Glossary / Pass slipped stitch over
pssoPass slipped stitch over
Lifting a slipped stitch over a worked one to decrease, the way binding off does.
How to work it
It never appears alone. A pattern will tell you to slip a stitch, work one or more stitches, then pass the slipped stitch over the ones you just worked and off the needle. The lifted stitch is consumed and your count drops. The motion is exactly the one used to bind off, and it is the building block inside sk2p and many older decrease instructions.
Common confusions
What does psso mean?
In knitting patterns, psso means Pass slipped stitch over. Lifting a slipped stitch over a worked one to decrease, the way binding off does.
Is sl1, k1, psso the same as ssk?
Nearly. Both make a single left-leaning decrease and older patterns treat them as interchangeable. ssk sits a little flatter and more even, which is why most modern patterns switched to it. If a vintage pattern says sl1, k1, psso, working an ssk instead is a safe substitution.
How many stitches does psso remove?
One, every time it appears. The confusion comes from instructions like sk2p where psso follows a k2tog, so the whole sequence removes two stitches. Count what psso itself does separately from whatever it is paired with.
In other languages
| Language | Term | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| English | Pass slipped stitch over | psso |
| Español | Pasar el punto deslizado por encima | no standard code |
| Deutsch | Abgehobene Masche überziehen | überz. |
| Français | Passer la maille glissée par-dessus | no standard code |
| Italiano | Accavallare la maglia passata | no standard code |
| 日本語 | すべり目をかぶせる | no standard code |
Related stitches
Keep your place while you work this stitch. Worsted counts your rows and rounds and remembers your spot in the pattern, for crochet and knitting.
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