Ply: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Ply, suggested by Natasha on Patreon. Many knitters will know that plied yarn is yarn where two or more strands of yarn have been twisted around each other. (The word ply comes from the French for to bend.) It was entirely accidental that the columns of lace look rather like plied yarn, but it makes me happy.

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.

Ply: a free lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst (chart)

Notes:

  • This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. This is not a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • The repeats in the charts and the text aren’t in the same places. (The double YOs complicate writing the repeats logically in the text.)
  • Ply is a multiple of 12+12 stitches and 8 rows.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for it.
  • Designers, please feel free to use it 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 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)
  • 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): k2, ssk, yo x 2, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k2, *k2, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk, yo x 2, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k2; work from *, k2, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k2tog, k2.
Row 2 (WS): p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, *p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7; work from *, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3.
Row 3: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo x 2, cdd, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k1, *k1, (ssk, yo) x 2, cdd, yo x 2, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo x 2, cdd, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k1; work from *, k1, (ssk, yo) x 2, cdd, yo x 2, k1, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 4: p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, *p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6; work from *, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4.
Row 5: yo, k2tog x 2, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, k1, ssk x 2, yo x 2, k2tog x 2, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk; work from *, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, k1, ssk x 2, yo.
Row 6: p12, *p11, (k1, p1) in double yo, p11; work from *, p12.
Row 7: k6, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k1, *1/1 RC, k1, (ssk, yo) x 2, k12, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k1; work from *, 1/1 RC, k1, (ssk, yo) x 2, k6.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: k2, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k2tog, k2, *k2, ssk, yo x 2, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k2tog, k2; work from *, k2, ssk, yo x 2, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k2.
Row 10: p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p14, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7.
Row 11: k1, (ssk, yo) x 2, cdd, yo x 2, k1, yo, ssk, k1, *k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo x 2, cdd, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k2, (ssk, yo) x 2, cdd, yo x 2, k1, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo x 2, cdd, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k1.
Row 12: p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p12, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6.
Row 13: k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, k1, ssk x 2, *yo x 2, k2tog x 2, k1, yo, k2, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk) x 2, k2, yo, k1, ssk x 2; work from *, yo x 2, k2tog x 2, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk.
Row 14: p11, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p10, 1/1 RC, p10, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p11.
Row 15: k2, (ssk, yo) x 2, k6, *k6, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k4, (ssk, yo) x 2, k6; work from *, k6, (yo, k2tog) x 2, k2.
Row 16: purl.