Ribbing
The LK 150 does not have a ribbing attachment available, so all ribs must be made manually, either by handknitting them on 2 needles, or by dropping and relatching plain knitting stitches, thereby changing them into rib stitches. In this tutorial we will focus on relatched (also knows as “reformed”) stitches only. Many patterns use the term “convert to ribbing”. All of these terms mean the same thing, and this technique is described below.
Ribbing Worked Last
Use this method when ribbing is worked at the end of a garment piece, such as sleeves that have been knit from the top down. The same method may be used to work bottom bands; in this case, begin the garment section above the ribbing, casting on with waste yarn and ravel cord. After completing the piece, rehang upside down, picking up the main color loops from the ravel cord onto the required number of needles. For tighter ribbing, it is easy to decrease a few stitches, hanging two main color loops onto one needle for each desired decrease. If you have doubled any stitches, knit 1 row at main tension.
Tighten the stitch dial 2 numbers; ribbing is usually worked at tighter tension than the main fabric. Do not remove the waste yarn yet.
If you are knitting from the top down, and do not have waste yarn, it helps to run a lifeline through every stitch in the last row before beginning the ribbing. Live stitches are raveled down to the row where ribbing begins, and a lifeline prevents those stitches from running too far. You can use either a ravel cord or thick crochet cotton for this; thread it into a tapestry needle and make a running stitch through every stitch in the row right below the needles, taking care not to drop any stitches. It helps to pull down on the fabric with your non-dominant hand, and stitch with your dominant hand.
The white cord has been threaded in and out of every stitch while it is on the machine. It prevents stitches from running down too far when converting the rib stitches, and will be pulled out after ribbing is completed.
Step 1
For a practice piece, proceed as follows. Turn tension (Stitch Dial) at least two numbers tighter than tension used on main fabric. Depending on the yarn used, it will sometimes be necessary to go all the way down to “R” in order to get a firm ribbing. Knit 5 rows. Increase tension 5 numbers. Knit 1 row at loose tension. Drop third stitch from the right edge, and ravel it down 6 rows. Many people find it easier to count down 7 rows, and insert the latch tool through this stitch, then ravel down to the latch tool; by doing it this way, it is possible to pull down with the latch tool, helping the column of stitch run down. Be very careful that the tool is actually inserted in the same column as the dropped stitch!
Step 2
Catch the first bar of yarn (the first “rung” in the ladder) with the latch tool. Pull it back towards you, through the stitch which is already on the latch tool, forming a new stitch. Hint: be sure the latch closes around the strand of yarn before pulling it backwards; if the latch is open, it can get caught in the yarn., out of work.
Step 3
Repeat step 2 until all bars have been relatched, then rehang the stitch onto the empty needle. A vertical column of knit stitches on the purl background has just been formed. Repeat this process on every other stitch across for K1, P1 ribbing.
Bind off with the Stitch Through Stitch Bind Off method.
If you are also a hand knitter, you could remove the live stitches onto a needle (preferable a circular one, since that allows sliding the stitches to the other end in order to easily access the working yarn). Bind off loosely; a larger size needle works best.
Alternate Tapestry Needle Bind Off Method For Ribbing
This bind off resembles the automatic cast on edge most often used by owners of metal bed knitting machines and ribbers. It is frequently called a circular cast on, or “zig zag and circular” cast on. It is also called Italian Bind Off by hand knitters. To bind off with this method, begin the garment above the ribbing. Cast on with waste yarn and ravel cord, change to main color, and complete garment section as per pattern instructions.
Turn garment upside down and rehang the main color loops from the waste yarn section. Knit the required number of rows for ribbing. Drop and relatch every other stitch, forming K1, P1 ribbing. Measure yarn at least 3 times the width of the working needles and clip at this point, leaving a long tail. This will be used for finishing later. Depending on the yarn, it sometimes can take up to 4 times the width of the needles, so practice this technique on a swatch to be sure, or just cut a little extra. These instructions presume that ribbing is an even number of stitches, and that there are 2 purl (not relatched) stitches on the right side of the bed.
Bring the relatched stitches (knit stitches as they face you while fabric is on the machine) all the way forward to position D.
Bring the relatched stitches (knit stitches as they face you while fabric is on the machine) all the way forward to position D. Bring the Side Levers on the carriage (the back levers on the side edges) forward to the dot position. Thread carriage with strongly contrasting waste yarn. Knit 1 row. Only the knit stitches should have knitted. The purl stitches should each have a float of yarn passing under them.
Move the Side Levers back to the triangle position and knit 7 rows waste yarn. Clip yarn, take carriage across empty, and drop fabric off the machine.
Thread main color yarn tail into a tapestry needle. Hold the fabric with the loops from the first row of waste yarn toward you, and fold the waste yarn back. You should see two main color loops, then 1 contrast, 1 main color alternating across the fold. These are all purl stitches, or the ones that you did not reform. The knit stitches lie forward and down, held somewhat separated by the loops formed by knitting the first row of waste yarn.
Pass the threaded tapestry needle from front to back through the first main color purl stitch. Bring the yarn back to the front and pass the needle from front to back through the second main color purl stitch.
Go back to the first stitch and pass the needle through it from back to front. Pass the needle through the first knit stitch from back to front.
Go back to the second purl stitch and pass the needle through it from back to front, then pass the needle from front to back through the third purl stitch.
Bring the yarn back to the front and pass it from front to back through the first knit stitch, then from back to front through the second knit stitch.
Go back to the last purl stitch worked and pass the needle through it from back to front, then pass the needle from front to back through the third purl stitch. Step 3 in diagram on the right.
Bring the yarn back to the front and pass it from front to back through the last knit stitch worked , then from back to front through the next knit stitch. Step 2 in the diagram on the right.
Repeat this all the way across. Every stitch is worked twice, and always go back one stitch when going through the purl stitch. You will always be going into the last stitch you used in the previous step. When you get to the last stitch, remember to take the yarn through it twice, too, to secure it.
Please try this technique on a swatch until you are comfortable with it, since the long tail of yarn required can be a little hard to manage, especially when binding off a garment sized section of ribbing.
Ribbing Worked First
Step 1
Bring forward required number of stitches for garment section. For this tutorial, we will presume that this piece has an even number of stitches. Beginning with 3rd needle from right edge, return every other needle back to pos. A (out of work). Cast on over remaining needles with waste yarn. Hang cast on comb. Set tension (Stitch Dial) to “R” . Knit approximately 1″, ending with carriage on left. Knit 1 row ravel cord. Carriage is now on right.
Step 2
Change to main color yarn. Knit 3 rows. On right edge of knitting, pick up the loop between the first two stitches, just above the ravel cord. Hang this on the end working needle, forming a long loop. Hang edge weights.
Step 3
Bring the alternate needles (the ones that were pushed back to pos A in step 1) out to pos B. They will now knit. Set row counter to 000. Knit 8 rows. Depending on the yarn, it may be necessary to increase the tension (Stitch Dial) one or two numbers.
Step 4
Remove cast on comb and edge weights. Drop stitch off 3rd needle from right edge (bring needle all the way forward, then push all the way back, and stitch will slip off.) Run it all the way down to the ravel cord. Insert the latch tool under the first bar of main color in the run. Skip over the top of the next 2 bars. Catch the 4th bar in the latch hook.
Step 5
Pull the latch tool back towards you, allowing the first bar to slip off the hook. This forms a new stitch.
Step 6
Catch the next bar of yarn (the next “rung” in the ladder) with the latch tool. Pull it back towards you, through the stitch which is already on the latch tool, forming a new stitch. Repeat until all bars have been relatched.
This tutorial was copyrighted and uploaded to the original Clearwater Knits website in 1997. It was updated in 2017.