Slip Slip Knit in Knitting: How to SSK for Beginners – Video Tutorial Included!

If you’ve seen slip slip knit in knitting patterns and thought “sorry, what does that mean?”, you are definitely not alone.

SSK stands for Slip, Slip, Knit, and it is one of the most common decrease techniques you’ll come across once you move beyond absolute beginner knitting. I remember first seeing it in a sweater pattern and wondering why I couldn’t just knit two stitches together and move on with my pattern.

But there is a reason designers ask for SSK specifically: it creates a left-leaning decrease, which means it helps your shaping move neatly in the right direction.

If you're looking for more info on decreasing in knitting, check out my Must-Read Beginner's Guide!

In this tutorial I'll explain:

• What SSK means in knitting

• Which way SSK leans

• How to Knit SSK Step by Step – Video Included!

• Common Beginner Mistakes When Learning SSK

What Does Slip Slip Knit Mean in Knitting?

Slip slip knit is usually abbreviated as SSK in knitting patterns.

It means:

• Slip one stitch knit wise.

• Slip the next stitch too.

• Then, knit those two slipped stitches together. (look at the detailed tutorial below for full instructions!)

This turns two stitches into one, so it decreases your stitch count by one stitch.

The important thing to know is that SSK is not just a random decrease. It creates a decrease that leans towards the left, which makes it really useful for shaping.

You’ll usually see SSK in knitting patterns when the designer wants the decrease to lean towards the outer-left side of your work, or when it is being paired with a right-leaning decrease like K2TOG.

In the left image you can see a series of K2TOGs across 5/6 rows that cause the knitted fabric to lean right-wards with the taper of the underarm. On the right, the mirrored decrease set uses SSKs to 'lean' the decreases to the left and help the knitted fabric naturally follow the shaping of the underarm.

Which Way Does SSK Lean?

SSK leans to the left.

In knitting, decreases don’t only remove stitches. They also affect the direction and visual flow of the knit. A right-leaning decrease and a left-leaning decrease can create very different-looking shaping, even if both reduce your stitch count by one.

As mentioned above, the most common pairing is:

K2TOG = right-leaning decrease

SSK = left-leaning decrease

When used together, they create mirrored decreases. This is what helps shaping look balanced.

I particularly notice this on sweater necklines, raglan lines and underarm shaping. Once you start recognising mirrored decreases, it becomes much easier to see why designers choose one decrease over another.

How to Knit SSK Step by Step

When your pattern says SSK or slip slip knit:

1. Knit to the point where your pattern instructs you to work the decrease.

2. Slip the first stitch knit wise from the left needle to the right needle.

3. Slip the second stitch knit wise in the same way.

4. Insert the left needle into the front of both slipped stitches.

5. Knit the two stitches together through the back loops.

6. Continue knitting the rest of the row.

You have now decreased one stitch while creating a left-leaning decrease!

Common Mistakes When Learning SSK

Why Does My SSK Look Twisted or Bulky?

A SSK will always have a little more visible texture than a K2TOG, but it should still sit neatly in the fabric.

If yours looks bulky or overly twisted, check that you are working both slipped stitches in the same way each time. Small differences in how you slip or tension the stitches can make the decrease look uneven, especially in smooth yarn or stocking stitch.

The best fix is usually consistency: practise a few SSKs in a swatch and focus on making each movement as similar as possible.

Why Doesn’t My SSK Lean to the Left?

A SSK should create a clear left-leaning line.

If it looks more vertical than diagonal, or does not sit neatly beside its matching K2TOG decrease, the stitches may not have been prepared correctly before you knit them together.

Try slowing down and checking the finished decrease after each row, that way it's always easier to go back and fix it!

Why Does My SSK Look Loose?

An still of SSK being worked that shows how the yarn is held taught while knitting (English-style knitting)

The tension that was created in the slipped stitches when they were knit on the last row will determine how neat your SSK looks now. For this reason there's no immediate and easy-fix. Instead try to keep a consistent tension throughout all of your work and across all of the rows.

Yes, you can tighten your working yarn around the left needle a bit by gently tugging on your working yarn before pulling it through to form the decreased stitch. However, this is a small fix and can be tricky... Pulling too firmly can actually make one of the two decreased stitches stand out a bit from the surrounding stitches, or cause the decrease stitch itself to seem like a messed-up stitch.

Moral of the story? Work on making your knitting tension even across rows and keep practising this decrease to build some muscle memory!

Can I Replace SSK With K2TOG?

I generally would not recommend it.

Both stitches decrease your stitch count by one, but they lean in opposite directions: SSK leans left and K2TOG leans right.

Patterns often use them together to create balanced shaping in places such as necklines, raglan sleeves and lace designs. Swapping one for the other can make those lines look uneven.

Should I Slip Knit Wise or Purl Wise for SSK?

For the standard SSK method, slip both stitches knit wise.

This helps reorient the stitches before they are knitted together through the back loops.

You may come across other SSK variations in different patterns or tutorials, but if your pattern simply says SSK, the usual beginner-friendly method is:

• slip one stitch knit wise

• slip another stitch knit wise

• knit them together through the back loops while the stitches are on the right hand needle

If a designer wants a variation, they will usually specify it.

How to Practise SSK

Here is a decrease swatch of K2TOGs and SSKs that I played around with before putting them together on a project

The easiest way to become comfortable with SSK is to knit a simple swatch.

Cast on around 24 stitches and work several rows of stocking stitch (knit on one side of your work, purl on the other side).

Every right-side row, meaning the knit stitch side, work:

K2TOG near the beginning of the row

SSK near the end

After several repeats you'll clearly see how the decreases mirror each other.

Once you're feeling confident, you can try using SSK in beginner-friendly knitting patterns, like my summer-knit pattern The Olive Top!

What to Read Next

If you're learning decreases, these tutorials are the perfect next step:

• How to Purl Two Together (P2TOG) – Beginner Decrease Technique!

• How to Knit K2TOG (Knit Two Together): An Easy Decrease Explained

• How to Increase in Knitting: A Must-Read Beginner Knitters Guide

You might also find these beginner technique posts useful:

• How to Do the Knit Stitch: Step-by-Step for Absolute Beginners

• How to Do the Purl Stitch: Step-by-Step Beginner Tutorial

• How to Do the Knitted Cast On: A Beginner-Friendly Essential

For trusted external references, check out:

• Purl Soho's Knitting Decrease Tutorial Library

• KnitPro's Quick-To-Read List of Decreases

Quick SSK FAQs

What does SSK mean in knitting?

SSK means Slip, Slip, Knit. It is a knitting decrease that turns two stitches into one and creates a left-leaning decrease.

Is SSK a decrease?

Yes, SSK is a decrease. It reduces your stitch count by one stitch.

Is SSK left or right leaning?

What is the difference between SSK and K2TOG?

SSK is left leaning. K2TOG is the right-leaning decrease it is most often paired with.

Why do knitters use SSK?

Knitters use SSK when they need a left-leaning decrease, especially for mirrored shaping in knitting.

Is slip slip knit hard?

SSK is not especially hard, but it can feel fiddly at first because you slip stitches before knitting them together through the back loops. Like most knitting techniques, it gets easier with practice.