This double knit decrease is useful anywhere you want to decrease your stitch count when double knitting. It is essentially a modified slip, slip, knit (ssk) on the front side and a purl two together (p2tog) on the back. The steps here use a shortcut to avoid having to rearrange the stitches first. This decrease works great for the crown of a hat.
The video tutorial is followed by the same step-by-step instructions with photos if you prefer not to watch a video.
Double Knit Decrease Photo Tutorial
The following step-by-step instructions show the double knit decrease using photos for each step. They show the same steps as in the video above. In these photos, Color A is black and Color B is white.
1. Slip the first stitch (Color A) knit-wise to the right needle.
2. Skip the first Color B stitch and insert the right needle through the next Color A stitch as if to purl. Do not remove the stitch from the left needle.
3. Bring the needle tip over the Color A stitch that is still on the left needle to slip the Color B stitch that you skipped over. Insert the right needle through the Color B stitch as if to purl. Then drop both stitches from the left needle.
4. Slip the Color B stitch purl-wise back to the left needle. You should now have two Color A stitches on the right needle and two Color B stitches on the left needle.
5. Insert the left needle through the two Color A stitches on the right needle. Knit them together with Color A.
6. Bring both working yarns to the front. Insert the right needle purl-wise through the two Color B stitches on the left. Purl them together with Color B.
7. Bring both yarns to the back again, and you’re done with the decrease!
