knitting help request

[firecat]

I'm trying to swatch a knit pattern. There's a detail picture of what the pattern looks like on this page:

http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/lali/lali.html

The instructions include something that doesn't make sense to me. (Highlighted below.)

PATTERN STITCH (Multiple of 2 + 3)

Row 1 (RS): K2, * insert needle from back to front between the next 2 sts and knit the 2nd st, then knit the 1st st slipping both sts off LH needle; rep from * across, end k1.

Row 2: P2, * skip next st and p the next st, then p the skipped st slipping both sts off LH needle; rep from * across, end p1.

Rep these 2 rows for Pat St.

What I don't understand is - if I insert the needle back to front to knit, the needle is pointing out the front of the fabric, but the yarn is behind the fabric. I can't figure out how to get a loop onto the needle that way. Should I bring the yarn to the front? Do they mean something by "insert from back to front" that I don't understand? I don't think they mean "through the back loop" because other patterns on the site use "through the back loop" for that.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Going into the back just gets you to stitch the second stitch behind the first. So you stick the needle between the two stitches, skipping the first stitch and knitting into the second.

Your needle will poke out between the two stitches, aiming at you, then keep turning it into the second stitch, go into the stitch and get the yarn from the back and bring it back out through the front of the second stitch and to the back between the two stitches. You will now have a knitted stitch on your right needle and the unknitted stitch that you skipped still on the left needle. So you go around to the front of the stitch that you skipped and knit it.

HOH

[lorres.livejournal.com]

Going into the back just gets you to stitch the second stitch behind the first. So you stick the needle between the two stitches, skipping the first stitch and knitting into the second.

Your right needle will poke out between the two stitches on your left needle, aiming at you, then keep turning it into the second stitch, go into the stitch and get the yarn from the back and bring it back out through the front of the second stitch and to the back between the two stitches. You will now have a knitted stitch on your right needle and the unknitted stitch that you skipped still on the left needle. So you go around to the front of the stitch that you skipped and knit it.

HOH

Oh and by the way, this is me.

[nitoda]

Steph, I've been playing with yarn, and I wonder if this is what they mean? On Row 2, K2, then, inserting the needle from the back of the fabric, twist the needle and knit through the back of the second stitch, then twist it again so you can knit the first stitch in the normal way, slipping both stitches off the LH needle at the same time. This does impart a good twist to the fabric, which is needed to create the "woven" look ... it's the only way I can think to explain what they may mean - have a go and let me know if it works! :-)

[firecat]

Thanks! I'll try that.

[firecat]

Thanks! I'll try that.

[nitoda]

Oops - apologies for spelling Stef incorrectly before - addled brain after training today ... ;-)

[firecat]

No problem, my brain is always going missing...

And if you are still stuck or even if you are not

[vixter.livejournal.com]

come to my Redwood City Knitting club on Monday night. It's at my house in Emerald Hills. email me for more info

Re: And if you are still stuck or even if you are not

[firecat]

I'd love to come sometime, but I can't this Monday. Could you email me info about upcoming dates? Thanks!

[tedesson.livejournal.com]

From looking at the photo, it looks a bit like a fabric made of alternating aran twists.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~coolhoun/patterns/symabb.html

See Twist 2 back and Twist 2 front on that page for a description of making the stitch with the aid of a cable needle. I don't know if it's the same as the pattern for the purse, but I think it might be. And making the stitch with a cable needle should be a lot easier.

And this reminded me of Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns series, which may have something similar to that.

Have you picked up _Big Girl Knits_ yet?

[firecat]

Thanks for that table!

I have Barbara Walker's treasuries in my wish list but I haven't gotten around to buying them yet.

I have bought Big Girl Knits. I like it and have learned a lot just from reading it. For one of my next tricks I'm going to try to make a tank with side panels somewhat like the Sandy has.

[tedesson.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

I've started the booblicious tank 6 times, and each time I get utterly confused when I get to the waist shaping. I suppose it's time to chart it out, but geeze, I should know how to follow a pattern by now.

I'm currently knitting the Best Friend Coat out of Sally Melville's _The Knitting Experience: The Knit Stitch_. What a wonderful book! I love her clarity in pattern writing, and her treatment of caston/castoff and seaming.

ta!

[firecat]

I knitted the Asymmetrical Vest from that book. I like the book a lot and have learned loads from it. But because of some interaction between the yarn and the gauge the vest came out a totally different size from what I expected. Fortunately it fit one of my sweeties perfectly.

http://firecat.livejournal.com/309822.html

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Everyone has said what I was going to say, but I wanted to comment to thank you for asking. I would have used a cable needle to do that, and it's really not necessary. Yay more knitting-fu!