Twigg Stitch: A New Twist on Reversible Knitting

by Vicki Twigg

Reversible knitting like you’ve never seen before! Learn to create totally reversible projects with Vicki Twigg’s technique!
Hang on to your knitting needles, what you know about reversible knitting is about to totally change! In the beginning, all knitwear designer Vicki Twigg wanted to do was knit a two-colored ribbing without floats. What she ended up creating was an entirely new type of knitting, worked in two colors, that produces a fully reversible fabric with mirrored or completely different sides. It’s truly amazing!
This is not brioche there are no slipped stitches, yarn-overs, or knitting into the stitch below. This is not the work is not slid to the other end of the needle to rework a row, and there are no “pockets” in the fabric. Vicki’s technique, Twigg Stitch, results in a knitted fabric with a different color on each side and allows you to create two completely different fabrics on either side of your project.
Unique and fascinating as the technique is, it’s not difficult to master; if you have basic knitting skills you’ll learn it quickly. Vicki visually walks you through the basics steps in Twigg casting on, handling yarns, increasing and decreasing, changing colors, and knitting in the round. Plus, she provides a stitch dictionary of basic to more complex color patterns, textured patterns, and cables, and shows how to manipulate stitches to create a fabric that resembles lace.
To demonstrate this amazing technique, Vicki shares 10 great project that range from simple reversible hats, mitts and scarves to reversible lace shawls. These are projects that will have your knitting friends asking, “how did you knit that?!” It’s Twigg Stitch!

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2014

Reviews

[Georgina]

It's a bit like double knitting, it looks a lot like brioche. It's the Twigg Stitch, a fully reversible new kind of knitting that some hardcore knitters are finding difficult to classify. For the moment I'm placing it in its own category, with cross-references in double knitting and brioche. (I used to work in a library, can you tell?)

As new & exciting as the stitch may be, most of the projects in the book are less than inspiring: the obligatory beginner scarf that looks like something from Harry Potter, a big bulky infinity scarf that could smother a cat, a few fugly hats, and some shawls that look all kinds of wrong because of the thickness of the material.

The only two projects that I'd wear in public are: The tweedy Lake Shore Wrap (p. 54) and the brioche-y looking Double Diamond Beanie (p. 98). And possibly, if it was very cold and someone double-dog dared me: the Snowflake Earflap Hat (p. 104).

But this book is not about the projects. It is about increasing your knitting arsenal. One third of the book is dedicated to carefully showing you how to do the basic Twigg stitch, while another third is a detailed stitch dictionary. All in easy to see full color photos. For that, I give it 4 (out of 5) stars.

[Ligaya]

New technique that appears to be a double-knitting/brioche hybrid. Very well explained with lots of photos and clear text but none of the projects within grabbed me. I found the Mothwing Scarf to be the most beautiful in the book, while many of the rest seemed very bulky. The author has clearly done a huge amount of work in developing this technique (which she named after herself) and perhaps more patterns will be forthcoming.

[Anne Hawn]

This is a great book for a new technique. I like to do Fair Isle designs and wanted to make a scarf, but the stranded yarn doesn't look good on the back side. This technique puts a design on the front and a reverse design on the back. I'm eager to try this out. The instructions are very clear with plenty of pictures. There is also a stitch dictionary in the back. There is a lovely Fair Isle design which I am going to use to make double thick potholders and trivets.

[Sharon]

Beautifully photographed book that explains in clear detail how to do the Twigg stitch. I'm a hatoholic so I found the hat patterns especially interesting.

[Dragonlady]

While most experienced knitters are familiar with reversible knitting techniques that create a doubled fabric, Vicki Twigg has literally added an entirely new twist to knitting versatile, reversible fabric. Although reminiscent of brioche, the resultant fabric is less dense and the knitting appears a bit less fussy. Although there are project patterns included, the real strength of this book is in the wealth of photographs and carefully written instructions illustrating this new technique. Whether you prefer two color knitting using a strand in each hand or in one, this comprehensive guide demonstrates everything from cast-ons, bind-offs and selvedges to textures, color play, cables and more. The many different designs include both charts which are large enough to read comfortably and line-by-line instruction making them easy to follow.

With gauges from seven to ten or more stitches to the inch, the projects aren’t suitable for a quickie gift but if you are looking to try something new, check out the Mothwing Scarf or the Lakeshore Wrap. The Double Diamond Beanie is a smaller project with a slightly larger gauge that seems tailor made to learn on but again, this book is meant to inspire experienced knitters to explore the technique and create their own stunning pieces, a task it performs admirably. This title can be found at http://www.interweavestore.com/twigg-...

[Sara]

Variations on double knitting. Looks tedious to me.

[Mckinley]

I like the idea of this technique but I don't seem to like it in action, at least not as it plays out here.

[Ruth]

Mostly scarves and hats. Sport weight or dk. Not likely to use