The best left-leaning decreases in knitting - 6 neat alternatives step by step
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- Опубліковано 2 сер 2024
- A step-by-step tutorial showing you left-leaning decreases, and an important theory you need to understand to get neater decrease lines.
►►► Read the full tutorial here: nimble-needles.com/tutorials/...
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to left-leaning decreases
0:55 Part I: Left-leaning decreases - the theory behind the slant
5:22 Part II: The instructions for the various left-leaning decreases
6:33 SSPK - slip, slip purl, knit
7:22 SSK & ptbl in the return row
9:44 K2tog left
12:36 SKPY - Slip, knit, pass, yank
Finding the perfect left-leaning decrease is probably a problem as old as knitting itself. Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, the resulting left-slanting decrease looks wonky. But there is a solution. Since every knitter knits with different tension, this video will show you altogether 6 different alternatives to knit a neat left-leaning decrease.
The first part of this video explains the theory - how is slant created and why does the knitting directions (so from right to left) influence the way decreases look like.
And then second part shows you the actual instructions (including slow-motion) of the various techniques.
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![The secrets to getting gauge and knitting perfect swatches [5 common mistakes]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ntK-ICmol2E/mqdefault.jpg)
![A better way to knit German short rows [and why yours may look all wrong]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/i_F8A5Lyz88/mqdefault.jpg)
Make sure to comment below with your favourite left-leaning decrease, or, of course, if you have any questions 😊😊❤
Very neat.
Looking forward to trying the SKPY. It looks uncomplicated. But I’ll also try that convoluted one - as a personal challenge 😉
I began as an English (right hand) knitter, but trained myself to knit Continental as well, in order to do stranded color work, and make rib, seed stitch, etc more enjoyable and efficient. Now, I tend to fall back on right hand method to perform more complicated maneuvers such as cables, and a couple of the left leaning decreases you so kindly demonstrated. Thank you 😊
Glad you like the K2Tog-L 😁
Just looking at them, I'm very confused. I'm a leftie and struggle.
Does anyone else get excited over their knitting after watching videos with Norman's excellent tuition, packed full of information? None of my friends knit socks so they don't understand - such fun!
Oh yes! Norman is so inspirational! What I love most is that he explains WHY. Once I understand why, then I’m not trying to memorize S &K, BL purlwise etc, because it all makes sense and I can select what will work best. I LOVE that about Norman.
Amazing tutorial, I will have to look in on his methods before I actually use them. Finally learned something new about the decrease l and r, (ty) for this Norman.
I just need to follow him everywhere and have him sort me out on the regular. Haha!
YES YES Norman is great!
I’ve seen many videos that show multiple ways to make better decreases but I’ve never seen one that explains WHY. Thank you for showing such a clear explanation. I’m off to grab needles and yarn to try this out.
Heh. Yeah, that's why I felt it needs to be covered 😎😊 happy swatching
Super appreciated this also!! ❤
Hi there, when I started out I never really cared about neatness I just wanted to finish the project and wear it otherwise I’ll never finish it. But now I think it’s a good sign that I care about these details! I think I’m now way past the beginner’s level and can safely call myself an advanced knitter 😁 have a great day ☘️
I think so too. And nothing wrong with trying to be efficient. But yeah, once you are past a certain point you can focus on those finer details while still being efficient. And I guess that is a good sign you are already quite advanced. So do be proud! 😎❤
Thanks for this comment, it actually helped me see why now I'm so annoyed with the wonky looks of some stitches. This must be how you graduate from beginner to semi-advanced (at least :D). It also makes me happy now, so much to learn, but not the beginner's stuff, just some really awesome tricks of the magnificent knitting nerds like Norman here ❤
@@martaza_ haha...guilty as charge when it comes to "knitting nerd" :P
My favorite left-leaning decreases are the SSP and SSK TBL. They are the most visually appealing. Thank you for taking the time to share your knitting knowledge with us 🙂.
Yeah, good choices. I personally use the tbl version in 80% of all cases. It's a bit like magic
Again what is the tbl(the back loop?) another method on when to use front and back loops on stitches.
Yes,ty please keep these tutorials in.
Norman is a king of stitch anatomy and gives really deep understanding. When in trouble - go to Norman's channel and the explanation will be there waiting for you. Sending so much appreciation ❤❤
Awww...❤️❤️
I use SKP which is also a pun in English. SKP is slip, knit and pass slipped stitch over. Yanking the lower stitch is a great refinement and I’ll be doing that from now on, thank you very much. Cheers.
I just love your "waunkie". I think I'll start using it.😊
Thank you so much for this video, Norman! Wonky left-leaning decreases are my personal pet-peeve - I've been researching ways to make them neater, and as always, have found a ton of useful information on your channel. Thank you for all the effort you put into sharing your knowledge with the world! 💚
Glad it was helpful and hope you found a solution that works for you :)
I love K2tog left! Thank you for this precious tip! 😊❤
My second choice would be SKPY.
Norman, you are a like walking, talking knit encyclopedia! I’ve watched more tutorials than you could imagine but you are the best. Thanks for all that you do.
Wow, thank you! means a lot!
This is another super informative video. I never thought of decreases as mini cables and now it makes so much sense. I've just started a boys v neck cardigan and was wondering how I could neaten up the left-leaning neckband. Thank you!!!
Heh, they are. In fact, you CAN knit an SSK with a cable needle as well. It's quite mind blowing when you do it.
That was alot of great information. So I have saved this video for sure. Thanks a million Norman. You are a terrific teacher..👍
Thank you Laurel. Happy to hear that 😊❤
My mother also did SSPK method
Thankyou for details🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I am in the middle of trying to decrease a sock toe neatly and was failing miserably with the left leaning decreases. Your video is excellent- I really appreciated the slow motion demonstrations and the explanation of how decreases work. My favourite visually is definitely the SSP which is new to me. Thank you.
My favorite way to decrease left leaning is to knit 2tog thru the back loo. Looks really neat! Thank you Norman!😊
Super helpful, Norman. Thank you!
I just tried the SSK with purl in the return row. It is amazing; thank you so much.
You mean purl through back loop 😅 and yeah, it IS amazing 🥰
Thank you! I’m using a cotton linen blend and the Slip, knit, pass, yank was easy and invisible, so good 😊
awesome. Glad this was able to help you!
I'm far from a perfectionist in raglan decreases but I'm struggling with a lace pattern so I came to see what you had to say. Very helpful as usual
This was inspiring! I recently finished a project with a design that paired a k2tog with a sspk. The left leaning decrease was very sloppy compared to the right leaning one and I just thought that's the way it is and nothing to do about it. Well I wondered why it was that way- if there was something I could have done better.
I knit a sample like yours to practice these different techniques. I should have cast on twice as many stitches though, as I ran out too quickly!
For me in the particular yarn I used (perhaps type of yarn makes some difference, and every knitter knits differently as well), SSP on the reverse side was the neatest looking! Beautiful!
But I believe this would be tricky to substitute in a pattern that uses SSK or SSPK in conjunction with k2tog, such as in the pattern I knit. Because I would have to knit it on a row before or after and it wouldn't match up. I think this is true, though I'm not certain. (I could substitute any of the other techniques however.)
The next one I preferred was the SSK, either normal or purling through the back loop in the return row. The trick of purling through the back loop on the return row really does makes a neater finish, but something tells me maybe it won't match well with a k2tog as it makes the stitches a bit smaller or tighter. I don't know maybe that's just me.
The SSPK for me didn't look neat, rather zig-zaggy.
Now I just need to try the k2tog left!
Thank you, Norman! ❤️
I seriously love the knit two together left. Thank you.
The best I've seen yet!
I so appreciate how clear you are with your explanation. SO GOOD!
This is a very easy to follow video. Easy to see, just slow enough to follow along. and genius way to correct the loop. My favorite is SSK PTBL!
Amazing technique. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Really help me a lot.
Thank you for explain the WHY! Really appreciate it!
Great tips! Thank you
Best explanation by far. Thank you for patient demonstration with finished knitted comparisons. Excellent!
Great explanations as usual - both verbal & visible ❤❤❤
Norman, you are a treasure trove of great tips. I'm always learning new knitting procedures from you with less hassle. Thank you thank you.
I tried the K2tog left. It made a very good and even left leaning decrease. Thank you for a very thorough explanation. 🙏🏼
I Really like all the underpinning knowledge that you give.
It really helps me to better understand knitting processes and improves the quality of my projects. Thank you
Fantastic shown! Great! Be blessed and, please, go on!
I definitely plan to do with all the great feedback and support coming from you guys 🙏
Thx Norman. As always a fantastic explanation so I can see WHY the stitches behave the wAy they do. 😊
Thank you for this - it’s concise,explicit,and covers so many variations in yarn, needle size, knitting skill. Thanks also for the slo-mo. I’m making a sweater and the hoodie decreases for ask are hopelessly obnoxious! Now I have you to thank for making this baby sweater absolutely adorable, and isn’t that what we all want in baby gifts? You totally rock!
Another excellent video! The slow motion is especially helpful. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! And yeah...i try to include slow-motion section as it's so much easier to knit along :)
So glad I found you hahahah!! My favourite is k2tog left (the second to last in the video), I tried it a bit during the video and I really want to keep practicing it! Thank you very much!! 😊
Your instructions and explanations are always so clear! Love your channel :)
Glad to hear my way of explaining things works for you 😊❤
what a life saver you are!
Heh. Happy to hear I'm able to add value 😎
Great explanation! Thank you!
Very nice, super explained. Love all your tutorials 👏👏👏
Glad to hear that Richard 😊😊
I’ve just begun to watch your videos, an they are excellent! The technique in this video that I’m eager to try is the last one on the green swatch, i.e. purling through the back loop on the next wrong side row. So neat! Thanks for posting!
Happy swatching jo 😎
I just wanted to say that I really like your knitting theory vids, I'm paying attention to things I never noticed before, it really has improved my technique. Big thank you!
I really appreciated the theory part. Since I knit in the round, I will try the last one you showed, it seems quite esay. Thanks!
Excellent tutorial you are a great teacher! Thank you for sharing your expertise in all your videos.
It's my pleasure, angela 😊❤
Loved the explanation at the beginning about the theory behind left- and right-leaning decreases!
Glad you enjoyed it as i truly believe in education above repetition :)
Fantastic tutorial! I'll try to improve when I start my 2nd jumper. Thank you.
sure. and feel free to come back in case you have any quesitons.
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try some of these and would love a video on right leaning decreases too :D
hm....sure. But why are you not satisifed with k2tog?
Really clear explanation, thanks so much
You're very welcome Patricia!
K2tog with that little twist through the leading stitch is a game changer thank you
happy to hear that!
Awesome, TY so much 💖 love your very detailed tutorial!
Glad you like it D 😊❤
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for: WHY does SSK look so sloppy and different from K2Tog, AND how to fix it. I've become more and more annoyed by the sloppy look of my SSK sock gussets and finally have an alternative to try. I'll be casting on the pair to the sock that finally put me over the edge with SSK very soon and will be trying SKPY, can't wait! Love the quality and detail of your videos, thanks!
my pleasure. Happy to hear you found my little video helpful!
Very helpful!
Amazing…thanks so much. I still have to try them out before I tell which one I like best.
Heh. True. Happy swatching 😊😎
Hi, great comparison for left decreases and so appreciated. I will try some to figure out what works for my knitting. Thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome!
So clear and concise. I am a visual learner and you have hit all the salient points. Not only have I save this but forwarded it to others. Thank you
Thx for spreading the word. It's much appreciated 😊❤
Thank you Norman. I like the k2tog left technique. It's neatened my decreases and they look so much better now.
Great to hear!
Du bist ein echt guter Lehrer! Danke an dich für schöne videos
bitte bitte :)
This is SO helpful. Thank you!
You are very welcome 😊❤
Excellent description of all the alternatives. Knit 2 together left is particularly interesting and will use it when knitting in the round. Otherwise, looks like SSP is the way to go for the best looking option.
Thank you Norman, I have been using the sl1,K,psso, but only learned to do the tightening of the bottom stitch through your video. This has been life changing. You are my go to channel for knitting tips and hacks. Thanks for your efforts!
Glad this video and my channel as a whole can be part of your knitting journey :)
I have been knitting for a very long time and didn't know that I had all of these options. This was a super informative video....clear, descriptive, easy to understand, excellent video of the various techniques. Thank you so much for this video.
You are very welcome Ardene 😊
This is the best knitting teaching channel I have ever watched… Thank you very much for this georgous videos :)
Aww..thank you ❤
Ssk with ptbl is my favourite out of all of these..You are such a clever gentleman. I love how you keep my mind very active with new knowledge. Thank you so very much 🥰
Glad you like my videos!
Thank you for the super easy tutorial especially for a beginer like me. I totally learning knitting from zero from your videos. It suoer clear and super easy to learn. Always looking forward for the newest video
Wonderful! My pleasure to be part of your knitting journey, koko!
Your videos are fantastic, thank you so much. I know there's a million instructional out here about how to do various stitches, but I've ben missing the important theory components you bring - why do it one way vs another, what are you actually DOING when you do this, etc - and I'm such a nerd, I lay awake at night puzzling over it! THANK YOU for explaining all of this so well!
Even though it is a shameless plug for my patreon account...I do publish one video per month on Patreon that goes way beyond what you normally find on youtube. Like how cast-ons work, why there are ladders, why cables sometimes look wonky, etc.
so, if that's something you are interested maybe give it a try (the archive with all videos only comes with tier 3, tho). That's knowledge I don't feel comfortable sharing for free on youtube.
I recently discovered your channel. Thank you Norman for all this tuition, given clearly and in a way which is easy to follow.
I tried a few of these and found I was really impressed with the one which is the most difficult - I got lost in all the initials so can't say the name of it - time 9.47. I tried using a small crochet hook and it worked a treat. After a little practice I got to do it without the crochet hook. I am thrilled to have learnt this because my socks need this stitch as I don't like those large loops and was wondering how to get rid of them. I'm a fan! Thank you!
Glad to hear I was able to help you fix your little sock problem ❤😊
I’ve been using SSK TBL since you showed it in your top 10 tips video, and I love how it looks! This video is so interesting to see the comparisons. I rarely knit flat, so SSP doesn’t come in very handy for me, but I can see how it would be worth the effort! Thank you for sharing!
Yah...ssp definitely is a bit harder to apply
Thank you so much for this. I have always hated the way my left leaning decreases looked. I think I really like the left leaning knit 2 together!
definitely do try. It took me quite a long while to find my favorite way as well.
I still have to watch this a few more times
Genious video very helpful
Thank You🌹❣️
Your very welcome carla 😊❤
Investors never heard this explanation before. Brilliant!
I meant I’ve never heard this… I
this is gold 🤩😍
Oh my gosh, I just used the in through the front into the back of the second stitch then finish off the way you showed us. So much neater, too bad I didn’t find this sooner as I’m coming to the end of my project. Next time my left leaning decreases will look much better. Thank you.
you are very welcome, Susan
I've seen a few takes on these and generally use the SSK & ptbl in return row. I had never heard of K2tog left, but the explanation of the yarn movement is excellent. I tried it on the sweater I'm knitting and love it - very tight!
I might still ptbl in return row if there's a line of decreases, as it aligns stitches across multiple rows, avoiding the '1-leaning, 1-straight' that happens from decreasing on alternate rows.
Thank you! I love learning how to perfect techniques and understand the knitting better :)
Yeah, you can definitely combine the two to avoid that zig-zag line. Personally, I feel my SSKs are neat enough to do the job. But...left-leaning decreases is a bottomless well and you could probably spent your lifetime trying to perfect it, lol!
Thank you so much for this, Norman! I love your videos. I was making a swatch with your instructions and decided to add one more- mirror knitting from the purl side during the reduction... same results as ssk predictably, lol. Still fun to try tho.
swatches can be so helpful indeed!
Very very good tutorial, like allways. I have been fighting with this because i want to make a vest bottom up. Thank you very very much. (You make me feel a bit achamed for learning this for free). Lots of love from Lisbon.
Oh Paula, don't be. I earn money through ads, and sharing with fellow knitters is what kept this craft going for 2.000 years plus.
Ps. I am currently on Madeira 😎😎
@@NimbleNeedles No way!!! How cool! It's beautifull isn't it? Hope you have the best of times!!! Next time go to Açores. It's totally diferent and amazing. Lots of love for you!!!!!
@@PaulaSimoes67 been to the Azores already. But the Islands changed so much in the past 25 years 😥
Hi Norman! I have rediscovered knitting recently since I retired and I have learned so much from your channel! So thank you very much! I saw another way to do SSK and would like your thoughts on this method: Slip 1 as if to knit, slip the 2nd stitch as if to knit, put both stitches back on the left needle, and knit through the back loops of both stitches. Thank you for your response if you have time.
eh? you describe the standard SSK?
Thank you 👍🏾❤️
You are so welcome
As an advanced beginner this is very helpful.
Glad to hear that!
Thanks!
Thank you for your support 🥰🧶
I use a variation, and startede researching because I was so frustrated with my left leaning decreases, especially, when I made socktoes. But I also experiment with some of your suggestions when I do openwork knitting
For sock toes I do ssk and the ptbl. I like the way that looks.
Thank you very much for this very clear explanation! I’m a “still learning knitter “ …and as a suggestion: maybe you could do a tutorial about short rows? ☺️ have a great time, byebye from Italy 🇮🇹
I definitely plan to do that. Lots of ppl have requested it already 😊❤
Thanks Norman for this interesting video! I used your last suggestion with passing the stitch over and it works nicely for me! I wish you would do a video on doing a german short row heel with contacting yarn....I tried doing one from your tutorial and omitted the two knitted rows but it didn't work out very well for me
well...the thing is..you do knit these two rows for a reason :( other than that, i don't think i have the time for such a tutorial right now :(
Thanks
my pleasure, Octavia. Thank you for supporting my work!
Norman,
I wish you would do a lesson on how to bury the ends so they don’t work their way loose. That would be oh so helpful.
I'll just link the video here in case anyone else sees the comment) ua-cam.com/video/aa59mMrgmCQ/v-deo.html
I like the knit 2 tog left! Thank you so much for these wonderful tips!! I am definitely going to try the k2tog left. The “different” look of the ssk drives me nuts lol.
Same here...I can spot a "weird" stitch from 10 miles away 🙈🙈
@@NimbleNeedles 🤣 hahaha I know, me too!
Hi Norman. My comment doesn't have anything to do with this decrease tutorial, which was great BTW, but more a request for a video for how to knit afterthought heels. I recently knit a pair of socks, with an AT heel, on magic loop, and the gaps at each side were simply awful. I looked at many tutorials, but didn't find one that resulted in acceptable results. I thought I'd ask you since you are such fantastic knitter and excellent teacher. Thank you.
well...i do want to do a bit more on heels, so I will definitely put it on my list. But don't expect anything very soon as my queue is already quite long.
But on a more personal note - i personally only do heelflap and gusset. it might be a bit more cumbersome to kit but the results are just the best.
My first comment is just to say I love this tutorial. I only wish that you paused a bit longer when you are showing finished work without having your hands in front of it.
I tried pausing at a moment where I had a clear view of the knitting but it was difficult for me to do this! (Specifically after showing the sspk ).
More comments to come!
Click on the first link in the description for the pictures 😅☺️
Ok! Obviously I have yet to spend time on the actually website. 😅
Thank you. The Photos are superb!
Hi Norman. Great video! It’s funny, I’ve been watching videos this weekend on this very subject and then you come out with one! I think the “cumbersome” K 2 together left looks really neat! It gives a nice finished look but I would agree that it is cumbersome to knit. But hey, that’s what practice is for, right? I also like the one where you go back and finish or adjust it on the wrong side row that follows. One that I saw yesterday from a favorite podcaster is just doing the traditional SSK and pulling a bit on the right leg of the stitch below when slipping off the needles. It comes out looking really nice as well. I found all of these methods interesting and hope to do some swatching to play around with them and see what I prefer as one may work better than another depending on the project. Thanks for another great tutorial!
My last method is basically the same as regular ssk with adjusting. It's just a different way to knit it. But yeah, swatch some and see what works for you. 😎
Yes, I can see that now that you mention it. It will be fun to swatch just to see how they look when I make them.😂
I love SKPY for left leaning decrease. For my knitting style i dont even need to yank the yarn and result is quite neat. But I think it is good to know different techniques, if i get into a situation where SKP(Y) is not working for me
I also this one and don't need to yank. Looks neat and is easy to do.
Hi. Thanks for the great videos you do! I wonder if you have a video how to make/do nice stitches when you want to increase as well.
hm...there are two resources I can recommend
nimble-needles.com/stitches/knitting-increases/
and here is where I talk about increases in a video that might help you understanding what you are doing ua-cam.com/video/ddbwjw9R6sU/v-deo.html
Thank you for this! I have been doing the SSPK (out of laziness) but I think I will give the the SKPY a try as it does look a little neater. Mostly I knit socks and the stitches are small and in my shoes where no one pays attention to what they look like except me!😂🤪
That's totally acceptable attitude, lol. Actually I am myself a bit lazy when it comes to complicated repeats for the instep 😊🙈
I notice less difference between right and left leaning decreases in circularly knitted, fine gauge projects such as socks.
@@wendyellis6402 well, the smaller u go, the more u gotta squint 🤣
That is a very healthy attitude Sandi. My feet love wool socks and my shoes are happy to disguise the not so pretty parts - but you would have to be kneeling at my feet to see the tiny stitches of a 2mm needle lol.
My new favorite way to do a ssk is thanks to 10rowsaday. All you do is slip first stitch knit wise to the right needle then slip it back to the left needle purl wise then knit them together through the back loop all while your right needle is still in the back to save some time
Yeah, that's a standard sspk 😊
I the SSPK!!
Thx for sharing your preferences with us, Evelyn 😊😊
Just knitting dishcloth. Knit one, increase one then knit across. To desired stitches. Like a triangle. Then knit one, decrease one. Knit across until down to 4 twitches.
Hi Norman, your video is very useful, thanks so much. Can you do a video of decrease leaning to the left but with purl? Thanks you
I have videos for purl decreases on my second channel or on my blog nimble-needles.com/stitches/purl-decreases-the-ultimate-list/
Thank so much, I 'll take a loom