Knit 1 Under Loose Strand (k1 uls)
Knitting “under the loose strand” may not be common, but it is useful for certain decorative (and beautiful!) stitches. Whether you prefer video instruction or step-by-step photos, our k1 uls tutorial shows you just how easy it is to work this technique!
Knit 1 Under Loose Strand: Step-By-Step
Insert right needle under loose strand and then into next stitch knitwise, from front to back. Knit stitch normally…
…then bring new stitch out from under the strand.
Put this new skill into action with our Trellis Scarf + Wrap.
You didnt explain how the loose strand was made. This video tutorial is useless without that.
Hello Ruth,
Thank you for your question! The loose strand is created when you slip multiple stitches in the previous row of the pattern. All you need to do is slip 5 purl wise and you get your loose strand. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Warmly,
Marilla
I have two questions:
1. My strands are appearing on the purl side. I’m fairly certain I am following the instructions row-by-row. What do you think can be the matter?
2. What is the best way to add a new skein with the alpaca? Will a Russian join or spit splicing give me a smoother transition?
thank you,
Joan
Hi Joan,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I can help. It sounds like you have been slipping with the yarn in front rather than in the back. All slip all slipped stitches purlwise AND slipped with yarn in front, unless indicated otherwise. That is to say that the first stitch on each row (save for row 1) is slipped with the yarn in back but all of the other stitches in each row (unless noted), you will slip the stitch with the yarn in front. This will create the loose stitch that you will pick up.
With Alpaca, I would not recommend a splice or a Russian join as Alpaca will not grab to itself in the same way that wool will. I would suggest leaving a tail from the old skein and the new skein and weaving in the ends when you finish the scarf or wrap!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I have 5 slipped stitches with the yarn in front. How many times do I knit under the loose strand?
I wish it was clearer in the pattern?
Hello Deborah,
Thank you for reaching out! Once you have knit your purl side (wrong side) row and are knitting back on the right row you will pick up each loose strand once. I hope this makes sense and answers your question. Please let me know if I can clarify anything.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I am starting the Quilted Lattice Cowl and have been struggling to get row 4 right working the k1uls stitch because I didn’t understand that after doing the stitch I needed to come out under the loose strand. You Rock, thanks so much!
Do you have a video of the first 3-4 rows? I’m having problems understanding
Hello Dana,
Thanks for reaching out! Is there a particular part you are confused about that isn’t covered in our tutorial? Is it the slipped stitches? To slip your stitches you just transfer your stitch from one needle to the other without doing anything else to it. You will want slip it purlwise as to not twist the stitch.
I hope I can help!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Purl Soho, the way this pattern is written the strands come out on the back side (purl side) of the fabric. It doesn’t make sense as written. Yes, I’m slipping my stitches purl wise with YIB. Someone there should try this pattern as it’s written because it has knitters trying to knit under strands that are on the opposite side of the fabric.
Hello Shannon,
Thanks for writing! For this stitch all your slipped stitches your slipped with yarn in front, unless indicated otherwise. This means that the only slipped stitches with yarn in back are your selvedge stitches, but when creating your bars you will be slipping with your yarn in front.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Would be more helpful if you show the whole process where the loose strand is created then how you knit it in to secure it. If you are not a great knitter and you would like to knit a test sample to see how you do what was demonstrated is really not sufficient.
Hi Kathy,
Thank you so much for writing in, and I apologize that this step isn’t included in our tutorial! I will certainly pass your feedback along to the design team, but in the meantime, hopefully I can clear this up for you. In our Trellis Wrap, the loose strands are formed on rows 2 and 6 when you slip 5 stitches with the yarn in front. This video then shows how to pick up that strand in rows 4 and 8!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
It’s a beautiful pattern and the tutorial looks easy; however, the instructions are not clear as to how to get the loose strand on the right side of the pattern? Too much confusion. How can you make it clearer?
Hi Elsie,
Thanks for writing in, and I apologize that this step isn’t clear! In the Notes at the beginning of our Trellis Wrap pattern, there is an instruction to slip all stitches purlwise with the yarn in front, so on Rows 2 and 6, you will slip the five stitches with the yarn in front to create the loose strand.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Can circlular needles be used? Ashley
Hi Ashley,
Great question! Although we don’t have instructions for knitting this stitch in the round, you could certainly knit it flat on circular needles!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I’m trying to knit the Quilted Lattice pattern & the questions & answers have helped immensely! Thank you.
However, I still have a question; does the stitch count stay the same on every row…55 stitches? Mine are not consistent! Every row is a higher count!
Thank you
Hi Teddy,
Thanks for reaching out. In this stitch pattern, the stitch count should remain the same all the way through! When your stitch count is increasing, how many stitches does each row increase by? Is it just by one stitch, or by many? Let me know, and I can try to figure out why that may be happening!
All the best,
Lili
After starting over 3 times, I kept 55 stitches thru row 7. Row 8 increased stitch count to 61!!
Thanks so much for trying to help me! Beautiful pattern!
Hi!
I can see a lot of confusion in the comments regarding if the yarn should be in front or back when slipping, and the answer always seem to be to slip with the yarn in front unless indicated otherwise. So now I’m confused, because when reading the pattern I can’t see any instruction anywhere to slip with the yarn in back…? But if that were the case wouldn’t the answer be that the yarn should always be in front for all the slips? Have I missed something?
Great tutorial for the k1 uls btw! Thank you for that, it will really help when I actually start knitting 🙂
Hello,
Thanks for writing in, and Yes! You are correct that for the trellis stitch the stitches are always going to be slipped with the yarn held in front, but because there are probably many creative ways for utilizing a k1 uls in designs, we made sure to specify the yarn position.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Carly
This pattern looks so beautiful when you knit it in person. Really elevates scarf to a sophisticated level. Lots of compliments.
Hi Marilyn,
Thank you for writing in! We are so happy you got great results with this stitch pattern! It really is lovely!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella