Decrease

k2tog is an abbreviation for knit two together. It involves knitting two stitches together as though they were one stitch. Completing a k2tog creates a decrease in your knitting because where once there were two stitches; there is now only one stitch. This decrease slants to the right. If you are decreasing evenly on both sides of your fabric to create a point (such as the top of a mitten) or shaping armholes, you would want to use this on the left side of the front of the garment. On the right side you would use a left slanting decrease such as ssk (slip, slip, knit).

Insert right needle through 2 stitches at once from left to right and complete knit stitch as usual.

Your completed k2tog will look like the stitch pictured here. You won’t be able to see it clearly until you have worked a couple of rows past it. Notice that it slants slightly to the right. k2tog is a right-slanting decrease.

p2tog is an abbreviation for purl two together. It involves purling two stitches together as though they were one stitch. Completing a p2tog creates a decrease in your knitting because where once there were two stitches; there is now only one stitch. This decrease slants to the right. It’s counterpart is the ssp (slip, slip, purl).

Insert the right needle through the next two stitches as if to purl. Work them at the same time as for one stitch.

skp is an abbreviation for slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over. To complete this technique, you must slip one stitch knitwise, knit the next stitch, then pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch and off of the needle. This is a single decrease and it slants to the left.

Here is the slipped stitch.

After you’ve slipped the first stitch and knit the next one, you are ready to pass the slipped stitch over. Use your left needle to lift up the slipped stitch as shown in the photo to the right.

Pass the lifted stitch over the knit stitch and drop it off of the right needle. Be careful not to let the knitted stitch drop off of the needle in the process.

ssk is an abbreviation for slip, slip, knit. It involves slipping two stitches from the left needle to the right needle (one at a time, please) and then working them as though they were one stitch using an interesting maneuver illustrated below. Completing an ssk creates a decrease in your knitting because you are getting rid of two stitches and replacing them with one stitch. This decrease slants to the left. If you are decreasing evenly on both sides of your fabric to create a point (such as the top of a mitten) or shaping armholes, you would want to use this technique on the right side of the front of the garment. On the left side you would use a right slanting decrease such as k2tog (knit 2 together).

Slip one stitch knitwise, then slip a second stitch knitwise. Insert left needle through the front of both slipped stitches from left to right. Complete knit stitch by wrapping yarn around right needle and pulling through.

This is what your completed ssk will look like a few rows later.

ssp is an abbreviation for slip, slip, purl. This is quite similar to the ssk, but happens on the purl side. Completing an ssp creates a decrease in your knitting because you are getting rid of two stitches and replacing them with one stitch. This decrease slants to the left. It’s coordinating decrease is p2tog (purl two together) which slants to the right.

First, slip one stitch as if to knit. Slip a second stitch as if to knit. Move these two stitches back to the left needle. Insert the right needle into these two stitches through their back loops. Make sure you grab both stitches as you pass the needle through.

Purl these two stitches together. You did it!