Stitch · Decrease · First project
Knit two together (k2tog): the everyday right-leaning decrease
K2tog is the decrease you will use more than any other, and it is also the one whose slant most often gets ignored until a raglan line looks crooked. This entry covers the motion, why the column leans right, and how to place it so the shaping disappears into the fabric.
Published Abbreviation k2tog
- Vknit
- ^decrease
At a glance
- Symbol∧
- Abbreviationk2tog
- TypeStitch
- FamilyDecrease
- LevelFirst project
Working chart
| Step | Round / row | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
| Cast on 20 sts and knit 2 rows Two plain rows keep the decreases out of the cast-on edge. | - | 20 |
| k8, k2tog, k8, k2tog Each k2tog consumes two stitches and produces one. | 3 | 18 |
| Purl one row Rest row; no shaping. | 4 | 18 |
| k7, k2tog, k7, k2tog Two decreases per decrease row keeps the edges even. | 5 | 16 |
| Slant check The left stitch of each pair lies on top and the column leans right. | 6 | 16 |
Measurements
| Needle (mm) | Sts / 10 cm | Decrease slope |
|---|---|---|
| 3.25 | 26 | right |
| 4.00 | 22 | right |
| 4.50 | 20 | right |
| 5.50 | 16 | right |
Yarn and yardage
| Yarn weight | Yarn saved per 10 k2tog | Fabric effect |
|---|---|---|
| Fingering (4-ply) | 0.7 m | slight ridge |
| DK | 0.9 m | slight ridge |
| Worsted | 1.1 m | slight ridge |
| Chunky | 1.5 m | visible ridge |
Working the decrease
Insert the right needle into the front of the next two stitches at once, entering as if to knit, then knit them as a single stitch. Two loops come off the left needle and one loop goes onto the right, so the row loses a stitch.
The stitch that ends up on top is the left-hand one of the pair. Because that stitch is pulled towards the right as it is worked, the column of stitches above the decrease leans to the right.
Reading the slant
Placement matters more than technique. On a raglan sleeve where the decreases run from the underarm to the neck, the left-hand line should use k2tog and the right-hand line should use its mirror, ssk, so both lines converge symmetrically.
Use k2tog on both sides of the same line and the line bows. That is the single most visible shaping error in hand-knitted sweaters, and it is fixed by swapping one of the two decreases rather than by changing gauge.
Hiding the ridge
K2tog produces a slight horizontal ridge because two loop legs are stacked in one stitch. Working the decrease one stitch in from the edge - k1, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - moves the ridge inside the seam allowance, where it disappears when the piece is seamed.
On a fine gauge the ridge is invisible either way. In chunky yarn at 16 stitches per 10 cm it is clearly visible, and a mirrored pair of decreases one stitch in from the edge reads as a deliberate design line rather than a mistake.
Counting and rate
A standard raglan yoke decreases 8 stitches per decrease round - two at each of four lines - so a 240-stitch yoke reaching 96 stitches at the neck needs 18 decrease rounds. Placed every other round, that is 36 rounds, roughly 12 cm of yoke depth at a worsted row gauge of 30 rows per 10 cm.
Write the count down before you start. Decreasing at a visually estimated rate is why so many first yokes come out too shallow at the neck.