Slip Slip Knit: How to Do It Step by Step

Slip Slip Knit is a knitting stitch that makes left-leaning single decrease; mirror of k2tog. Makers reach for it for symmetrical shaping, raglans, sock toes, lace. It is rated intermediate here, so it helps to be comfortable with the basic stitches first and to practice on a swatch before a project.

1. Slip the next stitch knitwise to the right needle. 2. Slip the following stitch knitwise to the right needle. 3. Insert the left needle into the fronts of both slipped stitches, from left to right. 4. Knit the two stitches together through their back loops with the right needle. Work slowly for the first few repeats, keep your tension even, and check the result against the steps before continuing across a whole row or motif.

US patterns abbreviate slip slip knit as ssk. UK patterns use the same abbreviation, ssk, so this one reads the same on both sides of the Atlantic. Pattern keys list every abbreviation used, usually near the materials list.

The most common problems are: slipping purlwise, which does not reorient the stitches; working the stitches through the front loops, which makes a twisted k2tog. Most are easy to spot if you pause after a few repeats and compare your work with the steps. Good light helps a great deal, especially with dark yarn or thread.

Stitches closely related to slip slip knit include Knit Two Together, Slip Stitch (Knit). Learning them together makes patterns easier to read, because many designs switch between related stitches to change texture, height or line. Each has its own step-by-step page in the stitch dictionary.