Going to try my first project in the round using DPNs. I have made the cardi and this is the matching hat
could anyone please tell me what the ssk means please?
SSK is a decrease that leans to the left. It’s used for shaping sometimes, instead of just k2tog (which leans to the right).
It stands for slip, slip, knit.
There’s a how-to video for it here at KH:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/decreases
It’s a left leaning decrease like sl 1, k1, psso, just done differently. It can be done on flat knitting too, not just in the round.
What you are doing is slipping two stitches on to your right needle (which straightens it out) then slipping them both back on to the left needle and then knitting it from there while the right hand needle is still within the loops, making a left slanting decrease instead of your normal K2tog right slanting decrease.
I’m knitting a small beanie cap for my husbnad right now and I am just going to K2tog, instead of twisting the loops before knitting together, just to see if it’s going to make a huge difference. I will probably finish the cap at least an hour earlier than my best time just because I’m not stopping to twist up stitches. I can do this on something that is straight knit in the round, then decrease and tie off, however, if there is any sort of designed tied into the decrease I cannot do that or it completely ruins the look. It’s why I have my combined conversion table for increases and decreases always out on my desk.
Thank you all, I would not have worked that out on my own. I am not sure if I am up to this! Shall take a deep breath and just dive in I guess.
Irishmam
Make sure that when you slip your stitches taht you slip them knitwise. I was doing this for the longest time and slipping them purlwise and couldn’t figure out why in the hell I was doing it. Then I watched the video and realized that you have to slip them knitwise so that the stitches get twisted. So I was slipping a stitch purlwise, slipping another stitch purlwise and then putting both of them back on the left needle and then knitting together tbl and going, “Why did I just waste the time doing that.”
Kudos to me for following a pattern to the letter without even understanding it though. I’m a genius.