Llearning with Llamas: Stacked Decreases

Last week in Llearning with Llamas, we went over part one of making the stacked increases and decreases called for in the Never Never Socks. If you missed it you can read that HERE. In that tutorial I went over the process of adding stacked increases to knitting. Stacked increases are a lot like working bobbles, and if you work them without stacked decreases to balance theme, they look like bobbles as well.

This week, we’re going to continue working on the swatch we started last week. This is the swatch I recommend working to get accustomed to stacked increases and decreases before casting on the Never Never Socks. You can snag the pattern for the swatch, as well as the first part of the Never Never KAL HERE.

Stacked Decreases

When I worked the stacked increases in this swatch, I increased 1 stitch into 9. So, that means 8 total stitches were added. This creates the gray hills on the pattern. In order to return to the original stitch count, you have to decrease 8 stitches as well. We’ll do this in the valleys between each of the gray hills. The result is 2 colors that lock together like jigsaw puzzle pieces.

1. Because this swatch was worked flat, the first step is to decrease stitches on the right edge using regular decreases, in this case an SSK.
   • Stacked decreases are worked between to hills of stacked increases.
   • The stitches decreased at the start of the row are to account for the stitches running up the hill of the first stack of increases.
2. Following your pattern, knit as instructed, stopping just before the 3 stitches at the very center of the valley between 2 stacks.
3. For the increases on this swatch, I worked KyoK (knit, yarn over, knit) into one stitch, and then Sl2B (slip 2 back). That increased 1 stitch into 3, and I then slipped 2 of the increased stitches back onto the right needle to work into the center most stitch of the increase (the yarn over). This created the stack of stitches all on top of each other. We’ll follow the same method for our decrease, but reverse it so that when I slip back I’ll slip the stitch just decreased, and the stitch just before it.
4. Knit the 3 stitches at the center of the valley together using the K3tog stitch. This means you will insert your needle from front to back through 3 stitches and then knit through them as if they were 1 stitch, and decrease the 3 stitches into 1 stitch.
5. Sl2B. Here you have slipped the stitch made in the K3tog, as well as 1 stitch from the hill of the stack of increases on the right of the valley.
6. K3tog again. Here the 3 stitches being knit together are the 2 slipped back in the last step, plus 1 stitch from the hill of the stack of increases to the left of the valley.
7. Repeat as directed, making sure to decrease the same number of sts that you increased. When you finish the row, you should be back to the original stitch count.

And that’s it! It’s a fun and deceptively simple technique that adds a lot of character to knitting, and is a great way to transition between 2 colors.

I’ll be back next week with a tutorial on working a German Short Row Heel, and Friday I’ll be posting the next piece of the Never Never KAL. If you are knitting along with me on the Never Never Socks or just making a swatch to learn stacked increases and decreases, make sure to show off your work and tag me @doctor_llama on Instagram so I can cheer on the sidelines of your knitting progress!

~Megan-Anne

Today is a great day to make a swatch and arrest the officers that killed Breonna Taylor.