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.
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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.
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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.