Centred Double Decrease at a Lace Spine
A centred double decrease (s2kp or sk2p) at the spine of a top-down triangular lace shawl produces a clean vertical line where the spine meets the rest of the shawl. Without the centred decrease, the spine looks ragged.
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Setup
Place a stitch marker on either side of a single spine stitch. Work paired increases (typically YO) on either side of the marker pair on every right-side row.
The centred decrease
When the increases would otherwise produce a "step" in the spine line, work s2kp at the spine: slip 2 stitches together knitwise, knit the spine stitch, pass the 2 slipped stitches over. The spine continues as a clean vertical column.
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Visual effect
The spine reads as a single vertical column running from top to bottom of the shawl, with the lace pattern flowing outward from it on either side.
When to use
Top-down triangular lace shawls. Centre-out shawls with a vertical spine. Mitred squares with a centred decrease at the corner.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| s2kp | slip 2 together knitwise, k1, pass 2 slipped over |
Tips
- Use s2kp at the spine for the cleanest vertical centre line.
- Place markers on either side of the spine stitch to keep the column visible.
- Block carefully to set the spine — it can twist if blocked sloppily.
In depth
A centred double decrease at the spine of a triangular shawl preserves the visual continuity of the spine as the shawl grows. Without it, the spine becomes a series of small steps; with it, the spine is a clean vertical line that frames the lace pattern.