US Trends

what does kfb mean in knitting

KFB in knitting means “knit front and back,” and it’s a simple way to increase 1 stitch by turning one stitch into two.

Quick Scoop: What does KFB mean in knitting?

When a pattern says kfb , it’s telling you to:

  1. Knit into the front of the stitch as usual,
  2. Then, before you slide it off the left needle, knit into the back of that same stitch.

That gives you 2 stitches from 1 , so it’s a basic increase that doesn’t leave a hole like some yarn-over increases do.

Many knitters also see it written as:

  • kfb = knit front and back
  • k1fb or k1f&b = knit 1 front and back (same thing)

Because of the way it twists the stitch, kfb leaves a little “bar” on the fabric, so you’ll sometimes hear it called a bar increase. It’s very common in beginner-friendly patterns for things like sleeves, shoulders, toys, and hats.

How you actually do a KFB (step-by-step)

Here’s a quick mental walkthrough you can use when you’re mid-row and staring at your pattern:

  1. Knit the stitch normally (into the front) but do not slide it off the left needle yet.
  1. Swing your right needle around and insert it into the back loop of that same stitch.
  2. Knit it again through the back loop.
  3. Now let the stitch slip off the left needle: you’ll see 2 stitches sitting on your right needle where there used to be 1.

That’s it—that’s KFB in action.

Tiny “why this matters” note

  • KFB is a single increase : your stitch count goes up by 1.
  • It leans slightly to the left and shows a bar, so designers often place it at edges or where that bar looks intentional.
  • If your pattern uses kfb a lot, that faint bar texture is usually part of the look, not a mistake.

If you’re ever unsure while reading a pattern, you can remember the name itself as your mini-instruction:
“Knit the front , then the back of the same stitch.”

TL;DR:
KFB = knit front and back of the same stitch to turn 1 stitch into 2, creating a neat, slightly bar-like increase used all over modern patterns.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.