Teach Yourself Visually Knitting

You may want to decrease more than
1 stitch at a time over one row. Your
instructions may call for decreasing
many stitches across a row, which
results in a gathered look; or you may
need to decrease 2 stitches in tandem
over a series of rows, for more gradual
shaping.

DECREASING MULTIPLE STITCHES ACROSS ONE ROW

Some instructions may direct you to decrease a certain number of stitches evenly
across a row.

1 To figure out how to decrease a certain number of stitches evenly across a row,
divide the number of stitches you have on your needles by the number you
need to decrease.

2 Subtract 2 from the result, and that is the number of stitches you need to work
between decreases. (For example, if you have 30 stitches on your needles and
you are asked to decrease 10 stitches evenly across, then you will knit 1 stitch,
work the decrease over the next 2 stitches, knit 1 stitch, and so on.)
This example illustrates what decreasing the number of stitches by half
looks like.

How to Decrease Multiple Stitches

Decrease Multiple Stitches.

BASIC DOUBLE DECREASE

Remember when you increased 2 stitches at once, on either side of an axis stitch?
You can also decrease 2 stitches at once by using an axis stitch. You work this
double decrease on the right side.

1 Work a slip, slip, knit decrease over the 2 stitches before the axis stitch.

2 Knit the axis stitch.

3 Knit together the next 2 stitches after the axis stitch.

Axis stitch

Knit 2 together

decrease

Slip, slip knit

decrease

Decrease row