How to Knit in Front and Back to Increase

Of the multiple increase methods in knitting, the method of knitting in the front and back is best when the desired fabric is a solid weave. Because other increase methods tend to leave a small hole at the increase spot, the increases are easily visible and the resulting fabric is patterned with these holes. The front and back method of increasing seems complicated at first but is deceptively easy to master.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Knitting project in progress
• Knitting needles
• Knitting pattern (optional)

1. Begin knitting the increase row of your item as usual until you reach the spot where you plan to put an increase.

2. Knit into the front of the stitch where the increase goes but do not pull the stitch off the left-hand needle.

3. Insert the active needle (right-hand needle) into the same stitch from right to left at the back side of the fabric.

4. Wrap the yarn around the needle as usual to complete the second stitch in the same spot. This is your increase.

5. Slide the original stitch off the left-hand needle. You now have 2 stitches on the right-hand needle that came from 1 stitch on the previous row.

6. Continue as needed, knitting in front and back wherever increases are planned. Between increases, simply knit or purl as called for in the pattern.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that every time you knit into the front and back of 1 stitch, you are creating 1 increase. Too many increases in a single row makes the fabric get drastically wider and prevents it from lying flat.