How to P2tog tbl – Purl 2 together through the back loop

Step by step tutorial on how to P2tog tbl in knitting and an easy alternative for those who struggle with this right-leaning decrease.

One of the most difficult knitting decreases is certainly the P2tog tbl. It’s the corresponding right-leaning version of the P2tog and luckily doesn’t appear in a lot of patterns as it’s actually quite difficult to knit. In this step-by-step tutorial, I am going to show you exactly how to knit this purl decrease for the wrong side.

I want to be honest with you, though. It requires a bit of practice to get the hang of this decrease. So, if you are feeling like you were all fingers and thumbs even though you are quite the experienced knitter, don’t believe, even for a second, you are alone with this. It probably took me 10 attempts to finally get the video for this tutorial right so it wasn’t full of curses or me splitting the yarn with my botched attempts to get it right.

ⓘ In knitting patterns, the abbreviations P2tog tbl stands for Purl two stitches through the back loop. K2tog tbl and P2tog tbl will appear exactly the same on the knit side of your project. SSP (slip, slip, purl) is a neater (but more complicated) way if you want to decrease on the wrong side to achieve a clean line on the right side.

Reading tip: If this is too difficult, here’s how to decrease knitting stitches for beginners.

P2tog tbl alternative – Purl, Slip, Pass over (PSPSSO)

There are two alternatives to knitting the P2tog tbl. It really can be incredibly difficult to insert the needle through the back loop – especially if you are not knitting with very sharp-pointed needles or needles with a lot of friction (like bamboo or plastic). But that shouldn’t make you stay away from knitting patterns with this decrease. Here is an easy alternative called PSPSSO :

Step 1: Purl one stitch like normal.

Step 2: Slip the stitch you just purled back on the left needle with the yarn in front.

Step 3: Now, pass the second stitch on the left needle over the one you just purled (so a bit like when you bind off stitches).

Step 4: Slip the purl stitch back onto your right needle.

The resulting decrease will look almost exactly like a regular p2tog tbl. Due to the slipping back and forth, it’s usually a tiny bit looser (that’s why I don’t like it all that much).

What you can also do is: You can P2tog two stitches in the normal manner. And then twist the stitch clockwise with your fingers and only then slip them on the right needle. Obviously this risks dropping the stitches, but with a little practice, some knitters are actually faster than both the above version.

P3tog TBL

My personal opinion: Avoid P3tog tbl at all costs. It’s a nightmare to knit. The technique is fundamentally the same. The only difference: You have to insert your needle into three purl stitches through the back loop at the same time. In this case, you really have to focus on knitting very loosely on the row/round before, knit with very sharp needles and maybe throw in a little prayer on top of that.

You can use the slip method as well and pass two stitches over. I guess, the easiest way to knit a p3tog tbl is knitting a simple P3tog and then twisting it by hand clockwise (preferably with a third needle).

Reading tip: The ultimate list of knitting decreases – centered, right-, and left-leaning alternatives for every project.

So, That’s how you P2tog tbl. I hope I was able to show you this difficult knitting decrease. Make sure to comment in case you have problems.