• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • SHOP
    • Upcoming Release Gallery Photos
    • Free Classes/Workshops on Teachable
    • Special Offers on New Releases!
    • Why Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns are Expensive
  • BLOG
  • LEARNING
    • Free Classes/Workshops on Teachable
    • What Is An Action Chart?
    • Menu of Techniques
    • Techniques Library : What’s In There?
    • Abbreviations
    • Sizing Tables / Charts / Guidelines & Croquis
    • Pattern Difficulty Levels / Type of Knitting
    • Why Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns are Expensive
    • Inside a Jill Wolcott Knits Pattern
    • How-To Videos: Learn from Jill
      • Why I Love . . . Techniques
    • Jill Wolcott Knits: A Fit Background
    • 2021-2022 Workshops With Jill Wolcott Knits
    • Overview of ASOG – A System of Grading
  • ABOUT
    • Designer’s Story
    • Calendar Events Schedule
    • Inside Scoop Subscribe & Newsletter Archives
    • Fundraising Projects
    • Jill Wolcott Knits
      • Jill Wolcott curriculum vitae
    • Techniques Library : What’s In There?
    • Abbreviations
    • Errata
    • Privacy Notice for Jill Wolcott Knits
  • CONTACT
  • My Account
  • Press

Jill Wolcott Knits logo

August 21, 2016

incL – Knitting Into the Stitch Below

incL is the abbreviation used for knitting into the stitch below in a way that makes your increase lean to the right. Then the incLp is a variation where you purl instead of knit. The mirror stitches of these are the incR and the incRp.

Abbreviations:
incL – increase left
incLp – increase left purl

These same increases are used and called other things by other authors.  I decided to use this method of abbreviating my increases because it clearly states it is an increase, that it leans to the left, and then if needed, that the stitch made should be a purl.

How to incL

This increase must be made in a stitch that has already been made, so it is done after a stitch is made (that is, it cannot be done until at least one stitch has been worked in a row).  It can be worked into a last stitch, but I don’t usually recommend that.

Use the left needle to pick up the top of the stitch below the stitch just worked. Lift stitch onto the left needle and knit it. Count the increase.

How to incLp

Use the left needle to pick up the top of the stitch below the stitch just worked. Lift stitch onto the left needle and purl it. Count the increase.

I usually work both of these increases without lifting the top of the stitch onto my left needle.  This takes a little practice, but feels more efficient, and once perfected, puts less strain on the stitch while working the increase.

How to work an inc2p (also inc3)

Purl into top of stitch below the first stitch on left needle (see incRp) then knit the first stitch on left needle and then purl into the top of the stitch in the row below the stitch from the left needle just knitted (see incL, above). This increases 2 stitches from one stitch.  Count 3 stitches.

Other ways to work increases include, yarn over, make one, and knit front and back.

Historical note:  Patterns published before 2011 by Y2Knit have the incL counting as 1 stitch, but the incR was counted as 2 stitches because I included the increase and the stitch worked after it from the left needle as a single instruction.  The difference from how I counted the incL caused a lot of questions (and consternation), so I discontinued counting the two decreases differently.  When a pattern is updated (patterns downloadable to date have been changed), I change to the current method of only counting the increase and make all resulting changes.

See also: incR

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Primary Sidebar

Jill’s Story

Teacher, Designer, with expertise to lead you where you want to go as a knitter/designer. Read More…

Blog Archive

Don’t Miss these Techniques!

drawing of how a button link is put together. design, writing, technique

Button Links

most of the shelves on the yarn wall

Color Play in Yarn

Photo of Jill's Rowena Iron and her Reliable Steamer Iron

Steam Block

lovely hand-wound center pull ball in Fingering 101, yarn, yarn ball, center-pull, technique

Hand Wound Center-Pull Ball

Popular in the Shop

  • Smallest Number of Stitches to Cast On A Moebius Suggested price: $3.00
  • Tulle Collar on dress form with taupe side out, a view of tope and bottom Latvian braid, and 3 vintage button links. Tulle Collar $12.00
  • Half-size dress form wearing dk version in pink and purple from Oink Pigments Clapham Trio: Junction, Road, & Common $20.00
  • ASOG 2023 Deposit-in-Full: Gou Pei Dress ASOG 2023 Registration Deposit-in-Full $100.00
  • ASOG 2023 Deposit-in-Payment: Gou Pei Dress with wings ASOG 2023 Registration Deposit-in-Payments $100.00 / 7 days

Stay Updated

Footer

About Jill

Teacher, Designer, with expertise to lead you where you want to go as a knitter/designer.

Pattern Availability

If you live outside of the US and Canada you can now purchase Jill Wolcott Knits PDF patterns directly through Payhip.

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Ravelry

© 2023 Jill Wolcott Knits