Confused by “K TBL” or “P TBL” in a pattern?

You’re following a knitting pattern, everything is going smoothly, and then you hit it — K TBL or P TBL — and you have absolutely no idea what that means.

Don’t worry, you are in very good company. This abbreviation trips up beginners and even intermediate knitters who haven’t encountered it before. The good news is that once you understand what it means, it’s actually a very simple technique — just a small change in where your needle goes.

In this tutorial I’ll explain exactly what TBL means, why patterns use it, and walk you through how to work both a knit TBL and a purl TBL step by step.

What Does TBL Mean in Knitting?

TBL stands for “Through the Back Loop.”

Every stitch on your needle has two parts — a front loop (the strand sitting in front of your needle, closest to you) and a back loop (the strand sitting behind the needle, away from you).

When you knit or purl normally, you insert your needle through the front loop — that’s the default, and most patterns assume you’re doing this unless they say otherwise.

When a pattern says K TBL or P TBL, it’s telling you to insert your needle through the back loop instead. That one small change in needle placement is the entire technique!

You may also see it written as:

• ktbl or ptbl (lowercase)
• k1tbl or p1tbl (meaning “knit/purl 1 stitch through the back loop”)
• tbl alone (when the context makes it clear)

All of these mean the same thing.

Why Do Patterns Use TBL?

Working through the back loop instead of the front loop causes the stitch to twist slightly as it’s formed. This twist has a few useful effects:

It creates a twisted stitch appearance. The stitch looks slightly more defined, tighter, and crisper than a regular knit or purl stitch. Many patterns use this deliberately to create texture and visual interest.

It tightens the fabric. A row or column of TBL stitches will be slightly denser and more structured than normal stitches — great for ribbing that needs to hold its shape or edges that should lie flat.

It’s used in specific stitch patterns. TBL stitches appear frequently in twisted ribbing (where every knit stitch is worked TBL for a crisper rib), certain lace patterns, decorative twisted stitch patterns, and some cable setups.

It corrects mounted stitches. When a stitch ends up on the needle “backwards” (with the wrong leg in front) — which can happen after certain increases, yarn overs, or picking up dropped stitches — working it TBL untwists it and makes it look correct. Experienced knitters use this trick all the time!

Front Loop vs. Back Loop — How to Tell Them Apart

Before you try TBL, it helps to clearly understand what front and back loops look like on your needle.

Hold your knitting with the needle in your left hand as normal. Look at any stitch sitting on the needle:

• The front loop is the strand of yarn on the side of the needle facing you. This is where your needle goes for a regular knit or purl stitch.
• The back loop is the strand of yarn on the far side of the needle, behind it. This is where your needle goes for TBL.

For a knit TBL, your needle enters the back loop from left to right, which means it goes in at an angle that feels a bit different from normal — your needle will cross behind the left needle rather than in front of it. This is completely correct and is what causes the stitch twist!

How to Knit TBL and Purl TBL (Through the Back Loop)

How to Knit Through the Back Loop (K TBL):

Step 1: Find the back of the loop

Look at the next stitch on your left needle. Identify the back loop — the strand of yarn sitting on the far side of the needle, behind it and away from you.

This is your target. Instead of inserting your needle into the front of the stitch like you normally would, you’re going to go around to the back.

Step 2: Insert your needle

Insert your right needle tip into the back loop of the stitch. To do this, bring your right needle behind the left needle and insert it into the back strand of the stitch from right to left.

Your right needle will cross behind your left needle — this is the correct position! It will feel slightly awkward at first because it’s the opposite of your usual motion. But you’re in the right spot if the right needle is behind the left needle and going through the back strand of the stitch.

Tip: If your needle feels stuck or the stitch is hard to get into, try relaxing your tension slightly. TBL stitches can feel tight, especially on the first few tries.

Step 3: Wrap your yarn

Wrap your working yarn around the right needle exactly as you would for a regular knit stitch — counterclockwise, from back to front. Nothing changes here. The only difference in the whole K TBL technique is where your needle enters the stitch. The yarn wrap is identical to a normal knit.

Step 4: Complete the stitch

Pull the new loop through the stitch and slide the old stitch off the left needle, just like finishing any regular knit stitch.

You’ve completed a Knit TBL (K TBL)!

Look at the finished stitch — you’ll notice it has a slight twist at its base compared to the knit stitches around it. That twist is exactly what you want. It’s what gives TBL stitches their characteristic tighter, crisper look.

How to Purl Through the Back Loop (P TBL)

Purl TBL is the same concept — you’re working into the back loop instead of the front — but the needle angle is different because purling already involves a different needle direction.

Step 1: Locate the back loop

Just like K TBL, start by identifying the back loop of the stitch on your left needle — the strand sitting behind the needle, on the far side away from you.

Step 2: Insert your needle

For a purl TBL, insert your right needle through the back loop of the stitch so that the needle tip is coming toward you — from back to front through the back loop. Your needle will go in from the left side of the back loop.

This position feels even more unusual than K TBL at first! Your needle will be coming from behind and angling toward you in a way that feels a bit contorted. Check your photo to make sure your needle matches the position shown — once you see it, it clicks.

Step 3: Wrap your yarn

Wrap your yarn exactly as you would for a regular purl stitch. Nothing changes here — same yarn wrap, same direction. Just like K TBL, the only difference is where your needle enters the stitch.

Step 4: Finish the stitch

Pull the new loop through and let the old stitch slide off the left needle, completing the purl TBL.

You’ve completed a Purl TBL (P TBL)!

What Your Stitches Will Look Like

After working TBL stitches, you’ll notice they look:

• Slightly twisted at the base — this is the defining visual characteristic
• Tighter and more defined than the surrounding regular stitches
• Crisper in appearance, especially in ribbing

This is exactly what you want! If your TBL stitches look just like your regular stitches, double-check that your needle is actually going into the back loop and not the front.

Where You’ll See TBL in Patterns

Now that you know the technique, here are the most common places you’ll encounter it:

Twisted Ribbing (K1 TBL, P1): One of the most popular uses. Working the knit stitches of a 1×1 rib through the back loop creates a ribbing that looks sharper and crisper than standard ribbing, and holds its shape even better. It’s a favorite for sock cuffs, hat brims, and sweater hems.

After a yarn over: When you work a yarn over (YO) and then work that yarn over on the next row, it’s sometimes instructed to purl or knit it TBL to close the hole that the yarn over would otherwise create. This gives you an increase without a hole — clever!

After certain increases: Increases like M1L and M1R sometimes direct you to knit TBL on the following row to prevent a gap or twisted stitch.

Decorative twisted stitch patterns: Some traditional European knitting patterns, particularly from Austria and Germany, use columns of twisted stitches to create beautiful textured designs. All of those twisted stitches are worked TBL.

Fixing a backwards stitch: If a stitch is sitting on your needle with the wrong leg in front — which can happen when you pick up a dropped stitch or work certain maneuvers — knitting or purling it TBL corrects the twist and makes it look like a normal stitch.

Troubleshooting Common TBL Problems

I can’t get my needle into the back loop — it’s too tight. This usually means your tension is a bit tight overall, or the stitch is sitting at an awkward angle. Try giving the stitch a small tug downward to loosen it slightly before inserting your needle. With practice, this gets much easier.

My TBL stitches don’t look any different from regular stitches. This means your needle is probably still going into the front loop out of habit. Slow down and very deliberately bring your needle around to the back of the stitch. If it helps, physically look at the needle tip as it goes in to confirm it’s in the back loop.

The needle angle feels really uncomfortable. This is completely normal at first, especially for P TBL which requires a particularly unusual needle angle. It gets much more natural with repetition. Try slowing down and doing 10–15 TBL stitches in a row on a practice swatch to build muscle memory.

My stitch count changed after working TBL stitches. TBL stitches don’t add or remove stitches — they work one stitch in, one stitch out, just like regular knit and purl stitches. If your count changed, there may be an accidental yarn over or a missed stitch elsewhere in the row.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does K TBL always make a twisted stitch? Yes — working through the back loop twists the stitch, which is the whole point. This is sometimes called a “twisted knit” or “Eastern knit.” The twist is intentional and correct.

Is K TBL the same as knitting continental style? No — continental knitting refers to how you hold and tension your yarn, not where your needle enters the stitch. You can work TBL in any knitting style (continental, English/throwing, etc.).

What’s the difference between K TBL and a twisted stitch? They’re the same thing! “Twisted stitch” is just another way of describing a stitch worked through the back loop. Some patterns use “twist” as an abbreviation (T) instead of TBL.

Can I work TBL in the round? Absolutely! TBL stitches work exactly the same way whether you’re knitting flat or in the round. Many sock patterns use twisted ribbing (K1 TBL, P1 repeated) for the cuff because it’s so stretchy and neat.

My pattern says “K1-tbl” — is that the same as K TBL? Yes, exactly the same. K1-tbl simply means “knit 1 stitch through the back loop.” The “1” refers to the number of stitches to work TBL.

Does TBL affect my gauge? Slightly. TBL stitches are a touch tighter and smaller than regular stitches, so a swatch or section worked entirely in TBL may have slightly different gauge than one worked in regular knitting. For most patterns this won’t matter, but if you’re working a gauge-sensitive garment with large TBL sections, it’s worth swatching.

Happy knitting! 🧶

~Angie

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