How to knit the hitch knot increase (HKI)

A step-by-step tutorial on a rare centered single increase that creates a balanced twin stitch.

As a knitter, you have access to a lot of knitting increases. The problem is that almost all of them either lean towards the left or towards the right. Enter the hitch knot increase (HKI). This is a perfectly centered way to increase stitches based on the girth hitch knot.

It’s a simple wrap of a knit stitch around the knitting needle creating quite the stunning effect. It’s neat on both the right side and on the wrong side. On top of that, it’s actually fairly easy to knit and incredibly easy to remember.

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Instructions: How to knit the hitch knot increase

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The hitch knot increased is based on the girth hitch knot. It's the very same principle - only on the knitting needles and very easy to do.

Active Time 2 minutes

Total Time 2 minutes

Materials

• Any yarn works. I am using the Schachenmayr Catania Grande in this tutorial

Tools

• Any type of knitting needle. I am using the Knitter's Pride Dreamz here

Instructions

1. Slip the stitch you want to increase over to the right needle point to point (purlwise).
   
2. Next, pull that stitch towards the back and over the left needle.
   
3. Wrap the working yarn around your knitting needle counter-clockwise.
   
4. Carefully pull the yarn through the loop and towards the front.
   
5. Drop only the right leg off the left needle keeping the other half.
   
6. Insert your right knitting needle into the remaining left leg of the stitch coming in from the front and wrap the working yarn around your needle counter-clockwise.
   
7. Pull the yarn through.
   
8. Drop the remaining leg of your "hitch knot" off the left needle.
   

Note: I also developed a hitchknot increase purlwise.

The only possible problem I see with this increase is that it is a single increase. So, unlike Make Two, you cannot feasibly use it in the center of a shawl on its own. That’s because if you have three stitches, you would place it after the first. But in the next row, you will have 4 stitches. So you would not be able to place it in the center anymore.

That being said, nothing would speak against using it to the left and right of a central ridge (say… k1, HKI, k1, HKI, k1….). Do know then, that it steals quite a bit of yarn from the adjacent stitches. So, in most circumstances and without dropping provisional yarnovers, it’s typically not possible to place these increases side by side without puckering.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t focus too much on the (non-existent) lean of this increase. It can look beautiful on either side of a project as a replacement for M1L and M1R or any lifted increase.

Anyway, that’s how to knit the hitch knot increase. Comment below with your questions.