The Slip Stitch Knitting technique pulls the fabric inward by moving a stitch from one needle to the next. See how to easily slip a stitch with all variations: knitwise and purlwise on both the knit and purl sides of your work. We also will review how to do so with yarn forward and yarn back.
Additionally, discover my beautiful slip stitch patterns to put this technique into action today! Below, I hope my written and photographic demonstrations are helpful to you. I’ve also included video tutorials for both right and left-handed knitters.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
DIFFERENT YARN COLORS TO EASILY SEE SLIPPED STITCHES
In the photos and videos below, you will see that I have switched my working yarn color from blue to white. This allows you to easily differentiate a knit or purled stitch (white) versus a slipped stitch (blue). Hope it’s helpful to you!
HOW TO SLIP STITCH PURLWISE
Slip Stitch Purlwise on a Knit Row with Yarn in Back (Most Common)
Slipping a Stitch Purlwise is the most common technique. In fact, When your pattern simply says to slip a stitch without specifying the different variations detailed below, the default is to Slip Purlwise with the working yarn in back.
Technique: With your working yarn in the back of your knit row, insert your right-hand needle into the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to purl. Slip it to the right-hand needle without any additional action.
Abbreviation: Sl1 or Sl1P WYIB
Yarn Color Help: Notice that the white stitches on the right-hand needle have been knit, while the slipped stitch remains in the original yarn color of blue.
How to Slip Stitch Knitting Right-Handed Video
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How to Slip Stitch Knitting Left-Handed Video
Slip Stitch Purlwise on a Knit Row with Yarn in Front
Technique: Bring your working yarn between your needles to the front of your knit row. Insert your right-hand needle into the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to purl. Slip it to the right-hand needle, then bring the yarn between the needles to the back again in preparation to knit.
Your slipped stitch is now wrapped. You can see there is a little bar of yarn in the front of that slipped stitch on the knit row’s right side of our work.
Abbreviation: Sl1 or Sl1P WYIF
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Slip Stitch Purlwise on a Purl Row with Yarn in Front
Technique: With your working yarn in the front of a purl row, insert your right-hand needle into the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to purl. Slip it to the right-hand needle without any additional action.
Abbreviation: Sl1 or Sl1P WYIF
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Slip Stitch Purlwise on a Purl Row with Yarn in Back
Technique: Bring your working yarn between your needles to the back of your purl row. Insert your right-hand needle into the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to purl. Slip it to the right-hand needle, then bring the yarn between the needles to the front again in preparation to purl.
Your slipped stitch is now wrapped. You can see there is a little bar of yarn of that slipped stitch on the knit row’s right side of our work.
Abbreviation: Sl1 or Sl1P WYIB
HOW TO SLIP STITCH KNITWISE
Slip Stitch Knitwise on a Knit Row with Yarn in Back
Slipping a stitch knitwise is used less often. It twists the stitch, often for texture purposes.
Technique: With your working yarn in the back of your knit row, insert your right-hand needle the the left and inside the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to knit. Slip it to the right-hand needle without knitting it.
Abbreviation: Sl1K WYIB
Slip Knitwise for an SSK Decrease: When your pattern decreases specifies Slip Slip Knit (SSK), slip your stitches knitwise.
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Slip Stitch Knitwise on a Knit Row with Yarn in Front
Technique: Bring your working yarn between your needles to the front of your knit row. Insert your right-hand needle the the left and inside of the next stitch on the left-hand needle. Slip it to the right-hand needle without knitting it.
Your slipped stitch is now wrapped. You can see there is a little bar of yarn of that slipped stitch on the knit row’s right side of our work.
Abbreviation: Sl1K WYIF
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Slip a Stitch Knitwise on a Purl Row with Yarn in Front
Technique: With your working yarn in the front of your purl row, insert your right-hand needle the the left and inside the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to knit. Slip it to the right-hand needle without knitting it.
Abbreviation: Sl1K WYIF
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Slip a Stitch Knitwise on a Purl Row with Yarn in Back
Technique: Bring your working yarn between your needles to the back of your purl row. Insert your right-hand needle the the left and inside the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if to knit. Slip it to the right-hand needle, then bring the yarn between the needles to the front again in preparation to purl.
Your slipped stitch is now wrapped. You can see there is a little bar of yarn of that slipped stitch on the knit row’s right side of our work.
Abbreviation: Sl1K WYIB
SLIP STITCH KNITTING PATTERNS
My popular Slip Stitch Knitting Pattern textures are so beautiful and unique. Browse to find your favorite then knit up a swatch or add in your next knitting project.
Slip Stitch Knitting Patterns
Collection of Slip Knit Stitch Patterns by Studio Knit. Find beautiful and unique designs created with the slip stitch technique with written instructions, knitting charts, and video tutorials.
The Linen Stitch Pattern creates a beautiful flat, thin piece of knitting, similar to linens! It looks quite intricate, but it is simply a 2-row repeat of knits, purls, and slipped stitches.
This beautiful Butterfly Stitch Knitting Pattern is a vintage summer classic! Strategically placed slipped stitches help create the fluttering butterfly wings design into your knitted work.
This vintage Brick Stitch Pattern is an easy stranded colorwork knitting piece that uses two yarn colors of your choice. The white in my example looks like cement in garter stitch holding together my pretty pink bricks in stockinette stitch.
This Honeycomb Stitch Knitting Pattern is light, fluffy, and has some great dimension. A brioche knitting pattern, it almost looks as though it’s doubled in thickness.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING STUDIO KNIT
I hope you are inspired to slip your stitches with confidence in for your next knitting projects! If you’d like even more great knitting ideas, please make sure you join my mailing list. Subscribing to my YouTube channel Studio Knit is another easy way for us to stay connected and help support my work for free.
