Cast On, Bind Off (45 page)

You now work 2 or 4 rows of tubular knitting. For tubular knitting, you knit the knit stitches and slip the purl stitches purl-wise with the yarn in front. For the first row only, knit into the backs of the knit stitches. (This keeps the stitches from twisting.) If the last stitch was cast on as in step 3, the first stitch of row 1 will be a knit. If the last stitch was cast on as in step 4, the first stitch of row 1 will be slipped purlwise with yarn in front.

Note that you work an even number of rows of the tubular knitting because each row worked is essentially only a half-row knit (you slip half the stitches on each row). The number of rows you work in tubular knit is up to you; more rows means more of a section that is a tube. Then, continue in K1, P1 ribbing.

Work through the directions to finish the tubular rows. Then, on the next row, you switch stitches to get 2 knits and 2 purls next to each other, as follows.

Work the first stitch as it presents (knit or purl).

The next stitch is the opposite, so you switch it with the stitch that follows by slipping the next 2 stitches off the left-hand needle and inserting the same needle tip into the first stitch, going in front of the second stitch. Put the second stitch back on the left-hand needle.

Work the next stitch on the left-hand needle (it will be the same as the first stitch you worked — knit or purl).

The next 3 stitches are in order, but then you must switch stitches again. Continue across the row, switching stitches every 4 stitches.