Sprout: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

October’s stitch pattern word is sprout, suggested by Rebecca on Patreon. She suggested it quite a while ago, and it went into the word hoard I keep for months when nobody suggests anything. (Would you like to suggest words for me to encode as stitch patterns?) While it’s not spring where I am, it’s certainly spring in the Southern Hemisphere, so sprout seems apt.

I thought I’d try a different layout from usual, and I’m still thinking about the results and what I learned from them. I didn’t quite like this lace until I blocked it, and then I saw that it looked even more like leafy vines than I’d thought. Edit: I have added k1 tbl above every yarnover in this lace pattern as described in a blog post about troubleshooting this design; the original is at the bottom of the blog post.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. A random number generator helps me choose the word of the month, and then I get to work, first turning the letters into numbers, then charting the numbers onto grids in various ways. Finally, when I make the chart into lace, I turn the marked squares into yarnovers and work out where to place the corresponding decreases. (I usually make lace; occasionally I make cables instead.) I also made a Sprout needlework chart for any craft.

New sample of Sprout with changes in each vertical repeat
There are minor changes throughout the sample, but the top two thirds is basically the final version.

Notes:

  • This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. It is not a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • Sprout is a multiple of 8 stitches and 24 rows. The first 12 rows are a complete encoding; I repeated the pattern a second time, but flipped the pattern to face the other way.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for it.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this stitch in your patterns. I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it
  • My blog posts and free stitch patterns are supported by subscriptions on Patreon or donations to my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. If you appreciate my work, please consider helping out. Thanks!

Abbreviations:

  • CDD: slip the next 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit the next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the third. (Stands for centered double decrease.)
  • k: knit.
  • k1 tbl: knit 1 through the back loop to twist it.
  • k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
  • p: purl.
  • ssk: slip each of the next 2 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning decrease)
  • yo: yarnover.

the original photo and instructions are below.


I like it better the other way up, but this way matches the instructions.

Notes:

  • This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. It is not a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • Sprout is a multiple of 8 stitches and 24 rows. The first 12 rows are a complete encoding; I repeated the pattern a second time, but flipped the pattern to face the other way.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for it.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this stitch in your patterns. I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • If you like my posts like this, please consider supporting me on Patreon or donating with my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. Thanks!

Abbreviations:

  • cdd: centered double decrease: slip the next 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit the next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the third.
  • k: knit.
  • k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
  • p: purl.
  • ssk: slip each of the next 2 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning decrease)
  • yo: yarnover.

Row 1 (RS): *k4, k2tog, yo, k2; work from *.
Row 2 and all WS rows: purl.
Row 3: *k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk, yo; work from *.
Row 5: *k1, yo, (k1, k2tog) x 2, yo, k1; work from *.
Row 7: *yo, ssk, cdd, (k1, yo) x 2, k1; work from *.
Row 9: *k1, cdd, (k2, yo) x 2; work from *.
Row 11: *k1, 1/1 LC, k2, yo, k2tog, k1; work from *.
Row 13: *k2, yo, ssk, k4; work from *.
Row 15: *yo, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *.
Row 17: *k1, yo, (ssk, k1) x 2, yo, k1; work from *.
Row 19: *(k1, yo) x 2, k1, cdd, k2tog, yo; work from *.
Row 21: *(yo, k2) x 2, cdd, k1; work from *.
Row 23: *k1, ssk, yo, k2, 1/1 RC, k1; work from *.

(Ordinarily I would include an explanation of the encoding here, but technical difficulties with our internet connection have me running late with this post as it is. I hope to put the explanation up in a few days.)

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