I don't understand!

[soothingstar813]

I'm currently working on a hat and have gotten to the crown decreases. The pattern says to "K2tog, *work to 2 sts before marker, ssk, sm, k2tog. Repeat from * to the last two
stitches of the round, ssk. 12 sts decreased." What does that mean exactly?

[Mike]

Every marker is between your pairs of decreases.

/, marker, \

You knit to two stitches before the marker because those two stitches will be decreased, slip the marker then work the other decrease.
Do that every time you get to a marker.

[brittyknits]

It sounds like this decrease thing should happen 6 times around your hat. As Mike said, you're decreasing 1 st before and 1 st after each marker. So if that happens 6 times around the crown, then you'd have a total of 12 sts decreased in that round. Does that work out?

[Shandeh]

"K2tog, *work to 2 sts before marker, ssk, sm, k2tog. Repeat from * to the last two stitches of the round, ssk. 12 sts decreased."

Knit 2 stitches together
* Follow your established pattern until you have 2 stitches left before the marker.
Slip, Slip, Knit (read the directions on your pattern on how to do this)
Slip Marker from the left needle to the right needle
Knit 2 stitches together*
Repeat everything between the asterisks until you get to the last 2 stitches of the round.
Slip, Slip, Knit
When you finish all that, you will have decreased the number of stitches on your needles by 12.