Travelling rib by edge-stitch transfer

Machine types that can knit it

• Single bed (punch card) + ribber
• Single bed (electronic) + ribber
• Double bed with pushers (Passap type)
• Double-bed hand flat (V-bed)

Steps

1. Cast on all needles, transfer into N×N, knit a few rows.
2. For every group: move the back stitch adjacent to the front group's leading edge to the front bed; move the front group's trailing-edge stitch to the back bed.
3. Knit k rows.
4. Repeat; flip edges to change direction.

The full card

What it looks like

Ribs slanting diagonally (like twill/bias stripes), each column a stair-stepped diagonal; plated colours give diagonal stripes. Softer, less defined than a true rib.

How it behaves

mild diagonal relief; less elastic than true rib; slight bias pull.

How it works

Each front group gains the opposite-bed stitch on its leading side and gives its trailing-side edge stitch to the other bed in the same row, so every group keeps width N but moves one needle. Lean direction = side on which the front group gains (gain left → leans left). Changing which edge is moved reverses the slant (zigzag).

Machines

Double bed; single transfer tool; pitch must allow the edge needle opposite to receive (P with N×N works directly).

Parameters

rib N×N (4×4 typical); shift rate s = 1 needle every k rows (k = 1–2); direction L/R; length of travel.

Steps

1) Cast on all needles, transfer into N×N, knit a few rows. 2) For every group: move the back stitch adjacent to the front group's leading edge to the front bed; move the front group's trailing-edge stitch to the back bed. 3) Knit k rows. 4) Repeat; flip edges to change direction.

Charting

Grid 1 cell = 1 stitch × 1 row: grey/white diagonal bands stepping 1 column per k rows. In the transfer row, mark the cell receiving a back→front transfer with ↓ (cell grey) and the cell receiving front→back with ↑ (cell white). Legend shows the four symbols.

Limits and common problems

If only one transfer per group is made (gain without loss) the fabric drifts to all-front-bed. Technically a transfer structure, not a true rib; steam to recover some rib.

Combines with

travelling-rib-shift, plating, multidirection layouts.

Pieces and assembly

Panel edges remain vertical (stitches don't relocate), so seams are straightforward.

Related techniques

• Travelling rib by shifting all stitches
• Mirrored / zoned travelling ribs
• Vertical rib (N×M)
• Pitch / half-pitch rib arrangement
• Horizontal rib by whole-width bed swap
• Knitting the first row after a transfer