Journey: a free lace knitting stitch pattern
This month, the random number generator chose journey, suggested by Teresa. It seems fitting to start a new year with this word – many people travel in the holiday season. Furthermore, one can think of the events of the year as a journey. May this year’s journey be a good one.
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 make a chart for any craft that uses a square grid for designing; this goes in a separate post.
Notes:
- This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. It is not a pattern for a finished object.
- Journey is a multiple of 16+16 stitches and 24 rows. (To work just 16 stitches of it, omit the repeated section in the middle of each line.)
- Purl all wrong-side rows, working (k1, p1) in each double yarnover
- 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, a 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)
- k3tog: knit 3 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning double 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)
- sssk: slip each of the next 3 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning double decrease)
- st: stitch
- yo: yarnover.
Row 1: k3, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk, yo, *yo, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk, yo; work from *, yo, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k3.
Row 2: p7, (k1, p1) in next st, *p14, (k1, p1) in next st; work from *, p7.
Row 3: k1, k3tog, yo x 2, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k1, yo x 2, sssk, k2, k3tog, yo x 2, k1, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k1, yo x 2, sssk, k1.
Row 4: p2, (k1, p1) in next st, p4, *p4, [(k1, p1) in next st, p4] x 2; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in next st, p3.
Row 5: k3, yo, k3tog, yo, k2, *k2, yo, sssk, yo, k6, yo, k3tog, yo, k2; work from *, k2, yo, sssk, yo, k3.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: k2tog, yo, k1, yo, cdd, yo x 2, k2tog, *ssk, yo x 2, cdd, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, cdd, yo x 2, k2tog; work from *, ssk, yo x 2, cdd, yo, k1, yo, ssk.
Row 8: p5, (k1, p1) in next st, p1, *p1, (k1, p1) in next st, p10, (k1, p1) in next st, p1; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in next st, p5.
Row 9: yo, k4, ssk, k2tog, yo, *yo, ssk, k2tog, k4, yo x 2, k4, ssk, k2tog, yo; work from *, yo, ssk, k2tog, k4, yo.
Row 10: p7, (k1, p1) in next st, *p6, (k1, p1) in next st; work from *, p7.
Row 11: k3, ssk, yo, k3, *k3, yo, k2tog, k6, ssk, yo, k3; work from *, k3, yo, k2tog, k3.
Row 12: purl.
Row 13: yo, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k3, *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k3; work from *, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk, yo.
Row 14: p8, *p7, (k1, p1) in next st, p7; work from *, p8.
Row 15: k1, yo, ssk, k1, yo x 2, sssk, k1, *k1, k3tog, yo x 2, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, k1, yo x 2, sssk, k1; work from *, k1, k3tog, yo x 2, k1, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 16: p4, (k1, p1) in next st, p2, *p2, (k1, p1) in next st, p8, (k1, p1) in next st, p2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in next st, p4.
Row 17: k2, yo, sssk, yo, k3, *k3, yo, k3tog, yo, k4, yo, sssk, yo, k3; work from *, k3, yo, k3tog, yo, k2.
Row 18: purl.
Row 19: ssk, yo x 2, cdd, yo, k1, yo, ssk, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, cdd, yo x 2, k2tog, ssk, yo x 2, cdd, yo, k1, yo, ssk; work from *, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, cdd, yo x 2, k2tog.
Row 20: p1, (k1, p1) in next st, p5, *p5, (k1, p1) in next st, p2, (k1, p1) in next st, p5; work from *, p5, (k1, p1) in next st, p1.
Row 21: yo, ssk, k2tog, k4, yo, *yo, k4, ssk, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k2tog, k4, yo; work from *, yo, k4, ssk, k2tog, yo.
Row 22: p7, (k1, p1) in next st, *p6, (k1, p1) in next st; work from *, p7.
Row 23: k3, yo, k2tog, k3, *k3, ssk, yo, k6, yo, k2tog, k3; work from *, k3, ssk, yo, k3.
Row 24: purl.
(I would ordinarily include an explanation of turning a word into the chart here, but I will add that later in the week – I got behind in the holidays.)
This is a fascinating stitch pattern – I am thinking about ways to incorporate it into a shawl or scarf design. Thank-you to the random-chooser for choosing the word I suggested.
I’m really glad you like it!