Making a twisted knit stitch is easy – we simply knit a stitch through the back loop and get a lovely “crossed V” without much effort. Making a twisted purl stitch is an entirely different story.
We need to twist our wrist to make, arguably, the clumsiest knitting move known as purling through the back loop.
Fortunately, we can avoid the awkward purl-through-the-back-loop maneuver when we add twisted purls to a project worked in the round. That means that we can easily decorate our socks, hats, and seamless sweaters with any stitch pattern formed by twisted stitches – from a humble twisted ribbing to the gorgeous designs that we often see in Japanese and German collections of stitches.
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Here’s how we do it step by step.
TWISTED KNIT STITCH
There is no easier way to make a twisted knit than by knitting a stitch through the back loop.
STEP 1
With the working yarn at the back of the work, insert the right needle from right to left into the first stitch from the tip of the left needle so that the right needle is at the back of the left needle.
STEP 2
Wrap the tip of the right needle with the yarn the same way as you do when you knit a stitch (from the bottom of the needle, then between the needles, and finally, over the top of the right needle).
STEP 3
Use the tip of the right needle to pull the yarn wrap through the stitch, and you’ve got yourself a freshly-minted twisted knit.
TWISTED PURL STITCH
An easier version of a twisted purl is worked in a similar way to the way we use to make a twisted knit stitch.
The main difference (and the key to this much easier method) is the way we make a yarn wrap. We make it the Eastern way. But it doesn’t mean that you should learn to use the Eastern knitting style. No. You can make the simplified twisted purls no matter your knitting style, and no matter whether you hold yarn in your left or in your right hand.
STEP 1
Bring the working yarn to the front of the work, and insert the right needle from right to left into the first stitch on the left needle. This time, do it so that the right needle is at the front of the left needle.
STEP 2
Place the working yarn between the tip of the right needle and the left needle.
STEP 3
Move the tip of the right needle to the back and out of the stitch forming a twisted purl.
That’s how easy it is. No awkward moves and hurting wrists.
As an added bonus, this method of purling is faster than the classic purling through the back loop, so it will take you less time to finish your twisted-stitch creation.
HERE’S A VIDEO TUTORIAL THAT SHOWS EVERY STEP
Keep in mind though that the purls formed by this method will twist in a different direction than the purls formed by the classic way of making twisted purls. This difference will show if you switch from knitting in the round to knitting back and forth within the same project.
Another thing to remember is that this method doesn’t work for projects worked flat. To add twisted purls to scarves and blankets, we still need to use the classic purl-through-the-back-loop move. But when we want to use a pattern with twisted stitches on a seamless project, simplified twisted purling is a much easier and faster alternative.
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This and 36 other in-depth tutorials are part of Knitting Collection #7.