

=Tamar

Thank you! I'll try that! Wendy

I knitted a ribbed sweater from the top down [ k2 p2 ] and in the waist [mine] i reduced needle size by one number [knitted 6 rows , again 6 rows with a needle 2 numbers less than rest of sweater back to one size less and back to `normal` needle ,, waist looks slimmer ,,,,,, mirjam

Oh that's brilliant! You are SO talented, Mirjam! :D

Wendy

Thank you for the compliment ,,,, i got this idea from playing with needles and see how stiches look when i change needles ,,,, ps when you knit a high collar that you want to stay neatly folded , you might use the same technique , merasure what height you want it to sit !!! knit till that height Minus 3 cm , change to smaller needle size knit over 2,5 cm , change to smaller Needle knit over 1 cm , go back to middler sizes needle knit for 2.5 cm change back to `normal` needle ,,,,, if you want the collar even wider falling over your upper body you can go on knitting and by increasing needle size get a looser look of collar ,,, mirjam

That is so creative and "clean"! I am saving your advice to use when the situation next comes up. Thank you!

Wendy

This is how I was taught to do it as a girl in England, although we did our knitting from the bottom up, not the top down. I found I had to be VEY careful in counting my rows to make sure I did the narrowing at the same point on each pattern piece.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Olwyn Mary ,, That is exactly why i love knitting without seams =3D in one piece ,,, you get all your hip lines at same place !!!! mirjam

Right now I am almost finished a pair of sweater sleeves, which I am doing both together one one set of needles, using two skeins of yarn. Ii seems to take forever to do it this way, but I only have to count rows once for each increase or decrease.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

I understand Mary that you knit the sleeves flat on 2 needles ,, mirjam

Generally, yes. That is how I was taught when I first learned to knit as a child in U.K. Using 14" needles, with the right needle tucked firmly under the right upper arm for stability, leaving the right hand free to manipulate the yarn. I still knit fastest that way. When I am travelling, however, I use a circular and knit continental style (I cannot somehow knit with the right hand working both the yarn and the needle tip) so as not to jab my seatmate in the ribs with a needle. I also use circs when I have too many stitches to fit on a 14" needle. p.s. (gentle hint) my first name is Olwyn. Mary is my middle name.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

OLWYN Mary i apologise for miss placing the order of your namers , it was late at night SORRY , It seems we were both brought up to knit in the same way , but i quickly stopped holding the needle under my left arm ,,, any way knitting needles here were shorter than 14 inches ,,, My comment that you knit flat is since i knit in the round ,,, Tried yesterday to knit 2 in the round seamless sleeves on 2 circulars like the advice given for knitting 2 socks , but found out that the relief pattern complicated it ,[ i might and should try again , maybe with a non pattern knitting ]... thus it is back to circular and dps ,,, Circulars , are my preffered knitting needles , they are lighter on my hands , easily collect the stiches , even complicated ones ,, are quickly folded [ when i see that the bus is stopping in my STOP] , No danger of knitting Back only one part ,, if you stopped at that point !!! [you know 1 side or sleeve finnished and on right needle phone rings ,,, you leave it come back and don`t know on which sleeve you were working !!!] mirjam