Working the Left Lifted Increase (LLI) 101

The Fashion Forward Hat pattern uses the Left Lifted Increase stitch for a very important reason. It does not leave an unsightly hole, like other increases do. That little hole isn’t usually a problem in most patterns, but in the location of the increases in this hat the holes are particularly visible. The brim of the hat is snug and the honeycomb cables pull, drawing attention to those little holes. Here is the hat using the M1L increase:

Do you see the increase holes? I sure do. They really bother me! So, the LLI comes to the rescue!

And the holes are all gone!

The lifted increases are easy to work. There is a right and a left lifted increase. I am explaining only the left lifted increase here as it is the one used in this pattern. The benefits to using these increases are that they are invisible, they stack on top of each other nicely when used in sweater or shawl shaping, and they are attractive looking.

Here are the steps for the LLI:

Want to learn more?

Here is a very clear and straight-forward video showing both the left and right lifted increases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ01r1hWGks.

Here is a photo tutorial for the knit and purl versions of the the left and right lifted increases: http://www.knotions.com/techniques/increases/how_to_knit_lifted_increases.aspx.