Making 2-Stitch Decreases in One Row Using One Color

Making 2-Stitch Decreases

Decreases, like increases, need to be worked in pairs of stitches to maintain a brioche stitch pattern. 2-stitch decreases involve 3 stitches: a brk column stitch (A in visual), the following purl column stitch (B in visual) and the following brk column stitch (C in visual). The stacking order of these three stitches, when decreased, can be different and their visual results alter as well. 

Stacking stitches A (on top of stack), C, B is a brLsl dec.
A brLst dec places the middle “purl” stitch on the bottom and crosses the first knit column stitch over and on top of the third knit stitch. Stacking C, A, B is a brRsl dec. These two decreases arrange the stitches in a logical order. Since the “purl” stitch is, more or less, on the back layer, it makes sense to place it on the bottom of the stack and then cross the two brk column stitches above it.

brLsl dec (2-stitch decrease that slants to the left, involving 3 sts) = slip the first stitch A knitwise, brk the following two stitches C and B together, pass the slipped stitch A over.

brRsl dec (a 2-stitch decrease that slants to the right, involving 3 sts) = slip the first stitch A knitwise, knit the next stitch B, pass the slipped stitch A over, place stitch on left hand needle and pass the following stitch C over. Place st on right hand needle.

For shaping armholes and necklines in sweaters, most knitwear designers will work symmetrical decreases – a left-slanted decrease a few stitches in from the right side edge and a right-slanted decrease a few stitches in from the left side edge. The same column sits on top of these decreases to maintain the strong diagonal line that is created.