Knitting Classic Style

Backward Loop CO: Make a loop (using a slip knot) with the working yarn and place it on the needle [first st CO], * wind yarn around left thumb clockwise, insert right-hand needle into the front of the loop on thumb, remove thumb and tighten st on needle; repeat from * for remaining sts to be CO, or for casting on at the end of a row in progress.

Centering Color Patterns: Centering color patterns on a pattern piece is the same whether the piece is knit flat or in the round; the number of stitches on the needles must be counted and divided by the number of stitches in the pattern repeat and the balancing stitch(es), if applicable.

When balancing stitch(es) are present

Balancing stitches are extra stitches which are not repeated; they are added to keep the pattern repeat symmetrical. In the written-out version of a pattern, the repeat and balancing stitches are included in parentheses (e.g., “multiple of 8 sts + 1” is an 8-stitch pattern repeat with 1 balancing stitch); in the charted version of a pattern, the repeat is indicated at the bottom and the balancing stitches fall outside of the marked repeat.

1. Subtract the balancing stitches from the total number of stitches on the needles. 125 is used as the example for this demonstration as the number of stitches over which to center the pattern repeat: 125-1=124.

2. Divide the result in half: 124/2 = 62 stitches.

3. This last number is divided once again, this time by the number of stitches present in the repeat/multiple: 62/8=7.75.

Had this been a whole number, no further calculations would be needed—just begin knitting the first stitch of the repeat. Since it isn’t, go on to Step 4.

4. Multiply the number of complete repeats (7) by the number of stitches in the repeat (8): 7 x 8 = 56.

5. Subtract the number from Step 4 from the number from Step 2: 62 – 56 = 6.

6. Subtract the number from Step 5 from the number of stitches in the stitch repeat: 8 – 6 = 2.

7. Exclude the number from Step 6 in the first repeat worked, i.e., begin on the third stitch of the repeat and continue normally.

Check your work midway though the first row; if the balancing stitch is in the center, all is well.

Whole repeats only

When a repeat doesn’t need to be completed to be symmetrical, there are no “balancing stitches” included. Generally, this occurs when working a pattern with an even number of stitches—the total stitch count will also be an even number.

1. Divide the number of stitches on the needles by the number of stitches in the repeat—for example, if you have 124 stitches on your needles with an 8-stitch repeat, 124/8 = 15.5.

As in the previous example, had the resulting number been a whole number, no further calculations would be needed—just begin knitting the first stitch of the repeat. Since it isn’t, go on to Step 2.

2. Multiply the number of complete repeats (15) by the number of stitches in the repeat (8): 15 x 8 = 120.

3. Subtract the number from Step 2 from the number of stitches on the needles: 124 – 120 = 4.

4. Divide the number from Step 3 in half: 4/2 = 2

5. Exclude the number from Step 4 in the first repeat worked, i.e., begin on the third stitch of the repeat and continue normally.

When knitting, check that an entire repeat has been worked when half the stitches have been knit. If that is the case, continue normally.

Crochet Chain: Make a slipknot and place on hook, * yarn over and draw through loop on hook; repeat from * for desired length.

Duplicate Stitch: Duplicate st is similar to Kitchener st, except it is used for decorative purposes instead of joining two pieces together. Thread a yarn needle with chosen yarn (leaving a tail to be woven in later); *bring the needle from WS to RS of work at the base of the st to be covered, pass the needle under both loops above the st to be covered (the base of the st above); insert the needle into the same place where you started (base of st), and pull yarn through to WS of work. Be sure that the new st is the same tension as the rest of the piece. Repeat from * for additional sts.

A good way to visualize the path of the yarn for Duplicate st is to work a swatch in Stockinette st using main color (MC) for three rows, work 1 row alternating MC and a contrasting color, then work two additional rows using MC only.

Garter Stitch: Knit every row when working back and forth; knit 1 round, purl 1 round when working in the round.

I-Cord: Using a double-pointed needle, cast on or pick up the required number of sts; the working yarn will be at the left-hand side of the needle. *Transfer the needle with the sts to your left hand, bring the yarn around behind the work to the right-hand side; using a second double-pointed needle, knit the sts from right to left, pulling the yarn from left to right for the first st; do not turn. Slide the sts to the opposite end of the needle; repeat from * until the cord is the length desired. Note: After a few rows, the tubular shape will become apparent.

Intarsia Colorwork Method: Use a separate length of yarn for each color section; you may wind yarn onto bobbins to make color changes easier. When changing colors, bring the new yarn up and to the right of the yarn just used to interlock the yarns and prevent leaving a hole; do not carry colors not in use across the back of the work.

Kitchener Stitch: Using a blunt yarn needle, thread a length of yarn approximately 4 times the length of the section to be joined. Hold the pieces to be joined with wrong sides together and with the needles holding the sts parallel, both ends pointing in the same direction. Working from right to left, insert yarn needle into first st on front needle as if to purl, and pull yarn through, leaving st on needle; insert yarn needle into first st on back needle as if to knit, and pull yarn through, leaving st on needle; *insert yarn needle into first st on front needle as if to knit, pull yarn through, remove st from needle; insert yarn needle into next st on front needle as if to purl, pull yarn through, leave st on needle; insert yarn needle into first st on back needle as if to purl, pull yarn through, remove st from needle; insert yarn needle into next st on back needle as if to knit, pull yarn through, leave st on needle. Repeat from *, working 3 or 4 sts at a time, then go back and adjust tension to match the pieces being joined. When 1 st remains on each needle, cut yarn and pass through last 2 sts to fasten off.

Long-tail CO: Leaving tail with about 1” of yarn for each st to be cast-on, make a slipknot in the yarn and place it on the right-hand needle. Insert the thumb and forefinger of your left hand between the strands of yarn so that the working end is around your forefinger, and the tail end is around your thumb ‘slingshot’ fashion; *insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the front loop on the thumb, hook the strand of yarn coming from the forefinger from back to front, and draw it through the loop on your thumb; remove your thumb from the loop and pull on the working yarn to tighten the new st on the right-hand needle; return your thumb and forefinger to their original positions, and repeat from * for remaining sts to be CO.

Pompom: You can use a pompom maker or the following method: Cut two cardboard circles in the diameter of the pompom desired. Cut a 1” diameter hole in the center of each circle. Cut away a small wedge out of each circle to allow for wrapping yarn. Hold the circles together with the openings aligned. Wrap yarn around the circles until there is no room left in the center to wrap. Carefully cut yarn around outer edge of the cardboard circles. Using a 12” length of yarn, wrap around strands between the two circles and tie tightly. Slip the cardboard circles off the completed pompom; trim pompom, leaving the ends of the tie untrimmed. Using ends of tie, sew pompom to garment.

Provisional CO: Using waste yarn, CO the required number of sts; work in Stockinette st for 3-4 rows; work 1 row with a thin, smooth yarn, (crochet cotton or ravel cord used for machine knitting), as a separator; change to main yarn and continue as directed. When ready to work the live sts, pull out the separator row, placing the live sts on a spare needle.

Provisional (Crochet Chain) CO: Using a crochet hook and smooth yarn, (crochet cotton or ravel cord used for machine knitting), work a crochet chain with a few more chains than the number of sts needed; fasten off. If desired, tie a knot on the fastened-off end to mark the end that you will be unraveling from later. Turn the chain over; with a needle 1 size smaller than required for piece and working yarn, and starting a few chains in from the beginning of the chain, pick up and knit one st in each bump at the back of the chain, leaving any extra chains at the end unworked.

Change to needle size required for project on first row.

When ready to work the live sts, unravel the chain by loosening the fastened-off end and ‘unzipping’ the chain, placing the live sts on a spare needle.

Reading Charts: Unless otherwise specified in the instructions, when working back and forth, charts are read from right to left for RS rows, and left to right for WS rows. Row numbers are written at the beginning of each row. Numbers on the right indicate RS rows; numbers on the left indicate WS rows. When working in the round, all rounds are read from right to left.

Sewn BO: Break off yarn, leaving a long tail (approximately 12” for every 10 sts to be BO); thread tail onto yarn needle. With RS facing, tail at left and above work, * insert needle into second st from left as if to knit and into first st as if to purl; pull yarn through and slip first st off the needle. Repeat from * until all sts have been bound off, keeping the tension fairly loose; it may be tightened later.

Short Row Shaping (wrap and turn method): Work the number of sts specified in the instructions, wrap and turn [wrp-t] as follows:

Bring yarn to the front (purl position), slip the next st to the right-hand needle, bring yarn to back of work, return slipped st on right hand needle to left-hand needle; turn, ready to work the next row, leaving remaining sts unworked.

When Short Rows are completed, or when working progressively longer Short Rows, work the wrap together with the wrapped st as you come to it as follows:

If st is to be worked as a knit st, insert the right-hand needle into the wrap from below, then into the wrapped st, and k2tog; if st to be worked is a purl st, insert needle into the wrapped st, then down into the wrap, and p2tog. (Wrap may be lifted onto the left-hand needle, then worked together with the wrapped st if this is easier.)

Short Row Shaping (yarnover method): Instead of wrapping stitches as above, work a yarnover after the turn. Join the Short Rows as instructed in the pattern.

Steek: A steek is a field of extra stitches that is inserted when working Stranded (Fair Isle) style in the round; it will be cut after the piece is finished, e.g., for the front of a cardigan. These stitches are not usually included in the stitch count. Work and cut as instructed in the text. When picking up stitches after cutting a steek, pick up between the last (first) steek stitch and the first (last) pattern stitch; the steek stitches will turn to the WS. To finish, trim the steek sts and whipstitch to WS.

Stranded (Fair Isle) Colorwork Method: When more than one color is used per row, carry color(s) not in use loosely across the WS of work. Be sure to secure all colors at beginning and end of rows to prevent holes.

3-Needle BO: Place the sts to be joined onto two same-size needles; hold the pieces to be joined with the right sides facing each other and the needles parallel, both pointing to the right. Holding both needles in your left hand, using working yarn and a third needle same size or one size larger, insert third needle into first st on front needle, then into first st on back needle; knit these 2 sts together; *knit next st from each needle together (2 sts on right-hand needle); pass first st over second st to BO one st. Repeat from * until one st remains on third needle; cut yarn and fasten off.

Tubular BO: This BO often requires 2 or more rows of Tubular Stockinette st (Tubular St st) before working the actual BO; the edge will be firmer if Tubular St st is done with needles 1 or 2 sizes smaller than size used for ribbing. Work 3 to 5 rows [rnds] in Tubular St st (see below), unless instructed otherwise.

Cut yarn leaving a tail about 4 times the length of edge to be BO (if a large area is to be grafted and the yarn is inclined to fray, it may be necessary to do this in small sections, weaving ends in on wrong side as you go).

Thread tail on a yarn needle. As you work, do not pull the yarn too tightly; try to match the tension of the rest of the knitting; work 3 or 4 sts, then go back and adjust tension if necessary; * insert yarn needle into first st on the left-hand needle as if to knit, and remove it from the needle; insert yarn needle as if to purl in the front of work into the third st (now the second st remaining on the left-hand needle), and pull yarn through; insert yarn needle as if to purl into the second st (now the first st remaining on the left-hand needle), and remove it from the needle; working around the back of the third st (now the first st on the left-hand needle); insert the yarn needle into the fourth st (now the second st on the left-hand needle) as if to knit, and pull the yarn through. Repeat from * until you have BO all sts; pull tail through the remaining st and fasten off.

Tubular CO: This CO often requires 2 or more rows of Tubular Stockinette st (Tubular St st) after the CO and before beginning the ribbing; the edge will be firmer if Tubular St st is done with needles 1 or 2 sizes smaller than size to be used for ribbing. Using ribbing size needles, waste yarn, and using Backwards Loop CO, CO half the number of sts required (plus 1 if an odd number of sts is required); [if desired, knit 1 row with crochet cotton or ravel cord to make it easier to remove waste yarn later]; break yarn. Using larger needles and working yarn, [k1, p1] in each st [or *k1, yo; rep from * across], doubling the number of sts. NOTE: If you require an odd number of sts and are working back and forth, knit the last st (DO NOT double it). If you are working in the round, double the st; you will need to decrease 1 st on the first row after ribbing to return to an odd number of sts.

Work per instructions or work Tubular St st (see below) for 2–4 rows.

Change to ribbing size needles and work for length desired in 1x1 ribbing, or as instructed in the pattern. Remove waste yarn from beginning by pulling ravel cord, or unravel waste yarn.

Tubular Stockinette Stitch (Tubular St st): Two or more rows [rnds] of Tubular St st are often required after working Tubular CO or before working Tubular BO. For working back and forth: Row 1: * K1, slip 1 wyif; rep from * across (end k1 if an odd number of sts). Row 2: (Slip 1 wyif if an odd number of sts) * K1, slip 1 wyif; rep from * across. For working in-the-round: Rnd 1: * K1, slip 1 wyif; rep from * around. Rnd 2: * Slip 1 wyib, p1; rep from * around. Repeat Rows [Rnds] 1 and 2 as specified in the pattern. NOTE: If working before Tubular BO and after 1 or more rows of 1x1 rib, you will be knitting the knit sts and slipping the purl sts on every row.

Twisted Cord: Fold one strand (or number of strands specified in the pattern) in half and secure one end to a stationary object. Twist from other end until it begins to buckle. Fold twisted length in half and holding ends together, allow to twist up on itself. Tie end in an overhand knot to secure.

Yarnover (yo): Bring yarn forward (to the purl position), then place it in position to work the next st. If next st is to be knit, bring yarn over the needle and knit; if next st is to be purled, bring yarn over the needle and then forward again to the purl position and purl. Work the yarnover in pattern on the next row unless instructed otherwise.