Bar Increase Stitch (K1f&b / P1f&b)

The most common increase used is the bar increase. This increase is a visible increase. A horizontal bar will chase the increased stitch on the right side of the work, regardless of whether you work a knit or purl stitch. There are two different methods for working the stitch. Choose whichever works best for you.

Bar Increase Stitch
Advantage If used in a series, forms a pattern
Disadvantage Makes a bar or nub on the RS of the fabric when working in St st
When Used
  • Garter st
  • Diagonal knitting

K1f&b
P1f&b
Pictures

Method 1

This method works the front of the stitch for the increase. It has been temporarily removed while we fix it.

Method 2

This method works the back of the stitch for the increase.

  1. Bring the working yarn in front of the peg, above the wrap on the peg.

  2. Place the knitting tool under the wrap on the peg in the groove.

  3. Turn the knitting tool up in the groove and under wrap.

  4. Grab the working yarn by circling around the outside and then around its top catching it as you slide the tool down the groove of the peg. This will create a new wrap.

  5. Grab the new wrap with your fingers and pull up to take wrap on the peg off.

  6. Place new wrap in your fingers on the peg.

  7. Instead of pulling the yarn to tighten the new wrap as you normally do with a knit stitch, place your knitting tool in the back of the stitch (behind the peg) and pull it over to the empty peg.

  8. Now pull the working yarn to tighten the knit stitch and the wrap placed on the empty peg.

    .
  9. E-wrap the peg you just placed the new wrap on and knit off.

Method 1

This method works the front of the stitch for the increase. It has been temporarily removed while we fix it.

Method 2

This method works the back of the stitch for the increase.

  1. Bring the working yarn in front of the peg, above the wrap on the peg.

  2. Place the knitting tool under the wrap on the peg in the groove.

  3. Turn the knitting tool up in the groove and under wrap.

  4. Grab the working yarn with the knitting tool by circling around the outside and then and then around the bottom catching the working yarn as you slide the knitting tool up the groove of the peg. This will create a new wrap.

  5. Grab the new wrap with your fingers and pull up to take wrap on the peg off.

  6. Place new wrap in your fingers on the peg.

  7. Instead of pulling the yarn to tighten the new wrap as you normally do with a purl stitch, place your knitting tool in the back of the stitch (behind the peg) and pull it over to the empty peg.

  8. Now pull the working yarn to tighten the purl stitch and the wrap placed on the empty peg.

    .
  9. Work a p tbl stitch with the new wrap that you just tightened.

Pictures of the Bar Increase

This swatch contains three examples of the bar increase and one of the twisted bar increase. There are two different methods pictured for the bar increase but currently only instructions for the method used first two (starting from the bottom) are given due to the hole created by the method used for the third. We will be working on that method to eliminate the hole and then will put it back on the site. If you click on a thumbnail, a larger picture and information are presented in the content area. If you click on the picture in the content area, a larger version of the picture will be displayed with Slimbox.