Picking Up Stitches - Part 2

We started with picking up stitches on the public side, but how about picking up stitches from the private side or wrong side of the fabric? It can be done and turns out to be very useful in a variety of situations.

Picking up stitches from the private side, working right to left is also called purling up stitches. Purling up stitches is to purling as knitting up stitches is to knitting. Remember to utilize your free hand to manipulate the fabric over the tip of the needle on step 3.

To pick up stitches on the private side as if to purl, the steps are as follows:
1. The right hand needle is inserted into the selvedge edge, as if to purl.
2. The yarn wrapped as if to purl.
3. Then the stitch is pull up (away from the knitter), back to the public side on the right hand needle.

Just as you can knit in the opposite direction (see Knitting Backwards), you can also pick up stitches on the public side, but work from left to right.

As with knitting in the opposite direction, I personally find picking up in the opposite direction much more efficient than picking up stitches on the private side. The primary reason being that the public side of the work is facing me and I can watch to make sure that I am picking up the stitches along a consistent line. Also, since knitting in the opposite direction is faster than purling for me, picking up in the opposite direction is faster too. You will need to see what works best for you, but keep in mind there is almost always more than one way to accomplish the same goal.

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Picking Up Stitches - Part 1

Picking up stitches is a key skill utilized in entrelac. Although this is often a practice avoided by many knitters, it is a valuable skill every knitter should have.

The advantage of practicing picking up stitches on entrelac is two fold. First, the number of stitches picked up for any given rectangle is a relatively small number. This means you can practice a little and then knit a little, repeating the process many times over the course of an entire piece of entrelac. Second, for the most part, you get to practice picking up from the public side and the private side an equal number of times. Being able to pick up from the private side is a skill that comes in handy quite often, once it is in your personal skill set.

Let's start with picking up stitches from the public side or right side. Picking up stitches from the public side, working right to left is also called knitting up stitches. This technique eliminates the need for a crochet hook in most instances. And although, a crochet hook my still be required occasionally, the knitting needles used for the project should suffice.

To pick up stitches on the public side as if to knit, the steps are as follows:
1. The right hand needle is inserted into the selvedge edge, as if to knit.
2. The yarn wrapped as if to knit.
3. Then the stitch is pull up, back to the public side on the right hand needle.

The third step usually a combination of pulling the loop through and using the left hand to manipulate the fabric over the tip of the needle. Your speed will improve with practice.

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