Designing for dummies

Ok, so it didn’t take long to encounter a problem. I’ve been using a mix of Ann Budd pattern guides and the DB/Interweave pattern to try and make something more appropriate in terms of my gauge and the right fit, and because I am also a dummy (I did try designing from scratch using my gauge but I had no idea what to do with the collar section). The main body is quite easy – I want to keep it plain, so I’m shaping appropriately to my measurements. However, I want to make bell sleeves instead of the ribbed ones, but I want to retain the collar shaping. These both mean that I have to use some maths and my brain. I need to work out how to fit the collar to my gauge, and because I have no other pattern to refer to, DB is my guide – I figured a basic scoop/slash neck fit and picking up stitches, but that is a bit complicated without something to show me how. The bell sleeves are the same – I have nothing to base these on, so I need to work out whether I could just cast on a few stitches more than a basic sleeve and then decrease the extra , but where would I decrease up to? Would I cast on enough to decrease to where my elbow is, and only decrease to the normal size you’d increase to by that point, then start increasing again? That sounds about right, but how big do I want this sleeve at the cuff? Hmmmm. And I thought this would be quite easy… Ha! That showed me already! 🙂