Twisted Knit Increase

Mar 17, 2010

Twisted Knit Increase

I have figured something out while I’ve been designing knit patterns, but I don’t know what it’s called, or if it even already exists in the lexicon of knitting.

I like a KFB increase, because it doesn’t leave a hole like M1, which seems to be what most people use. Also because I’m making toys, I use a smaller needle than is recommended for the yarn, so that makes things all the tighter and picking up random stitches can be awkward. On the downside, a KFB leaves a bar on the second stitch.

I don’t like the bar, so I made a modification to the KFB that makes the front of a stocking (US: stockinette) panel smooth.

Twist the stitch on the left needle as here: twisted-knit

Then knit once in the back loop and then once into the front loop. (The opposite order of a typical KFB). So it would be something like TKBF.

Have any of you knitters heard of this before? I’ve searched, because I want to call it the right thing when I use it in my own designs. If it doesn’t exist, I think I’ll call it the Drummond Twist! … although that sounds a bit like an alcoholic beverage. One of my brothers used to call me his “twisted sister” (har har), but I have the feeling I’d better play this straight. :D

Try it and let me know what you think of the outcome! If you have already heard of doing this, let me know what it’s called… pleasssssssssse! I can’t find anything like it elsewhere!

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3 Comments

  1. Girl Fren'
    20 March 2010

    You showed me this stitch when we visited in February. I like it far better than the common increase when turning the heel of a sock (which I love to knit). In the past, sock-knitters have learned to live with the uniform little row of holes; we were brainwashed into thinking of it as a “design feature.” Your increase is going into all my socks. You ROCK!

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  2. denizb33
    21 March 2010

    I read this post when you first posted it and got hopelessly lost because I have such a hard time visualising written directions. But it must have stuck in my subconscious because my current project calls for increases and the M1 put a hole in there – I don’t remember having this problem with M1 in other projects? Anyway, about three rows in, after trying M1 again and then attempting to knit in the front and back of each stitch (which I think I’m doing wrong) as well as a wrap around, I ended up doing exactly what you describe here, and it got rid of the hole! I’ve never seen it described anywhere else, so I think I’ll start calling it the Drummond Twist :-)

  3. judy
    14 August 2010

    I came upon this link for M1 in knitting. Is the 3rd option what you are meaning?

    http://www.knittingonthenet.com/learn/learnmake1.htm

    Judy