What SSK Means and Why You Use It

SSK stands for slip, slip, knit — a decrease stitch that leans to the left. You slip two stitches one at a time as if to knit, then insert your left needle through both from left to right and knit them together. The result is a single stitch that slants toward the left side of your work, which is why knitters pair it with K2tog (knit two together, which leans right) to create balanced decreases on either side of a garment.

SSK appears in most shaping — armholes, necklines, sleeve caps, and the decreases that form the crown of a hat. It's also the standard left-leaning decrease in lace patterns, where the direction of the slant matters for the look of the finished piece. Once you learn the motion, it becomes automatic.

Key Takeaways

  • SSK is a three-step decrease: slip one stitch as if to knit, slip a second stitch the same way, then knit both together through the back loop.
  • The stitch leans left, so it pairs with K2tog (which leans right) for symmetrical shaping on both sides of a garment.
  • You work SSK on the knit side of your fabric, and the decrease happens one row above where you insert your needle.
  • Common mistakes include slipping stitches purlwise instead of knitwise, or inserting the needle from the wrong direction when knitting them together.

The Four-Motion Sequence

Hold your working yarn in back. Insert your right needle through the first stitch on your left needle from left to right, as if you were about to knit it. Slip that stitch onto your right needle without knitting it. Repeat: insert your right needle through the next stitch on your left needle from left to right and slip it onto your right needle the same way. You now have two slipped stitches on your right needle.

Insert your left needle through both slipped stitches from left to right — the needle goes in front of the right needle. Wrap your working yarn around the right needle and pull it through both stitches at once, completing the knit. One stitch remains on your right needle. That's SSK.

The whole motion takes about three seconds once your hands know the path. The key is that both stitches are slipped knitwise (from left to right), not purlwise, and that your left needle enters from the front when you knit them together.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most frequent error is slipping the stitches purlwise — inserting the needle from right to left instead of left to right. This twists the stitches and changes how they sit on the needle, so when you knit them together, the decrease doesn't lean the way it should. Check your first slip: the needle should go in the same direction as if you were knitting.

The second common mistake is inserting the left needle from the back instead of the front when you knit the two stitches together. If you do this, the decrease will lean right instead of left, defeating the purpose. The left needle always comes in from the front, in front of the right needle.

A third issue is pulling the yarn too tight on the stitch after the decrease. SSK stitches can look loose if the working yarn isn't snug, but yanking it creates a puckered hole. Gentle, even tension is better than a hard pull.

Where SSK Appears in Patterns

Patterns write SSK in the instruction row, usually near the edge where shaping happens. In a hat crown, you might see "K1, SSK, knit to 3 stitches before the end, K2tog, K1" — that's one decrease on each side of the round. In a cardigan front, SSK often appears at the neckline on right-side rows, paired with K2tog on the opposite side to keep the edges symmetrical.

Lace patterns use SSK for the left-leaning decreases that form the openwork design. The slant of the decrease is part of the visual pattern, so using the correct stitch matters. If a pattern calls for SSK and you substitute K2tog instead, the lace won't look right.

Some patterns abbreviate it as "sl 1, sl 1, k2tog tbl" (slip one, slip one, knit two together through the back loop), which is the same stitch written out in full. Either way, the motion is identical.

SSK Versus Other Left-Leaning Decreases

SKP (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over) is an older left-leaning decrease that works the same way visually but uses a different motion. You slip one stitch, knit the next, then pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch. Both create a left-lean, but SSK is more common in modern patterns because the motion feels smoother to most knitters.

K2tog tbl (knit two together through the back loop) is another left-leaning option, but it requires inserting your needle through the back loops of both stitches, which is awkward in the middle of a row. It's usually reserved for situations where you can't use SSK — for instance, when the two stitches to decrease are separated by other stitches.

For standard shaping, SSK is the standard choice. It's fast, it looks clean, and once you learn it, you'll use it in nearly every garment you knit.

Practicing SSK on a Swatch

Cast on 15 stitches and knit a few rows in stockinette stitch (knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side). On a right-side row, knit 5 stitches, then work SSK, knit to the end. Purl the next row. Repeat this pattern for 10 rows. You'll see a column of left-leaning decreases running down your swatch, and you can feel whether the motion is smooth or whether you're fighting the stitches.

If the decreases look twisted or the stitch after the decrease is too loose, go back and check your slip direction. Slipping knitwise is the most common place to go wrong. Once you can do five SSKs in a row without thinking about it, you're ready to use it in a real project.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between SSK and K2tog?

SSK leans left, K2tog leans right. They're mirror-image decreases. Knitters use both in the same row — SSK on one side of a neckline or armhole, K2tog on the other — so the shaping looks balanced. If you use K2tog on both sides, the decreases will slant in the same direction and the edge will look uneven.

Can I use SSK on the purl side of my work?

Not directly. SSK is a knit-side stitch. If you need a decrease on a purl row, you would use PSP (purl, slip, pass) or P2tog tbl, which are the purl-side equivalents. Some knitters work SSK on every other row and let the purl rows sit, depending on the pattern.

Why does my SSK look loose compared to the stitches around it?

The stitch after the decrease often pulls loose because the working yarn has to travel a longer distance. Tighten the yarn slightly on the stitch that comes after SSK, not on the decrease itself. If the decrease stitch itself is loose, you may be slipping the stitches too loosely or not snugging the working yarn when you knit them together.

Do I count SSK as one stitch or two?

SSK is a decrease, so it counts as one stitch in your final count. You start with two stitches on your left needle and end with one stitch on your right needle. If a pattern says you should have 20 stitches after working "K5, SSK, knit to end" on a row that started with 21 stitches, you've done it right.