Slip, slip, knit (ssk)
Slip two stitches, one at a time, as if to knit from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle. Insert left-hand needle into the two slipped stitches from left to right, and knit them together.
Knit two together (K2tog)
Insert the right-hand needle into the next two stitches on the left-hand needle as if to knit, and knit them together.
Purl two together (P2tog)
Insert the right-hand needle into the next two stitches on the left-hand needle purlwise and purl them together.
Backward Loop Increases (M1)
For a left-leaning backward loop increase (M1L), make a backward loop onto the right needle so that the working yarn points away from you.
For a right-leaning backward loop increase (M1R), make a backward loop onto the right needle so that the working yarn points towards you.
Yarn over (yo)
Bring the working yarn to the front between the two needles. Take the working yarn over the right-hand needle to the back to make your next stitch.
For more information, see Binding Off.
Basic Bind Off
Knit the first two stitches. *Insert the point of your left-hand needle into the first stitch on the right-hand needle, and lift this stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. Knit another stitch, and repeat from *.
Sewn Bind Off
Cut yarn about four times as long as the width to be bound off. Thread this yarn onto a yarn needle. *Sew through two stitches from right to left (A). Sew back through the first stitch from left to right (B). Slip that stitch off the needle (C). Repeat from * until one stitch remains. Sew once more through the last stitch, and slip it off the knitting needle.
Cut yarn, leaving a tail about four times as long as the width to be bound off, and thread it onto a yarn needle. *Insert the tip of the sewing needle as if to knit into the first stitch and slip it off the knitting needle (A). Insert the yarn needle into the third stitch as if to purl and pull the yarn through (B). Insert the yarn needle as if to purl into the second stitch and slide it off the knitting needle (C). Bring the yarn and yarn needle to the back of the work and insert the yarn needle as if to knit into the fourth stitch, pulling the yarn through (D). Note that two stitches have been dropped off the knitting needle and two others have been worked but remain on the knitting needle. These two stitches will be the first and second stitches as you work through each step of the instructions again. Repeat from * until all stitches have been worked.
“As if to knit” or knitwise (kwise)
When a pattern says “slip the next stitch as if to knit” or “slip the next stitch knitwise,” insert your needle into the next stitch from front to back as if you were going to knit it, then slip it to the right-hand needle without knitting it.
“As if to purl” or purlwise (pwise)
When a pattern says “slip the next stitch as if to purl” or “slip the next stitch purlwise,” insert your needle into the next stitch from back to front as if you were going to purl it, then slip it to the right-hand needle without purling it.
Blocking
Most of the time when I complete a pair of socks, they move off the needles and onto my family’s feet without a moment’s thought. For gift giving, however, I do block. To block finished socks, first soak them in warm water and a no-rinse wool wash such as Eucalan. Squeeze to remove the excess water. Place them in an empty washing machine and run one spin only cycle. A great low-cost, low-energy alternative to this is a salad spinner; I like OXO’s large capacity model. Once you’ve spun the socks, remove them from the washing machine or spinner and place them on sock blockers to dry. Fiber Trends offers these in a variety of sizes, but you can also make your own out of old wire coat hangers bent into the shape and size of a foot. Allow the socks to dry completely before removing the blocker.
Knit through the back loop (Ktbl)
Insert the right-hand needle into the part of the next stitch that lies behind the left-hand needle and work from that position.
Working with more than one color while knitting is not difficult if you follow a couple of basic rules. Do not carry your yarn for more than three stitches without twisting the colors on the wrong side of the work.
Carrying your yarn across more than three stitches results in long floats that catch fingers and toes, and can cause stitch distortion on the right side of your work. For contrasting colors used in short sections, I generally use yarn bobbins. These can be purchased or hand-cut from scraps of thin cardboard. If you have never worked with color before, try stranding on a swatch using both one- and two-handed techniques to determine which gives you more consistent tension on all stitches.
Weaving in the ends
When your project is complete, you are left with yarn “tails.” First take the tail ends to the wrong side of your fabric, threading them onto a darning needle to draw them through. Using the darning needle, weave each tail, one at a time, across the wrong side of the fabric, under the purl bumps of the stitches. A general rule of thumb is to weave each yarn tail across a minimum of four stitches and change directions at least three times. Once you have woven in the yarn, use your fingers to gently tug and stretch the fabric a bit to even the tension, then clip the yarn end close to the work.
For more information, see Tips for Working Wrapped Stitches.
Lifting and knitting a wrap on the right side
Insert the tip of the right-hand needle under the near side of the wrap. Lift the wrap straight up and onto the left-hand needle (A). The wrap will cross over the stitch to form an X-shape, with the top of the wrap to the right of the top of the stitch. Knit the stitch and wrap together by inserting the right needle between the bottom legs of this X and then straight back so the needle goes between the 2 vertical strands behind the needle (B). It’s important to be certain that you’ve knitted into the middle of the wrap loop just as you would any stitch.
Lifting and purling a wrap on the wrong side
Insert the tip of the right-hand needle under the far side of the wrap and lift it onto the left needle (A). Then purl together the wrap and its stitch (B).