Increasing while ribbing

#1

Hi all,
I am about to start a jumper where the ribbing section on the sleeves goes right up to the elbow. The rib is K2 P2. I am required to increase one stitch at each end of every sixth row. What I am unclear about is what stitch the increased ones become? At the beginning of the row if you knit one, then increase one, the next stitch is the original second knit stitch, so you have in effect three knits at the beginning of the row (and same thing happen at the other end of the row). Can anyone understand my problem and explain. I so want to start this pattern!!!

Many thanks
Yasmin

#2

Don’t forget that the first edge stitch will be inside the seam when you sew up the seam after you finish knitting. Just work those edge stitches into the k2/p2 pattern on the next row.

#3

I recently finished a shrug with this same issue, and found Ingrid’s suggestion from another thread to be very useful…when faced with the last two stitches of the row being two of a kind, make the first stitch of the next row the opposite stitch (if you are using a kfb increase, that is). For example, if the last two stitches on the row you have just finished are purl, purl, knit the front and purl the back of the first stitch on the next row to keep the pattern (do the opposite on a knit knit row). I hope this makes sense!

#4

I have done several 2x2 ribs that required increases and decreases at the edge. I have always worked the increase to follow the pattern of the “main part.” As Mirl pointed out, the edge is lost in the seam, so the most important thing is to keep the pattern going with the rest of the piece.

So, if it was a (k2, p2) k2 sleeve, then I would add a knit stitch between the knits on each end once.

k3 p2 k2 … k2 p2 k3

Then add a purl between the last two knits.

k1 p1 k2 p2 k2… k2 p1 k1

Add one more purl between the first and last two stitches…

k1 p2 k2… k2 p2 k1

And then add the knits again

k2 p2 k2 … k2 p2 k2

To get you back to the original pattern.

I am sure that there is a more concise way to describe this, but I do better with longhand. :slight_smile:

I prefer to do a lifted increase but have to remember which way to do it so I don’t end up with a hole.