Charisma: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

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The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Charisma, suggested by Valerie on Patreon.

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.

charisma: a free lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst
Charisma: a free lace knitting stitch pattern chart, by Naomi Parkhurst
click chart to enlarge

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.
  • Charisma is a multiple of 24 + 24 stitches and 8 rows.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for it.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this in your patterns. I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • My blog posts and free stitch patterns are supported by subscriptions on Patreon or donations to my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. If you appreciate my work, please consider helping out. 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)
  • 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): yo, cdd, yo x 2, ssk, yo, k1, yo, cdd, k1, ssk, *yo x 2, k2tog, k1, cdd, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, (yo x 2, cdd) x 2, yo x 2, ssk, yo, k1, yo, cdd, k1, ssk; work from *, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, cdd, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, cdd, yo.
Row 2 (WS): p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p7, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p1] x 2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.
Row 3: k1, ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, ssk, yo, k2, *k2, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, ssk, yo, k2; work from *, k2, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 4: purl.
Row 5: yo, cdd, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk, *yo x 2, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k4, yo, cdd, yo x 2, cdd, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k1, ssk; work from *, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, yo, ssk, k4, yo, cdd, yo.
Row 6: p11, (k1, p1) in double yo, *[p10, (k1, p1) in double yo] x 2; work from *, p11.
Row 7: k1, ssk, yo, ssk, yo x 2, k1, k2tog, k4, *k4, ssk, k1, yo x 2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo, ssk, yo x 2, k1, k2tog, k4; work from *, k4, ssk, k1, yo x 2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 8: 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.

Mistake in row 1 decreases fixed in chart, text, and stitch map. 18 May 2019.