Mastering Intermediate Knitting Techniques
Mastering Shape and Structure
Shaping Your Knitting
You've mastered the knit and purl stitch, creating wonderful flat fabrics. But most garments aren't simple rectangles. They have curves and angles, tapering for sleeves or widening for the body. To create this shaping, you need to add or subtract stitches. The way you do this has a huge impact on the final look of your project.
While a simple yarn over adds a stitch, it also creates a noticeable hole, which is perfect for lace but not for solid fabric. We'll explore more subtle techniques for increasing and decreasing that blend seamlessly into your work, giving it a professional, polished structure.
Nearly Invisible Increases
When you want to add a stitch without creating an eyelet, you can use a 'lifted' increase. These increases are made by lifting the horizontal strand of yarn—the 'bar'—that runs between two stitches from the row below and knitting into it. This creates a new stitch that appears to grow right out of the fabric.
There are two main types, and they are mirror images of each other: Make 1 Left (M1L) and Make 1 Right (M1R). The one you choose depends on which way you want the new stitch to lean.
For a Make 1 Left (M1L), you'll pick up the bar between stitches from front to back and then knit it through the back loop. This twists the stitch and makes it lean to the left.
For a Make 1 Right (M1R), you'll pick up the bar from back to front and then knit it through the front loop. This also twists the stitch, but in the opposite direction, making it lean to the right.
Twisting the stitch is the key to closing the hole that would otherwise be formed. Using these paired increases on either side of a project, like for the thumb gusset of a mitten, creates clean, symmetrical shaping.
Decreases with Direction
Just as with increases, decreases can also have a direction. Using directional decreases allows you to control how the stitches lie after they are joined, which is essential for creating crisp lines in your work.
The two most common directional decreases are Knit 2 Together (k2tog) and Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk).
Knit 2 Together (k2tog) is straightforward: insert your right needle into two stitches at once as if to knit, and knit them together. The stitch from the right will lie on top, creating a decrease that slants to the right.
Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk) is the mirror image. You slip the first stitch as if to knit, slip the second stitch as if to knit, then slide your left needle back into the front of both slipped stitches and knit them together. This reorients the stitches so the left stitch lies on top, creating a decrease that slants to the left.
These two decreases are the workhorses of shaping in knitting. They're used for everything from the crown of a hat to the V-neck of a sweater.
Creating Symmetry
The magic of these techniques comes alive when you use them in pairs. Imagine shaping the shoulders of a sweater or the point of a shawl. You need both sides to mirror each other perfectly. By using M1L on one side and M1R on the other, your increases will slant away from a central point. By using SSK on one side and k2tog on the other, your decreases will slant towards each other, creating a clean, symmetrical V-shape.
Let's look at a classic V-neck sweater. To shape the neckline, you would place decreases on either side of the center front. On the right side of the V, you would use a right-leaning decrease (k2tog) so the decrease line flows with the angle of the neck. On the left side, you'd use a left-leaning decrease (ssk) for the same reason. This creates a balanced, professional-looking garment.
The same principle applies to increases. When making raglan sleeves, you place increases on either side of a 'seam' stitch. Using a M1L on one side and a M1R on the other creates a beautiful, clean diagonal line that extends from the collar to the underarm.
Learning to see the lean in your stitches is a key skill. Take a look at your swatch or a finished sweater. You can trace the column of stitches. A right-leaning decrease like k2tog will have the right leg of the stitch above sitting on top. A left-leaning decrease like ssk will have the left leg on top. Once you can see it, you can't unsee it, and you'll have a much deeper understanding of how knitted fabric is constructed.
What is the primary purpose of using increases and decreases in knitting?
You are knitting a project and want to add a stitch without creating a decorative hole or eyelet. Which technique should you use?
Understanding how and when to use these specific stitches is a major step forward in your knitting journey. It’s the difference between making a scarf and making a sweater that truly fits.