increase

An increase in knitting is the deliberate creation of one or more new stitches within a row or round, used to expand the fabric width or shape a garment. Unlike casting on, which establishes stitches at the edge, increases happen mid-fabric and are essential for shaping sleeves, necklines, and body contours. The new stitch emerges from existing loops of yarn, so no casting on is required.

The most common increase methods work by drawing loops from a single stitch. A knit front and back (KFB) uses the leading and trailing legs of one stitch to create two stitches from one. A yarn over (YO) leaves a decorative eyelets by looping yarn around the needle between stitches, creating both a stitch and a visible hole. A make one (M1) lifts the horizontal strand running between two adjacent stitches and knits it, leaving no visible trace. These techniques differ in appearance, difficulty, and the amount of fabric distortion they introduce.

Placement and frequency determine how visibly the increases shape the garment. Increases near edges are easier to hide and control; increases grouped or patterned can create intentional visual features like raglan lines or lace motifs. Multiple increases in a single row create a sudden expansion, while spacing them across several rows spreads the growth more gradually. Tension becomes critical: loose increases create gaping holes, while tight ones can twist the fabric or strain the working yarn.

The direction matters in paired increases. A right-leaning increase (like a KFB) tilts the fabric when worked repeatedly on one side; a left-leaning increase (like an SSK, or slip-slip-knit) tilts the opposite way. Professionals often use pairs of mirrored increases on opposite sides of a centered stitch to keep work balanced and symmetrical. Mistakes in increase placement or direction can be visible from several feet away once the garment is blocked.

Increases are the inverse of decreases, the two mechanics that allow hand knitting to achieve fitted, three-dimensional shape without seaming. The choice of increase method affects both the final look and the construction time; a simple KFB is faster but less neat than a make one, which requires lifting and working a separate strand. Understanding increase mechanics is fundamental to moving from following patterns to designing garments that fit specific bodies and proportions.