Tuesday, September 06, 2016

the ssk and k2tog memory challenge solved: sept post 6

Thank you for the comments yesterday. My  problem is solved, and then some. First this:
Wilderness Scarves in Tahki Spencer yarn, shot by yours truly a few months ago for their new lookbook, Knit Country.  Pattern here or on Ravelry here . Location and styling (and fab vintage coat) credit to  Karin Strom.  This bulky felted wool tape style yarn looked like it'd be fun to knit quickly--and these scarves are definitely fun to wear . what? wouldn't you try on the samples at a photo shoot???)

But back to the SSK and K2tog question, in which I wondered how others recall which way the SSK leans and which way the K2tog. 

So many excellent answers ! Thank you!  It's a wealth of ideas and I'm thrilled.  The three I am pretty sure I can retain:

Manise said  "Lean to the right- k2tog -right leaning
Skip to the left- ssk- left leaning
"

 A clue in the spelling/words. I can do that!

Helen said "...your needle is pointing in the direction of the slant. Towards the right with k2tog and left with ssk"
Mechanical reasoning--duh! This is the way I think, and I'm astounded I never quite, ummm, noticed.


Susan from Katonah  really tickled me with her method when she said "The upright on a 2 leans right, as does a k2tog. The upright on an S leans left, as does a ssk. Thats my trick. I write 2s and Ss in the air and mutter. I suspect it scares people in coffee shops."
I love it-- typography to the rescue! I can totally do this. I hope to be frightening people in coffee shops soon, right with her.

And most interestingly, Denise from Lost City Knits mentioned this,  a question I was thinking but didn't even get around to to posting outloud
"And if you want to use the same stitches that Shetlanders use (SSK was invented by Barbara G Walker and is therefore fairly new) instead of the SSK use a knit 2 together through the back loop or a slip, knit, psso."
I grew up knitting without an SSK--it was always one of the methods Denise mentioned. When I encountered the SSK in the last decade, I just thought maybe my family didn't knit that way, so had never passed it on.  Case closed! 


PS I am still using an old Blogger platform that doesn't allow me to hit reply to most comments, any address or link is removed --so please don't think I'm rude. I appreciate all your comments :-)




5 comments:

Carole said...

Gorgeous photos, Gale! I didn't realize SSK was a newer stitch, I suppose because I've only been knitting for about 15 years. Great ideas for remembering which stitch is which!

The Mom said...

Thanks for the info! Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this.

AsKatKnits said...

I love this information about knitting history! And, what clever clues! :)

jordi said...

I am laughing from reading that last comment about ssk because when I said the slant on the chart was essentially the direction your needle went I had totally forgotten that ssk did NOT mean k together thru back loop. I have made that change in my mind for so long that I forget that it doesn't mean that!

Anonymous said...

I just came across the needle direction thing myself this past year and it has cleared up yearsssssss of confusion for me. :) Helen