Hey Everyone! I always enjoy finding a new way to do something that makes the thing that you are doing look way better. Case in point- SSK. For those novice knitters out there, SSK is Slip, Slip, Knit. It is basically a way to allow a stitch to slant to the left and decrease a stitch in a particular design. When I have knitted in the past I have been frustrated and disappointed with how my left slanting stitches always looked. My right slanting-K2TOG (knit 2 together) always looked fine. But the left slanting stitch always left me feeling disappointed. So I found a new way of doing SSK. For those of you that have already found this wonderful way of doing this stitch- this will be review. But for some this may be a completely new way of doing SSK. I thought I would show it step by step in pics.
By doing the SSK Improved method the stitches lay flatter and better mimic the K2TOG in the way that it lays without twisting. Twisting has always been an issue for me in the past. That is why I love the New and Improved way much better.
I got the instructions from a great site- Knittinghelp. It very clearly shows what happens when you decrease a certain way.
I am demonstrating with the scarf pattern I am putting together:
In my particular pattern there is a YO proceeding the SSK. So I will be showing that.
As stated we are getting ready to begin the next stitches in the pattern.
Here the yarn has been brought to the front for the YO as stated in my pattern. If there was no YO in the pattern ignore this step of bringing the yarn to the front and go on to the next step.
Insert your right needle as if you were going to do a knit stitch. Again if you have no YO ignore the yarn in front.
Do not knit the stitch on the left needle but slide it off onto the right needle as shown-this is your 1st slipped stitch.
Insert your right needle into the stitch on the left needle as if you were going to do a purl stitch. Go to next step.
Do not Purl your stitch but instead slide the stitch from the left needle over to the right needle. You have now slipped your 2nd stitch! Not so bad so far! You can clearly see in the above pic the 2 stitches that have now been slipped over to the right needle- the YO in this case helps to delineate between the 2 slipped stitches and the already worked stitches.
As stated in the pic, begin to insert the tip of the left needle into the front. Go to next step.
Insert the left needle in the FRONT of both slipped stitches of right needle. Go to next step.
Since I had a YO in my instructions I now have to bring that yarn to the back of my work-this creates a YO. If you do not have a YO your yarn would have stayed in the back of work. In this pic you can see that the yarn is now in the back of the work but is laying across the right needle. If you didn't have this YO you can just pretend that the yarn was in the back all along. Either way the yarn is in the back now.
Take your right needle and insert it into the BACK's of the 2 slipped stitches. Your left needle will be in front as shown. Bring your yarn around the back of the right needle and pull up as shown in pic. I am showing the YO in the pic so you know what that little stitch is right under the left needle. If you don't have a YO you won't have this little stitch under the left needle. Next step....
As stated in the pic- after wrapping the yarn around the back of the right needle, pull your right needle through the 2 slipped stitches as if you were making a knit stitch. You should end up with your right needle in front of your left needle with your newly created stitch on the right needle.
With your right needle slide up off of your left needle taking the new stitch with you. You have now completed your SSK Improved! See how nicely the left slanting stitches lay?
Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy to do- it really is!! It just takes a few times and you will get the hang of it in no time. I chose to show how to do the SSK with the YO since that is what I am working on. And, many times there is a YO associated with a SSK. These YO's and SSK's and K2TOG's help to create a lace effect. Once you get how to do these 3 stitches you will be able to create some pretty nice lace. And you don't have to use a fine yarn either to create it. I am using a light worsted/dk weight for this scarf. It is a really easy pattern with a little lace and a very easy cable. The whole thing is created with just 4 Rows that are repeated. I will get that to you all very soon.
Until then, stay tuned!
I hope this has helped. I know that once I learned this new way of SSK I was much happier with how the stitches slanted and lay. As I have said, when I did the old way of SSK, the stitches tended to twist and not look very good. So give this new way of SSK a chance- I think you will like the results!
Have a great day everyone!
Megan
By doing the SSK Improved method the stitches lay flatter and better mimic the K2TOG in the way that it lays without twisting. Twisting has always been an issue for me in the past. That is why I love the New and Improved way much better.
I got the instructions from a great site- Knittinghelp. It very clearly shows what happens when you decrease a certain way.
I am demonstrating with the scarf pattern I am putting together:
Take your right needle and insert it into the BACK's of the 2 slipped stitches. Your left needle will be in front as shown. Bring your yarn around the back of the right needle and pull up as shown in pic. I am showing the YO in the pic so you know what that little stitch is right under the left needle. If you don't have a YO you won't have this little stitch under the left needle. Next step....
Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy to do- it really is!! It just takes a few times and you will get the hang of it in no time. I chose to show how to do the SSK with the YO since that is what I am working on. And, many times there is a YO associated with a SSK. These YO's and SSK's and K2TOG's help to create a lace effect. Once you get how to do these 3 stitches you will be able to create some pretty nice lace. And you don't have to use a fine yarn either to create it. I am using a light worsted/dk weight for this scarf. It is a really easy pattern with a little lace and a very easy cable. The whole thing is created with just 4 Rows that are repeated. I will get that to you all very soon.
Until then, stay tuned!
I hope this has helped. I know that once I learned this new way of SSK I was much happier with how the stitches slanted and lay. As I have said, when I did the old way of SSK, the stitches tended to twist and not look very good. So give this new way of SSK a chance- I think you will like the results!
Have a great day everyone!
Megan
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