Knit 1, Purl 2 In Crochet [BETTER]

Well, no, but it is the special language of knitting, which uses many abbreviations and terms, which save space and make patterns easier to read. So the first thing you need to do is become familiar with the knitting abbreviations.

Knit 1, Purl 2 in Crochet

That means that you will first make a slip knot on one needle, then cast on 11 more stitches on the same needle. In knitting, the slip knot always counts as a stitch. If you are a crocheter, be sure to remember this, as in crochet, the slip knot never counts as a stitch.

When you repeat a knit row and then a purl row for a number of rows, your are creating a pattern called stockinette stitch. This is abbreviated St st. You will see that there are definite right and wrong sides to stockinette stitch. Usually the knit side is the right side, but sometimes the purl side is used for the right side. When this is done it is called reverse St st.

Now we need to stop and take a look at the symbols that are used in knitting patterns. These too are used to save space and to make the pattern easier to read. They may be confusing at first, but you will soon learn to follow them. Knitting patterns may have a series of steps that are repeated several times across a row. Rather than writing out these steps time after time, asterisks (*) are used to indicate the repeats.

That means that you will knit the first two stitches, then purl the next two stitches; then you will knit 2, then purl 2, again, and repeat the steps following the asterisk all across the row until the last two stitches which you will knit.

Note that you will be purling the sts you knitted on the preceding row, and knitting the sts you purled on the preceding row. Many times patterns will say: knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches.

Brackets [ ] are also used to enclose a group of stitches that are to be repeated a specified number of times. The number immediately following the brackets tells you how many times to do the step. For instance, [YO, K2tog] 6 times means you will YO, then knit 2 sts together, then do that again 5 more times, for a total of 6 YOs and 6 K2togs.

Explaining an innovative, new crochet technique from designer Bendy Carter, this manual shows how to use crochet materials to achieve knitted results. By combining knit and purl stitches in crochet, crafters can create wonderful, knit-like fabrics with textural patterns, ribbing, and cables. With full-color photographs for 12 unique projects, from crocheting a cabled sweater and a herringbone pillow to a basketweave bag and a two-tone scarf, crafters will be inspired to crochet in a whole new way.

This book is equally appreciated by beginner or expert. It containsmost valuable information and instructions for everyone who crochetsor wishes to learn to do this beautiful work. It embodies a verycareful selection of designs; and, from the simplest to the most ornate,every successive step is explained and illustrated so fully that perfectresults are a certainty.

The first thing to be done in knitting is to cast on or, as it issometimes called, to "set up the foundation." (Figure1). There are several methods for this, the following beingthat preferred and generally used by the writer: Leavea spare end of thread, sufficient for the number of stitchesyou wish to cast on, lying toward the left, the spool orball from which the working-thread is drawn being at theright. Lay the thread between the little finger and thethird of the left hand; bring the working-thread acrossthe palm of the hand, around the thumb and backbetween the forefinger and second finger; bend theforefinger over this thread (which passes between it andthe second finger), pass it under the thread which crossesthe palm of the hand, and then draw the forefinger back,or straighten it, which will give you a loop with crossedthreads. Put the needle under the lower part of thisloop, which draws from the ball, bring the working-thread(or ball-thread) around the point of needle from rightto left, as in plain knitting, draw it back through the loop,slip off the latter, and draw up the left thread. Then proceedto make the crossed loop and knit it off in the sameway for the next and following stitches. The whole operationis very simple, although the instructions seem long becauseexplicit. Take your needle and yarn or thread andfollow them through carefully, and you will very soon masterthe "crossed casting on."

Another method, preferred by many and practically thesame in effect, except that the edge is not quite so firm, isas follows: Loop the thread around the left forefinger,holding the spare end between thumb and second finger,pass the needle upward through the loop, pass the threadaround the point, draw back through the loop, slip off thelatter and pull up the spare thread. By passing the needleunder the loop, or lower thread, instead of through it,bringing it back through, and then knitting off, you willreally get the crossed loop, and many find this methodeasier than the first. The thread used in casting on may bedoubled, particularly for beginning a stocking, mitten, orany article where much wear comes.

The plain knitting (Figure 2), isdone as follows: Having cast on therequisite number of stitches, insert theright needle through the front of leftneedle from left to right, the rightneedle passing behind the left;carry the thread around pointof right needle and bring it downbetween the two needles, then drawthe point of right needle back andthrough the stitch, forming the newstitch on right needle and lettingthe other slip off the left, pushingdown the point of left needle to facilitatethis process; repeat until allthe stitches are knitted off and therow is complete. Where there areedges to be joined, as in knitting backand fronts of a sweater, it is a goodplan to slip the first stitch of eachrow.

Right here a suggestion about themethod of holding the thread may beof value: By the first method thethread is carried over the little fingerof right hand, under second andthird fingers and over the tip of theforefinger, which should be held closeto the work; it is this finger whichpasses the thread over point of rightneedle for the new stitch. Byanother method the thread is carriedover the left forefinger, under secondand third and over the little finger,exactly as it is held for crocheting:insert the right needle through 1ststitch on left needle in usual way,push it over the thread on left forefinger,and draw this back throughthe stitch with the point of rightneedle. Only the needle is held inthe right hand, and many workersclaim that the work is much morerapidly done.

The purl- or seam-stitch (Figure3) is the exact reverse of plain knitting,both as to method of work andappearance, being in reality the wrongside of plain knitting. In the latterthe thread is kept at the back ofthe work; for purling, bring it to thefront between the two needles. Putthe point of right needle through thefront of 1st stitch on left needle fromright to left, the right needle beingthus brought in front of the left; passthe thread around the front of rightneedle from right to left and backbetween needles, then push downthe point and draw the loop backwardthrough the stitch, instead offorward, as in plain knitting, theright needle being thus broughtbehind the left. Slip off the oldstitch as usual, and take care toreturn the thread to its place at theback before beginning to knit plainagain.

Garter-stitch, so called (Figure 4)is simply plain knitting back andforth, which gives the effect of ridges,one row knit, the next purled. Thisis a stitch much used for sweaters,and other knitted garments. If onewishes to have the right side appearas in plain knitting, the 1st rowmust be knitted plain, the nextpurled. Since one is the reverse ofthe other, the right side will be plainknitting, the wrong side purled.

There are many variations of thesimplest stitches; for example, thecommon garter-stitch gives a particularlygood effect if knitted fromthe back. Put the needle in fromright to left, through the back part ofthe stitch to be knitted; leave thethread behind the needle, then pass itfrom right to left over the needle anddraw it through the stitch, allowingthe latter to slip off as in plain knitting.In this stitch the two threadsof the loop are crossed, instead oflying side by side as in plain knitting.

"Overs" (Figure 6) are used in alllace patterns, and many times infancy designs for wool knitting. Tomake an "over" bring the threadbefore the needle as if to purl, thenknit the next stitch plain as usual.This brings a loop over the needle,which in the next row is to beknitted as any stitch, thus increasingthe number of stitches in the row.In case it is not desired to increasethe stitches, one must narrow, byknitting two stitches together, oncefor every "over." If a larger hole iswanted, the thread is put twice overthe needle, and in the following oneof these loops is knitted, the otherpurled.

To "purl-narrow," or purl twotogether, bring the thread to the frontas for purling, then to form theextra stitch, carry the thread backover the needle and to the front again;then insert the right needle throughtwo stitches instead of one, and knitthem as one stitch. "Fagot" is anabbreviation frequently used forthis.

To slip and bind, slip 1st stitchfrom left needle to the right needle,without knitting it; knit nextstitch, then draw the stitch onright needle over the knitted one,letting it fall between needles. Toslip, narrow and bind, slip first stitch,knit next two together, and draw theslipped stitch over. To cast off orbind off, (Figure 7,) slip 1st stitch,knit next, draw slipped stitch over,knit next stitch, draw the previousknitted stitch over, and continue,taking care that the chain of stitchesthus cast off be neither too tight nortoo loose, but just as elastic as theremainder of the work.

Repeat these two rowstwice, making 6 rows in all;then to change the check knit7th row like 2d, 8th like 1st,repeat twice, and again changethe check by repeating from1st row. Continue until theborder is five checks deep, or30 rows.