Sweetheart: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Sweetheart, suggested by Rebecca on Patreon. Sometimes in the past when I’ve had a word with smaller words as part of it, I’ve encoded them as multiple stitch patterns that could be combined to make a bigger one. Because sweetheart is longer than my usual words, and since it would therefore take rather longer than usual, I decided not to do this. So I was amused when I picked this particular code layout to realize that the encoding splits in the perfect place to turn this into two more coordinating stitch patterns! I guess it was bound to happen. Here are Sweet and Heart.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. I make two of these into knitting stitches each month: the first is drawn from the collection of new words; the second is drawn from the collection of unused words. A random number generator helps me choose these, 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. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
• Sweetheart is a multiple of 18+19 stitches and 36 rows.
• I’ve made a stitch map for it.
• Designers, please feel free to use this stitches 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:

• 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.
• 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): p1, k4, ssk, yo, k2, p1, *k2, yo, k2tog, k4, p1, k4, ssk, yo, k2, p1; work from *, k2, yo, k2tog, k4, p1. [37 sts]

Row 2 (WS): k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 3: p1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, ssk, yo, p1, *yo, k2tog, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, ssk, yo, p1; work from *, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, p1.

Row 4: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 5: p1, yo x 2, cdd, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, p1, *yo, k1, ssk, k2, cdd, yo x 2, p1, yo x 2, cdd, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, p1; work from *, yo, k1, ssk, k2, cdd, yo x 2, p1.

Row 6: k1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, *k1, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, k1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6; work from *, k1, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, k1.

Row 7: p1, k2, yo, ssk, 1/1 RC, k2, p1, *k2, 1/1 LC, k2tog, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, ssk, 1/1 RC, k2, p1; work from *, k2, 1/1 LC, k2tog, yo, k2, p1.

Row 8: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 9: p1, yo, ssk, k1, ssk, k3, yo, p1, *yo, k3, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k1, ssk, k3, yo, p1; work from *, yo, k3, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, p1.

Row 10: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 11: p1, k2, cdd, yo x 2, ssk, yo, k1, p1, *k1, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, cdd, k2, p1, k2, cdd, yo x 2, ssk, yo, k1, p1; work from *, k1, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, cdd, k2, p1.

Row 12: k1, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *[k1, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3] x 2; work from *, k1, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, k1.

Row 13: p1, k1, cdd, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, k2, p1, *k2, yo x 2, ssk, yo, cdd, k1, p1, k1, cdd, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, k2, p1; work from *, k2, yo x 2, ssk, yo, cdd, k1, p1.

Row 14: k1, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *k1, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, k1, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, k1, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, k1.

Row 15: p1, k2tog, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, yo, p1, *yo, ssk, k3, yo, k1, ssk, p1, k2tog, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, yo, p1; work from *, yo, ssk, k3, yo, k1, ssk, p1.

Row 16: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 17: p1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1, yo, p1, *yo, k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1, yo, p1; work from *, yo, k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, p1.

Row 18: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 19: p1, k2, yo, k2tog, k4, p1, *k4, ssk, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, k2tog, k4, p1; work from *, k4, ssk, yo, k2, p1.

Row 20: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 21: p1, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, p1, *yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, ssk, yo, p1, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, p1; work from *, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, ssk, yo, p1.

Row 22: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 23: p1, yo, k1, ssk, k2, cdd, yo x 2, p1, *yo x 2, cdd, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, p1, yo, k1, ssk, k2, cdd, yo x 2, p1; work from *, yo x 2, cdd, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, p1.

Row 24: k1, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, *k1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, k1, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, k1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, k1.

Row 25: p1, k2, 1/1 LC, k2tog, yo, k2, p1, *k2, yo, ssk, 1/1 RC, k2, p1, k2, 1/1 LC, k2tog, yo, k2, p1; work from *, k2, yo, ssk, 1/1 RC, k2, p1.

Row 26: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 27: p1, yo, k3, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, p1, *yo, ssk, k1, ssk, k3, yo, p1, yo, k3, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, p1; work from *, yo, ssk, k1, ssk, k3, yo, p1.

Row 28: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 29: p1, k1, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, cdd, k2, p1, *k2, cdd, yo x 2, ssk, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, cdd, k2, p1; work from *, k2, cdd, yo x 2, ssk, yo, k1, p1.

Row 30: k1, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *[k1, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3] x 2; work from *, k1, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, k1.

Row 31: p1, k2, yo x 2, ssk, yo, cdd, k1, p1, *k1, cdd, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, k2, p1, k2, yo x 2, ssk, yo, cdd, k1, p1; work from *, k1, cdd, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, k2, p1.

Row 32: k1, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *k1, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, k1, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, k1, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, k1.

Row 33: p1, yo, ssk, k3, yo, k1, ssk, p1, *k2tog, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k3, yo, k1, ssk, p1; work from *, k2tog, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, yo, p1.

Row 34: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.

Row 35: p1, yo, k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, p1, *yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1, yo, p1, yo, k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, p1; work from *, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1, yo, p1.

Row 36: k1, p8, *(k1, p8) x 2; work from *, k1, p8, k1.