DE Learn to SSK or slip slip knit
Level: Beginner
Perfecting the Slip Slip Knit (SSK) Decrease: An Essential Knitting Skill
The slip slip knit, commonly abbreviated as SSK, is a go-to method for achieving a left-slanting decrease in knitting. If you're ready to add finesse, shaping, and structure to your projects—especially in areas that require subtle curves, this is the technique to know! In this guide, you'll learn how to execute the ssk with ease through both step-by-step instructions and a helpful video.
What Does “Slip Slip Knit” Mean?
The SSK is a decrease stitch that leans to the left, perfect for shaping knitted fabric in a smooth, tidy way. To do this, you slip two stitches from the left needle to the right, then insert the left needle into the front of those slipped stitches and knit them together. This reduces your stitch count by one while maintaining an elegant flow in your work.
Step-by-Step: How to Work a Slip Slip Knit
- Slip Two Stitches Knitwise
Move two stitches individually from the left needle to the right, treating each as if you were going to knit them (but don’t actually knit yet).
- Reinsert Your Left Needle
Take the tip of the left needle and pass it into the front of both slipped stitches on the right needle.
- Wrap Your Yarn
Bring your working yarn around the right-hand needle as you would when preparing to knit.
Pro Tip:
For a purl-side equivalent of this technique, use SSP that’s "slip, slip, purl"—where the final step involves purling instead of knitting.
- Knit the Stitches Together
Complete the SSK by knitting the two stitches as one. Voilà! You’ve created a single stitch where there were two, an essential move in many shaping patterns.
Another Tip:
Pair ssk with its mirror image, k2tog (knit two together), which creates a right-leaning decrease. Using both helps maintain symmetrical shaping in garments and accessories.
When to Use the SSK Decrease
Decreasing stitches can be done in several ways like casting off or slipping stitches over one another but SSK stands out for its neat, left-leaning result. It's especially popular in:
- Shaping the contours of items like booties or plush toys
- Forming lace patterns that require delicate stitch balance
- Achieving symmetry in garments by pairing with k2tog on opposite sides
From soft toy limbs to the curve of a neckline, SSK is often used when a smooth, subtle shape is needed.
Recognising SSK in Patterns
In written instructions, the term "SSK" will indicate this particular left-leaning decrease. If your project requires balanced shaping, look out for combinations of ssk and k2tog together, they ensure that your fabric remains flat and even.
Whether you're crafting an adorable toy octopus or adding texture to a square swatch, mastering ssk opens up a world of shaping possibilities.
Perfecting the Slip Slip Knit (SSK) decrease: An essential knitting skill.
