Home › Knitting abbreviations › pfb: Purl into front and back
pfb: Purl into front and back
Purl into the front of the stitch without dropping it, then purl into the back loop of the same stitch and slide the old stitch off. An increase adds stitches, so the stitch count at the end of the row is higher than at the start. Patterns usually state the new total in brackets.
How to work pfb
Purl into the front of the stitch without dropping it, then purl into the back loop of the same stitch and slide the old stitch off.
Common mistake
Dropping the stitch too early; the increase is lost.
Effect on your stitch count
It adds 1 stitch.
How it looks in a pattern
A typical line (an invented example for illustration):
Row 7 (RS): K1, pfb, knit to last 2 sts, pfb, k1.Spacing it evenly
Need to spread pfb evenly across a row? Use the increase and decrease calculator.
Related abbreviations
All terms are in the knitting abbreviations list, and in the app's Glossary, which works offline.
Frequently asked questions
What does pfb stand for?
pfb stands for purl into front and back.
Does pfb change the number of stitches?
It adds 1 stitch.