YO and decreases problems

[karebear]

I am trying to make a sock. Right now I will be happy if I just get the first one done. lol. I am having a problem with the ssk decrease, short of using a crochet hook, does anyone have a tip on how to make this easier?

 

The YO problem that I am having is how to make sure you know what the YO looks like on the purl side? To me, I think that I am not doing it right and end up with less stitches then I need.

 

Thanks everyone for your help!!

[classic crochet]

Karin,

 

I'm not sure I understand exactly the problem you are having. Have you tried http://www.knittinghelp.com ? They have lots of videos so you can see exactly how to do the stitch and how it should look when you are done.

[karebear]

I have tried looking at those and I can't seem to find what it is that I am looking for. I would like to see what the wrong side looks like before you purl it. At least that would cover my problem with YOs.

 

I think that the ssk will just come in time. Making a sock is challenging to me because I just can't master that stitch

[Hazlecreek]

I was hoping to find a photo of it but let me see if I can explain it to you. On the wrong side of your work your yo should look like the yarn is just laying over your needle. It should come up from the left back over the top of your needle and then to the right front. I'm going to keep looking I know I've seen it somewhere before!

 

I hope that help, and I hope I'm right. I'm working on a top right now that has yarn overs and that what mine look like.

 

ETA I got it! I'm posing the link where to find the illustration "How Stuff Works" scroll down to the 4th picture and that will show you the yarn over. Now this is for knitting the next row, but it still show you what the yo looks like.

[Dangerouscrochet]

 

ETA I got it!

 

Now this is for knitting the next row, but it still show you what the yo looks like.

 

 

Oh, do tell where you found that great looking illustration!! I have been looking for bigger size illustrations.

[Hazlecreek]

Oh, do tell where you found that great looking illustration!! I have been looking for bigger size illustrations.

 

I googled yarn over and found a place called How Stuff Works and it has some really good illustrations. I found this one under increases, but they have some good one all though out!

[Aggie May]

:thinkAre you an experienced knitter?

:thinkIf no, maybe a little voice is telling you that it is too soon to be knitting socks.

 

:eekI have knitted for almost 60 years and I have to say that in all of those years, I have never come across a pattern with SSK. (Must be a US thing)

It was not an instruction in any pattern I ever used so it was interesting to see it pop up over the last few years.

 

It looks like it is someones idea on how to do a traditional "Slip1, K1 Pass Slipped stitch over or K2tog through back of loops.

 

This was the way we did shaping where we wanted to decrease by one stitch on opposite sides of a piece of knitting so the stitches lay in opposite directions.

 

:thinkI realise that this is not really helping you understand the SSK but I thought you may feel happier knowing there is an "Old girl" out there who would also have a problem with it.

 

:yayHope you get it sorted because it is fun to knit socks and you do feel a great sense of achievement when you finish the second one.

 

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

[classic crochet]

SSK is a very common stitch in American patterns. It means: slip 1 knit wise, slip 1 knit wise, knit 2 stitches together through back loop, 1 decrease made.

 

You are making the decrease on the right needle instead of the left. It keeps the stitches from having an odd slant when you decrease.(That's my understanding of why anyway:))

[darski]

I always use K2tog through back loops for SSK. I find the SSK wastes time doing too many actions when you get the same effect with K2togTBL. (one stroke instead of three)

[karebear]

Well, I think that I figured out my YO problem. I was wrapping the yarn the wrong way. Right now, I am just trying different small projects more so to learn the technique then anything else. I was trying a dish cloth last night when the light bulb went off in my head and said to try it the opposite way. Lo and behold, I was right.

 

As for the ssk one, (also with the same pattern) because I was doing my YOs wrong this wasn't coming out right as well. Now they are much easier to work and I am just so happy.

 

I got a great book at my kid's book fair called "The Big Book of Knitting", I love this book. It has patterns in it but it is mostly for explaining different techniques and stitches. I highly recommend it.

 

THank you everyone for helping me figure this out. If it wasn't for the picture that was shown here, I never would have figured it out at all. (Or at least enough to get my mind to think in a different way.)