Decreases in knitting are done by pulling a single loop through multiple stitches. When doing stockinette, the direction of the lean matters for aesthetic purposes. Here is how to do one common left-leaning decrease technique – frequently used on the right-hand side of a piece.
Its abbreviation is usually SL, K, PSSO.
1. Start by slipping the next stitch onto the right hand needle without knitting it.
You can do this by putting the right hand needle into the stitch as if to knit it, but don’t wrap the yarn – just slide it off the left hand needle.
2. Knit the next stitch normally.
Ignore the slipped stitch, we’ll get to it next.
3. Slide the left hand needle into the front of the slipped stitch that’s sitting on the right hand needle.
Depending on your tension, this could be rather tricky. Make sure your yarn, and the stitches on the left hand needle, are kept back and out of the way!
4. Use the left hand needle to lift the slipped stitch up and over the knitted stitch on its left, then pull it off the right hand needle.
Let it settle around the knitted stitch. Don’t let the knitted stitch slip off as well!
And you’re done! You should see the slipped stitch leaning and sitting on top of the stitch to its left. This is one of the easier methods of doing a left leaning decrease.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this helpful!