Knitting Combined Style (Combined Knitting)
Combined knitting is a hybrid style where knit stitches are mounted with the leading leg in front (Western mount) and purl stitches are mounted with the leading leg behind (Eastern mount). The result is significantly faster purling at the cost of needing to compensate for stitch mount.
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How it works
Purl by wrapping the yarn the opposite direction from standard Continental. The resulting purl stitches sit on the needle with the leading leg behind. On the next knit row, knit through the back loop to compensate for the mount.
Speed advantage
Combined purling is significantly faster than standard Continental purling. For ribbing and seed stitch, the speed gain is dramatic.
In partnership Tools and supplies that make this technique easier.
Compensation
On knit rows after a combined-purl row, knit each stitch through the back loop. On any decrease, account for the wrong-mount stitches: ssk becomes "slip 1, slip 1, knit 2 together through the back loop" of the wrong-mount stitches.
Best for
Knitters who find Continental purling slow. Patterns with heavy ribbing or seed stitch. Knitters willing to learn the compensation rules for decreases.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| k tbl | knit through the back loop |
| p | purl |
Tips
- Combined purling is significantly faster than standard Continental purling.
- Always knit through the back loop on the row after a combined-purl row.
- Account for wrong-mount stitches in decreases.
In depth
Combined knitting was popularised in modern English-language books in the 1990s but has been used in Eastern Europe and Russia for centuries. The technique offers significantly faster purling at the cost of more complex decrease handling.