(By Far) The Easiest Way to K4Tog.

I have published earlier a post on an easy way to k4tog - knit 4 stitches together - which is an essential stitch in my Cloud mitten pattern. As you might already know it is a bit challenging especially with 2.5 mm bamboo needles that not only have sharp tips but are bendy and especially prone to snapping. Stubborn as I am, I wasn't going to give up and change the design just to make it easier to knit. So I came up with the idea of using a tiny crochet hook to pull the working stitch through other three. 

I was planning to use this same method when knitting the second pair of Cloud mittens, but alas, I couldn't find the hook anywhere. I seem to have misplaced it and I just can't remember where I put it... And as you know I don't crochet often so the second smallest hook I had was size 3.5 mm which didn't work for this purpose for obvious reasons. 

So I was back to square one trying to figure out how to do the k4tog in an easy way when I got the idea of reversing the s3k1psso which is so much easier and more comfortable to knit than the infamous k4tog. And I can with all certainty say that this is by far the easiest way to k4tog ever.

OK, so this is how you do it.

Step 1. You knit the first stitch from your left needle (LN). Nothing fancy or weird here, just a normal k 1.

Step 2. Insert the tip of you LN into the stitch you just knitted and slip it back to the LN. Make sure you don't twist the stitch. 

Step 3. With your right needle (RN) pick up the second stitch on your LN as if to purl and pass the stitch over the first stitch (the one you knitted and slipped back). 

Step 4. Repeat the third step two more times. 3 stitches decreased.

Step 5. Slip the first stitch on your LN back to the right one as if to purl. K4tog is now ready! Continue with your knitting feeling great (no curse words here!).

P.S. I'm so stoked to share this with you because I didn't get the "wow amazing!"-respond I was looking for when trying to explain it to my husband. All I got was a weird look when I was doing a little happy-dance around our apartment. So I hope you are as excited and happy as I am. ;)