Dimensional Tuck Knitting

Every now and again a book comes along that changes the way you look at your craft and Dimensional Tuck Knitting by Tracy Purtscher is one of those.

When I worked for textile giant, Courtaulds, way back in the 80s I was lucky enough to spend time with some very creative textiles students.  It was then I saw tuck machine knitting for the first time and these talented people designed some amazing jersey fabrics.

I had never really thought about using this technique in hand knitting until Tracy’s book landed on my desk. The basic idea is to pick up a stitch from the back and knit it with the stitch on your needle to gather the fabric up into a fold.  It almost looks like you are cabling.  In fact, if you have ever been nervous about cabling, this could be the technique for you.

The book uses charts to show you where and when to tuck in a very clear way and there are lots of stitch patterns for you to try, as well as a few projects.

I have had great fun trying the tuck knitting out but I would recommend that you use a light coloured yarn while you are swatching.  I chose a dark grey first time round and could barely see which stitches I was aiming for in the tuck!