decreasing

  For my final post on decrease stitches, I have a couple of left-slanting decreases as alternatives to ssk. The first one, which you may see in patterns instead of ssk, is sl1, k1, psso, or slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over. This stitch is exactly what it sounds like: Slip the first […]

  Following in my series of tutorials on decrease stitches, we have slip slip knit (ssk). Slip slip knit is another common decrease and is knit two together‘s opposite–where k2tog slants right, ssk slants left. This is important for certain clothing items that should look symmetrical, like sweaters, socks, and mittens, or even Christmas stockings. It […]

  Because purl two together (p2tog) is less common in patterns than knit two together (k2tog), it can seem intimidating at first, but it’s another really easy decrease. It has the same effect as k2tog only it’s worked on the wrong side. (You k2tog when you’re knitting, and you p2tog when you’re purling, and they […]

  So you’re ready to try something beyond a scarf or a blanket. Maybe something like a hat, that requires a little bit of shaping. There are a number of decrease stitches that allow you to shape the top of a hat, but the most common one you’ll see, and the simplest, is k2tog, or […]