I have a pattern for a little plush animal. I am a bit confused about the back and forth between knit and purl. I’m VERY new to knitting.
Some of the abbreviations used:
Inc1 = increase by working twice into the same st. first in the back then in the front
Slip1 = slip a stitch onto your needle without knitting it.
It starts this way:
Cast on 10 sts
Beg. With K & ss 2 rows
Inc1. In every st. = 20sts
P 1 row
Inc1. In every st. = 40sts
Beg With P & ss 5 rows
START
K35, turn and work on these stiches
Slip1, P28, turn again
Slip1, K29, turn again
Slip1, P30, turn
Slip1, K31, turn
Slip1, P32, turn
Slip1 and knit to the end including all stitches on your needle = 40sts
Next;
Beg with P & ss 5 rows
Increase again as before
from START to END
[…]
My main question is why the back and forth between knit and purl? Does this really make a difference in the end product, or is there another way to do it?
Secondly, what does “Increase again as before from START to END” mean in this case?
Thank you very much for your help!
Also, anyone happen to be in the Federal Way/Auburn, WA area who likes to help a newbie in exchange for a drink or cake?
What they want you to end with is stockinette stitch. When you’re done, you will have one side with "v"s, and the other side will be little bumps.
Each stitch has two sides, the knit side and the purl side. When all the knit sides are on the same side, that is stockinette.
If you knit each row, you will end up with garter stitch, which is quite different in appearance.
Where it says increase as before, you just follow the directions from the top again. Well, you’ll do the “Beg with P & ss 5 rows” (the ss stands for stockinette stitch), then continue with the instructions above, excluding the “Cast on 10 sts; Beg. With K & ss 2 rows” part.
That’s the way I read it, anyway. Hope it helps!
Although I’d love some cake, I’m unfortunately too far away
To see the difference between garter and stockinette stitch, you can view the videos here on KnittingHelp. Click the View Videos tab at the top of the page, then Knitting Tips, and check the videos under the “Basic Stitch Patterns”
You’re not doing knits and purls on the same row, you’ll do a row of knit sts and a row of purl sts. That gives you stockinette which is smooth on one side and bumpy on the other side. Every time the pattern says ‘turn’ you turn the work as if at the end of the row.
The instructions - “Increase again as before from START to END” mean you’ll start at the beginning of the sequence, except insted of starting with 10 sts, you should have 40 sts and you inc in every st, purl a row, then inc in every st again like you did at the beginning of the pattern.
I can probably help you if you need it. I’m local in Auburn Lea Hill area by Green River. What pattern are you using? Is it from a book or available online? It’s always nice to have local help so you can ask questions. This is a good place to get help!
