A k2tog (knit two stitches together) is a simple decrease used for shaping in knitting patterns. You use exactly the same steps and technique as when you knit a stitch, except that you work into two stitches at the same time.
The k2tog is used often in knitting as the opposite, counter, or mirrored decrease to the ssk (check out our ssk tutorial here). It leans the opposite way – the ssk leans left and the k2tog leans right.
How to work a k2tog
- Insert your right hand (RH) needle through two stitches at the same time (from front to back).
- Wrap the working yarn around the RH needle tip at the back of the work (exactly the same as you do when you knit a stitch), then use the RH needle tip to draw this loop from the back, through the 2 stitches, to the front, to create a new stitch on the RH needle.
- Drop the two ‘old’ stitches off the LH needle.
Working a k2tog decreases the stitch count, because you have effectively gathered two stitches together into a single stitch. If you work a series of k2togs (every other row) stacked on top of each other, you create a right-slanting line.
Variation: the k3tog
Sometimes you need to decrease more than one stitch, you need to decrease two. The k3tog is worked just the same as the k2tog, but you will insert the right hand needle through 3 stitches (instead of 2) and knit all 3 stitches together.
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Let’s Knit a Northward Hat | Tin Can Knits
November 5, 2020 @ 1:32 pm
[…] 1: [k6, p2tog, p2] around [45 (54, 63, 72) sts]Round 2: [k4, k2tog, p3] around [40 (48, 56, 64) sts]Round 3: [k5, p2tog, p1] around [35 (42, 49, 56) sts]Round 4: [k3, […]
Let’s Knit a Cardigan | Tin Can Knits
September 23, 2020 @ 12:12 pm
[…] round: k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 [2 sts dec]Knit 8 (8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 7, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 3, 2) rounds.Decrease round: […]
Love Note Sweater: Yoke (3/6) | Tin Can Knits
June 18, 2020 @ 6:04 am
[…] or the chart’s text instructions. This lace pattern has increases (yarn-overs) and decreases (k2tog, ssk, and sl1-k2tog-psso) on every round. Note: there are no ‘plain’ rounds in between, […]
Love Note Sweater: Body and Sleeves (4/6) | Tin Can Knits
June 18, 2020 @ 6:02 am
[…] of 8 sts for your size, then pick up 10 sts. On the very next round, work a decrease like ssk or k2tog to join the held stitches together with the picked-up underarm stitches. This helps to avoid a hole […]
How to sl1-k2tog-psso – slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over | Tin Can Knits
April 1, 2020 @ 1:08 pm
[…] Knit the next two stitches on the left hand needle together (k2tog), […]
Let’s make a Beloved Bonnet | Tin Can Knits
March 31, 2020 @ 10:54 pm
[…] (RS): sl2, knit to 1 st before marker, kfb, SM, kfb, knit to the ‘doubled’ stitch, work k2tog to combine the stitch with the extra loop over the needle, then k10 to end [2 sts […]
October 10, 2019 @ 8:07 pm
Thank you! I’ve been trying the mittens with the magic loop. I like your method much better!
Let’s Knit an Antler Toque | Tin Can Knits
February 9, 2017 @ 12:43 pm
[…] decreases for this hat are fairly straight forward written out line by line. If ssk and k2tog are new to you, click the links for a detailed explanation. For the Antler Toque decreases, just […]
December 10, 2016 @ 5:52 am
Your tutorials are excellent and very useful and understandable. Thank you 😊
Let’s Knit some super simple mittens | Tin Can Knits
December 1, 2016 @ 9:00 am
[…] you haven’t worked an ssk or a k2tog check out those tutorials as well. Got your last few sts? Great, almost […]
Central Double Decreases: sl2-k1-p2sso and sl2tbl-p1-p2sso | Tin Can Knits
January 21, 2016 @ 8:56 am
[…] decrease line that doesn’t slant to the left or the right, the way that the decreases k2tog, ssk, or sl1-k2tog-psso […]
How to Knit Lace – an introduction to lace knitting | Tin Can Knits
June 23, 2015 @ 12:00 am
[…] a lace chart (and follow text instructions) – how to work lace increases and decreases (yo, k2tog, ssk, sl1-k2tog-psso) – choosing needles and yarn for lace knitting – how to block lace […]
One Row Buttonholes | Tin Can Knits
April 27, 2015 @ 6:00 am
[…] 1-stitch buttonhole: This is my preferred method, it is simple and creates a small, tidy hole. To work a 1 stitch buttonhole simply work (yo, k2tog) […]
Let’s Knit a Sweater | Tin Can Knits
September 7, 2014 @ 9:37 pm
[…] round: k1, k2tog, knit to 3 sts before marker, ssk, […]
August 17, 2013 @ 10:55 am
thanks for the interesting free tutorials :)
i’m knitting one of your recent patterns (lace scarf), so i got to use the all k2tog and ssk / sl1-k1-psso a lot!