Dog: a free lace knitting stitch pattern
The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Dog, suggested by Natasha on Patreon. Dogs are good friends to many people, so I hope that all you dog friends like this stitch pattern as much as I do! There are two slight variations of this stitch pattern.
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.
The stitch patterns are not meant in any way to look like the original words; the words are the seeds of my creativity.
Yes, the points are at the bottom – version 1 has very clear waves in it, while the top of version 2 wanted to go straight across (much to my surprise).
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.)
- Dog is a multiple of 18+18 stitches and either 4 or 8 rows. Version 1 repeats rows 1-4, version 2 repeats rows 1-8.
- I’ve made stitch maps for version 1 and version 2.
- 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:
- DSD: double slip decrease; ssk, slip the resulting stitch back to the left needle, pass the next stitch over, then slip the result. (Right-leaning double decrease. Substitute knit 3 together if desired; they are similar but don’t look quite the same.)
- k: knit.
- k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
- p: purl.
- sk2p: slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over. (Left-leaning double decrease.)
- 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): yo, ssk, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog, *yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk, yo, k1, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog; work from *, yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk, yo, k1, k2tog, yo.
Row 2 (WS): p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p8.
Row 3: k1, yo, ssk, yo, k1, yo, DSD, k2, *k2, sk2p, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, yo, k1, yo, DSD, k2; work from *, k2, sk2p, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 4: purl.
repeat rows 1-4 for version 1, otherwise repeat rows 1-8.
Row 5: yo, ssk, k2, ssk, yo, k1, k2tog, *yo x 2, ssk, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk, yo, k1, k2tog; work from *, yo x 2, ssk, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo.
Row 6: p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p8.
Row 7: k2, sk2p, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, yo, k1, yo, DSD, k4, sk2p, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, yo, k1, yo, DSD, k2.
Row 8: purl.