Resist: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

I published a chart for the word Resist converted to stranded knitting a couple of weeks ago, and today I’ve got the lace version ready. I converted the letters of Resist into numbers, and then used those numbers to make a chart. (The lace is based on a different chart from the stranded knitting.)

The result isn’t exactly secret code, nor is it necessarily meant to be recognized by other people as a sign of your political affiliations. But if you want to make something you can wear unobtrusively as a reminder to  yourself, this is a stitch pattern for you.

Notes:

• This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. It is not a pattern for a finished object.
• Resist is a multiple of 16 stitches and 20 rows.
• Rows 11-20 are the same as rows 1-10, offset horizontally by eight stitches.
• 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 this stitch pattern, please donate to the SPLC, the ACLU, or whichever of the many civil rights organizations working to help people you prefer.

Abbreviations:

• 1/1 LC: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at front of work, knit 1, then knit 1 from cable needle.
• 1/1 RC: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at back of work, knit 1, then knit 1 from cable needle.
• 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)
• yo: yarnover.

Row 1 (RS): *k1, ssk, yo, k1, (ssk, yo x 2, k2tog) x 2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1; work from *.
Row 2 (WS): *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *.
Row 3: *k1, 1/1 LC, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k1, yo, ssk, 1/1 RC, k1; work from *.
Row 4: *p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7; work from *.
Row 5: *k2, k2tog, yo, k3tog, yo, k1, yo x 2, k1, yo, sssk, yo, ssk, k2; work from *.
Row 6: *p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7; work from *.
Row 7: *k1, (k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk) x 2, k1; work from *.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: *k2tog, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, ssk, yo, k4, yo, ssk; work from *.
Row 10: purl.
Row 11: *ssk, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo, k1, ssk, yo x 2, k2tog; work from *.
Row 12: *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p10, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1; work from *.
Row 13: *yo, ssk, k1, yo, ssk, 1/1 RC, k2, 1/1 LC, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo; work from *.
Row 14: (If just working one repeat – purl across.) p15, *(k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, end p15.
Row 15: *yo, k1, yo, sssk, yo, ssk, k4, k2tog, yo, k3tog, yo, k1, yo; work from *.
Row 16: (If just working one repeat – purl across.) p15, *(k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, end p15.
Row 17: *k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk; work from *.
Row 18: purl.
Row 19: *ssk, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, k2tog; work from *.
Row 20: purl.

Charting process:

None of the charts I made from encoding Resist for stranded knitting appealed to me for lace, so I started fresh. I took the letters of Resist and encoded them in base 8: 22 05 23 11 23 24. I took those numbers and charted them in various ways on grids. Here is the grid I thought would work best for lace:

Here’s how it works. I started in the bottom right corner, because so does knitting. The first digit of resist in base 8 is 2, so I counted two squares. Then I marked the next square to the left in black. The next digit is 2, so I counted another two squares then marked the next square. The third digit is zero, so I counted no squares and marked the next square to the left. The fourth digit is 5: I counted one square, then ran out of space, so I counted the remaining four squares on the next row, working from right to left. I continued the process until I was done counting digits. It doesn’t matter that the last square is blank, because there’s not a black square to its left; this shows that it’s not part of the code.

I mirrored the result.

Then I placed another copy of the mirrored result above the first repeat, offset by half.

Finally, I replaced all the black squares with YOs, made a guess about where to place the decreases, and then spent a lot of time swatching until I got things right.

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