Knit Two Stitches Together Through the Back Loops (K2tog tbl)

Once you’ve learned to knit and purl, you’ll need to add a few more stitches to your skill set in order to make all sorts of knitting projects. Simple decreases like knit two stitches together (k2tog) and slip, slip, knit (ssk) are found in a variety of patterns. Another easy single decrease that you’ll find is the knit two stitches together through the back loop (K2tog tbl) decrease. In this video, Jen Lucas shows you just how easy this decrease is to work.

This decrease is commonly abbreviated as k2tog tbl in knitting patterns. It’s a left-leaning decrease, similar in look and function to the ssk decrease. The k2tog tbl decrease begins by inserting the right needle into the next two stitches on the left needle through their back loops. The stitches are then knit together to create a single stitch. This particular decrease is considered a single decrease because there is 1 stitch where there were previously 2 stitches.