Slip 1 Knitwise (sl1k) [tutorial]

Slip 1 Knitwise is such an easy move that you *have to* learn how to do it!

It’s so easy that I won’t even use “Step 1, Step 2, etc.” – because there’s only one step!

How to do a Slip 1 Knitwise

Insert your RN into the next stitch on the LN. Insert the needle just like you were going to knit a stitch. The working yarn should stay in the back, just like it would be if you were doing a knit stitch.

But instead of knitting it, just move it to the RN – UNWORKED.

That’s it! You’ve now done a slip 1 knitwise.

See how easy that was?

If you have a lot of slipped stitches in an area, the piece is likely to be shorter than if it was just done in stockinette stitch. This could be a design feature or a negative, so it’s just good for you to know.

And keep in mind that shorter translates to more rows per inch. For example, if the stockinette gauge is 18 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches, the same yarn with a lot of slipped stitches might be more like 18 stitches and 32 rows per 4 inches.

Abbreviations

You’ll almost always see this abbreviated as Sl1K or Sl1 Kwise.

If it doesn’t say K or Kwise, you should assume it means purlwise. Many patterns will not say anything when they mean purlwise. But, they’ll typically specify when it should be knitwise because you’ll be doing something more than just moving the stitch from one needle to the other.

Sl1K is used in many instances, but it’s often used in brioche knitting patterns.

Try it out Today