Slip Stitch

From KnitWiki

Slipping is a technique for moving stitches along a row without working them as a knit or a purl. They can be worked in two ways:

• Slip as if to knit or slip knitwise: the needle is inserted into the stitch as if to work a knit stitch, but instead of working the stitch, it is moved from the left needle to the right.
• Slip as if to purl or slip purlwise: the needle is inserted into the stitch as if to work a purl stitch, but instead of working the stitch, it is moved from the left needle to the right.

The difference between the two methods is how the stitch is mounted on the needle after it is slipped. A slip purlwise preserves the original stitch mount. Slip knitwise changes the direction that the stitch faces on the needle.

Unless it is specified, most patterns intend that you slip stitches purlwise. Usually, the working yarn is held behind the stitch that is slipped and becomes a float.

Slipped stitches are used for a variety of purposes.

• Mosaic knitting uses them to skip stitches that are not worked in the current working color.
• Double knitting uses them to skip stitches that are not to be worked on the current right side.
• An alternation of slipping and knitting stitches or slipping and purling stitches can be used to create a denser, more sturdy fabric, such as you might see in a heel flap.
• Decreases such as SSK use slips to orient stitches properly for the desired look.

[edit] Abbreviations

• sl
• sl st
• sl 1 k-wise (slip 1 knitwise)
• sl 1 p-wise (slip 1 purlwise)

[edit] Other Websites of Interest

• Video example of working a slipped stitch: KnittingHelp.com (scroll to sl1k/sl1p).

This page requires photographs. Please add any suitable photos to this page.