To reduce the number of active stitches on the needle, thereby tapering or shaping the knitted fabric. This is typically achieved by knitting two or more stitches together as one. It is a fundamental technique for shaping garments like socks, sleeves, and hats to fit the body's contours.
Heard on the job
Narrow the sleeve by knitting two together at the beginning and end of every fourth row.
Do not mix it up with
- Decrease: Narrowing is a specific shaping outcome achieved by decreasing stitches.
Related terms
Decrease
To reduce the number of active stitches in a row to shape a knitted or crocheted fabric.
Fully fashioned
Knitwear shaped by increasing or decreasing stitches during production rather than cutting from a flat fabric.
SSK
This common knitting maneuver creates a neat, left-leaning decrease by slipping two stitches before knitting them together.