There are knitting patterns that use the abbreviations wyif (with yarn in front) or wyib (with yarn in back). Some of my patterns with these include The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern and The Brick and Mortar Dishcloth Pattern. In these patterns, wyif or wyib is usually used before slipping a stitch or two. A slipped stitch is neither knit nor purled. Slipped stitches can be used for mosaic colorwork knitting or to create an i-cord edge or textured stitch patterns. The video and written instructions below show how to slip one stitch wyif or wyib purlwise for right-hand knitting.

How to slip a stitch WYIF and WYIB:

The video below shows K1 (knit 1), wyif S1 (with working yarn in front slip one stitch purlwise), wyib S1 (with working yarn in back slip one stitch purlwise), wyif S1, wyib S1

WYIF:

• Bring working yarn from the back of the right knitting needle to the front of the work
• Insert the right knitting needle as if to purl (purlwise) into the first stitch on the left knitting needle
• Catch that first stitch with the right knitting needle
• Pull the stitch off the left knitting needle and onto the right knitting needle (one stitch has been slipped)

WYIB:

• Bring working yarn from the front of the right knitting needle to the back of the work
• Insert the right knitting needle as if to purl (purlwise) into the first stitch on the left knitting needle
• Catch that first stitch with the right knitting needle
• Pull the stitch off the left knitting needle and onto the right knitting needle (one stitch has been slipped)