S2kp is short for “slip 2, k1, pass slipped stitches over” and is also referred to as a Centered Double Decrease. You work an s2kp over three stitches, decrease two, and end up with one. The beauty of this technique is that the finished stitch slants neither left nor right, but rather lies perfectly centered. An s2kp also finishes as a slightly raised stitch, which can be very pretty! Here’s our Slip Slip Knit Pass tutorial to show you how we do it…

Slip 2 stitches together knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over knit stitch and off right needle. [2 stitches decreased]

Click To See Video Transcript

I’m going to show you how to s2kp. S2kp stands for slip 2, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over. It’s also known as a centered double decrease. That’s because it’s worked over three stitches that decrease down to one stitch… One centered stitch.

You can see on the swatch here, I’ve worked quite a few rows with an s2kp in the middle of my swatch. You also know I have a removable stitch marker marking the last s2kp I worked.

I’m going to work up into one stitch before this center column and show you how to s2kp. A lot of patterns will tell you to mark your… The column, the center column, with a removable stitch marker. And then you’re told to work up to one stitch before that marked stitch. So that’s what I’m doing right now. So here’s my, you know, the marked column, marked stitch right here, and I’m one stitch before it. And now I’m ready to s2kp.

So to s2kp, you take the tip of your right needle and you insert it into both of these stitches at the same time, knitwise, from front to back, and you just slip them off that left needle. Then you knit one. Then use the tip of your left needle to pick those slipped stitches up. You can do this either one stitch at a time or both together, and you’re going to just pull them over that knit stitch and off the right needle. Then what you want to do is take your removable stitch marker and move it up… If the pattern indicates but that’s how you do it, if it does.

I’m going to show you one more time how to s2kp. Right now, I’m working up to one stitch before my marked stitch… And here I am. You insert your needle, knitwise, into two stitches, slip them off of the left needle. Knit one. Use the tip of that left needle to pick those slipped stitches up. Take them over the knit stitch and off the right needle.

And that is how you s2kp, or do a centered double decrease.

We turn to this fantastic double decrease time and time again, and now you can use it with confidence, thanks to our Slip Slip Knit Pass tutorial. Here are a few free patterns that put the s2kp to good use!

Little Mitered Stripes Blanket
Slip Slip Knit Pass (s2kp) | Purl Soho
Optic Blanket
Slip Slip Knit Pass (s2kp) | Purl Soho
Tiny Stripes Hat
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Garter Ear Flap Hat
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