A very nearly invisible increase
Here is an increase which is as invisible as any increase can well be--the sort of increase you would do in the middle of a field of stockinette, should you ever need to do such a thing.
Step 1 (above): The green stitch is the next stitch on the left needle, the red stitch is the stitch under that. The blue yarn is the yarn of the current row--called the running yarn.
Step 2 (above): Insert the head of the right needle into the red stitch as shown.
Step 3 (above): Place the head of the red stitch on the left needle--arrange it untwisted, with the right arm forward.
Step 4 (above): With the running yarn (blue) knit the red stitch AND the green stitch.
That's it. Neat, huh?
--TECHknitter
(You have been reading TECHknitting on: Invisible increases)
Step 1 (above): The green stitch is the next stitch on the left needle, the red stitch is the stitch under that. The blue yarn is the yarn of the current row--called the running yarn.* * *
Step 2 (above): Insert the head of the right needle into the red stitch as shown.* * *
Step 3 (above): Place the head of the red stitch on the left needle--arrange it untwisted, with the right arm forward.
* * *
Step 4 (above): With the running yarn (blue) knit the red stitch AND the green stitch.That's it. Neat, huh?
--TECHknitter
(You have been reading TECHknitting on: Invisible increases)
contents © 2006-2009 by techknitting@hotmail.com
30 Comments:
Would this pull the stitch below a little bit upwards?
I assume you don't need to knit the red stitch through the back loop like you do with the M1, right?
Zounds. I'll have to remember that one (I say that pretty much every time I read your blog).
I use this increase all the time and love it--it really is nearly invisible. I have a question about your second picture there: Unless I'm looking at it wrong, it looks like the red stitch is coming in front of the green stitch, rather than staying behind it, implying that you'd lift the stitch underneath up and over the stitch on the needle. (What it actually looks like is how the technique looks from the back, I think, or like the red stitch is a purl.) However in image 3 the red stitch is back behind the green one. I just mention it because I wouldn't want anyone to be confused by the illustration! You have such a great resource here...
You can mirror this increase by knitting the stitch, and then knitting into the lower (red) stitch, but on the right-hand needle (the one just knit). I use this technique for toe up socks and for shaping sleeves. It's no good for stranded mittens though.
Hi Everyone.
Isela--Yes, it does pull the stitch up somewhat, but try for yourself--I find this increase nearly undetectable.
Jocelyn--the reason to knit through the back loop is to tighten up a stitch, or to prevent a hole as in a YO. In this increase, there is no such problem, so you are correct--there is no reason to knit tbl.
Ashley--THANK YOU for identifying the error in the illustrations. I have corrected illustrations 2 and 4. Do they look better to you now?
LaurieM--you bet you can mirror it, but since it is a nearly undetectable increase, I thought that putting in the mirror image would be too much information--like the medieval stone carvers who put eyelashes on angels--despite the fact that the stone angels were to be set on top of a cathedral. Thanks though, for boldly going into that territory.
I used this increase long years ago when I was adapting a sleeve knitted flat to knitting in the round. It was the most invisible increase I could find for the pattern! I'm surprised it's not used more often.
Hi techknitter, I really enjoy reading this blog, thanks for the great work.
I think I'm seeing the corrected version but I am confused by the last illustration. It looks like the left leg of the red stitch should be behind the green stitch not in between it. It seems inconsistent with the previous illustrations.
Hi Anonymous--I think (ARrrrrgh!) that these illustrations have a HEX on them. I've replaced the fourth illustration for the second time. Does it look OK to you all now?
Thanks for catching it
--TECHknitter
I think that I speak for all your regular readers when I say that we DO appreciate the incredible amount of time and effort that goes into getting this stuff correct.
Have you ever thought about approaching a publisher?
Hi Catsmum--Thanks for your kind words. As far as a publisher -- maybe after a couple of years' worth of stuff. There's so much more to come -- finishing, a nifty way to keep track of cables, how to line a sweater, on and on and on. For right now, I still have some tricks with color knitting coming--the samples take a long time to knit, through.
Thanks again to Catsmum and to all the eagle-eyed correctors--I very much appreciate your writing
--TECHknitter
Fantastic! Thanks so much!
Thanks!
The corrected illustrations look perfect--and I totally second Catsmum. You should be publishing this stuff!
I love your attention to detail. You care so very much and share so much of yourself . Thank you, thank you, thank you. YOU make me a better knitter and you are so motivating.
Wow - I am very new to knitting and haven't had luck with ANY type of increase - either I get a nasty looking "bump" in my work or a huge gap - this is the ONLY increase I use anymore because it is so flawless. Thank you so much for your site and these wonderful diagrams!
Thank you so much! Your illustrations are great.
Is this what is known as the "lifted increase?" I am finishing up my swatches for Master Knitter Level 1 and the lifted increase is the only one that is unfamiliar to me.
Thanks so much! I love the color coding! It's so much easier to understand then just black and white.
thank you! this is great!
I am new to knitting and it took me awhile to realize this has to be done on a previous row of purl stitches, right? I was trying to increase while doing garter stitches. Thanks for your site!
Hi Missy--the nearly invisible increase is actually done on the face of stockinette fabric, with the knit stitches facing you. If you tried this increase in garter stitch it would not be nearly invisible--in fact, you would disrupt the pattern in a obvious way. If you want to increase in garter stitch, I suggest the "two handy increases, one slanting left, one slanting right." You can navigate to that post using the indexes, in the right-hand column of the blog. As far as which one to use--the right or the left--it really won't make any difference at all in garter stitch.
Thanks for writing --TK
Thanks so much for your great web site. I am teaching myself knitting & your diagrams & explainations make things click- so I understand what I'm trying to do.
I've used your invisible increases on a circular stockinette cowl I am knitting & they turned out great. What I especially like is the lack of direction of the increases- they are subtle.
Linked here from http://lostthethread.blogspot.com/2008/06/greenleaf-hat.html
and oh my gosh, I am so impressed by your clear diagrams that I can't wait to try out some of your other techniques. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the world!
Holy cow! You offer clear answers to problems I didn't even know I had! Question: How do you do your illustrations? By hand? Some drawing program?
Thank you! I am using this technique now on Pocket Book Slippers. It looks nice in the garter stitch.
Thank you! This increase is working perfectly for a baby sweater I'm making that calls for increases in a section of stockinette stitch. None of the other increases I had tried looked right, but this one is great! :)
Is this increase only for work on straight needles?
I've been having the hardest time cause I keep getting a gap when I use it and I was wondering if it had to with the fact that I am knitting in the round...:(
Hi Vanessa--this increase works in the round, or at least, it does for me. Can you get it to work when you do it in flat knitting? If so, I would wonder why knitting in the round has a different outcome, given that this increase is done on the front face ("knit side") of a stockinette fabric.
Try it on a flat fabric and write again, OK?
Best, TK
I figured it out! I was knitting into the front of the lifted stitch instead of the back, that's why I was getting a hole.
Sorry for my silliness! Thank you though, because it is very invisible ^_^
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