The tight twist and fiber content in Universal Yarn Deluxe Stripes is great for showing off the texture. The nylon content reflects the light, and the twist makes the stitches crisp and clear. Yesterday we looked at patterns that were mostly stockinette stitch; today I’d like to share some stitch patterns that will appear in two of the designs that I’ll share tomorrow and Friday.
This ball of yarn yields a healthy yardage for being worsted weight.
The stitch pattern you see here is something I’ve come up with by blending different techniques and stitches I’ve seen in countless stitch dictionaries. There is a bit of a brioche yarn-over in this stitch, there are some blended decreases, and more. I call this stitch the Canal Stitch because of the horizontal ridges that you can see on the right-side and the vertical ridges you can see on the wrong side (pictured below).
This isn’t a reversible stitch pattern, but both sides are charming.
The textured ridges on the opposite side are a little more subtle; I really like them because they look like a very unique take on the traditional seed stitch. This is a 4-row stitch pattern, and each row has a visual effect on the following one. This stitch pattern is worked over an even number of stitches, with an edge stitch on each side. To make the edge stitches, knit the last stitch of every row, and slip the first st of every row purlwise with the yarn in back.
Row 1 (WS): Sl 1, [k1, sl 1 knitwise with yarn in back] across to last st, k1.
Row 2: Sl 1, [knit into the back loop of the first st and leave on LH needle, yarn forward, knit together the same stitch with the next through the back loops (the yarn forward creates an extra strand across the sts), sliding both off the needle] across to last st, k1.
Row 3: Sl 1, [k2tog (the yo together with the first st), p1] across to last st, k1.
Row 4: Sl 1, [k1, p1] across to last st, k1.
This waffle-like texture disrupts the Deluxe Stripes and creates even more depth.
If you’ve read my blog posts on KNITmuch before, you’ll know that I’m also a crochet designer. Every once in a while, there’s a crochet stitch that I try to replicate in knitting, and this waffle stitch was a big triumph for me. I’m proud to introduce this stitch to you in Deluxe Stripes, as the stripe width and the texture really complement each other well.
The post stitch lies perpendicular to the garter stitch ridge below it, creating waffle-like pockets.
The Waffle Stitch pattern is worked over a multiple of 3 stitches, with 2 extra stitches for symmetry, and then 2 additional stitches for the edges. It is worked over 4 rows.
Row 1 (RS): Sl 1, p1, [p1, k1, p1] across to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
Row 2: Sl1, k1, [p1, sl 1 wyif, p1] across to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 3: Sl 1, p1, [k1, post-st, k1] across to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
Row 4: Sl 1, k1, [p1, sl 1 wyif, p1] across to last 2 sts, k2.
The post stitch is worked as follows: Insert RH needle between first and 2nd sts on LH needle; knit up a loop, knit first st, pass first loop over stitch just knit.
I hope you give the Waffle Stitch a try…it’s great for lots of knitting projects!
Come back Friday for the instructions for this sweater with the Waffle Stitch applied to the yoke.
I had so much fun designing this sweater for my wife Pam to knit and wear. Come back on Friday for the full pattern instructions. I’m so happy with how Universal Yarn Deluxe Stripes knit up into the warm sweater.
