Working into the stitch below creates a beautiful, lofty fabric and is super easy to learn and to do! There are several scenarios you may run into when asked to work into a stitch below. We cover most of them here in our Working Into The Stitch Below Tutorial.

KNITTING INTO THE KNIT STITCH BELOW (K1B)

This is the most common way to work into the stitch below and you are likely to run into it if you’re working a Fisherman’s Rib (as we are here!). Check out our Knitting Into the Stitch Below video explaining “knit one below” or “k1b,” or follow along with our step-by-step photos!

KNITTING INTO THE STITCH BELOW: VIDEO TUTORIAL

Click To See Video Transcript

Hi, I’m going to show you how to knit into the row below on this small swatch of Fisherman’s Rib. I’m going to start my row out just with a regular knit one, and then we will jump into the new technique. 

So when you knit into the row below, instead of knitting into this stitch right here on the needle, you’re going to look at this stitch directly below that. You can see this V here and this gap. So I want to insert the tip of my right needle into that stitch. Wrap my yarn as I normally would to knit. Pull it through that stitch, and then you’re gonna let all of this drop off your left needle. It’s a little nerve wracking the first time you do it. I’m gonna just purl one, and then I’ll show you how to knit into the row below once again.

So that’s a purl one. Okay, so one more time. Take the tip of your right needle. Insert it into the stitch below the stitch on the needle. Knit it as if normally. And let both of those just drop off the stitch. Let’s do it once more. And then I’ll show you. the back of the fabric. So one more time, insert the right needle into the stitch directly below the stitch on the needle, that hole, and just let it drop off the left needle.

Now if you turn your fabric around, you’ll see this stitch that we just knit looks like a purl bump on here on the other side, but instead of just having one purl bump, it has these two wraps. And that is how you knit into the row below.


KNITTING INTO THE STITCH BELOW: STEP-BY-STEP PHOTO TUTORIAL

Here’s the same information as our video, but slowed down…

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  • Insert the right needle into the space right below the next stitch, shown above left.
  • Knit as you normally would, allowing the stitch to fall off the left needle as usual (feels a little scary at first, but don’t worry!).
  • If you turn the work over, you will see that 2 stitches are wrapped around the stitch you just made.
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Excited to try out this new technique? Cast on for Tayler Harris’s Sundance Pullover, or the free patterns for our Color Dipped Hat and Beautyberry Blanket!

KNITTING INTO THE PURL STITCH BELOW (K1B)

Working a k1b into a purl stitch is certainly less common, but it does happen from time to time, like when you make our free The Incredible Blanket pattern. Watch our video below and give it a try!

Working into the Stitch Below | Purl Soho

PURLING INTO THE PURL STITCH BELOW (P1B)

And here is how to purl into the purl stitch below, commonly known as “purl one below” and abbreviated “p1b.” Fisherman’s Rib is made by alternating a p1b and a k1b and is a much easier way to make a brioche-like fabric. Here’s how to p1b…

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  • Insert the right needle from back to front (just like normal purling) into the space below the next stitch, right under the purl bump, shown above left.
  • Purl as you normally would, allowing the stitch to fall off the left needle as usual.
  • If you look below the stitch you just made, you will see that it is wrapped by 2 stitches.
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Our free High Seas Hat and Beautyberry Cowl pattern both alternate p1b and k1b… Have fun testing out your new skills!

And that’s all there is to working into the stitch below!

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!