New Knit Stitch a Week: Trinity stitch

This is a re-stitch of one of my first stitches from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979. The yarn I chose was dark and my light was meh the first time around, hence the re-stitch.

I really love the bobbly texture on this one, and it's very easy to stitch up. Bamboo needles help tremendously with this one, because the KPK is pretty slippery and frustrating on metal needles.

The back has a nice, open texture as well:



Left: Using size 10 needles and a teal acrylic yarn from my stash, I cast on 15 stitches
Right: Using size 6 needles and a pink cotton-blend yarn from my stash, I cast on 19 stitches

Multiples of 4 stitches plus 3
Rows 1 and 3: Purl
Row 2: *P 3 tog, KPK into next st *, P3 tog
Row 4: *KPK into first st, P 3 tog*, KPK into last st

New Knit Stitch a Week: Butterfly stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979. I tried this stitch unsuccessfully before, so I'm happy to discover I am getting better at following directions! This time around it was easy for me to keep track of, and relatively even and cute. I bet it would look nicer when blocked.

Using size 6 needles, I cast on 15 stitches in:
Left: Elsebeth Lavold Baby Llama in Lime Juice
Right: Louise Harding Grace Silk & Wool, color 26

Multiple of 10 stitches plus 5

Rows 1 and 3: K5, *K2 tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K5*
Rows 2 and 4: *P7, sl1 P-wise, P2* P5
Rows 5 and 11: knit
Rows 6 and 12: purl
Rows 7 and 9: *K2 tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K5* K2 tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1, k1, psso
Rows 8 and 10: *P2, sl1 P-wise, P7* P2, sl1 P-wise, P2

New Knit Stitch a Week: Diagonal Rib

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

As you can see, both the wrong side (pink yarn) and right side (white yarn) are the same. It's an interesting texture, I have to say I don't quite see the "diagonal", although it does stretch on the diagonal. I can see the rib - it's a nice, bulky texture, and the pattern is relatively easy to remember.

Using size 6 needles, I cast on 16 stitches in:
Left: a pink cotton blend yarn from my stash
Right: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Oyster Heather

Multiple of 4 stitches.

Row 1: *K2, P2*
Row 2 and all alt rows: knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches of the previous row
Row 3: *K1, P2, K1*
Row 5: *P2, K2*
Row 7: *P1, K2, P1*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Chevron Seed

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979. Most of the stitches I've tried recently have been based off of seed-stitch textures - this is another fun, easy variant.

It's not super-easy to see the texture, but it's nice just the same. Would be cute on a dishcloth or maybe socks.

Multiple of 8 stitches.

Using size 6 needles, I cast on 16 stitches in:
left: Teal acrylic thread from my stash
right: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Currant

Row 1: *P1, K3*
Row 2: *K1, P5, K1, P1*
Row 3: *K2, P1, K3, P1, K1*
Row 4: *P2, K1, P1, K1, P3*

This is also the first time I've come up for air after my mad-dash NYC trip in which I attended 2 weddings in two separate boroughs, ran around town eating everything I missed (mostly waffles, black coffee, and calamari), getting lost on the Subway, seeing Hedwig and the Angry Inch with the original, founding Hedwig in a leg brace (amazing!) and catching an epic flu on my last day that kept me in bed for 4 days straight after my return. Nothing is small-time in NY! :)

New Knit Stitch a Week: Diamond seed

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979. This stitch was a fairly straightforward, easy knit. The first time through I had to make a point of remembering how to repeat the pattern. Very cute.

Once again, that lime green Baby Llama doesn't show up the seed texture as well. Still nice.

Using size 6 needles I cast on -
left: 24 stitches Elsebeth Lavold Baby Llama in Lime Juice
right: 16 stitches Wool of the Andes in Thyme

Multiple of 8 stitches.
Row 1: *P1, K7*
Row 2 and 8: *K1, P5, K1, P1*
Row 3 and 7: *K2, P1, K3, P1, K1*
Row 4 and 6: *P2, K1, P1, K1, P3*
Row 5: *K4, P1, K3*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Oblique Seed stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

This stitch was fairly easy to keep track of and execute, and the texture is nice and bobbly. It curled more on the brown wool than on the cotton blend yarn, for whatever reason.

I cast on 20 stitches, using size 6 needles:
left: cotton blend yarn (?) from my stash
right: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Brown Sugar

Row 1: *K4, P1*
Row 2: *P1, K1, P3*
Row 3: *K2, P1, K2*
Row 4: *P3, K1, P1*
Row 5: *P1, K4*
Row 6: *K1, P4*
Row 7: *K3, P1, K1*
Row 8: *P2, K1, P2*
Row 9: *K1, P1, K3*
Row 10: *P4, K1*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Vandyke stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979, and other sources. This stitch is from the Complete Guide to Needlework.

These are my blocked samples - it was very curly before blocking! It was also tricky as heck to figure out how to yo for the first stitch before a slipped stitch, and a bit less tricky to yo as the last stitch. I just kinda winged it each time, never fully remembering what I'd done, so that part might not be right, but it looks ok to me! :)

It's a pretty, fairly simple pattern that would look nice on a scarf or shawl.

Using size 6 needles, I cast on 20 stitches:
left: Elsebeth Lavold Baby Llama in Lime Juice
right: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Oyster Heather


Multiple of 10 stitches.
Row 1: *yo, sl1, K1, psso, K8*
Row 2 and alt rows: purl
Row 3: *K1, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K5, K2 tog, yo*
Row 5: *K2, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K3, K2 tog, yo, K1*
Row 7: *K5, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K3*
Row 9: *K3, k2 tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K2*
Row 11: *K2, K2 tog, yo, K3, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K1*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Fern Stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979, and other sources. This stitch is from the Complete Guide to Needlework.

So far, this is the most complicated knitting pattern I've *successfully* attempted. :) It looks a bit like the Baby Fern, but as you can surmise, it's more than a bit larger.

These are unblocked samples, and a bit curly on the edges -
I'll snap a pic of the blocked versions, and show that off soon.
Blocked samples below - as you can see, it makes quite a difference in terms of size and shape:



I used size 6 needles -
green: Louise Harding Grace Silk & Wool, color 26 - 58 stitches
pink: cotton blend (?) yarn from my stash - 29 stitches

Multiple of 29 stitches.
Row 1: *K1, sl1, K2 tog, psso, K9, yo, K1, yo, P2, yo, K1, yo, K9, sl1, K2 tog, psso*
Row 2 and alt rows: *P13, K2, P14*
Row 3: *K1, sl1, K2 tog, psso, K8, (yo, K1) twice, P2, (K1, yo) twice, K8, sl1, K2 tog, psso*
Row 5: *K1, sl1, K2 tog, psso, K7, yo, K1, yo, K2, P2, K2, yo, K1, yo, K7, sl1, K2 tog, psso*
Row 7: *K1, sl1, K2 tog, psso, K6, yo, K1, yo, K3, P2, K3, yo, K1, yo, K6, sl1, K2 tog, psso*
Row 9: *K1, sl1, K2 tog, psso, K5, yo, K1, yo, K4, P2, K4, yo, K1, yo, K5, sl1, K2 tog, psso*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Horseshoes

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979, and other sources.

I cast on 21 stitches on size 6 needles:
Left: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Oyster Heather
Right: Elsebeth Lavold Baby Llama in Lime Juice

Now that I can follow a pattern without throwing it at the wall, I am really having fun with these knitted swatches. I'm much less afraid of complicated changes, and I'm hoping this improves my knitting repertoire. :)

As much as I love the fluffiness of that Baby Llama yarn, I have to admit a lot of stitch definition is lost in its fluffy shadows. Feels nice, though.

Row 1: K1 *yo, K3, sl1, K2tog, psso, K3, yo, K1*
Row 2 and alt rows: purl
Row 3: K1 *K1, yo, K2, s1, K2 tog, psso, K2, yo, K2*
Row 5: K1 *K2, yo, K1, sl1, K2 tog, psso, K1, yo, K3*
Row 7: K1 *K3, yo, sl1, K2 tog, psso, yo, K4*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Baby Fern

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979, and other sources.

I like this stitch - it's relatively uncomplicated and pretty. First, I knit up the swatch on the right -  Knit Picks in Brown Sugar. I cast on 24 stitches on size 8 needles. I realized that the P1, K1, P1 at the end of the repeat forms the rib in between the fern pattern. So, on the teal yarn, I cast on 22 stitches and dropped the last 2 stitches of every row - it looks a bit more balanced to me that way...

Multiple of 12 stitches.

Row 1 and alt rows (wrong side) purl
Row 2: *K2 tog, K2, yo, K1, yo, K2, sl1, k1, psso, P1, K1, P1*
Row 4: *K2 tog, K1, yo, K3, yo, K1, sl1, K1, psso, P1, K1, P1*
Row 6: *K2 tog, yo, K5, yo, sl1, K1, psso, P1, K1, P1*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Ridge stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979. I really liked this stitch. Just my style - very easy to remember, easy to stitch, and hard to mess up. :)

I cast on 16 stitches on size 9 needles, in Vannas's Choice (left) and a blue worsted weight yarn from my stash (right)

Row 1: knit
Row 2: *K2 tog all across the row*
Row 3: K in front and back of each st
Row 4: purl

The backside is also pretty lovely:

New Knit Stitch a Week: Fancy Trellis stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979. I cast on 14 stitches on size 9 needles in a pink yarn from my stash (left) and Vanna's Choice in Toffee (right).

Row 1: *K2, K2 tog, yo, K3*
Row 2: *P1, P2 tog tbl, yo, P1, yo, P2 tog, P1*
Row 3: *K2 tog, yo, K3, yo, sl 1, K1, psso*
Row 4 and 8: purl
Row 5: *yo, sl 1, K1, psso, K5*
Row 6: *yo P2 tog, P2, P2 tog tbl, yo, P1*
Row 7: *K2, yo, sl 1, K1, psso, K2 tog, yo, K1*

It's a pretty nice stitch - and I was surprised I kept up with all the directions! I like the way it stitched up best in that brown acrylic. I bet it would be really nice on a sweater.

New Knit Stitch a Week: Diagonal lace stripe

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

First, my mess up version - I cast on 23 stitches, this time on much smaller needles - size 6, using a pink yarn from my stash and Wool of the Andes in Oyster Heather.

This was a complicated one, and I messed it up. I think I didn't execute the yarnovers and PSSO's like I was supposed to - they look wonky, although they're consistently wonky. Depending on my desire for prefection, I might try this again... Re-worked below!

I studied the Knitting Bee pattern to figure out how I messed up. This pattern is complex, and I must say, rather annoying to master! :)

I wasn't working the p2 tog tbl correctly, and I was also moving my yarn to the wrong side before my sl 1, k1, psso - once I got that right, I got it.



BUT, there is something about this sequence of steps I just couldn't keep track of - you can see a small hole at the top left where I messed up and I literally spent hours trying to get the second swatch right, to no avail. I practically threw my swatch at the wall. :)

Lesson learned, I'll continue to focus on simple patterns, that I can work consistently without doing violence to my yarn. ;)

New Knit Stitch a Week: Stocking heel stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I cast on 13 stitches on size 9 needles - left: Wool-Ease in Oxford Gray; right: a random chunky acrylic yarn in my stash.

Row 1: *K1 sl 1* , K 1
Row 2: purl

What I like about this stitch is its chunkiness - it looks like a K1,P1 rib, but is SO much faster to stitch. It's kind of raised and textur-y, and very easy to work.

The back is really pretty too, a kind of woven look:


I am wondering how much it would curl on the edges on a larger piece, like a scarf. The chunky acrylic piece was already curling a bit on each side...

Still, I'd love to try this on a scarf!

New Knit Stitch a Week: Striped fagoting

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I cast on 20 stitches on Size 9 needles in Wool of the Andes, Firecracker Heather.

Row 1: *P4, K 2 tog, yo, K2*, P4
Row 2: *K4, P 2 tog, yo, P2*, K4

I really like this stitch - it's simple, but very pretty - the examples in the book are knit up so tightly, it makes me want to try this on much smaller needles as well. I love the fishnet-like texture on those little open bits in the middle.



I really like the wrong side, too - all in all, quite nice.

New Knit Stitch a Week: Lace Insert

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I kind of hit a busy spell - one week with a lot of parties and other projects, so I had to skip, but here we go with this week's. I like how this breaks up the fluffy routine of garter stitch with some nice, open pauses.

I cast on 12 stitches on size 9 needles (I forgot my trusty size 8's) - left is a thick, acrylic yarn I lost the tag to, right is Caron Simply Soft

Rows 1 to 6: knit
Rows 7 and 9: *yo, K 2 tog*
Rows 8 and 10: *yo, P 2 tog*

New Knit Stitch a Week: Double Drop Stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I cast on 14 stitches in Stitch Nation Washable Ewe on size 8 needles.

A bit of a funky look as a swatch, but it looks very nice when stretched out. Working all of the drop stitches was fun, and less tricky than I thought.

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7: knit
Rows 2, 4, 6: purl
Row 8 (wrong side): K00 (winding thread twice around the needle)
Row 9: rep Row 8, letting the extra loop drop
Row 10: K, letting extra loop drop

New Knit Stitch a Week: Drop stitch lace

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I cast on 14 stitches in Stitch Nation Washable Ewe on size 8 needles.

Rows 1 to 4: knit
Row 5: K 00 (winding thread twice around the needle)
Row 6: K, letting extra loop drop

I really liked the look of this stitch, and it looks the same, right side and wrong side. I'm not sure what I would use it for, but it's a nice texture.

New Knit Stitch a Week: Oblique Openwork

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I cast on 12 stitches in Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca in Peacock, size 8 needles.

Row 1: K1, *yo, K 2 tog*, K1
Rows 2 and 4: purl
Row 3: K2, *yo, K 2 tog*

I'm really liking this open pattern, but it depends on the yarn. It's kind of hard to see the open spaces in my photo, but it's a nice eyelet sort of look. I first tried a mustardy acrylic Vanna's Choice yarn, and it looked kinda like 70's macramé (not my favorite):



The wrong side makes a pretty pattern - I like both sides equally, I think:

New Knit Stitch a Week: Seed Stitch

Teaching myself one new knit stitch a week, from the Complete Guide to Needlework book, c. 1979.

I cast on 11 stitches in Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca in Peacock, size 8 needles.

Every row: * K1, P1 *, K1

After years of trial and (mostly) error, I finally mastered the seed stitch! I'm still not impressed with the way mine looks - other people's seed stitch look so textural and pleasantly bumpy, but at least I got the basics.



I was so excited, I stitched it up with 3 different kinds of yarn: Turquoise- Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca; Pink- Stitch Nation Washable Ewe; Grey- Vanna's Choice. I like this stitch most with a plump yarn, like that Vanna's Choice or Andes Alpaca.