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How to Purl Backward, or Knit Garter Stitch without Turning

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How to purl backward to knit garter stitch without turning.I’ve been working on this sweater for my daughter since before Christmas, and I thought I was almost done (she decided she wanted it 4 inches longer, but that’s a post for another day). The last detail is three little button tabs worked in Garter Stitch.

They’re just 8 stitches across, so I thought this would be a fun time to try knitting Garter Stitch backward, without turning the work.

I will tell you I can’t work back from the right hand needle to the left with the speed that I can knit, turn and knit some more, but it’s a fun mental challenge anyway.

It’s a pretty easy technique once you can get your mind and your hands around it.

Insert the left-hand needle into the stitch from left to right, wrap the yarn counter-clockwise around the needle, pull the new stitch under and to the back and slide the old stitch off the right-hand needle.

I know, doesn’t sound that easy. It totally is when you get the hang of it, I promise. I made a video to help explain.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5UHyu7IECM&w=560&h=315]

Would you try this technique or have you used it before? I’d love to know what you think.

Also, I may make the videos a regular thing, so if there are topics you would like to see, please let me know!

Want to learn garter stitch? Check out this tutorial on Garter stitch Knitting. We also have these articles to help you find garter stitch patterns.

Start the Year with Easy Garter Stitch Knitting Patterns

Garter Stitch Knitting Patterns for New Knitters

A Simple Chunky Garter Stitch Sweater

Learn How to Knit Stripes in Garter Stitch with the Brightside Cowl

 

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Comments

  2. I learned the technique of knitting backwards from a course on Craftsy called “Improve your knitting”. It was taught by Patty Lyons, from the Lyon brand yarn company. It was pretty mind blowing at first to catch on. I find the skill of purling backwards very helpful when turning heals on socks. It saves time when you don’t have to flip your work around so often. I seem to have a better tension purling backwards, too. Keep those needles clicking. 😉

  3. I agree it looks not very fast. I think I will do better just turning. I’m going to try it though, because I love trying new things. Thanks for the video. 🙂

Have you read?

Knit a Stunning Bestiary Scarf

I don’t even know what to say about this amazing knitting pattern. The Bestiary Scarf from Monstra & Mirabilia is so full of details it’s a little intimidating to talk about. 

It features, as the designer describes it, an “artistic encyclopaedia of Western mythical creatures.”

The pattern includes a dragon, harpy, Medusa, chimaera, centauress, phoneix, kraken, mermaid, sew serpent, cyclops, wyvern, Pegasus, amphiptere and amphibaena. (It’s a good thing there’s a photo of the proejct with everything labelled because I definitely didn’t know the names for everything.) It’s also designed like a landscape, with water and land creatures toward the bottom ends and sky creatures toward the top. 

The dragon is at the center and is worked sideways so it will show as upright when you wear it. 

The scarf is worked in double knitting, so the colorwork appears in the opposite colors on the other side. 

It’s worked in light fingering weight yarn (on size 0 US or 2mm knitting needles) and the colorwork is shown in charts. The pattern also includes some video tutorials and written instructions to help you along. The designer says the pattern is for intermediate knitters, and “advanced beginners may succeed with patience and the help of the video tutorials.”

When I was an advanced beginner this kind of a pattern would have brought me to tears, but if you love a challenge, and a project that you’ll wear and get tons of astonished reactions every time, this is the project for you. And of course if you have a few double knitting projects under your belt and are comfortable reading charts, this project shouldn’t be hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s fast. But lots of great things take time, and that’s never stopped us before, right? 

You can get a copy of this pattern from Monstra & Mirabilia on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Monstra & Mirabilia ]