Do You Know How to Knit Backwards?

Knitting backwards sounds like a cool trick, but it’s more than that. It can actually be quite useful when working entrelac or short rows or even just narrow rows of knitting where you don’t want to have to take the time to turn your work every few stitches.

This allows you to maintain Stockinette Stitch without turning the work or purling. It’s really a cool thing.

I have occasionally known how to do it, but it’s one of those techniques I don’t do often enough for it to stick with me so I have to look it up every time I want to do it.

This Facebook Live video from Creativebug and Marly Bird is a great demo of how to knit backwards, and it really helps to see someone else doing it rather than just reading instructions for how to do it.

Is this a technique you have ever tried? I’d love to know what you used it for.

[Photo via Creativebug.]

Next Pattern:

If you’re looking for a sweater knitting pattern that uses up some of your stash and allows you to make just the sweater you want, the Marlina Rib by Shay Johson might be just the thing.

It’s worked with two strands of fingering weight yarn held together to make a DK weight gauge, so you can use the same two yarns throughout or change one or both regularly for an even more colorful look.

The pattern has options to make it either a crewneck or a henley style with buttons, tapered or relaxed sleeves, and a straight hemline or a split hem with buttons (which sounds so cute if you do the henley with split hem and match the buttons on both parts).

It’s also knit from the top down so you can make the body and the sleeves as long as you want. There are 10 sizes available in the pattern, with a chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 81.5 to 172.5 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 4-6 inches/10-15 cm of positive ease at the chest.

The pattern page on Ravelry includes tons of measurements and yardage estimates so you can make sure you’ll get a good fit for your body before you even buy the pattern. Shay also shows a few variations of the sweater so you can see how different options look before you decide how you want to put them together.

The stitch pattern is 1×2 ribbing, which is really easy to do and gives a look almost like fisherman’s rib that’s relaxed and easy to wear.

This sweater looks like a great option for people who are somewhat new to sweater knitting or those who love to have lots of customization options (because it’s like getting multiple sweater patterns in one!).

Check out all the details and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself at Ravelry.

[Photo: Shay Johnson]

Comments

maureen says
June 30, 2016 at 5:25 pm
I am afraid to do DPNs and sock knitting but his Entralac, I have done. I did it shortly after I learned to knit and I made a backpack. OK I have not ever knit in this manner again but it is not to say I wouldn’t.
fuguestateknits says
June 30, 2016 at 8:39 pm
I use it to make bobbles-terrific technique!:)
Marny CA says
July 5, 2016 at 6:03 am
Being ambidextrous I thought doing this would be easy. LOL Silly me. It *still* takes practice, as does any new technique.

Next Pattern:

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