The pattern says: Work in k1 tb1, p1 ribbing.
What does "tb1" mean?

tbl means through the back of the loop.
it means that you reach your needle around a short way and knit the stitch with the side that sits on the far side of the needle if you have all the stitches facing the same way. if you happen to knit in the style known as combined you want to knit through the left side of the stitch so that it twists however it sits on the needle. I am sure that there are illuminating knitting videos explaining this in wonderful visual terms and I have no idea where they are. there are several people who most likely do and I hope they post the links so that I can see them too.

This YouTube video isn't exactly what I was hoping to find, but it *does* show how to knit a stitch "tbl" (through the back loop).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_jkc01Y22I

I watched the YouTube video which clearly shows the tbl.

I know I am going to be shot down for my next comment!

Why, oh why can't she hold her needles PROPERLY.

I have 'corrected' the hold of so many experienced kntters who suddenly see the light. A simple position change so that the right hand supports the needle makes all the difference. The needle then passes through the V made by the finger and thumb.

In this pic I am actually working on 4 dpns, but you will see the hold

John's hands

If you want to see me do this 'live' send me a PM and I will show you on webcam.

Have fun.

Best wishes, John

I use both methods, often in the same row or round. It's no big deal to me--whatever's comfy at the moment. Your hold is a bit faster; the other hold is a bit more definite when it comes to control. When I was doing the Master Knitter program, I tended to the latter hold for swatches that were giving me trouble.:-)

Nice photo and that is how I hold my needles. By the way love the cardigan!

Hello John,

I've always liked the look of your type of knitting technique -- it looks so elegant to me -- but I have never been able to knit that way. I can't seem to tension the yarn using my index finger to whip it out around my needle tip and since my initial projects were one-piece afghans, I found it very difficult to rest the needle between my thumb and fore finger.

I'm the juvenile clutch and drop kind of knitter but over the years I've developed a degree of speed that is acceptable to me and very even knitting. I will do continental if I am working with two strands of yarn but even my continental isn't the "elegant index finger close to the needle" yarn tensioning but the "index finger held high" style.

I am not trying to sound angry here. John, the next person who tells me I am not holding my needles correctly or takes my needles out of my hands to stop me knitting incorrectly(which has happened) will need to know how to run really fast. Have never asked for help in holding the needles but I am tired of people correcting my ways, needle holding and production methods. I am an extremely fast knitter, have won many awards for my work and have been a test knitter for over 10 designers over the years who happily(their words, not mine) paid for my work. Also have had a great many customers who enjoyed what I made.
It works perfectly for me and as far as I am concerned that is all that matters. I do not see why others feel the need to "correct" the way another knitter does anything as long as they are comfortable with it, do a nice job, or ask for the help. Maybe I should do a youtube video and wait to hear about the horrible job I do.
Now, I will jump off the soapbox and return to sorting out my toys.

I think knitting is a personal thing. I hold my needles the way the video showed however I don't see others use that style often. So on the other side hey it is nice to see some one knit like me!

I don't hold them that way for all my knitting and use a variety of styles to hold my needles. If I am knitting in the round that way doesn't work. (Unless someone has another video to show that.)

Speaking for myself . . . I would never grab your needles or say you are doing something wrong or even offer a suggestion unless you asked. I always walk those line with caution.

Since I am very outspoken I would ask them, "Did I ask for you advice or help?" In this world of everyone being so "correct" them seem to forgot how to be polite!

Rarely do I make a second appearance on a thread, but as I said, I expected to be shot down.

It is strange that the way knitters hold needles is THE TABOO topic on a knitting website, and in knitting circles in general.

I was at a function once when the topic arose, and without intentionally pointing at a particular lady, she decided to go off in a huff. No mere man was going to tell her anything about knitting! However I noticed at the same function a year later that she was busy showing a beginner how to knit with her revised hand position. I smiled to myself.

Life is good!

Best wishes, John

Oh, dear, John, I'm going to try to draw you to this thread yet a third time... Are you carrying your yarn in your left or right hand? I just can't tell from the photo, but it looks like on your right. Is it so? Since I don't use the looping method I don't know if your way of holding the needles would work for me. But then, I've been corrected for how I hold my dining utensils as well... LOL!

This has all been very interesting. I've been known to comment on the way people knit, but I don't think I have ever gone so far as to tell then they are doing it wrong. I figure if it is comfortable and effective it's fine. I did notice, John, when I thought about it that I hold my needle your way when I throw the yarn with my right hand, but when I knit continental style and hold the yarn with my left hand I hold my needle the other way. I think it has to do with having more control of the needle tip. Does any one but me remember the post about the woman being "taught" to knit in a doctor's office. It was really funny.

The only person I ever corrected was twisting her stitches without knowing it.

Well, I guess my words did come across as angry. but it's hard to say things softly when typing and apologize if I riled anyone or appeared to be yelling.
A woman at a DRs office took the needles out of my hands and said she just couldn't stand watching me knit incorrectly and had to stop me. I asked her how long she had knit and she said 2 years. Told her I'd been knitting over 40, teaching it for 20 and asked if she would care to see the pictures of the items I had just won blue and grand champion with at the fair. Then asked what she thought I was doing wrong. Turns out she had been taught continental and told by the teacher at the LYS that it was the ONLY correct knit method and if she saw someone doing their work wrong that she should inform them immediately. This was all said over 2 visits as she hurried out the first time when I lashed back a bit because it startled the heck out of me.
I have seen people working in unusual(to me) ways and asked about it. Have given help when asked, dropped the subject if they wanted no help and shown them how I would do it as an example only. But I would never tell a student the way I taught was the only way. Nor did I ever say to tell others they were doing it wrong. That to me is the heighth of ego. I can't hold my yarn round the fingers because of injuries and MS so have to carry it across my palm. That's also the way I do stranded and fair isle. It worked for me for 53 yrs now.
Watching some knit videos on youtube is hard but only because sometimes I cannot see clearly how they do the st, not because of needle positions. John, haven't seen yours yet, but would like to. I enjoy seeing all of the different ways we knitters do our craft.

I just have to say . . . Just knit and enjoy it!

I agree it is rude to grab anyone's needles and then to tell anyone they have all the right answers! You are far to kind Ladywildcat-----I might have stabbed her or something----hA!