I'm knitting my first pair of socks on DPNs. The instructions state to ssk. The glossary says this means to slip 2 stitches and then knit the 2 together. How can I do this if I have slipped them to the working needle? What is the point in slipping them if I'm just going to knit them together anyway? Does this make sense to anyone?

This is the SSK (slip, slip knit) decrease. It's a left-slanting decrease, while the K2tog (knit two together) decrease is a right-slanting decrease. Have a look here (http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/decrease.php). It explains it really well.

SSK means slip one stitch knitways then the next knitways, pass them back to the left needle (basically you have twisted them) and then knit them together. As Hectate says it gives the opposite slant to a K2Tog - mine are never as neat though:suspect:

When I do a ssk, I slip the first stitch knitways, then slip the next stitch knitways, then instead of slipping them back to the left needle, I put the point of the left needle into the first slipped stitch(that's the second from last stitch on the right needle) in a right to left direction and knit the two stitches together. It's so much easier to show someone than describe it.
You will find your own preferred way after a few attempts. Good luck though and we DO expect to see the piccies:D

*Salutes turra* Yessir! Pictures will be shown!

Thanks for the help everyone. I didn't realise that slipping the two stitches would twist them, I get it now.

Isn't it hard to explain what you mean when you can't show someone with the work in front of you? Practical advice is always so much easier when you can see what people are doing with their hands and the yarn.

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhLgFeeudMY) might be helpful? :)

If you don't like working an SSK, then you can knit the two stitches together through the back of the loop instead, as this gives a left slanting decrease too.

or slip 1, knit 1 then pass the slipped stitch over. That was the left decrease my mum used to do.

This reminds me of when I was trying to learn the Kitchener stitch (something which I still have a bit of a mental block about; I always have to refer to my crib sheet even now). I had an excellent article from Knitty, clearly illustrated with lots of photos, but it wasn't until I watched the video at Knitting at KNoon (link in the Recommended Links section), that I really got it.

My first point of call with anything new is always KnittingHelp.com; the videos there are very clear. There are also some excellent instructional videos on YouTube - thanks to beansforyou for pointing me in their direction. I hadn't thought to use that site until she sent me a link.

Photos of my first sock! It has holes at either side of the heel, a couple of ladders, it is 2cm too big and the toe is wonky and the heel is pointy but I love it soooooo much! The other one is on the needles as we speak.

Modelled by me (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0017.jpg)

Heel (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0016.jpg)

Another heel (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0014.jpg)

Finished (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0013.jpg)

They are super Gempud. Well done. What yarn did you use and is that a short row heel I see? Which pattern did you follow?
My first pair were very much like yours - with ladders and on the first one the gusset shaping somehow managed to be *astray*:o shall we say. They are supposed to line up with the toe decreasings but this one didin't. Nevertheless my daughter for whom they were made wears them to death. hope you get loads of enjoyment out of the sock knitting bug:thumbsup: I promise you there will be more pairs flying off the needles:love:

Good grief! A short row heel! All first pairs of socks have ladders - it's one of the knitting laws. The first one looks great. I'm particularly impressed with that heel; short rows and I love the way the stripes have been formed.

Good luck with the second one :) .

Photos of my first sock! It has holes at either side of the heel, a couple of ladders, it is 2cm too big and the toe is wonky and the heel is pointy but I love it soooooo much! The other one is on the needles as we speak.

Modelled by me (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0017.jpg)

Heel (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0016.jpg)

Another heel (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0014.jpg)

Finished (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Sock%20Kit/DSCF0013.jpg)

Really lovely - and a very neat attempt at a short row heel - its fantastic. I too got a hole at the heel corners using the wrap method but didnt when I used the PGR yarn over method (although that method did take a bit of getting used to to get a good finish on both sides). I like the yarn - what is it?

Oooooh I have such a big head now! Thanks for the compliments. The yarn is the Sloe colourway from Curious Yarns. I thought the colour looked quite dull when I saw it but when it's knitted up it's lovely. I found it an easy yarn to knit with too. The pattern is also from Curious Yarns as it was a sock kit that I bought. From what I can gather it's just a basic sock pattern. Yes it is a short row heel and it confused the hell out of me at first but I got it eventually. I think the holes at either side are from when the pattern said to make a stitch at either side by picking up the yarn inbetween 2 stitches. I think maybe I should have knitted it through the back or something to avoid the hole.
I love the way the yarn seems to stripe on the heel. It's not supposed to do that but I'm guessing the yarn must just suit short rows. I have many many many more planned but not til next year as I have soooo many other things to knit!

Congrats on your first sock! im still working on mine :( (on and off)

That yarn is fab, i like the colour too.

Gotta ask...what is your avatar Gempud? Is it an album cover?

Lol, have you seen The Incredibles (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/)? The DVD has an extra feature on it called Boundin'. It was also shown before the film at the cinema. It's a funny cartoon of a sheep who dances and is really proud of his large fleece until someone comes along and shears him and leaves him naked. He then gets really depressed until a Jackalope (a fictional animal I presume) comes along and teaches him how to be happy again by basically bounding and jumping around and the moral of the story (as usual) is that it doesn't matter what you look like etc etc :gag:

Anyway, it's funny and cute and it makes me laugh. My avatar is a pic that I found of the sheep when he's all sad and depressed and it says 'Poor sad naked sheep'.

I'm sure you will all sleep so much better tonight now that you know that :)

Boundin' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQeJE47VbhY)

This is my favouritist of the short animations done by Pixar - it's just amazing!

I've often looked at your avi and wondered if it is the same poor sheepy :) i'm more like the Jackalope ;) lol

Thanks for sharing that :) , i'd been trying to work out what it was, i was never gonna guess it was a sheep, because i'd never seen that animation, just watched it on youtube though.