Today I will show you one of the two types of decreases. In knitting increases and decreases become part of the overall look of the knitted fabric as both have directionality to them. This is important to know because which one you use does matter and will add to the overall effect of the finished piece. Like the title suggests, the left handed k2tog (knit two together) is just that, you knit the next two stitches on your right hand needle as one stitch. Use the same rhyme as you did for the knit stitch here:
In through the front door, around the back, out through the window and off jumps jack.
*Click on any image to enlarge*
Step 1 of the left handed k2tog: In through the front door
As you can see in the above photo I am going into the next two stitches at the same time. You will treat both stitches as one.
Step 2 of the left handed k2tog: around the back
Bring the working yarn from back to front.
Step 3 of the Left Handed k2tog: out through the window
Pull the new stitch out through the two stitches on the right hand needle.
Step 4 of the Left Handed K2tog: and off jumps jack
Next you will push the two stitches that were knitted together off the right needle. In the above photo you can see the two stitches that were knit together. The left handed k2tog creates a right leaning slant as pictured with the little white line. Again, this is very important to know because for a right handed knitter, the k2tog creates a left leaning slant. Later, in another post, I will further explore the directionality of the increases and decreases. This post is meant just to show the mechanics of how to create the stitch.
One final note, you will notice that I wrote, “k2tog” in the title of the post. This notation is the most common way of abbreviating knit two together in patterns and charts.
Good luck, happy knitting and as always please leave some feedback!
What you wrote is what I do, but yours looks funny to me… not funny “haha” but funny, different. Maybe I knit all wrong. I thought for sure that I would recognize steps from a left-handed knitter, but what I do and what you do are different. Thank you for all your work here. I know this takes time and effort to produce!
Hi! Thank you so much for this blog. I’ve found it to be such a valuable resources as a leftie knitter with no one to help.
I make a lot of raglan sweaters, and when I decrease on the sides, the pattern asks me to K2tog and then SSK. So, as a leftie, this means that I should do the opposite? Do what right-handers would consider an SSK, and then a K2t0g?
Hope you can help! All the best, Karina
First, let me ask, do you knit the way I do ( into the back leg of the stitch) or into the front leg of the stitch?
Yes, when I read patterns I automatically switch k2tog and SSKs. Another way to think about it is which way does the designer want me to angle the stitch? For us, k2tog is a right leaning stitch and our SSKs are left leaning. I believe then on the right front panel the stitches will lean to the left. I hope that helps, if not, feel free to contact me: karenlynn@thelefthandedknitter.com
Thank you! That clarified my question. Then I will switch the pattern in my mind to make the left and right slants correct 😊
Another possibility, for nonreglan sweaters, knit as written, knowing that when the pattern says right front you are actually making the left front and vice versa.
Hi Karen,
May I ask if this affects when we should YO?
When I practice a row of just K and YO – it comes out very well and a beautiful ‘hole’ is made. But when I YO, K2Tog… then the affect is lost. It’s driving me mad! I’ve practiced with doing K2tog then YO and that seems a bit better but I’m not sure (the hole seems smaller than just knitting and YO).
I can’t make sense of it and most knitting resources are for righties! (thanks for your blog!)
Emily 🙂