About my stitches based on words
I am sometimes asked how to see the words in my stitches. The answer is that they aren’t directly visible, because of how my design process works. My goal is not to make something that looks like the original word; rather, it is to make a stitch pattern I enjoy looking at.
I encode words as numbers, which is a very simplistic kind of secret code, but it already obscures the words for people who don’t deal with this kind of code regularly. Then I chart the numbers onto graph paper in several ways. Some of those methods are not unlike the layouts on computer punch cards.
Then I turn the result into a knitting chart, replacing the marked spaces with knitting chart symbols, and playing with symmetry. When I make lace, the marked spaces are turned into yarnovers, and then I work out where to place the necessary decreases.
By the time I’m done, the result doesn’t look anything like the original word. People who are familiar with my encoding process and who can look at lace knitting and figure out what the chart should look like might well be able to work backwards to the original word. In other words, it might be possible to use these methods as a code, but it’s not really very practical. I use it as the basis for most of my designs because I like the way the results work. An added benefit is that I don’t have to come up with a name for the stitch pattern!
Names for patterns are indeed very hard!
Fascinated by the word-code. I have mostly enjoyed stranded knitting and have done similar things with words becoming numbers in a 9×9 grid and for the life of me at this second I cannot remember what it’s called. I learned it on-line via Ravelry from a knitter I met from the Netherlands. I’ve charted music, again, in stranded colorwork – I have a pattern ‘Ode to Joy’ which is a much-edited version of that music. Just saying, code knitting is fascinating. I was lazing away this evening perusing lace shawls and scarves thinking of using up some fingering-weight yarn on some lace and discovered you. Mostly I’m just commenting to say ‘cool’, I can take that ball and run with it maybe (or more likely, maybe not) but a cool idea nonetheless and thank you for sharing. My ravelry username is avaldez. If you want the name of that 9×9 grid thingie, please PM me – I sent it to someone on Rav and could search back for the links.
Thank you very much for letting me know you like the method! The 9×9 grid is new to me, so I would very much be interested; I’m not using Ravelry much these days for accessibility reasons. If you get this email, I’d love to know more about the 9×9 thing!
Ooooh! Would love to tag in on this discussion if it happened!! Based on your method, Naomi, I have made some of my own lace patterns. I have been working on pairing them with my poetry and have a grandiose goal of some day doing an art exhibit with them.
I am revisting your blog to refresh my memory since it’s been a minute. IDK if links will post here, and I still have to graft the two ends of this scarf together so I can get final photos and get the pattern published (have my shop ready to launch, but haven’t yet had the courage to do it yet), but here’s one I did that I’m very happy with:
https://tink-n-frog.com/patterns/the-linda-scarf/
Leslie (one of your biggest fans!)
Oh, wow, that’s beautiful! And I love your idea for an exhibit.
I have a new series of posts I’m doing on my Patreon sharing links to people’s patterns and projects that use my stitch patterns or design methods. Please let me know when you’re ready to publish, and I will be happy to share!
Hi, as part of my local spinning club, we put on a display one year at our agricultural show of World War Two knitting. While doing research for it, I came across stories of how women would use codes in their knitting to pass along information to help the allies with information about troop movements, etc. I love that you use codes in your knitting, I love the connection between a very creative craft like knitting and a “science-y” skill like maths and codes. Anyway, here’s a link to one of the articles about the code knitters. https://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/spies-codes-knitting.htm
Thank you so much for letting me know about the How Stuff Works one, that’s a new one for me.