P2tog (Purl Two Together)
P2tog is the wrong-side equivalent of k2tog and the standard right-leaning decrease in purl. Insert the right needle into the next two stitches as if to purl, purl them together, and slip them off.
Mechanics
Insert the right needle from right to left through the next two stitches on the left needle. Purl them as a single stitch. Slip both off the left needle together.
Visual
On the right side of stockinette (which is the wrong side of a purl row), p2tog reads as a small right-leaning decrease — visually identical to k2tog worked from the opposite side.
When to use
Wrong-side decrease rows in stockinette. Decreases in reverse stockinette. The base of decreases in seed stitch and other knit-purl textures where the decrease falls on a purl stitch.
Pairing
For symmetric decreases worked on the wrong side, pair p2tog with ssp (slip, slip, purl).
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| p2tog | purl two together |
| ssp | slip slip purl |
Tips
- Use p2tog on wrong-side rows wherever k2tog appears on the right side.
- For symmetric wrong-side decreases, pair p2tog with ssp.
- In reverse stockinette, p2tog and ssp are the standard shaping decreases.
In depth
P2tog is the purl-side equivalent of k2tog and behaves identically: two stitches become one, with a right lean from the right side of the work. Most patterns substitute p2tog automatically when a decrease falls on a wrong-side row.