The Knitting Fiend

Want to see how to work a nice smooth looking double increase like the one I worked for my Zag socks? (The increase is shown in the center of the photo to the left.) I’ve described a similar, but not quite identical paired lifted increase when I worked a raglan top down. The method of lifting is the same; the order of organizing the stitches is different.

I guess my sock directions could tell to read the other raglan directions but just do things in a different order, but I’m afraid that might be confusing. I figure it’s better to just show the lifted increase again focusing on things that will happen when you knit a sock.

So, here goes!

When knitting a sock, you will either be using magic loop, DPN’s or two circs. My sockulator directions will be organized so that you work a lifted decrease into the last stitch on a DPN (or magic loop, or circular needle.)

So, you’ll find yourself knitting the last stitch on the right needle tip. Stop! You aren’t finished with that needle. Now, work an “L1A” (lift on after) into the side of the stitch you just knit by first poking the left needle tip into the side of the stitch below the one you just worked (see right.) Wrap the yarn and knit up a stitch.

You’ve created an lifted increase; leave it on the right tip and start working the stitches on the left needle tip. (If you accidentally place the lifted stitch on the left needle, you will have a more difficult time finding the beginning of rounds. Likely as not, your Zags lines will wiggle like a drunk.)

Depending on the number of stitches required for your Zag sock, you will either need to work one knit stitch, or you’ll just work an L1B into the first stitch on the left needle. I had to work the knit stitch; so I inserted the right needle tip, wrapped the yarn (see left) and knit in the normal manner. If your instructions don’t include this knit stitch, well, just skip this!

Next, work an L1B ( “lifted increase before”). It’s easy to work, but difficult to photograph without a helping hand. So, I took two.

In the first photo above left, you can see I inserted the right needle tip into the back of the stitch below the one on the left needle tip. I then slid the needle around, so the tip ends up in the edge of the stitch, see photo below right. So, you see, “back” or “edge” doesn’t really matter. What matters is you get the right tip into the loop of the stitch, without just poking it through the front.

Now, wrap the yarn and pull a knit stitch through being careful to not pull off the stitch on the left tip.

You’ve worked the L1B. However, that next stitch is still sitting on the left tip. You finish by inserting the right tip knitwse, wrap and knit.

That counts as a knit stitch and you are done!

I bet you’re wondering what this looks like up close, right? When working a Zag sock, you repeat these increases every other row, being careful they line up. The double increase will create a strong vertical line. The L1A and L1B form bars that flank the k1 between them. This increase also looks good if without the k1 between the lifted increases.

When should you use this increase? Well, when ever you want a nice smooth vertical line! Even more precisely, it’s nice to use when you want a relatively thin vertical line, as you do with socks. For other designs, you might want to place several knit stitches between the L1A and L1B. You also might want to reverse the order. All variations look fairly nice. You just need to practice to decide which you like for a particular knitting project.

I bet you’ll like to use this in raglans, scarves or other projects.