SSK - which direction?

[jamadian75]

On Amy's abbrevation listing at this site, it gives the abbreviation ssk (slip 1, slip 1, knit those 2 together) and says to do it purlwise, but the pattern I'm using says to do it knitwise.

I know this has something to do with the way you want the stitches to lean after knitting them togethr, but I have often seen (non-raglan) patterns with this decrease ssk that don't say if you should slip knit wise or purl wise.....is there a universal standard for this when the pattern doesn't specify?

[brendajos]

i have never used the instructions there...it does say improved but doesn't really say why. The video has her slipping them knitwise though so that is what i have always done. :thinking:

[knitqueen]

I always do ssk with the slipped stitches done knitwise. There's a variation of it where you slip the first stitch knitwise, slip the second stitch purlwise, then knit them together. They both lean the same direction though. The opposite lean decrease of a SSK is a K2tog.

[cecile77]

Whenever I see SSK "defined" it is specified as slipping the stitches purlwise. Patterns usually specify when they call for slipping knitwise. I've done them both knitwise and purlwise and I don't think there is a big difference in the finished product.

[Ingrid]

I've always done the slips knitwise, since that is probably the first direction I read on how to do them. I agree, though, that the difference is probably not all that great.

[Julie]

If you slip them both purlwise, then what's the difference between SSK and K2tog-tbl? Why would you have to slip them at all?

(I do it the Amy "improved" way -- s1 knitwise, s1 purlwise) :D

[Ingrid]

If you slip them both purlwise, then what's the difference between SSK and K2tog-tbl? Why would you have to slip them at all?

(I do it the Amy "improved" way -- s1 knitwise, s1 purlwise) :D

Excellent point!!

[AidanM]

I thought that k2togtbl twisted the stitches and that SSK purlwise didn't.

I use Nona's Crossed SSK.

1. Slip 1st stitch purlwise onto a cable needle and hold in front
2. Slip next stitch purlwise to the right needle
3. Slip the stitch on the cable needle back to the left needle
4. Slip the stitch on the right needle back to the left needle
5. k2tog.

Slants to the left and you can make it much much easier if you know how to do the cables without cable needle techniques. I just slip the first stitch off and pinch it with my thumb and forefinger so that it doesn't drop and then follow the rest of the directions. Simplifies it a great deal, and I do like it because I find it interesting.

[jamadian75]

With all of these options, it looks like I can just make my own decision based on how I want the final stitch to look and/or what method is most comfortable. I love options!! Thanks everyone! :D

[Hildegard_von_Knittin]

i had the SAME QUESTION like last spring or sometrrhing... isn't ssk the same as k2togtbl??? The answer I got (from Amiola i think) was No, they aren't because slipping them keeps them from twisting.