Knit Front Back (kfb) Increases // Technique Tuesday

[@carriebagshaw5535]

As a new knitter who tried (and failed) to learn 30 years ago, your videos have been an invaluable resource. I’ve already cranked out several hats, scarves, afghan blocks, slippers and am working on my first socks. Your clear explanations, rationale for using different types of stitches, and historical notes are so helpful in understanding not only the “how,” but also the “why” within the projects. I’m having more fun than I could ever have anticipated. Thank you!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You are so welcome!

[@camilledavis7088]

Thanks so much for this video. Your teaching is an invaluable resource for me. When I get introduced to or stumped by a new technique, I know to come here first to search your videos. Thanks again!

[@carolhansen4657]

After watching your videos on kfb, I decided to use this increase for my first top-down raglan pullover, rather than M1R and M1L. I am very pleased with the results. The increase is much easier to knit, for me anyway. I don't end up with a gap (hole) under the increase, as sometimes happens (for me) with the increases that have you picking up the bar between stitches. And the look is very subtle, organic even. The increases branch away from the center line of the raglan, but without the extreme left-leaning and right-leaning stitches. You can see them, but they aren't screaming "look at me"! I used your tip: having 2 center raglan stitches, working the first KFB in the stitch to the left of the first center stitch, and working the second KFB in the second center stitch, so that the new stitches are mirrored with respect to the center. I will never do this any other way.

[@BonnieRogers-oy4ii]

Thank you for your instructions and demonstrations! You are wonderful! I learned a lot. I am a knitter that quit for a few years and now have to refresh my memory of how to do increases and decreases in a pattern. Your video was awesome.

[@sandygrogg1203]

Hi... You are fast becoming my fav podcaster... That’s because not only are you entertaining, you always teach us something truly interesting and/or useful. You are always calm and very clear when instructing...or just telling us something interesting... And... You are not constantly parading one luxury yarn after another...or pushing KALs or give always... Your style is very much in the vein of the old Dragnet series... right to the point... in a very likable way... Thank you, for a very enjoyable few minutes of entertainment coupled with great information... Sandy from Cincinnati 😎👍

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Just the facts, ma'am! ;-) The KAL/giveaway/new yarn thing is not really my style...

[@belindaspoor3595]

Thank you for making all your videos. I am learning to knit and you are my “go to” for new techniques. Your voice is so pleasant and your instructions are so clear and concise. 😊

[@GrapeApe2018]

I just have to say that every time I need a little help with any part of a first time to knit (insert project name here) and do a search on here, without fail you have a video on it. I wanted to thank you! My second year of knitting is going better than I could have possibly dreamed. I am making myself a shrug yay!🎉

[@janetcooke384]

This is the second time I have come to your video after sampling a couple with poor results and your brand of teaching worked for me. Thank you so much for connecting to those of us who learn your way.

[@Jess-ix8do]

I am a bit behind but I absolutely love your videos. I have knitted for years but would never branch outside of my little box of scarfs, socks, and hats. Your videos have helped me make sweaters, shawls, and have the confide to alter patterns to suit my taste. Thank You!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Yay! I'm so happy to hear that. :-) My goal is to show knitters how knitting works, so that they can take control of their projects with confidence, whether it is to design their own, make modifications, or to simply understand what the instructions are asking them to do. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that I have succeeded with at least one knitter!

[@alisondennis4098]

Thank you for explaining how you pull the yarn for the second stitch out, the same way you went in. Very helpful!

[@brigittedepocas8302]

Hi Roxanne! For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why my kfb's when knitting a sleeve just wouldn't "line up" and the placement was always off. 40 years of knitting. Could never wrap my brain around it. I would just work my increases using other techniques, depending on what I was knitting. You would think something so simple would have worked itself out by now. But, I've always learned by watching, and I guess it took today's Technique Tuesday to finally (!) show me what is so obvious that I can only laugh at myself for not picking up on it sooner!! Of course that makes perfect sense - move the placement of the inc! That's the beauty of knitting - whether you've been knitting 4 months, 4 years, or 40 years - there will always be something new to discover that may be obvious to others, but a complete mystery just waiting to be solved for someone else! Have you ever done a tutorial on the knit-one-below increases? I've never been able to get it quite right, to the point I've avoided any projects that called for that increase unless I could rework the instructions to my liking.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I'm so glad I was able to help you give yourself a good laugh! ;-) As for knit below, you might find this old Ask a Knitter article interesting/informative. www.ravelry.com/twir/84/ask-a-knitter-24

[@barbarabartelme5809]

Thank you for this tutorial. You make it very clear and I will use his info a lot for these increases.

[@sandramarshall7712]

You are so good at giving these instructions! Thanks.

[@giogioppi9383]

Dear Roxanne, thank you for your videos that are very clear and helpful. I'd like to ask you if the Kfb could be used in the first and in last stitch just to have a stitch more in each side of a pattern when it needs to pass from a circular botton up work to an open work in order to knit separately front and back of a pullover.

[@anacoba3210]

Hi, I really enjoy your videos. I was wondering if you can do this increase by starting in the back of the stitch and then knit the front. I saw a video from Skeino where he does it this way. Does it matter? Thank you.

[@sophiagraff4263]

Thank you for your great video!

[@elisabethkronqvist3987]

I recently discovered that the direction of the kfb stitch can be changed, which has made me like it a bit more. After knitting the stitch where you want the increase, slip the stitch off the left needle as normal, then pick up the second leg from the back. Knit the loop now on the left needle as if to knit. I never liked the way that a kfb disrupts the "flow" of the knit stitches, but the loop that used to irritate me now goes to hide behind the left leg of its "mother" stitch. It's probably been done before somewhere else in "knitspacetime", just thought I'd share this variation.

[@jaenmartens5697]

Looking for the easiest increase to knit up a pointy poncho. You are very clear! Thank you

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You’re welcome 😊

[@danielmidwinter7182]

What's your view of slipping the back stitch - which avoids the bump?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Works fine for single, or multiple increases across a single row/round, but doesn't work well if you need mirrored increases, as it has a "lean." It's essentially a lifted left increase that appears in the fabric a row later than an actual lifted left increase, so if you need mirrored increases, you might as well stick to true lifted right and left increases. It doesn't work well in situations where you need to do mass increases multiple rows, either (as for the start of a spherical object). So, like any technique, it works great sometimes, and not so great other times! :-)

[@acorn11]

I like the knit front slipping the back stitch increase and use it often. Do you have a video on it for those who don't know how to do it? If not, would you consider doing one?

[@kathyschapals1176]

Hello Roxanne, I have dropped a kfb. Do you have a tutorial on how to fix?

[@theastewart6721]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@kristinalea6607]

I know this is a 5 yr old video but I’m hoping you can offer some insight to a sweater pattern. I’m knitting the Bawi sweater by AegyoKnit. It is a top down sweater that has 2 increase lines that run from the neck and over the shoulder separating front from back. When working the GSR, you have to work kfb on the RS and pfb on the WS (basically kfb, slip stm, p1,k2,p2,k2,p1, slip stm, kfb Then work the back using pfb on either side of rib. This ends up making rather noticeable holes that aren’t so noticeable when after the GSRs are completed and I’m only working the RS. Increases are worked on either side of the rib on every row. The picture of the sweater zoomed in doesn’t show any holes and neither does the sweater of a KZbinr who made the Bawi sweater. Sorry to ask for help in the comments. If you have any insight it would be greatly appreciated!! Love your videos. You are a fabulous teacher :)

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I can't answer questions like these in the comments, but I'm always happy to answer questions in my Ravelry group. You can start a new discussion thread in the group. Others will learn from the question and answer, as well as offer solutions. You can find a link to my Ravelry group at the bottom of every video description.

[@FeannaFey]

Could you also knit the first/right side edge increase of the last swatch as knit back and then front to make things line up? I've knit a pattern that called for knit front back, but in garter stitch fabric, so it doesn't show up much.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

There isn't a mirror to the kfb. The only way to get a mirrored placement of the increase (the bump) is by taking into account where the bump will show up relative to the stitch you use to work the increase. But just to be sure/understand what's going on (with any technique), you can try it out on a swatch. Watch what's happening when you work the technique, and then what happens when you make adjustments to get a different effect.

[@melanieroberts72]

Very helpful! Wow! Thank you!

[@sophiagraff4263]

As i think about knitting. . . i did a hold two worsted yarns together wool slipper sole. It says i could do two. . . but should I? The previous pattern was a single strand, single sole. I mean, it's almost Christmas, and I'm running out of time! Lol

[@janetsmith9060]

Hello can you explain how to increase in two colour fishermans rib please.

[@maryjoylopez6937]

I'm wondering if there is a way to use KFB keeping it symmetrical when knitting a top down triangle shawl with increases just outside the markers at center 2 knit stitches? The left side bump is not right next the marker, as on the right.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

First, you need to establish whether the point is to create a 2-st column of center stitches, or if it's to create a 3-st column (is this a pattern you are following, or something you are designing yourself?) If the goal is to end up with a column of 2 sts in the center, flanked by the bumps of kfb increases, then you could place a marker *between* the 2 center sts, knit until 2 sts before the marker, kfb, k1, slip marker, then kfb, then knit the rest. But if you are following a pattern that has placed markers around the center 2 sts, check the number of sts you have before and after the markers. It could be that there is 1 st more after the second marker than there is before the first marker, and that once you are done, and the markers are no longer framing 2 sts, what you will have is some number of sts, a column of 3 center sts, and then the same number of sts on the other side.

[@catherinemcgrath5561]

Really look forward to your episodes-They are so informative and interesting . I do have a question for future episodes. I often find patterns I like which use worsted weight yarn(4), but I have light worsted (3). Is there a way to convert pattern for lighter weight yarn? Thank you!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Thank you for your suggestion! I do have yarn substitutions on my long list of topics, so I will get to it, eventually! Thanks for asking. :-)

[@shoelessmonk1941]

Roxanne, i am so grateful for you. because of you i have been noticing where my yarn travels and reading my work with more attention. i liked todays video, never noticed how that increased worked on the edges. also can you tell me what make needles you were using? ♥️....stacy

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Those needs are Signature Needle Arts circs. I have the original fixed-length circs. They come as interchangeables, these days, but they are a different sort than regular interchangeables. You buy the tips for a specific size, and then get a couple of cable lengths that work with that particular set of tips.

[@shoelessmonk1941]

Roxanne Richardson thank you for responding.🙂

[@peachesfireside178]

I saw a video and wish I could say where I found it. Meg Swanson did a KFB but instead of knitting the back of stitch she slipped (the back of stitch) to the right needle and NO PURL BUMP!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

The alternative kfb is a nice solution for doing a single increase, or mass increases in stockinette fabric. If you need mirrored increases, it's not a good solution, because it does have a left-lean to it, and you can't mirror it.

[@denisepettit8534]

@@RoxanneRichardson Thank you I had not thought about the left leaning.

[@sophiagraff4263]

Now i know why it was k1, kfb, knit across to 3 from end, kfb, k2! Though it was garter, and going to be felted, so I'm not sure that it mattered much.

[@genX49]

Can you knit back first then front?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You can, but typically that would be done as the first step of a central double increase. What is it you're hoping to accomplish by working the back first? Are you trying to mirror a kfb so that the bump occurs to the right? If so, then I do have a video on how to do an increase like that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXuwqpRvrcaiopY

[@stephanierend1261]

❤

[@bettyrobinson9549]

Slip stitch