How Should I Increase This?

How-to Questions
1

To start off, I’m new at knitting. I’m sort of doing this all by myself. I come from a family of knitters (my great grandmother knitted, so did my grandmother and my mom), and recently, I’ve wanted to learn how to knit. My grandmother died when I was three, and her work has inspired me to knit. My mom hasn’t knitted in a long time, so what she could teach me, she did. The rest, I’ve learned on my own.

I started late last Saturday, and since learning how to knit, purl, moss/seed stitch (I think I’ve read they’re pretty much the same?), and ribbing, I decided to try a first time project, so I started with leg warmers–well, over the knee leg warmers. I decided I wanted them over my knee/a little higher up my thigh because I really like thigh highs and, well, yeah.

Anyway, I couldn’t find a pattern I really liked on the internet, so I decided to do my own. Here’s what I have until I have to increase:

Cast On 34 stitches
Row 1: k1, *p1, k1 repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2: p1, *k1, p1 repeat from * to end of row.
Repeat until row 13.
Row 13: k2, *p2, k2 repeat from * to end of row.
Row 14: p2, *k2, p2 repeat from * to end of row.
Repeat until row 35, or whole thing measures 5 inches (that’s where I need to increase because my leg measures 9 inches around 5 inches from my ankle)

I’m not sure how to increase this. Every two rows, I need to add two stitches until 50 stitches a little bit under my knee (about 5 inches from my knee), then do it again until I have 54 stitches at my knee, then again until I have 58 or 60 stitches for my thigh and where I want it to end.

Now before I had to redo it, I was at 35 rows and did an m1a and m1t, but the pattern didn’t look the same. I tried to unravel to a certain row, but lost track, so I had to do it over and before I get to that part again, I want to make sure I know how to do this increase.

I want the increase to be in the middle of the leg warmer. So stitch 17 would be in the middle when I first increase. My question is, how would I do this increase and keep the ribbing pattern?

I thought about doing a double yarn over between the seed stitch and ribbing (and do the same for the thigh part when I switch back to the seed stitch to end it), then when I get to the total five inches for the increase, do an m1r and an m1l for the increase. However, I’m not sure how to do the ribbing after that. Would it still be like this, for example:

Row 11: k1, *p1, k1 repeat from * to center, yo, k1, yo, *p1, k1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 12: p1, *k1, p1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 13: k2, *p2, k2 repeat from * to end of row
…
Row 33: k2, *p2, k2 repeat from * to end of row.
Row 34: p2, *k2, p2 repeat from * to end of row.
Row 35: k2, *p2, k2 repeat from * until center, m1r, m1l, p2, *k2, p2 repeat from * to end of row?

Or would that not work at all?

I don’t really have anyone to help me at all. My mom hasn’t knitted in a long time; in fact, the last time she knitted, she was working on an afghan blanket for my dad and after she had kids, it turned into four scarves because she didn’t have time to knit (so roughly 32 or 33 years ago was the last time she knitted).

Any help would be awesome. Thanks.

2

You might try making these increases in consecutive p2 parts of the rib. They’re always less obvious than increases in the knit part of the rib. So it would be … p2, k2, p1M1p1, k2, p1M1p1, k2… It will break up the rib pattern but it seems that you’ll have to add in more increases in subsequent rows to increase the diameter of the leg warmer anyway. Depending on how many increases you need, you can get back into k2,p2 pattern.

3

You could also add the increases at the edges in pattern and have them at the seam at the back of your leg. For example, the first increase would be p1,k1 into the first stitch and then end with p1,k1 in the last stitch. Work these stitches in pattern, and increase in pattern, (adding an edge k or p as necessary) and the new ribs will look like they’re ‘growing’ out of the seam.

You might want to consider working these in the round to avoid a seam altogether. You could keep the two edge stitches in stockinette to look like a faux seam up the leg with the increases in pattern along the edges of these two stitches.

Congratulations on your rapid progress. Sounds like you’re a natural!

4

You might also consider inserting a life line before you get to your increase rounds. That way you don’t have to tear everything out and start over. If you’re not sure what a life line is, you can do a search and find plenty of videos.

It sounds like you’re making great progress with you’re knitting. I always love to hear of people upholding family traditions, too. Very cool!

5

Thanks, everyone. Looks like I have a few things to think about and consider. :slight_smile:

@Ingrid, I don’t have circular needles. I haven’t gotten those yet, so I don’t really mind the seam. I haven’t really thought of doing in the increases near the seam. If I can’t do what I have in my head, I’ll do that instead. Once I work with patterns and get the feel of the more advance techniques, I’m sure I’ll figure out what I want for later leg warmers. :smiley:

@Antares Yeah, I realized just now that I could’ve put a lifeline in. When I realized that, I was so irritated with myself that I didn’t even think about looking something like that up. It would’ve saved me so much more trouble if I had done that instead of starting over. However, now, I have put in a lifeline, and I’m going to use it to my advantage.

After my leg warmers, I can’t wait to start on cable stitches, along with other decorative techniques. :slight_smile: When I get these done, I’ll take pictures and post them in the appropriate board.

6

Wow! There is no stopping you. It’ll be fun to see these finished leg warmers. There’s also some helpful videos at the top of the page under Free Videos, Tips, Fixing Mistakes. The lifeline is a great idea and there are others to avoid ripping out the entire project again.

7

You can put a lifeline in after the fact too. If you discover a mistake, just thread it in several rows below or where you think it’s still right.

I don’t bother with them, but will rip back to the row above where I think the mistake is, then put the sts back on the needle as I take out the last row one st at a time. It helps to start at the end of a RS row.

8

I just want to say thanks to everyone. :smiley: I found out how to increase my leg warmers without messing up the ribbing pattern. And I did put in a double YO in the beginning, between the moss stitches and ribbing.

Again, thanks, everyone, for your help. :slight_smile: