Pattern Basics/Techniques

There are several basic techniques often used in knitting patterns. They are listed below for easy reference.

Long Tail Cast On – Provides a firm, yet elastic cast on edge. Step 1: Measure out a length approximately four times longer than the width of the finished piece. Make a slip knot. Step 2: Wrap the working yarn around index finger and the yarn tail over the thumb. Hold both yarn ends with last three fingers. Step 3: Insert needle under yarn in front of thumb and over and behind yarn on index finger and down through loop on thumb. Step 4: Remove thumb from loop and tighten loop on needle. Repeat Steps 2-4. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics. Visit www.arendaholladay.com and refer to the index.

Bind Off – Work first stitch, work second stitch, slip first stitch over second stitch. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics. Visit www.arendaholladay.com.

Bind Off in Pattern – As you bind off, work the stitches as called for in the pattern. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics. Visit www.arendaholladay.com and refer to the index.

K2tog – Right slanting decrease. Insert needle into the second stitch on the left hand needle and into the first stitch. Knit them together as if one stitch. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics. Visit  www.arendaholladay.com.

SSK – Left slanting decrease. Slip the first stitch knitwise, slip the second stitch knitwise. Insert the needle through the back of the stitches as if one stitch. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics. Visit www.arendaholladay.com.

SSP – Left slanting decrease  (as viewed on RS). Slip next 2 sts knitwise, one at a time, to right needle; pass them back to left needle in this twisted orientation and purl them together through the back loops.  There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics. Visit www.arendaholladay.com.

Bar Increase – Creates a “purl bump” to the left of the increase. Knit the stitch but do not remove it from the needle. Knit into the back of the loop. Transfer both stitches to the right needle.

M1 – Increase made from the horizontal bar between stitches. It can be open (similar to a yarn over [YO]), slant to the right or to the left. Open M1: Knit into the strand between the stitch you just knit and the next stitch. M1R: Insert the left needle from the back to front under the strand between the stitches. Knit the stitch through the loop to twist the stitch. M1L: Insert the left needle from the front to the back under the strand between the stitches. Knit the stitch through the back loop to twist the stitch. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics.  Visit www.arendaholladay.com.

Lifted Increases – Increase made using the leg of the stitch in the row below. Lifted increases slant to the right or left. Inc1R-Right Slanting: Insert the needle into the top of the loop of the stitch below. Knit this loop. Inc1L-Left Slanting: Knit the stitch. Since you have knit the stitch, you don’t use the top of the loop just below the stitch you just knit, but the one below that. Insert the left needle into that loop. Insert the right needle into the back of the  loop to twist the stitch. M1L: Insert the left needle from the front to the back under the strand between the stitches. Knit the stitch through the back loop to twist the stitch. There are video tutorials available online to help walk you through these pattern basics.  Visit www.arendaholladay.com.