What Decreasing a Stitch Means and Why You Do It

Decreasing a stitch means removing one stitch from your needle so you have fewer stitches on the row. You do this to shape your knitting — making sleeves narrower, tapering the sides of a sweater, or creating the point of a hat. Without decreases, every piece you knit would be a rectangle.

The most common decreases are knit two together (K2tog) and slip, slip, knit (SSK). Both remove one stitch from your working row. The difference is which direction they lean, and that matters when you want your shaping to look intentional rather than accidental.

Key Takeaways

  • Knit two together (K2tog) leans to the right and is the easiest decrease for beginners — insert your needle through two stitches at once and knit them as one.
  • Slip, slip, knit (SSK) leans to the left and is used on the opposite side of your piece to balance K2tog decreases visually.
  • Decreases are usually worked one or two stitches in from the edge so the shaping sits inside the border and looks neater.
  • The row you decrease on matters — most patterns tell you exactly which rows to use decreases, and skipping or adding them changes the final size.

How to Knit Two Together (K2tog)

Knit two together is the fastest decrease and the one to learn first. Insert your right needle through two stitches on your left needle at the same time, as if you were going to knit them both. Wrap your yarn and pull through, and you now have one stitch on your right needle instead of two. You have decreased by one.

K2tog leans to the right. If you are looking at your finished knitting from the front, the stitch tilts toward the right side of your piece. This matters because if you decrease on both sides of a sleeve, you want one side to lean left and one to lean right, so the shaping looks balanced. Use K2tog on the right side of your piece (the side closer to the edge on your right as you hold the needles).

A common mistake is inserting your needle through the stitches the wrong way. Make sure you go through both stitches from left to right, the same direction you would for a normal knit stitch. If you go backward, you will twist the stitches and they will look wrong.

How to Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK)

Slip, slip, knit takes one extra step but gives you a left-leaning decrease. Slip one stitch from your left needle to your right needle without knitting it. Slip the next stitch the same way. Now you have two stitches on your right needle that you slipped. Insert your left needle through both of them from left to right, and knit them together. You now have one stitch on your right needle.

SSK leans to the left, which makes it the mirror image of K2tog. Use SSK on the left side of your piece (the side closer to the edge on your left as you hold the needles). When you use K2tog on the right and SSK on the left, your decreases frame the shaping and look intentional.

The slipping step confuses new knitters because it feels like you are undoing work. You are not. The slipping is just repositioning the stitches so they cross in the opposite direction from K2tog. If you skip the slipping and just knit two together from the left side, you will get a right-leaning decrease on both sides, and your shaping will look lopsided.

Where to Place Decreases on Your Needles

Most patterns tell you to decrease a certain number of stitches on specific rows. They usually say something like "decrease 1 stitch each side every 4 rows" or "K2tog at the beginning and end of this row." When a pattern does not specify which decrease to use, K2tog is the safe choice.

Decreases are almost always worked one or two stitches in from the edge, not right at the edge itself. This means you knit one or two stitches normally, then do your decrease, then continue. The border stitches stay intact, and the shaping sits inside them. This makes the edge look cleaner and gives you something to sew into when you seam pieces together later.

If your pattern says "decrease 1 stitch each end," that means one decrease on the right side and one on the left side of the same row. You will lose two stitches total. If it says "decrease 1 stitch," you decrease only once per row, usually on one side.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most common mistake is decreasing on the wrong rows or the wrong number of times. This changes the final size of your piece. If your pattern says to decrease every 4 rows and you decrease every 6 rows, your sleeve will be wider than intended. Read your pattern all the way through before you start, and mark the decrease rows with a highlighter or a row counter so you do not lose track.

Another mistake is decreasing too close to the edge. If you knit two stitches together right at the edge, your border looks messy and you have nothing to hold onto when seaming. Always knit at least one stitch before your decrease.

Twisted stitches happen when you insert your needle the wrong direction. Make sure you go through both stitches from left to right, the same way you would for a regular knit stitch. If your decreases look like they are spiraling or crossing oddly, check your needle direction.

When to Use Other Decreases

K2tog and SSK handle most shaping, but some patterns call for purl two together (P2tog) when you are working on the purl side of your fabric. P2tog works exactly like K2tog but on a purl row — insert your needle through two stitches and purl them together. It also leans to the right.

Advanced patterns sometimes use centered double decreases like slip 2 stitches together, knit 1, pass the slipped stitches over (SK2P). These remove two stitches at once and are used for more dramatic shaping, like the crown of a hat. You do not need to learn these right away — master K2tog and SSK first, and you can handle almost any beginner or intermediate pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use SSK on the left side and K2tog on the right?

No, but your shaping will look more polished if you do. Both decreases remove one stitch, so technically you can use K2tog on both sides. The difference is visual — SSK leans left and K2tog leans right, so using them on opposite sides creates a balanced frame around your shaping. If your pattern does not specify, this is the standard approach.

What if I decrease on the wrong row?

Your piece will be a different size than the pattern intended. If you decreased too many times, it will be narrower. If you did not decrease enough, it will be wider. You can rip back to the mistake and redo it, or you can keep going and adjust the fit when you seam or try it on. Many knitters choose to keep going rather than unravel.

Can I decrease more than one stitch at a time?

Yes, but you need a different technique. Knitting three stitches together (K3tog) removes two stitches in one move. For more dramatic shaping, patterns use centered double decreases like SK2P. These are less common in beginner patterns, so check your pattern instructions before trying them.

Why do my decreases look twisted?

You are likely inserting your needle through the stitches backward. Make sure you go through both stitches from left to right, the same direction as a normal knit stitch. If you go right to left, the stitches will cross the wrong way and look spiraled. Slow down and watch your needle direction.

Do I count the decreased stitch as a row?

Yes. When you decrease, you are still completing a row — you just have one fewer stitch on your needle at the end. If your pattern says to decrease every 4 rows, you count the row where you decrease as row 1, then knit 3 more rows normally, then decrease again on row 5.