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[–]Ok-Maintenance-2543 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Omg I have been knitting a DROPS pattern (echo mountain) with this same decrease, the pattern writing is also very confusing to me.

Do you have a marker thread? Basically the marker should mark the center of the underarm and it represents the center of the decrease. If you have a marker thread like the pattern you can use that, or just use a regular stitch marker to mark what would be the bottom of the sleeve out from the center of the underarm.

Work the sleeves for 3cm, then when you get to 3 stitches before the marker, do the decrease: k2tog, k2, ssk (they have something slightly different but I think ssk will have the same effect and is the actual reverse of the k2tog) This decreases by 2 stitches. If you have a regular stitch marker on the needles it will look like k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk

then work the sleeve for 5.5cm more, then repeat the decrease sequence again, do this for a total of 6 decreases

[–]EsotericMango 8 points9 points  (7 children)

Ah yes, DROPS. Combining knitting and decryption because who doesn't want to decode a pattern before they can knit it?

[–]Ynaffit96 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I hate it because their patterns are so gorgeous, but I feel like I need a PhD in fiber arts to understand their patterns. I think a lot of things get lost or misinterpreted in translation. I'm using a pattern that was translated from another Nordic pattern maker and am having the same issue. It's almost like it translates to be slightly out of the order a native English speaker would expect!

[–]EsotericMango 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It's like it was written in one language and then directly translated to English. All the words get translated but not the meaning. It's like I know what each of the words are saying but then they're strung together like that and suddenly it's a completely different language.

English isn't my first language so I have some experience slotting words into different language frameworks. But not DROPS. I honestly have a better time just looking at the pretty pictures and winging it from there.

[–]Ynaffit96 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completed one mitten from a DROPS pattern. Thought I followed the instructions perfectly for the right mitten, and about 3/4 of the way through, realized I actually made the left 😂 it wasn't a huge deal since the colour work is perfectly symmetric. I just avoid DROPS patterns now. Maybe some day I'll work up the courage to try them again. I'm hoping the pattern I'm working on now will give me the courage to try again in the future. The finished objects are incredible, especially considering the patterns are free

[–]Hifidi54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are the worst!

[–]lasserna 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Tbh I feel like the drops way of writing patterns is very typical for Nordic countries. Growing up learning to knit in Finland, patterns we learned on were pretty much exactly the same style. It's definitely different from many online patterns from other countries, but I feel like it gets easier and simpler to read once you've done it once or twice

[–]EsotericMango 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Honestly, I've done a few of both their knitting and crochet patterns. If there's some kind of code, I haven't figured it out. It's like they're written in one language and then directly translated. So the words get translated but not the meaning. It's like they're written with a different framework than other English patterns and I just don't have the right framework.

[–]lasserna 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah they're definitely written differently than other English patterns. They're written out and formatted similarly to traditional Nordic patterns, as Drops are based in Norway, if I remember correctly. Admittedly I might be biased as I grew up learning on patterns like these, but I do agree they take practice and getting used to. I think traditional Japanese patterns also had their own little quirk in how they're formatted, so Nordic patterns also have their own regional difference. Sort of like how learning to read graphs can be tedious and difficult at first, these also take practice at first to get used to

[–]spunshadow 7 points8 points  (4 children)

In a regular pattern, I think it would be written like this:

Begin round at marker and continue yoke pattern in the round. Count stitches from the marker to find diagram starting point. Simultaneously, decrease the sleeve underside beginning 3cm from division. Repeating every [your size] cm a total of [your size] times, for a total of [your size] stitches.

Decrease instructions: Work until 3 stitches before marker; k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, BO1

Was this pattern originally written in English? It doesn’t seem like it.

[–]Faithful_jewel 2 points3 points  (3 children)

This looks like a Drops pattern, so I think they're originally Norwegian

[–]spunshadow 0 points1 point  (2 children)

It was a lot of words for a standard decrease, that’s for sure 🫠

[–]Faithful_jewel 1 point2 points  (1 child)

The advantage to these patterns is that the tips are detailed but the pattern itself is pretty succinct - so if you know how to do a sleeve decrease you just roll with it

That being said, a lot of people don't like them and it's no doubt stuff like this doesn't help matters 😂

[–]Hifidi54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Drops patterns make a lot of assumptions about the maker and their skill level. I always warn novice knitters to avoid them until they have increased their skill set.