Another Knitting Question

I've finished the back piece of the baby sweater and have been working on the left front.



I have a relatively easy question this time, though I think I'll be needing help again in a few days when I start the sleeves....

I've worked the left front up to the armhole and cast off stitches there as instructed. I have a few more pattern repeats to go to reach 3" from there. Then I will start the neck edge by casting off stitches in one row (ok, that's straightforward), then "decrease 1 stitch at neck edge on next and following alt rows until there are 11 stitches." Here's the question - is there some reason I can't just cast off those additional stitches (one per row) rather than doing a k2tog or p2tog or something? Does it matter because I'll be reversing the shaping for the right front? Does my question even make sense? *GRIN*