A neater and faster way to knit an SSK in one move
By popular acclaim, SSK is most knitters’ favorite left-leaning decrease. It’s relatively easy and relatively neat. However, it also involves three steps. It’s called “slip, slip, knit” for a reason. What if I told you you can achieve similar results in one move only?
The one-move SSK also leans to the left and some say it’s the neatest left-slanting decreases of them all. While results will depend a bit on your tension and your knitting style, there’s certainly no denying that this technique can be super-efficient. Let’s show you how to knit it!
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Instructions: How to knit the one-move SSK
This left-leaning decrease employs a little trick to work through two stitches at the same time. It's a bit fiddly at first but can be very rewarding.
Instructions
- Enter the next stitch on the left needle knitwise.
- While keeping the first stitch on the left needle, enter the second stitch on the left needle through the backloop (this will automatically twist the first stitch).
- Pivot your right needle towards the right side (essentially enlarging the left loop) and wrap the working yarn around the needle counter-clockwise.
- Pull the yarn through the little triangular hole at the bottom of both stitches. It can be a bit tight. It helps if you secure the stitch with your right index finger as you try to pull through.
- Drop both stitches off the left needle and tighten up to finish the one-move ssk.
It’s important to note that the one-move SSK is structurally slightly different. When worked the way I showed you above, the second stitch will not be balanced but twisted. It’s the same as knitting an SSPK. For a lot of people, this looks a bit neater.
As a result, I’d rather propose the name “one-move SSPK” or maybe “one move left-leaning decrease”. I personally prefer what I dubbed “k2tog-left“. While it may involve 2 more steps, the results are quite a bit neater for me.
Anyway, that’s how to knit the one-move SSK. Comment below with your questions
Dear Norman
I love to see your instruction video’s, you are a very well teatcher thank you very much deep regards from Katinka Belgium