for combination knitters: Double decreases

Or any other knitters whose stitches often sit like this on the needle:

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All the stitches here assume three stitches sitting on your needle like this:

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I’m going to put them in the same order as my previous post, but with different names. Be wary! If you’re looking at a pattern you got from someone else, you need to pay attention to the definitions used. Charts will be easiest to figure out, since you’ll see which way things are supposed to lean.

Simple right-leaning double decrease

(equivalent of k3tog)

Not so simple as in the previous post. Slip each of the three stitches as if to purl.

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I usually then slip the three back to my inactive needle all at once

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then knit three together.

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If you can knit “backwards”, don’t slip them back to the inactive needle; just knit them together from there.

k3tog

This pulls the three stitches together in a right-leaning decrease.

Simple left-leaning double decrease

(equivalent to SSSK)

Now, this one has fewer steps. This is the one where you can just insert the needle through three stitches

20130222-100118.jpg

and knit them together to produce a left-leaning decrease.

sssk

Centered double decrease

Slip one as if to purl.

20130222-100107.jpg

Slip each of the next two knitwise.

20130216-092658.jpg

Insert your inactive needle through the front of the last two stitches at the same time

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and remove your active needle. Slip the first slipped stitch back to the inactive needle in its current orientation

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and knit the three stitches together.

other centered

This produces a decrease with the middle stitch in front, the first stitch in back, and the third stitch sandwiched between them. This is a mirror of the one from the other post, but it doesn’t matter; the difference is hard to see from the front.

Left leaning double decrease, flattened

(equivalent to sk2p)

This is a left-leaning decrease in which the second stitch ends up at the back. Instead of making the stitches fan out, they sit a little flatter, with the middle stitch framed by the other two.

First, slip the first stitch knitwise.

20130216-092658.jpgI’m going to describe two ways to do the next part. One is a bit fiddly, but not inherently hard. The other has more steps. The goal is to make the next two stitches swap places, with the third ending up in front of the second.

Slightly fiddly method:

Insert the needle into the front of the last stitch, bring it forward between the two stitches, then insert it into the front of the other stitch.

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Slide both stitches onto the active needle.

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Insert the inactive needle into all three stitches, starting with the first slipped stitch,

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and knit them all together.

Method with more steps:

Slip each of the next two stitches purlwise.

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Insert the inactive needle through the last two stitches from the back,

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And slip them back together. Slip the first stitch back

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And knit three together.

left

This produces a decrease with the second stitch in back, the third stitch in front, and the first stitch sandwiched between.

Right-leaning double decrease, flattened

(equivalent to what I call DSD)

This is a right-leaning decrease in which the second stitch ends up at the back. Instead of making the stitches fan out, they sit a little flatter, with the middle stitch framed by the other two.

Slip each of the first two stitches knitwise.

20130216-092658.jpg

Slip the third purlwise.

20130222-100050.jpg

Slip the third stitch back to the inactive needle in its current orientation. Insert your inactive needle through the front of the last two stitches at the same time

20130222-113512.jpg

and remove your active needle.

20130222-100135.jpg

Knit the three stitches together.

right

This produces a decrease with the second stitch in back, the first stitch in front, and the third stitch sandwiched between.

And there you have it!

(My very different double decrease-that-isn’t will be coming next week. Stay tuned!)