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Knit Basics: Purl Through Back Loops (ptbl)

21st March 2022 intermediate 2 min read
Purl Through Back Loops (ptbl) | Knitting tutorial

If you want to twist a stitch you will work it through the back loops. This is fairly easy for a knit stitch, but the technique is a bit trickier for a purl stitch. It is an awkward maneuver, but it will allow you to twist a purl stitch.

1. Bring your right needle to the 'knit' side of your work away from you.

2. Put the tip into the back of the stitch from the right to the left.

3. Purl that stitch.

See it in action in this video:


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About the Author

Carol Feller

Carol trained as a structural engineer, and she brings that love of analysing structure into her knitting, creating complex patterns that are easy to understand, while her approach to process is all about testing and playing, and making mistakes along the way. That’s where the joy lies!

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