How to Decrease

Decreasing is how you take stitches away — working two stitches together so a piece narrows, rounds off or domes into shape. It’s the shaping heart of half our shop: the counted decrease rounds that dome a tea cozy over its teapot, the crown rows that close the top of a beanie, and every amigurumi head that curves in before the stuffing goes in.

Step by step

Know the two stitch counts — the one you start with and the one you should finish with. Our patterns always give both, so read a decrease row right through before you work it; if your finished count doesn’t match the “after” number, something has slipped.
In crochet, the everyday decrease is sc2tog: insert your hook into the next stitch and pull up a loop, insert it into the following stitch and pull up another loop (three loops on the hook), then yarn over and pull through all three. Two stitches have become one, neat as you like. (In UK terms this is dc2tog, because UK double crochet is the same stitch as US single crochet.)
For a nearly invisible crochet decrease, use the front loops only: hook through the front loop of the next stitch and the front loop of the one after, yarn over and pull through both loops, then yarn over and pull through the two loops on your hook. Amigurumi makers swear by it, because it leaves no gap for stuffing to peek through.
In knitting, k2tog is the workhorse: knit two stitches together exactly as if they were one. It leans to the right, which matters when decreases come in pairs — its left-leaning partner is ssk: slip two stitches one at a time as if to knit, slip them back onto the left needle, and knit them together through their back loops.
Space decreases evenly when a pattern says “decrease so-many stitches across the round”. Divide your stitch count by the number of decreases and work them at regular intervals, never bunched at one end — domes and crowns only curve smoothly if the decreases spread themselves out.
Use a stitch marker at the start of decrease rounds worked in a spiral. Amigurumi shaping goes wrong quietly, and the marker tells you where the round truly ends so your decreases land where the pattern counted them.
Keep your tension even, and don’t pull decreases extra tight in an effort to be tidy. A strained decrease puckers the fabric and makes the next round’s stitches hard to find; snug and normal beats tight every time.
Count after every decrease round, not just at the end of the section. A shaping ladder — like our pumpkin’s mirror-image decrease ladder — only mirrors if every step matches, and one extra stitch found early is a two-minute fix instead of an evening’s unpicking.
On the last decrease rounds of a stuffed piece, get the stuffing in before the opening closes right up. Those final rounds are your last chance to fill the piece plump and even, so stuff as you go and add the last wisps with a chopstick or pencil end.

Patterns that use it

Kangaroo Road Sign Beanie & Scarf Knitting Pattern | Aussie Intarsia Set, 3 Sizes, DK PDF

Aussie Fauna Tea Cozy Crochet Patterns | Koala, Kangaroo & Joey, Kookaburra | 3 Cozies in 2 Sizes PDF

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Crochet Collection Vol 1 | Grooved Pumpkins in 4 Sizes & Acorns PDF

Aussie Thanksgiving Table Decor Crochet Patterns Vol 2 | Acorn & Leaf Garland, Mini Pumpkins, Napkin Rings PDF

Bin Chicken Amigurumi Crochet Pattern | Funny Aussie Ibis Plush with Chip & Rubbish Bin PDF

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Common mistakes

Reaching for k2tog for every knitted decrease, so paired decreases both lean the same way. Where a pattern pairs them, the left-leaning ssk is k2tog’s partner — use each where it’s written or the shaping twists instead of mirroring.
Bunching the decreases at the start or end of a round instead of spreading them evenly. A dome or crown only curves smoothly when the decreases are spaced at regular intervals all the way around.
Pulling each decrease extra tight in an effort to look tidy. A strained decrease puckers the fabric and buries the next round’s stitches so they’re hard to find.

Tina’s tips

Count out loud at the end of every decrease round and say the number against the pattern’s “after” count. It feels daft for one round and saves the whole piece by round six.
Start stuffing earlier than feels necessary, and keep a chopstick by your chair for the last wisps. Those final rounds close up faster than you expect, and a plump, even fill is near impossible once the opening is small.
Work your decreases evenly and your tea cosy will dome smoothly instead of puckering.