Technique - Knitting Backwards

This technique is courtesy of Meg Swansen, daughter of Elizabeth Zimmerman. It saves having to turn your work when knitting back and forth. Some of these situations are:

- Short rows on the body of a sweater; especially on the yoke, where turning involves the entire bulk of a bottom-up sweater.

- Bobbles on an Aran sweater

- The heel flap on socks.

- Cables

- w Entrelac

Technique for Knitting Backwards:

1. Insert L needle into the back leg of first stitch on R needle, coming into the stitch from the front
2. Wrap yarn around L needle, anti-clockwise
3. Lift stitch over and off

Technique for Purling Backwards:

1. Bring the yarn to the front
2. Insert L needle into the back leg of the first stitch on the R needle,  coming into the stitch from the back
3. Wrap yarn around L needle, anti-clockwise
4. Lift stitch over and off