Increasing and Decreasing

There are several times where increases and decreases are required:

1. When increasing a sleeve from the wrist to the underarm.

2. When decreasing the body of the sweater from the underarm to the shoulder.

3. When decreasing along the shoulder of a sweater.

4. When decreasing at the end of a finger or thumb in gloves or mittens, or the end of a sock foot.

5. When changing to a stitch that requires either mor, or fewer, stitches than the previous row (such as after a ribbing and before beginning the body of a sweater or sleeves)

Typically, increases and decreases are done at the beginning and end of a row, usually a knit row. But . . . the increase or decrease is not made on the end stitch, but at least one stitch away from the selvage (edge) of the work.

Occasionally, there will be several increases (or decreases) spread out evenly over one row (say, the ribbing at the beginning of a sweater), to begin the more regular stockinette stitch of the garment.

SOME STITCH DESCRIPTIONS

Slip as if to knit: Insert right needle into the stitch on the left needle as if you were going to knit the stitch, and slip it off the left needle onto the right needle.

Slip as if to purl: Insert the right needle into the stitch on the left needle as if you were going to purl it, and slip it off the left needle onto the right needle. When you see the words "slip the stitch," assume it is this one, which merely transfers the stitch from one needle to the other, without twisting it.


SOME TYPICAL DECREASES

K2 tog (knit 2 stitches together): Insert the right needle into the front of the next two stitches on the left needls and knit them together as if they were one stitch. This decreases a stitch.

Slip 1, K1, PSSO (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over the knit stitch): Slip the next stitch as if to knit it and leave it on the right needle. Knit the next stitch. Stick the left needle into the front of the slipped stitch that is on the right needle, and bring the slipped stitch over the knit stitch and off the needle, just like binding off. This decreases a stitch.

SSK: (slip, slip, knit): Slip the first stitch from the left to the right needle, as if to knit it, then do the same thing with the next next. Now insert the left needle into the front of both slipped stitches and knit them together (through the back of the stitch). This decreases a stitch and is interchangeable with slip 1 K1, PSSO.

SOME TYPICAL INCREASES

Bar increase: Knit the next stitch, but do not slip it off the left needle. Inst4ead, knit into the back of the same stitch, then slip it off the left needle. This increases a stitch.

Make one (invisible increase): Insert the left needle under the horizontal strand between the needles from the front. Then knit into the back of the strand (knitting into the front will result in a hole). This increases a stitch. 


VIDEO EXAMPLES

Here are examples of simple increases and decreases:  simple increase and decrease

Here's the SSK (slip-slip-knit) decrease:  SSK decrease

Here's the S1 K1 PSSO (slip-one-knit-one-pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch) decrease:  S1 K1 PSSO

Here's the make one, or invisible, increase (pick up the bar between stitches and knit into it so that it twists):  make one, or invisible, increase