A simple way of increasing two purl stitches at the same time can be achieved by picking up the bar between two stitches and purling into the front and back of that bar.
A simple way of increasing two stitches at the same time can be achieved by picking up the bar between two stitches and knitting into the front and back of that bar.
Watch or read this step by step guide to knitting yarn overs. Making a yarn over is a simple way to increase stitches and make a hole in your knitting.
At the bottom of a cable you often need to increase very quickly right from the centre of a stitch.
This method of making 5 stitches out of 1 makes an even, centered set of increases.
At the bottom of a cable you often need to increase very quickly right from the centre of a stitch.
This method of making 3 stitches out of 1 makes an even, centered set of increases.
See the Right and Left Lifted increases being worked this video or scroll down further for photo tutorials.
LI or RLI:
With your right needle lift the right leg of the stitch below the left needle.
Pop it onto the left needle and knit it.
Remember though that the existing stitch on the left needle stays there it should not be dropped off the needle.
LIB or LLI:
To keep this increase in the same place you will work it on the other side of the stitch. This means that you are picking up a loop from the row below as you have just knit the stitch.
Pick up the left side of the stitch 2 rows below the last stitch on your right needle with your left needle.
To mount this stitch correctly we will knit into the back of the loop on the needle.
Remember again to leave the stitch on the needle (or you aren't increasing a new stitch!).
Why not give this technique a try in the following patterns:
When working in lace you must always take care to match any increase (yo) with a decrease so that your stitch count remains constant (unless you are told otherwise in the pattern). If you are working a lace panel with stitches increases being worked at each side you should make sure to mark the start and end of the lace panel. When enough stitches have been increased at either side you can then include these stitches in the lace repeat and move the lace start and end markers outside this new repeat.
In our example the increased stitches are shown with a light grey background (dark grey is a 'no stitch' space). When enough stitches have been increases at each side to work another pattern repeat this new repeat is shown with a pink background. If you do not have enough stitches to complete a lace repeat just work the extra stitch(es) in knit or purl to match the pattern. In our example they are worked as knit stitches.
Above is shown a simple lace pattern.
The lace pattern repeat is shown in the red box (2 stitch, 4 row repeat). Dark grey is a 'no stitch' place holder. Light grey is an increase stitch, I'll use M1 as our increase for this example. Our new full lace pattern repeat is shown in pink.
Row 1 (RS): M1, place marker for start of lace repeat, (yo, k2tog) twice, place marker for end of lace repeat, M1.
Row 2 (WS): P6.
Row 3 (RS): M1, k1, remove marker, (ssk, yo) twice, remove marker, k1, M1.
Row 4 (WS): P8. We have now got enough stitches on each side for a full repeat of the lace (2 stitches) so we will move the markers out.
Row 5 (RS): Place marker for new start of lace repeat, (yo, k2tog) 4 times, place marker for new end of lace repeat.
Why not give this technique a try in the following patterns:
If you work a yarnover between two knit stitches it's very simple, just wrap the yarn around the needle in the direction you wrap your yarn when you knit.
However when you are working a yarnover between and knit and purl stitch it becomes trickier. In order to wrap the yarn around the needle you have to bring the yarn to the front of the work (in order the work the next purl stitch) and then wrap it around the needle. This uses more yarn and therefore creates a larger yarnover.
It is possible to wrap the yarn in the other direction around the needle, this creates a stitch that is mounted backwards on the needle so you will have to knit into the other side of the yarnover on the next row. It does however create a smaller yarnover.
I've put a small video together showing these two different methods below:
Read our Knit Basics Purl Stitch Tutorial
