A new method for left-leaning decreases: SYTK (slip, yank, twist, knit) part 3 of the series "right and left decreases"

Here's a new method for left-leaning decreases called SYTK. SYTK stands for "slip, yank, twist, knit." Of all the variations on left-leaning decreases I've experimented with over the years, SYTK is closest to the intersection of good looks and ease of creation. Advantages:

• worked from the front (a major advantage, to me, at any rate)
• requires no re-ordering of stitches (the stitches are never taken off the needles and reversed in position--a procedure which, although it leads to good results, I find annoying and time consuming).
• gives a nearly perfect match for k2tog
  

Below are how-to illustrations. Don't let seeming complexity discourage you--the whole business takes only a few seconds. The many illustrations are there to leave no doubt about the how-to. 

SYTK, illustrated

Step 1 (below) Slip the first (red) stitch from the left needle to the right needle. Slip the stitch KNITWISE (left arm forward) as shown. This is the SLIP part of the SYTK maneuver--the part represented by the first letter "S."
Step 2 (below) Leaving the red stitch on the right needle, insert the tip of the right needle into the next stitch (green) on the left needle. Be sure the tip of the right needle is inserted under the right arm of the green stitch, as shown. Now comes the fun part: making sure that you have enough of each needle inserted to anchor the stitch completely, perform the "Y" part of the SYTK--the YANK! Pull the right arm of the green stitch towards you with the right needle at the same time as you pull the left arm of the green stitch away from you with the left needle, thus opening up the stitch as much as possible. You don't want to bend your needle or stretch the actual fibers of the stitch, but you certainly want to YANK enough to pull all the slack yarn from both surrounding stitches into the green stitch.
Step 3a (below) Begin the TWIST ("T") part of the SYTK decrease by removing the right needle tip, thus returning the now-enlarged green stitch to the tip of the left needle.
Step 3b (below) Using the tip of the right needle, TWIST the green stitch, and return it to the tip of the left needle, as shown. Check to be sure that the formerly right arm lies ON TOP, as illustrated by the little PURPLE ARROW. If the stitch is twisted the wrong way, take it off and re-twist it so that it lays as shown--this is fairly important to the final appearance.
Step 3c (below) Return the much-enlarged, now-twisted green stitch to the tip of the left needle.
Step 3d (below) Slip the red stitch onto the tip of the left needle, taking care that it remains LEFT ARM FORWARD. This ends the "Twist" portion of SYTK, the "T."
Step 4 (below) Insert the right needle into the BACK ARMS of the red and green stitches, as shown, and twitch the standing yarn over the right needle, in position to knit a stitch.
FINISHED SYTK (below) Draw the standing yarn through the red and the green stitches to make a new stitch (blue). This is the final, the KNIT step of SYTK--the "K."
Now on the right needle is a rather nice left-leaning decrease. The reason this works is because it mimics the situation you get with a k2tog. Recall from the first post of this series that a k2tog is performed in such a manner as to squeeze the hidden second stitch AND ALL ITS EXCESS YARN behind the first stitch. Recall from the second post of this series that both ssk and psso leave the first stitch on the surface of the fabric, together with all the excess yarn it has accumulated from being manipulated. By adding a YANK step to SYTK, the excess yarn from the surface stitch is all transferred to the hidden second stitch, and by adding a TWIST step, that excess yarn is prevented from slipping out again. Further, the twist step aligns the only visible part of the second stitch (the arm which started off as the right arm, but was twisted forward to become the left arm) to lie in the same direction as the top stitch. In other words, the TWIST step makes the only visible portion of the second (green) stitch follow the left-leaning orientation of the top (red) stitch. Here is the photographic evidence:

A final note: In grabby yarn, the top (red) stitch may not be completely re-oriented by the slip maneuvers you have performed on it in steps 1 and 3d. This lack of orientation reveals itself in a proportionately shorter right arm, and a proportionately longer left arm, and disturbs the appearance of the left decrease column. Therefore, in a grabby yarn you may wish to add one further step.

Per the illustration below, after the decrease has been finished, insert the tip of the left needle under the right arm of the already-knitted top (red) stitch. GENTLY adjust the red stitch to lengthen the right arm while simultaneously shortening the left arm, and you will see that the stitch orientation improves. Be MILD in your adjustment--you only want to redistribute yarn in from the left arm of the top stitch to the right arm of the same stitch. You don't want to tug so hard that you undo all your previous effort--you don't want to drag slack back from the second (green) stitch and dump it back into the top (red) stitch.
Have fun with this. I hope you like it as well as I do!

--TECHknitter

This is the third of four posts. The others are

--Right decreases, the good twin--part 1
--Left decreases, the evil twin--part 2

--The crochet hook method of left leaning decreases--part 4 

(You have been reading TECHknitting on "SYTK (slip, yank, twist, knit), a new method for left-leaning decreases.")

Left decreases, the evil twinpart 2 of right and left leaning decreases

includes 8 illustrations
In this second of a four parts, we look at right and left leaning decreases. K2tog, the most common RIGHT LEANING DECREASE was the first post. Today, the two most common LEFT LEANING DECREASES: slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over (psso) and slip, slip, knit (ssk).

This post has two parts.

• How-to for  psso and ssk
  
• Just WHY psso and ssk are sloppy and different-looking from k2tog.
  

After today's post, the background stuff is all out of the way, and TECHknitting turns to SYTK and CHM, two new methods for left leaning decreases.

PART 1--TUTORIAL on PSSO and SSK

To make PSSO, there are three steps:

1. (below). Slip the first stitch (red) at the tip of left needle onto right needle KNITWISE (left arm forward)

2. (below) Knit the next stitch (green). The result is two stitches on right needle--the one slipped (red) and the one just knit (blue). Insert the tip of LEFT needle under the left arm of the red stitch (in other words, so the stitch is not twisted) and lift the red stitch over the blue stitch and drop the red stitch from your needle. (The blue stitch stays on your right needle)

3. (below) This is the final result, after the red stitch has been lifted over the blue stitch: only the blue stitch remains on the needle--one stitch where there were two before. The red stitch has been pulled to lie on top of the green stitch, and the slant of the red stitch (leftwards) dominates the decrease.

To make SSK, there are three steps:

1. (below) Ssk starts the same way as psso: you slip the first stitch (red) at the tip of your left needle onto your right needle KNITWISE (left arm forward)

2. (below). For the second step of ssk, you slip the next stitch (green) from left to right needle the same way--KNITWISE, left arm forward. Then, you flick the standing yarn over your right needle, and knit the two stitches together from this position.

3. (below) Here is the final result: The blue stitch is pulled (knitted) through the red and green stitches. Just like psso, only the blue stitch remains on the needle, leaving one stitch where there were two before. The red stitch has been pulled to lie on top of the green stitch, and the slant of the red stitch (leftwards) dominates the decrease.

PART 2--WHY LEFT LEANING DECREASES LOOK SO FUNNY
(COMPARING LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING DECREASES)

OK, so now we're ready to talk about the two main reasons why left leaning decreases are all bumpy and slouchy. First, If you look at the diagrams for both psso AND ssk, you'll see that you are manipulating the FIRST STITCH on the needle--the red one. You're manhandling it pretty severely, actually. In both psso and ssk, you grab that red stitch and stretch it out as you slip it from left needle to right needle. This draws extra yarn into that first stitch as the surrounding stitches play "pass-along." In other words, by sliding the first stitch from one needle to another, yarn that would ordinarily lie in surrounding stitches gets pulled up into the loop of the red stitch.

Second, you're changing the orientation of the red stitch--when it was first knitted (assuming you're not a combination knitter) it lay RIGHT arm forward. Slipping that first red stitch KNITWISE makes it lay LEFT arm forward. At the point where the orientation changes from right-arm-forward stitches to left-arm-forward stitches, slack develops in the yarn. This is because the change in orientation makes the path of the tail yarn is shorter between the red stitch and green, drawing even more yarn into the first (red) stitch, and this is true in both psso and ssk.

Compare this sequence with k2tog. In k2tog, the top stitch is the SECOND stitch (green stitch), and it is never manhandled at all--it is never pulled up loose, never passed from needle to needle, and its orientation is never changed. (Click here for diagram, click here from more info on k2tog.) The stitch behind the top stitch (the red stitch in the k2tog diagram) never has a chance to pass any slack yarn along to the green stitch--that red stitch is nailed down behind the green stitch in a 1 step motion--it (and all its excess yarn) gets squeezed behind the green stitch before it ever gets a chance to play pass-along with the green stitch, and the one-step motion of k2tog reduces the opportunity for other stitches to pass along too much yarn, either.

The upshot is that, in left leaning decreases, the multi-step procedure means that the first (red) stitch is drawn up all big and sloppy. Then, even more yarn is delivered to the red stitch by the change in orientation. As you can see from the diagrams, psso is the worse offender--you manhandle that red stitch not just once (passing it from left needle to right) but twice (as you grab it and draw it up big in passing it over the blue stitch).

In both psso and ssk, this bumpy, loose, sloppy red stitch is then left to languish on the surface of the fabric. As the photos below demonstrate, left leaning decreases really are the "evil twin," in looks, at least, when compared to right leaning decreases. As you would expect, the extra manhandling of the top stitch means that psso ends up somewhat looser and sloppier than ssk. Yet, although ssk is somewhat better, it also does not approaches k2tog for tidiness. Here is the photographic evidence:


The upper part of each photo is the right leaning decrease--knit two together (k2tog)--which is included for comparison purposes--nice and even, aren't they? The lower part of the first photo (above) is slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over (psso), the lower part of the second picture (below) is slip, slip, knit (ssk). Nice and sloppy, huh?
(Don't be confused that these samples are laid on their sides, that's just for illustration. Each swatch was knit so the cast-on edge is to the right, the cast off edge to the left.)

In sum, the stitches in the left-leaning columns are uneven from row to row, especially compared to the more even stitches of the right leaning columns. SSK (bottom of second photo) looks somewhat better than psso (bottom of first photo), but neither looks terrific.

(ALTHOUGH, as I said at the beginning of this series, the loose sloppy top stitch in ssk or psso has a tendency to tighten up as the garment is worn and washed. And, as ssk or psso is tightening up in this way, k2tog is loosening up. With wear and blocking, the second stitch that got squeezed behind the first stitch in k2tog eventually manages to give up some of its slack, and the rightward leaning top stitch of k2tog gets a bit sloppier. It's true that ssk an k2tog never look exactly the same, but they look a whole lot more like twins after wearing and a couple of washings than they do when you are first creating them. So, once again, all this stuff about improving your left-leaning decreases is, in some measure, a marker of wanting everything to be perfect RIGHT AWAY and RIGHT NOW.)

Ahem! Well, if my little green screed about right-now-ism hasn't deterred you, if you're a perfectionist, or if you just like to fool with stuff, the next post shows SYTK (slip, yank, twist, knit), an improved left-leaning decrease. 

--TECHknitter

This is the second of four posts. The other posts are

--Right decreases, the good twin--part 1 

--A new method for left-leaning decreases: SYTK (slip, yank, twist, knit)--part 3 

--The crochet hook method of left leaning decreases--part 4 

(You have been reading TECHknitting on "left leaning decreases")

Right decreases, the good twinpart 1 of right and left leaning decreases

Includes 4 illustrations

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Right leaning decreases--knit 2 together (k2tog)--are neat and tidy. But on line, I read complaints that left leaning decreases are not. The main left leaning decrease is slip slip, knit (ssk) and the main complaint is ssk is sloppy, not a good match for k2tog. (Click HERE for sketch illustrations of both.) So, today starts a series on right and left leaning decreases, with a focus on improving the left leaning ones.

Today's post is the first of four. It provides background material about k2tog, showing what, exactly, about this right leaning decrease does make it so neat and tidy. The second in the series examines two left leaning decreases: ssk and an older left leaning decrease called "slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over" (psso). It shows what it is about these left-leaners that makes then not so neat and tidy. Third in this series, a new trick for a left-leaning decrease called SYTK (slip, yank, twist, knit) which is a better match for k2tog. Fourth, another improved left-leaner called the crochet-hook method.

CAVEAT

That loose ssk (or psso) might not be as bad as you think. Knitting while you're creating it doesn't always look like knitting once you're wearing it. Loose, bumpy left decreases on the needles eventually even out to look more like tight, tidy right leaners, while right leaning decreases relax to bring appearances even closer. They'll never be identical, but will be closer than they look at the moment of creation. As the Elizabeth Zimmerman noted in the opening pages of her book Knitting without Tears:

"I used to think that people in the Olden Days were marvelously even knitters, because all really ancient sweaters are so smooth and regular. Now I realize that they probably knitted just as I do, rather erratically, and that it is Time, the Great Leveler, which has wrought the change--Time and many washings."

So, if not inclined to seek out better left leaning decreases, you'll find that ssk (or psso, or any other method of left-leaning decrease) do improve with age. 

IF, HOWEVER, ignoring lumpy bumps isn't for you, or if you like to fool around with stitches, here we go...

WHY DECREASES "LEAN"

Knitting, as you know, is connected in the rows AND in the columns. You can rip it out row-wise, or you can create runs by ripping it out column-wise. This means that anything you do to any knitted stitch in any given row not only has the potential to affect the stitches on either side of it in that row, but also has the potential to affect the column in which that stitch lies. In fact, it is the column effect of stacked decreases which is the most eye-catching --isolated single decreases can be done any old way, really, without making much of a difference to the finished fabric.

Used in pairs, or in matching columns, right leaning decreases and left leaning decreases are meant to be twins. And, in a purely mechanical sense, they are. Each performs the same function in mirror image. Either type of decrease removes one stitch from the knitted fabric, eliminating one column of stitches so there is now one column of stitches where two columns were before. In the illustration below, a right leaning decrease causes two bright green columns to become one dark green column, while a left leaning decrease causes two bright blue columns become one dark blue column.

Just at the spot where the two columns are bridged to become one, the little scar of the actual decrease appears (stitches outlined in red). This scar marks the two stitches bridging over the two old columns. The topmost red-outlined stitch must slant either right (green) or left (blue) causing the resulting fabric to look as if the left column leaned over and ate the right column or vice versa.
When these little decrease scars are stacked atop one another, a pattern appears: the column in which the decrease consistently lies appears to be eating all the columns slanting away below it. This is the familiar line of decreases which provides the spiral shaping to bottom-up hat crowns, the lines of decrease on either side of a bottom-up raglan shouldered sweater, or v-neck or the decreases of a top-down sleeve, knit down towards the cuff.

Sharp-eyed geeks who think the sweater must be a hybrid are correct. Ordinarily, sweaters don't combine bottom-up decreased raglan shoulders and v-neck with top-down decreased sleeves, but you get the idea...

A continuous line of right leaning decreases are easy to make, and look lovely and tidy as they slant off rightwards with no sloppy malformed stitches. Right leaning decreases are the good twin--the column of the decrease features regular, even stitches. The only difference between the right-leaning decrease column and the surrounding columns is its slant--the actual stitches of the decrease column and the surrounding fabric look the same. In fact, in a right leaning decrease column, the stitches are generally so even that is difficult to tell which of the stitches is in the actual decrease row, and which in the "plain" spacer row(s) between.

By contrast, the stitches in a column of left-leaning decreases look different than the surrounding stitches, and not just because of the slant. These stitches are looser and sloppier--its easy to tell which is the decrease row and which the plain row(s) between--the decrease row sports eye-catching loose loops of yarn. In comparison to right leaning decreases, left leaning decreases are the evil twin.

Per above, the situation is actually worst just at the moment of creation. It isn't actually all that bad once the garment's been worn and washed a few times. Yet, there's still plenty of room for improvement, so let's start by looking at the just what it is about the good twin which does make it neat and tidy.

THE MECHANICS OF A RIGHT-LEANING DECREASE

To make the right leaning decrease called knit 2 together (k2tog) the right needle inserts "knitwise" (from left to right) into the second stitch (green) on the left needle, and then threads through the first stitch (red) on the left needle, also knitwise, as shown below. This leaves the two stitches on the tip of the left needle impaled knitwise on the right needle, as shown below.
The running yarn is brought into position to create the next stitch and the red and green stitch are knit together from this position, with the green stitch which caps the leftmost column on top. The green and red stitches are knitted together with the new stitch (blue). Because the green stitch from the left column is on top, it appears that the left column leaned over to the right and ate up the rightmost column, shown below.
Let's think about that sequence again. To make a right leaning decrease, the stitch (red) which lay on the very tip of the left needle was squeezed to the back of the fabric as the second stitch (green) overlaid it. In other words, when the two stitches were knitted together, that first red stitch was forced to the back for all time, as the second, dominant green stitch came to the front of the fabric. If you take the time to knit a quick k2tog right now, turn it to look at the back (reverse stockinette side) of the fabric. There's a surprisingly large lump where the excess yarn from the first stitch (red) now lays on the back of the fabric. Closer examination shows the bulk of this second stitch has been squeezed to the back of the fabric. Turn your k2tog over again, and there on the front fabric face, the right arm of the second stitch stitch (green) lays very near to the surface of the knitted fabric. The first red stitch has been so thoroughly squeezed backwards that very little of it comes between the right arm of the second (green) stitch and the fabric surface. 

In sum, what makes a k2tog tidy is that the back red stitch has been  efficiently "disappeared," with the bulk from its disappearance thoroughly squeezed to the back fabric face. This leaves very little evidence of a transition between the surrounding fabric and the green stitch, which now lays smooth and slanted on the front fabric face. 

Nothing in this post changes anything about the way to knit 2 together. Rather, it highlights which features of a k2tog do need to be matched, in order to make a left leaning decrease its true twin. We'll start next time with just what doesn't match in the left-leaning ssk and psso. 

--TK

The other posts in this series are

--Left decreases, the evil twin 
--A new method for left-leaning decreases: SYTK (slip, yank, twist, knit) 

--The crochet hook method of left leaning decreases 

You have been reading TECHknitting on "right leaning decreases (k2tog)."