How to Knit Raised Increases
I’m Holli Yeoh and my absolute favourite, go-to increase is a raised increase. I use it in almost everything. It’s the least disruptive to the stitches around it and if only a single raised increase is worked, it’s virtually invisible in a ground of stockinette stitch.
Usually I work the increases in pairs for something like sleeve shaping, in which case I use right-slanting and left-slanting increases. These sleeves are from Watermark and Seaswell, both of which can be found in the Tempest collection.
Right-slanting raised increase (RRI)
- Work to the location for the increase. The RRI is worked into the right side of the next column of stitches on the needle.
- Rotate the work forwards to view the back and locate the purl bump directly below the next stitch on the needle.
- Insert the working needle into that purl bump from the top of the stitch.
- Wrap the working yarn around the needle and knit the stitch. Don’t let the next stitch slip off the left hand needle. Now the increase is completed.
- Work the next stitch on the needle in the normal fashion.
Left-slanting raised increase (LRI)
- Work to the location for the increase. The LRI is worked into the left side of the column of stitches just worked.
- Locate the bar between the stitches on each needle.
- Line up the left hand needle so it’s parallel to and just under that bar.
- Follow that bar, moving the needle towards the right and the left hand needle just slips right into the stitch two rows below the stitch just worked on the needle. (Note: this is the same row in which the RRI was worked but it might feel like there’s an extra row. You can confirm this by observing that both the right and left-slanting raised increases are worked in the same coloured stripe.)
- Now that the lifted stitch is on the left hand needle, knit into the back of the stitch—1 stitch increased.
