How to knit a k3tog decrease

3/13/2014

k3tog (knit three stitches together) is a multiple decrease, and decreases the stitch count by two stitches.

There are a few ways to k3tog, so if your knitting pattern has instructions on how to make the decrease then do follow the pattern.

If your pattern does not give instructions, this tutorial shows how to work a balanced k3tog decrease. This is a balance decrease because it doesn't slope only to the left or only to the right. As you can see in the photo this k3tog has the centre stitch of the decrease on top, and the knitting slopes left and right at either side.

How to work k3tog

Step 1

Step 1: Put the tip of the right hand needle knitwise into the second and then the first stitches on the left needle (as if you were going to knit 2 together).

Step 2

Step 2: Slip the two stitches onto the right hand needle.

Step 3

Step 3: Knit the next stitch on the left hand needle as normal.

Step 4

Step 4: Lift the two slipped stitches on the right hand needle over the knitted stitch on the right hand needle to finish the decrease.

And you are done!

15 Comments

Joanne

1/1/2015 11:35:40 pm

Perfectly explained and perfectly detailed. This was a real help for me. Thank you kindly ;) Happy New Year!

María Tabanera

4/14/2015 09:28:59 pm

Thank you a lot!!!

valerie link

4/24/2015 11:49:52 pm

at last straight forward and to the point, even I could understand. Brilliant and many many thanks.

Susan

5/29/2015 01:31:38 pm

Hi, This was so helpful. I wanted to know if these instructions are the same for 3-to-1 decrease. I am knitting a prayer shawl and this is part of the pattern and is something I never heard of. Thank you.

Susan

Amanda Berry

5/29/2015 04:51:58 pm

hi Susan, this decrease reduces 3 stitches to 1, so it is sometimes called a 3 to 1 decrease. You could us this for your shawl if the pattern does not specify how to decrease.

Ivonne

6/14/2016 03:45:01 pm

Thank you so much for sharing this information so important.

jenna - brilliant just the help i needed'

7/21/2016 03:34:53 pm

Janet link

7/3/2017 10:45:05 am

Thanks for the step by step explanation. God bless...

Tyana

12/16/2017 07:27:43 pm

I love this! Thank you

Lesley James

5/28/2019 02:08:11 am

Just found this after knitting your Polar Express penguin pattern. I couldn't work out why my penguin's feet didn't look like yours - now I know and will do them again as your way is far more effective in this particular pattern. Thank you!

Linda

1/10/2020 09:45:25 am

Thank you for the demonstration. As a left handed knitted my biggest challenge has been to get the decreases to slant in the right direction. I had knit and ripped out the same 4 rows 4 times until I saw your instructions-got it right the first time! Thanks.

Cindy

4/9/2020 07:06:17 am

Thank you!! I appreciate the pictures along with the simple, easy written instructions.

Laureen O’’Brien

8/14/2020 11:39:20 pm

This is so well explained ,,Thankyou very much

Sara

1/21/2021 03:21:36 am

Thank you so much! Good pictures with clear instructions. This helped me a lot.

eve h

1/17/2023 05:11:59 pm

Thanks so much! I was losing the remains of my tiny mind trying to figure this out!

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How to knit a k3tog decrease

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