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How to Decrease Stitches

It won't be long before you will want to learn how to decrease stitches. Don't panic - it is really very easy. All you have to do is to knit or purl two stitches together.

Here are some simple steps for you to follow with illustrations of each step.

Decreasing Stitches when Knitting

1. With your yarn behind, push your right needle up and backwards through the back of two stitches

decrease stitches

2. Wrap your yarn around the right needle in an anti-clockwise direction (as if you are knitting a normal stitch)

decrease stitches

3. Catch the loop you have just created with the tip of the right needle and pull it forwards through the stitch (so that you have caught the other two stitches together)

decrease stitches

4. Continue pulling your needle forwards and up until you have pulled the top two stitches (that you have caught together) off the left needle.

decrease stitches

Your knitting will end up looking something like this:

decrease stitches

Decreasing Stitches when Purling

1. With your yarn in front, push your right needle down and forward through the front of two stitches

2. Wrap your yarn around the right needle in an anti-clockwise direction (as if you are purling a normal stitch)

3. Catch the loop you have just created with the tip of the right needle and pull it backwards through the stitch (so that you have caught the other two stitches together)

4. Continue pulling until you have pulled the top two stitches (that you have caught together) off the left needle. Your knitting will look something like this

Return from How to Decrease Stitches to Knitting Instructions

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