What "knit one stitch below" means and when to use it
Knit one stitch below is a technique where you insert your needle into a stitch from the row below instead of the stitch directly on your needle. Instead of knitting the working stitch normally, you reach down, pull yarn through the stitch underneath, and then drop the original stitch off your needle. The result is a taller stitch that can close small holes, add texture, or fix mistakes without unraveling.
This technique appears in patterns under different names: "knit below," "knit into the stitch below," or sometimes abbreviated as "k1b" or "kb." You'll see it used to create vertical lines of texture, to reinforce fabric in high-wear areas, or to pick up a dropped stitch without frogging back several rows. It's also useful when you've accidentally skipped a stitch and want to fill the gap without starting over.
The stitch below is always the completed stitch directly underneath the one on your left needle. Once you knit into it, that lower stitch becomes part of your new row, and the stitch that was on your needle disappears. This is why the technique works for closing holes—you're essentially pulling two rows together.
Key Takeaways
- Insert your right needle through the stitch one row below the working stitch, wrap yarn, and pull through to create a new stitch.
- Drop the original stitch from your left needle after completing the knit below, just as you would with a regular knit stitch.
- The finished stitch will be taller and slightly textured, creating a visible vertical line if you repeat the technique in the same column.
- This technique works in both stockinette and garter stitch and can be done on knit or purl rows depending on your pattern.
- Practice on a swatch first, because the motion is slightly different from a standard knit stitch and takes a few repetitions to feel natural.
Step-by-step instructions for the basic knit below
Start with your working yarn in back and your left needle holding the active stitches. Identify the stitch you want to knit below—it's the completed stitch directly underneath the next stitch on your left needle. You'll be working into that lower stitch, not the one on your needle.
Insert your right needle from left to right through the lower stitch, going under and through it the same way you would for a regular knit stitch. Keep your working yarn in back. Wrap the yarn around your right needle counterclockwise (the standard knit wrap), and pull the new loop through the lower stitch. You now have a new stitch on your right needle.
Drop the original stitch from your left needle—the one that was sitting on top of the stitch you just knit into. Let it fall off naturally. The lower stitch you knit into is now part of your new row, and the stitch above it is gone. This is the key difference from a regular knit: you're working into a completed stitch, not a live one, and then removing the stitch that was above it.
How to knit below on a purl row
The same principle applies when you're working on a purl row. Instead of wrapping your yarn in back, you'll hold it in front for the purl motion. Insert your right needle from right to left through the stitch one row below (the same direction you'd enter for a regular purl), wrap your yarn around the needle, and pull through.
Drop the original stitch from your left needle after you complete the purl below. The resulting stitch will look like a purl bump on the right side of your fabric, and it will be taller than a standard purl stitch. If you're working a pattern that calls for "purl one stitch below," this is the motion you'll use.
Using knit below to close small holes and fix mistakes
A small hole in your knitting—from a dropped stitch, a missed yarn over, or an accidental decrease—can often be closed by working knit below in that column for one or two rows. The taller stitch pulls the fabric together and fills the gap without requiring you to unravel. This works best for holes that are only one or two rows old and one stitch wide.
To fix a dropped stitch, pick it up on your left needle and knit below into it. The stitch below the dropped one will become part of your new row, and the dropped stitch will be secured. If the hole is larger or older, you may need to use a crochet hook to ladder the stitch back up before using knit below, or you may need to accept that frogging back is the cleaner option.
For mistakes like a twisted stitch or a stitch that's too loose, knit below can tighten the fabric in that area without unraveling. Work knit below for one row in the affected column, and the tension will improve. This is less dramatic than frogging but more targeted than trying to fix it in place.
Creating texture and vertical lines with repeated knit below
If you work knit below in the same column on multiple consecutive rows, you create a visible vertical line of texture that stands out from the surrounding stockinette. This is intentional in many stitch patterns—cables, brioche knit, and some textured designs use knit below to add visual interest and depth.
The line will be slightly raised and have a subtle ridge running up the fabric. In brioche knit, which relies heavily on knit below, this creates the characteristic look of the stitch. You can also use knit below strategically in just one or two rows to add a subtle texture detail without making it a dominant feature of the piece.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is inserting your needle into the wrong stitch. Remember: you're going into the stitch one row below the one on your left needle, not the stitch next to it on the same row. Look down at your fabric and find the completed stitch directly underneath. That's your target.
Another frequent error is forgetting to drop the original stitch from your left needle after you complete the knit below. If you don't drop it, you'll end up with an extra stitch on your needle and your stitch count will be off. Always drop the upper stitch after pulling the new loop through the lower one.
Some knitters accidentally twist the stitch when working knit below because the motion feels unfamiliar. If your knit below stitches look twisted or distorted, check that you're inserting your needle in the same direction as a regular knit stitch (left to right, under the stitch). The only difference is the location—one row down instead of on the needle.
Practicing knit below on a swatch
Before using knit below in a project, spend ten minutes practicing on a small swatch in worsted weight yarn with a size appropriate to that yarn. Cast on about 20 stitches and knit a few rows in stockinette to establish your fabric. Then work one row where you knit below every stitch. You'll see when ready how the stitch behaves and whether your tension is even.
Try working knit below in alternating stitches, then in a column, then scattered randomly. Each pattern will show you a different effect. Once the motion feels natural and your stitches look even, you'll be ready to use it in a pattern. The swatch also gives you a reference for how much the stitch pulls the fabric together, which is useful information if you're using it to close a hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does knit below change my stitch count?
No. You're working into a stitch that already exists and then dropping the stitch above it, so the total number of stitches on your needle stays the same. Your row count does not change either—you're still completing one row.
Can I knit below on every stitch in a row?
Yes, and this is actually how brioche knit works. Knitting below every stitch creates a very textured, elastic fabric with a distinctive appearance. It's slower than regular knitting, but it's a valid technique and produces beautiful results in the right pattern.
What if I knit below and the stitch looks too loose?
Tighten your tension slightly on the wrap and the pull-through. You may also be pulling too much yarn through the lower stitch. Try using slightly less yarn and see if the stitch sits more neatly. It takes practice to find the right tension for this technique.
Is knit below the same as knitting through the back loop?
No. Knitting through the back loop means twisting the stitch on your needle by entering from the opposite direction. Knit below means working into a different stitch entirely—one row down. They produce different effects and are used for different purposes.
Can I use knit below to fix a stitch that dropped three rows ago?
Not directly. If the stitch has been dropped for more than one or two rows, the stitches have already shifted and tightened. You'll need to use a crochet hook to ladder the stitch back up to the current row first, then you can knit below to find it. For very old dropped stitches, frogging back is often cleaner.