New Knit Stitch a Week: Ostrich Plume Stitch

Today I deviate slightly from my method to show you a little something I made with the Ostrich Plume stitch. It really messes with my mojo to deviate from my typical gray background with two swatches, but, I'll deal. :)

I used size 6 needles and a teal cotton yarn from my stash - you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

For some reason, I found this block VERY tricky to execute - there were only 4 rows to this pattern, but I guess they weren't predictable enough for me to memorize. The pattern is so lovely, but I kept messing it up and unraveling it.

This knit was that magical combination of tricky and boring - I had to focus completely, or I'd mess it up - but there was just enough repetition to be crashingly dull. I got about 60% finished, then I made a mistake, and could not for the life of me fix it. Also, it looked like I'd run out of yarn before I finished, so I grumpily scrapped it. At least I have this photo to remember it by, so it wasn't a total fail. :)

New Knit Stitch a Week: Diamond Honeycomb

I'm a fan of nice textured stitches and this one was fairly simple to do. My wool swatch (right) on size 6 needles curled a great deal. Blocking helped (those are the blocked swatches above) but the wool swatch still looks pretty curled, doesn't it?

Left: Using size 8 needles, I cast on 17 stitches in Teal acrylic thread from my stash
Right: Using size 6 needles I cast on 17 stitches in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Currant
Pattern found here: http://www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2015/04/diamond-honeycomb.html

I'm fairly certain I messed something up in my "knit under loose strands" step on the teal swatch - see that long, loose looking portion on the left? I'd re-do that. Does anyone know any clear instructions on how to knit under loose strands? All I found were pictures that weren't super-helpful!

Here's a peek at the back (unblocked):


And here's the swatches before blocking:

New Knit Stitch a Week: Flight of the Bumblebee

Even if for no other reason, I'd have to try this stitch for the name alone. :) Watching the video tutorial was absolutely necessary for me, as I had no clue (even after looking at pictures) how to knit one long. Once I watched the video it was fairly simple!

It lays relatively flat, and the back has a nice fluffy texture as well:



Left: Using size 10 needles and Vanna's Choice yarn in Mustard, I cast on 15 stitches
Right: Using size 6 needles and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Oyster Heather, I cast on 19 stitches

Stitch found here: "http://www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2014/08/flight-of-bumblebee.html

New Knit Stitch a Week: Checkerboard Mesh

This creates a really lovely, fascinating open texture - the swatch on the left doesn't look like much because I only did 1 repeat - do at least 2 to see it in its full glory.

Here's a peek at the back:


Left: Using size 10 needles and Vanna's Choice yarn, I cast on 14 stitches
Right: Using size 6 needles and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Almond, I cast on 24 stitches

Pattern found here: http://www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2015/04/checkerboard-mesh-pattern-1.html

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: Staggered Eyelets

I find this stitch really pretty - it has such a nice honeycomb-like texture - but curls up on edges, as you can see...

The wrong side isn't bad either:


Left: Using size 10 needles and Vanna's Choice yarn in Mustard, I cast on 15 stitches
Right: Using size 6 needles and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Oyster Heather, I cast on 19 stitches

Pattern found here: www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2014/10/staggered-eyelets....

New Knit Stitch a Week: Tear Drop stitch

Well, I have finally moved on from the Complete Guide to Needlework stitches - having stitched up all the stitches in there that interested me. This week I begin sampling from lovely knit stitches available online, which means - whew! I won't have to type out copious directions and worry I missed something! :)

I really love this stitch - it's a chunky texture, especially in the Vanna's Choice yarn, on size 10 needles (left) - on the smaller needles (right) it has a nice springy, dense shape.

The back has its own thing going on, and is pretty nice, too:



Maybe blocking would improve the side edges - looking wavy and wonky right now. Overall, I love this stitch.

Left: Using size 10 needles and Vanna's Choice yarn, I cast on 13 stitches
Right: Using size 6 needles and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Almond, I cast on 17 stitches

Stitch pattern found here: www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2015/03/tear-drop.html

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: Broken Twisted Rib

I found this fascinating stitch in a book called Knit Local. I really love the nubby texture it creates, and it's so easy to stitch.

I knit mine up using size 8 needles, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, and Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca.

(multiple of 2 stitches, plus 1)
Row 1: P1, *k1 tbl, p1
Row 2: Knit

The wrong side is really nice, too, and reminds me of the Stocking Heel Stitch:

New Knit Stitch a Week: Pinterest Stitch

Well, I found this stitch on Pinterest, so that's what I'm calling it. :) I know I said I was taking a break from these posts, but I've gotten so busy lately with other projects, that I knit up a quick swatch as a stress-buster. :)

I cast on 16 stitches on size 9 needles, in a teal yarn from my stash. I really love the blocky, basket-y texture.

Knit from this pattern, found on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/222154194094356166/

Here's the wrong side:



Does anyone have a name for this kind of stitch? :)

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.