Working a Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk) Stitch
Jen LucasDescription
Once you’ve learned how to knit and purl, you can explore other stitches that will help you in creating all sorts of knitting projects. By learning a few decrease stitches, you’ll be able to make all sort of things, like hats and socks. In this video, Jen Lucas shows you a common single decrease and demonstrates the slip, slip, knit (ssk) decrease.
SLIP, SLIP, KNIT (SSK)
This decrease is commonly worked on the right side of your work, where you would be working knit stitches. That’s not always the case through; sometimes you’ll use it on the wrong side of your work if you are working in Reverse Stockinette Stitch or working it in a specific stitch pattern. In the video, Jen specially demonstrates the slip, slip, knit decrease when worked on the right side of the fabric in Stockinette stitch.
Work the slip, slip, knit using these steps:
– Slip a stitch from the left needle as if to knit to right needle
– Slip a second stitch from the left needle as if to knit to right needle
– Slip both stitches back to left needle and knit together through the back loops
The slip, slip, knit creates one stitch where there were two, making it a single decrease. When looking at this decrease, you’ll notice that it leans to the left. It’s often paired with the knit two together (k2tog) decrease since that decrease leans to the right. Using these two decreases together creates mirror image decreases, which makes your knitting look very polished.
Hi, I'm Jen Lucas for The Knitting Circle. And in this video, I'm gonna show you how to work the slip, slip, knit decrease. This decrease is a left-leaning decrease. And it's one that you'll need to know if you want to shape any of your knitting projects or work a variety of stitch patterns. So let's go ahead and get started on a slip, slip, knit. The slip, slip, knit creates a left-leaning decrease. In this particular swatch I have done several slip, slip, knits worked on the right side of my work. And you can see here that they're creating a nice, left-leaning decrease. I've also done this swatch here just so we can see the difference between a slip, slip, knit and a knit two together, and you can see that they do lean in opposite directions. Here is my line of slip, slip, knits, and those are leaning to the left. You typically see slip, slip, knits worked on the right side of your work. That's not always the case. Your pattern, of course, will tell you where you should be working them. But most often you do see them worked on the right side of your work like I've done here. So let's go ahead and get started on the slip, slip, knit. I'm gonna work it on the right side of my work. I'm going to slip as if to knit. Slip as if to knit. I'm then going to bring my left-hand needle back into both stitches to knit those two stitches together through the back loop. And that creates my left-leaning decrease the slip, slip, knit. Again, slip as if to knit. Slip as if to knit. We're gonna put those two stitches back on the left-hand needle, and then we're going to knit those two stitches together through the back loop. Basically, the slipping of the stitches is reorienting the stitches on the needle so that you can get the stitches to lean in the direction that you want when you do your decrease. I'm gonna go ahead and show you that one more time. Slip as if to knit. Slip as of to knit. Put both of your stitches back onto the left-hand needle, and then insert your right-hand needle into those two stitches and knit those two stitches together through the back loops. And that's the slip, slip, knit. As you can see, it creates a beautiful decrease on the right side of your work. And again, you'll see it used in all kinds of projects from shawls to hats, socks, just about anything you can think of. I'm Jen Lucas for The Knitting Circle. I really hope you enjoyed this video. And be sure to check out our other videos on our website for more great knitting content.
Hi Jen...I enjoy watching your demo's....explained well and slowly for me to catch it...your amazing...thanks for all your help.