K2tog (Knit Two Together)
K2tog means knitting two stitches together as one, reducing the stitch count by one. The decrease slants to the right.
Explanation
K2tog (knit two together) is the most common and simplest decrease technique. You insert the needle through two stitches at once, from left to right needle as usual, and knit them together as if they were one stitch. The result is a decrease that slants to the right. K2tog is often paired with SSK, which slants left, to create symmetrical decreases on either side of, for example, a neckline or a raglan line.
Also known as: Knit Two Together
How to knit two together
Insert the right needle through two stitches at once, front to back, and knit them as though they were one. Two stitches become one and the count drops by one.
It is the simplest decrease there is, and the one most knitters learn first.
The way it leans
K2tog leans right: the top stitch slants to the right over the one below. Its mirror image is SSK, which leans left.
In symmetrical shaping K2tog therefore goes on the side where the line should point right — typically at the end of a row, or after a marker in raglan decreases.
Use in patterns
K2tog is also half of most lace patterns, paired with a yarn over so the stitch count stays constant.
In hat crowns it is repeated at regular intervals to draw the top together, usually alongside stitch markers showing where each decrease falls.
Common mistakes
- Using K2tog on both sides of a shaping, so it does not mirror.
- Inserting the needle through only one stitch and missing the decrease.
Keywords
- k2tog
- knit two together
- decrease
Frequently asked questions
What is the counterpart to K2tog?
SSK. It leans the opposite way and is used on the other side of a symmetrical shaping.
Can I knit three stitches together?
Yes, that is K3tog and removes two stitches. It leans right like K2tog, only more strongly.