Left Twist st help please!!!!!

[knitcindy]

I'm working on an afghan with the following stitch in it.

Left Twist: Sk next st, P next st thru back loop and leave on left needle, K the sk st, drop 2 sts from left needle.

So, can somebody help me to "see" how this is supposed to work?? When I try this I get all tangled up. Anyone know of a video of this st???

Thanks,
knitcindy

[suzeeq]

You can search Youtube to see if there's a 'Left Twist' video. But you will be knitting the sts out of order, so purl the 2nd st first through the back loop, leave it there, then knit the first stitch. You might practice ptbl first by itself as it's a bit tricky and awkward.

[Jan in CA]

It does look a little weird at first. It takes several rows to start showing a pattern.

[knitcindy]

Yes Jan. This st (along with the R Twist) is supposed to make a pattern that looks like a feathered chain stitch on a purl st background. Only mine isn't coming out that way. I'm getting the R Twist alright, but it's the L twist that's killing me and I can't figure out how to get that side to look like the chain stitch.

Maybe I'll have to ask some real life knitting friends to help me out!!!

Thanks though.
knitcindy

[lenaznap]

I am a new knitter diving into all this. I am a crocheter and I have had for a long time a book with both knit & crochet stuff, but I'd been ignoring the knit side of it until now. I started a stitch pattern found in that book that included twists and got all confused too. After much fumbling and ripping out work and internet searching, I finally figured out a couple things.

#1 - the instructions in the book I was using were wrong in a critical spot (oops -- no wonder I could never get it right!)

#2 - it seems like "twist" just means move some knit stitches over some, and move the purl stitches *behind* the knit stitches, no matter which way it is twisting or how many stitches are involved. So if I can just picture in my mind where the *knit* stitches are supposed to end up at the end of the row, the rest of it falls into place with much less drama.

To more experienced knitters out there: Does that (#2) sound right?

[suzeeq]

Yep, the twist or cable or mini cable sts are just worked out of order. Instead of knitting 1, 2, you knit stitch 2, then 1. It may help you if you treat it like a cable for a couple times. Put the first st on a holder (safety pin or paperclip works) then hold it in front and purl stitch 2. Then knit the held stitch. Doing it like this a few times will help you see what it's supposed to end up looking like and then you won't need the holder.