How to decrease stitches

How to decrease stitches

If you want to shape your knitwear, for example for an armhole, neckline or waistline, you can do that with a simple decrease. When decreasing at markers or next to edge stitches you work as follows from the right side:

Figure 1: Work until the stitch you want to decrease, on the photo we are decreasing next to 4 edge stitches.

Figure 2: Insert the right hand needle as if to knit into the next 2 stitches on your left hand needle. Insert the needle from left to right, first into the second stitch and then into the first stitch on the left hand needle.

Figure 3: Place the working yarn over the tip of your right hand needle as you would knit one stitch and pull the yarn through both stitches. You now have one new stitch on your right hand needle.

Figure 4: Slide both stitches off the left hand needle. These 2 stitches has now been knit together into one stitch, next to the 4 edge stitches on your right hand needle.

Figure 5: Work the rest of the row and you now have one stitch less compared to when you started working this row.

Figure 6: That’s how easy it is to shape your knitwear.

See this video for extra help

Comments (14)

Candace wrote:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!! In answer to question on Drops 125-15, "piece" first begins on Row 1 of "Heel Decreases".

22.01.2024 - 22:18

Candace wrote:

Drops 125-15 heal decreases: . . . "slip next stitch as if to K, K1, piece" What does PIECE mean? Perhaps slip the stitch over then continue to K (or P)? Could not find anything that states what PIECE means. THANK YOU for any help you can offer!!

21.01.2024 - 19:59

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Candace, could you please indicate in which row is this typo? It should be: "slip next st as it to K, K1, psso, turn piece." Psso is pass slipped stitch over worked stitch. Then you turn the piece. You are working short rows, so you turn before the end of the row. Happy knitting!

22.01.2024 - 20:21

Ruth Brown wrote:

Drops 77-17 striped jumper design model w-285 Decreasing for armholes. It says cast off 4 sts in each side every 2nd row. How do you cast off both sides on the same row. I thought knit side woukd have been row 2 and purl side row 3?

07.11.2023 - 10:56

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Mrs Brown, you will cast off 4 stitches at the beginning (not at the end) of the next 2 rows starting from right side. Happy knitting!

08.11.2023 - 08:52

Carol Grant wrote:

Drops 70-13\\r\\nShaping raglan Decrease at each side within edge stitches then refers knitter to tips …\\r\\nTips has decrease before or after edge not ‘within’ so am tad confused

08.10.2023 - 22:14

Tina wrote:

Wie hebt man links verschränkt ab beim Stricken, für einen schönen Rand, und ich meine NICHT links verschränkt zusammen stricken, sondern die letzte Masche einer Reihe links verschränkt abheben? Danke

12.09.2023 - 17:35

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Tina, dann können Sie vielleicht diese Masche wie zum Linksstricekn abheben - am besten versuchen Sie mit einer Maschenprobe, so sind Sie sicher, das richtige Ergebnis zu bekommen. Viel Spaß beim stricken!

13.09.2023 - 08:45

Kris Burkett wrote:

Hello, I am making the Rudolf hat (108 cast on stitches) and was wondering what method of decreasing you use for the one row before you begin the pattern. It says to decrease 12 stitches for the one row. Would that be using sl 1, K1, psso method or just knitting two stitches together every 8 stitches for the decrease? Thank you!

31.07.2023 - 04:44

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Mrs Burkett, you can just decrease with K2 together . Happy knitting!

31.07.2023 - 12:18

Eva Wikman wrote:

Ska sticka tröja 0-809 på rundsticka men får inte till minskningarna , har 246 och ska minska 40 maskor, har testat att minska efter både 5,6 m men de stämmer inte Hur gör jag ?

27.07.2023 - 10:25

Licinia Maria Cabete wrote:

Como fazer diminuições no ponto olho de perdiz?

24.07.2023 - 22:06

Licínia Cabete wrote:

Como diminuir malhas num trabalho com o ponto de perdiz?

24.07.2023 - 22:03

Victoria Apoita wrote:

Hola! Quisiera me expliquen cómo realizar una disminución de 2 puntos tejiendo juntos 3 puntos del revés. No encontré videos suyos explicándolo. Desde ya muchas gracias. Victoria.

02.06.2022 - 21:45

DROPS Design answered:

Hola Victoria. Puedes ver la técnica en el siguiente link: https://www.garnstudio.com/video.php?id=157&lang=es

04.06.2022 - 16:44

Sjaan wrote:

Wat bedoelen ze met minderen in afwisselende naald

12.05.2022 - 22:11

DROPS Design answered:

Dag Sjaan,

Deze vraag gaat waarschijnlijk niet over deze les, maar staat bij een patroon waar je mee bezig bent? Meestal wordt met afwisselende naalden bedoeld dat je de ene naald wel mindert en de andere naald niet. Maar ik weet niet precies wat er bij het betreffende patroon staat. Eventueel kun je bij het patroon ook een opmerking achter laten.

21.05.2022 - 16:34

Carol Griffin wrote:

When pattern 176-22 says in Body - decrease 4 stitches at either side of marker and decrease every 4cm x 6 times Do i end with 4cm of stockinette or decrease row? Thanks

22.04.2020 - 11:05

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Mrs Griffin, in this pattern, you start to decrease when piece measures 8 cm as follows: *1 round with decrease, work 4 cm*, repeat from *to* a total of 5 times, work 1 round with decreases = you have decreased a total of 6 times. Continue then as before until the desired height and cast off for armholes. Happy knitting!

22.04.2020 - 15:53

Anneliese Altmann wrote:

Wie wird eine Randmasche gestrickt?

18.05.2016 - 21:51

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Anneliese, in unseren Anleitungen wird die Randmasche meistens kraus rechts gestrickt (immer rechts), aber es gibt verschiedene Arten eine schöne Randmasche zu stricken.

19.05.2016 - 08:17

Birgitta Barendt wrote:

Från avigsidan 2 maskor vridet tillsammans? mönster drops161-27 raglanärmen. M.v.h. B Barendt

09.05.2016 - 11:01

DROPS Design answered:

Hej Birgitte, 2 vridet am tillsammans:

DROPS Knitting Tutorial: how to purl 2 stitches twisted together from Garnstudio Drops design on Vimeo.

01.06.2016 - 14:04

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