How-To: Decreases Part 2
Amanda demonstrates how to work the following decreases: k2tog tbl, p2tog, p3tog, and p2tog tbl.
Hi, this is Amanda from Berroco and today I’ll be demonstrating some of the most commonly used decrease stitches in our patterns. The yarn I’m using is Berroco Vintage. I’ll be covering knit two together through the back loop, purl two together, purl three together, and purl two together through the back loop.
Knit 2 together through the back loop is abbreviated as k2tog tbl. Knitting through the back loop will twist the stitch. When you’re knitting just one stitch through the back loop, this is the way that you insert your needle into the stitch, going into the back leg of it. So, if you’re going to knit two together through the back loop, you will go ahead and insert your needle into the next two stitches in the back loop, just like that, and then you can go ahead and knit it as you normally would. And that’s knitting two together through the back loop.
Purl two together is usually abbreviated as p2tog. This stitch is also just like it sounds - instead of purling into just one stitch like you normally would, you insert your needle into the next two stitches as if to purl, and then purl them like you normally would.
Purl three together is abbreviated as p3tog, and it’s the same as purl two together, except you are decreasing two stitches instead of one. So, instead of inserting your needle into the next two stitches on your left needle, you insert it purlwise into the next three. And then you purl them as you normally would. And two stitches have been decreased.
Purl two together through the back loop is abbreviated as p2tog tbl. This stitch is similar to purling two together, except you do it through the back loops. It feels a little bit awkward, but the result is that the stitch will slant in the opposite direction of a purl two together. The first step is to slip the next two stitches knitwise to your right needle, then transfer them back to your left needle. And now you can see that they’re twisted, so that the left leg of each stitch is on the front side of the needle. The next step is the awkward part, and what you need to do is use your right needle to come through the back of these two loops from left to right. It feels a little bit weird, but you can see this is what it’s going to look like, and then you just wrap your yarn as you normally would to purl, and complete the stitch. And the result is a decrease that slants in the opposite direction of a knit two together.