Rune: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

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The first word for this month is rune, suggested by Catnach on Patreon. I’ve been interested in runes in a mild way since reading Tolkien as a child, and I’ve always found the angular letters interesting to look at. My lace is not so angular, but I’m particularly fond of the way this one came out!

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 this, 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.

The charts are not meant in any way to look like the original words; the words are the seeds of my creativity.

Rune: a free lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst click to enlarge

Notes:

  • There are two versions of this stitch pattern; the second has alternating repeats offset halfway. To make this work out well, the decreases in the first row of version 2 are changed slightly.
  • These are stitch patterns such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. They are not  a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • Rune version 1 is a multiple of 12+1 stitches and 10 rows; version 2 is a multiple of 12+13 stitches and 20 rows.
  • I’ve made stitch maps for them: version 1, version 2.
  • Designers, please feel free to use these 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:

  • 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)
  • kyok: (k1, yo, k1) in next stitch.
  • 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.
Rune v1: a free lace knitting stitch pattern chart, by Naomi Parkhurst Click to enlarge

Row 1 [RS]: *k4, yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k3; work from *, k1.
Row 2 [WS]: purl.
Row 3: *k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, cdd, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k1; work from *, k1.
Row 4: p1, *p2, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p3] x 2; work from *.
Row 5: *k1, cdd, k2, yo, kyok, yo, k2, cdd; work from *, k1.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: *k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; work from *, k1.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: *k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo; work from *, k1.
Row 10: purl.

Rune v2: a free lace knitting stitch pattern chart, by Naomi Parkhurst click to enlarge

Row 1 [RS]: k1, ssk, yo, k3, *k4, yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k3; work from *, k4, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 2 [WS]: purl.
Row 3: ssk, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k1, *k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, cdd, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k1; work from *, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, k2tog.
Row 4: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p2, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p3] x 2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.
Row 5: yo, k1, yo, k2, cdd, *k1, cdd, k2, yo, kyok, yo, k2, cdd; work from *, k1, cdd, k2, yo, k1, yo.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: k1, yo, ssk, k3, *k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; work from *, k4, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, *k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2.
Row 10: purl.
Row 11: k4, yo, k2tog, *k1, ssk, yo, k7, yo, k2tog; work from *, k1, ssk, yo, k4.
Row 12: purl.
Row 13: k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, *cdd, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo x 2, k1; work from *, cdd, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k2.
Row 14: p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3.
Row 15: k1, cdd, k2, yo, *kyok, yo, k2, cdd, k1, cdd, k2, yo; work from *, kyok, yo, k2, cdd, k1.
Row 16: purl.
Row 17: k4, k2tog, yo, *k1, yo, ssk, k7, k2tog, yo; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k4.
Row 18: purl.
Row 19: k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, *k2, [yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1] x 2; work from *, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 20: purl.