What Decreasing Means and Why You Need It

Decreasing means removing stitches from your needle to make your fabric narrower. You do this by knitting two or more stitches together instead of knitting them separately. Every decrease reduces your stitch count by at least one, and the direction the stitches lean tells you whether the decrease slants left or right—which matters when you're shaping a sleeve, neckline, or the crown of a hat.

Decreases are not the same as dropping stitches by accident. A decrease is intentional, controlled, and part of your pattern. You'll see them written as abbreviations like K2tog (knit two together), SSK (slip, slip, knit), or P2tog (purl two together). Learning to execute them cleanly makes the difference between a garment that looks professionally finished and one that looks lumpy or uneven.

Key Takeaways

  • The two most common decreases are K2tog (knit two together), which slants right, and SSK (slip, slip, knit), which slants left.
  • K2tog is faster and easier for beginners because you straightforward insert your needle through two stitches and knit them as one.
  • SSK requires you to slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, then insert your left needle through them and knit them together, creating a left-leaning slant.
  • Decreases work the same on purl rows—P2tog for a right slant and P2SSK (or slip, slip, purl) for a left slant.
  • Pairing left-leaning and right-leaning decreases on opposite sides of a garment creates a balanced, symmetrical look.

K2tog: The Right-Leaning Decrease

K2tog (knit two together) is the simplest decrease and the one most beginners learn first. Insert your right needle through two stitches on your left needle from left to right, as if you were going to knit them normally. Wrap your yarn around the right needle and pull it through both stitches at once. You now have one stitch on your right needle instead of two, and that stitch leans to the right.

The whole motion takes about the same time as a regular knit stitch. The decrease sits flat and blends into your fabric without drawing attention. Use K2tog when your pattern calls for a right-leaning decrease, or when you're decreasing on the right side of a garment (like the right edge of a V-neck). The stitch count drops by one with each K2tog.

SSK: The Left-Leaning Decrease

SSK (slip, slip, knit) takes two extra motions but creates a left-leaning decrease that mirrors K2tog. Slip the first stitch knitwise (insert your right needle as if to knit, then slide the stitch onto your right needle without knitting it). Slip the second stitch the same way. Now you have two slipped stitches on your right needle.

Insert your left needle through both slipped stitches from left to right—you're going backwards through them. Knit them together by wrapping your yarn and pulling through. The resulting stitch leans left. This decrease is slightly slower than K2tog because of the extra steps, but it creates a visually balanced pair when you use K2tog on the opposite side of your garment. Many knitters use SSK on the left edge and K2tog on the right edge of a neckline or armhole for symmetry.

Decreasing on Purl Rows

When you're working in stockinette stitch or any pattern that includes purl rows, you'll sometimes need to decrease while purling. P2tog (purl two together) works exactly like K2tog but on the purl side: insert your needle through two stitches as if to purl, wrap your yarn, and pull through both at once. This creates a right-leaning decrease on the knit side of your fabric.

For a left-leaning decrease on a purl row, slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, put them back on your left needle, then purl them together through the back loop. This is sometimes called P2SSK or slip, slip, purl. It mirrors the effect of SSK on a knit row. If your pattern doesn't specify which decrease to use, check whether the pattern is symmetrical—if it is, pair your decreases so they lean in opposite directions on opposite sides.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most common error is slipping stitches the wrong direction for SSK. If you slip them purlwise instead of knitwise, the decrease will twist and look uneven. Always slip knitwise for SSK—insert your needle as if you're about to knit, even though you're not actually knitting. The second mistake is pulling your yarn too tight after a decrease. The new stitch should be the same tension as your other stitches, not pinched. If your decreases look bunched, loosen your tension slightly on the stitch after the decrease.

Another pitfall is forgetting where your decreases are supposed to go. Patterns usually place them one or two stitches in from the edge so the edge stitches stay intact for seaming. If you decrease right at the edge, your seams become harder to work with. Read your pattern line by line before you start, and mark the decrease rows with a highlighter or stitch marker if the pattern is complex. Finally, don't panic if your first few decreases look messy—they smooth out as you block your finished piece, and they improve with practice.

Shaping with Decreases: Sleeves, Necklines, and Hats

Decreases are the tool you use to shape almost every garment. For a tapered sleeve, you decrease a few stitches every few rows along both edges until you reach the cuff width. For a V-neck, you decrease one stitch on each side of a center stitch every other row until the neckline reaches the right depth. For a hat crown, you decrease evenly spaced around the entire round, then repeat every few rounds until you have just a handful of stitches left to pull tight.

The pattern you're following will tell you exactly when and where to decrease. Your job is to execute the decrease cleanly and keep your tension even. If you're inventing your own shaping, remember that decreasing every row creates a steeper slope than decreasing every other row. A sleeve cap usually decreases every row for the first few rows, then every other row, then every third row—this creates a smooth curve instead of a sharp angle. Experiment on a swatch if you're unsure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between K2tog and SSK?

K2tog slants right and is faster because you knit two stitches together in one motion. SSK slants left and requires slipping two stitches first, then knitting them together. Both decrease by one stitch. Use them on opposite sides of a garment for a balanced look.

Can I use K2tog instead of SSK if I don't like SSK?

Yes, but your decreases will all slant the same direction, which can make shaping look lopsided. If you dislike SSK, try CDD (central double decrease) or ask an experienced knitter to show you the motion in person—sometimes seeing it done helps it click.

Why does my decrease look twisted?

If you're doing SSK, you may have slipped the stitches purlwise instead of knitwise. Always slip knitwise for SSK—insert your needle as if to knit. If you're doing K2tog and it looks twisted, your tension may be too tight. Loosen slightly on the stitch after the decrease.

How many stitches should I decrease at once?

Most patterns use single decreases (K2tog, SSK) that remove one stitch. Some patterns call for double decreases (like K3tog or slip 2 stitches together, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over) when shaping needs to happen faster. Follow your pattern unless you're designing your own.

Do I count the decreased stitch as one of my stitches?

Yes. When you knit two stitches together, you remove one stitch from your total count. If you had 20 stitches and did one K2tog, you now have 19 stitches on your needle. Always count your stitches after a decrease row to make sure you decreased the right number.