Comments on: Slip knitwise vs slip purlwise.

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:21:40 +0000

Okay, well I always followed this slipping as if to purl unless you are told otherwise, but my centered double decreases were always twisted when I encountered instructions like “Sl1, K2 tog, psso.” (Even from Walker’s directions). I thought that was the design, until I came across the instructions at http://knittinghelp.com:

“If they don’t specify, slip the stitch purl-wise….Unless you are decreasing: then, slip it knit-wise on the knit rows, and purl-wise on the purl rows. (According to Vogue Knitting.)”

Eureka! That solved it! I was thinking some designers wanted the twist and that’s why they didn’t tell you to slip as if to knit on THEIR centered decrease. Actually, they were simply following the Vogue convention.

By: lucia

lucia — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:33:39 +0000

Thanks Linda! I edited– adding a footnote and putting the emphasized “standards” in quotes.

By: KarenK

KarenK — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:53:30 +0000

Just one question: When “slipping purl-wise,” I was taught that it was called “purl-wise” because you insert the right-hand needle into the stitch IN FRONT OF the left-hand ndl, which you would do as if purling, then slip that st to the right-hand ndl. In your bottom picture, the rh ndl is shown inserted BEHIND the lh ndl. As pictured, if you did go ahead and purl the st, it results in a twisted st (as in twisted knitting). Perhaps that’s what you want, though?

By: lucia

lucia — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:39:21 +0000

Oops! You’re right! I cut and pated the wrong photo! I’ll get the right one.
(Although, strangely enough, when you slip, you get the same final outcome with the picture I showed. But, to be inserted purlwise, the tip does have to come out to the front, otherwise you can’t purl the stitch!)

By: Kristin

Kristin — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 23:13:50 +0000

Lucia:
Wow, I’m so glad you cleared up this slip issue for me and others. Your site has been very helpful thank you, thank you. I’ll be frogging and starting my project over, one last time.

I will learn how to add track backs to my site, thanks for your feedback and link.
* Kristin

By: wool winder

wool winder — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:27:28 +0000

I didn’t know about the “standards” of slipping knitwise or purlwise when it comes to decreasing. Thanks.

By: lucia

lucia — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:32:15 +0000

I didn’t either! And evidently Barbara Walker, and a bunch of other books didn’t either. So, I think this means we need to cope with the possibility the writer may be using the “Vogue” standard, or the “Simple Standard”!

Heck, you can’t even count on a particular author always using the same standard, since the editors for a magazine will use their own! I’m just going to make it a policy to *say* slip knitwise whenever the knitter needs to do that.

I’d rather be redundant than ambiguous!

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 07:31:52 +0000

Please explain knitwise and knitways.

Thank you.

By: lucia

lucia — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:52:54 +0000

To slip “knitwise”, you insert the tip of your right hand needle as though you are about to knit the next stitch. Then, let the stitch slide from the left tip to the right tip.

I’m afraid I was unfamiliar with the term “knitways”. So, I googled. Reading the entries, it appears the term “knitways” is just a different way to spell “knitwise”, so you do it the same way!

By: Emilie G

Emilie G — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:05:57 +0000

I have a quick (I hope) question re: the slipping knitwise v purlwise. I am following a sweater pattern in stockinette stitch where I am cabling (slip 6, knit 6, knit 6 from cable needle) on the WS (purl row). Do I still slip purlwise? How am I knitting and purling in the same row?

Thank you.

By: Marita

Marita — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:40:54 +0000

Thanks! Your explanations and demonstration photos really helped put this novice knitter in the know for Sl#. Funny thing, I had been puzzling my way through a pattern that called for Sl1 until I held up a loop to the print and figured out the instruction referred to letter-letter-number! I really appreciate more language-oriented instructions such as the ones in Scarves and Shawls for Yarn Lovers: Knitting With Simple Patterns and Amazing Yarns (Spiral-bound) by Carri Hammett. I’m having so much fun knitting through her book! I’m going to look up Barbara Walker soon, since you have cited her as a reference…