Learn how to knit a single left leaning decrease, the ssp, on the purl side of your knitting project!

Just like ssk is basically the opposite of k2tog, ssp is basically the opposite of p2tog. P2tog is a right leaning decrease and ssp is a left leaning decrease. It’s a little harder to see on the purl side, but that’s how it works.

Honestly, I haven’t always paid a lot of attentions to decreases in purl stitches. I figured they kind of disappear in a field of purls, so maybe it didn’t really matter.

But when you really are learning to knit and design, the devil is in the details, and the details do matter. They’re what can take your project from looking obviously homemade to a beautiful heirloom handknit. You know what I mean?

So I set out to learn how to ssp (slip, slip, purl) and it turns out, it’s super easy! Here’s how to do it:

SSP (Slip, Slip, Purl)

1. Start with the yarn in front of your work
2. Slip the first stitch on your left knitting needle to the right knitting needle as if to knit (knitwise)
3. Slip the second stitch from the left needle to the right knitwise
4. Put the two slipped stitches back on the left knitting needle by putting the left needle back through them from left to right
5. Put the right knitting needle back behind the slipped stitches and insert it through the back of both slipped stitches from left to right
6. Wrap the yarn around the tip of the right knitting needle to purl
7. Pull the yarn through the slipped stitches
8. Drop the original slipped stitches from the left knitting needle, ssp is a left leaning decrease stitch

And that’s it! Now you know how to ssp!

How To ssp (Slip, Slip, Purl)

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Learn how to ssp (slip, slip, purl) to decrease your knitting project!

Active Time 1 minute

Total Time 1 minute

Difficulty Intermediate

Estimated Cost $0

Materials

• Yarn

Tools

• Knitting needles

Instructions

1. Start with the yarn in front of your work
2. Slip the first stitch on your left knitting needle to the right knitting needle as if to knit (knitwise)
3. Slip the second stitch from the left needle to the right knitwise
4. Put the two slipped stitches back on the left knitting needle by putting the left needle back through them from left to right
5. Put the right knitting needle back behind the slipped stitches and insert it through the back of both slipped stitches from left to right
6. Wrap the yarn around the tip of the right knitting needle to purl
7. Pull the yarn through the slipped stitches
8. Drop the original slipped stitches from the left knitting needle, ssp is a left leaning decrease stitch

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Cassie May

Craft and Knitwear Designer at Little Red Window Design

Welcome to Little Red Window! I’m Cassie, a professional craft and knitwear designer working in the field for more than 10 years. I have a degree in Art History from Northwestern University and a Master's Degree in Architecture and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I've designed more than 300 separate knitting patterns, hundreds of craft projects, and I love to bring joy to your crafts and knitting with well-designed, easy to understand tutorials and patterns.

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