Sea: a lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is sea, suggested by Nim, a Patreon supporter. I often especially love the way the lace I make from shorter words works out, and this is no exception. I’m very pleased with this one.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. I make three of these into knitting stitches each month: the second and third (posted on the first day of the next month) are drawn from the collection of new words; the first 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.

sample knitting for Sea: a lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst

Notes:

  • The bottom half of the swatch is 4 repeats of version 1; the top is one repeat of version 2.
  • These are stitch patterns such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. They are not patterns 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 in version 2. (The double YOs complicate writing the repeats logically in the text.)
  • Sea version 1 is a multiple of 12 stitches and 8 rows; Sea version 2 is a multiple of 12 + 12 stitches and either 16 or 16 + 8 rows (stop after either row 8 or 16).
  • I’ve made stitch maps for version 1 and version 2.
  • Designers, please feel free to use these 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:

  • 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

Sea, version 1

chart for Sea, version 1: a free lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst

Row 1 (RS): *k2, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k2; work from *.

Row 2 (WS): purl.

Row 3: *k1, k2tog, yo x 2, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo x 2, ssk, k1; work from *.

Row 4: *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *.

Row 5: *k2tog, yo x 2, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo x 2, ssk; work from *.

Row 6: *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1; work from *.

Row 7: *k4, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k4; work from *.

Row 8: *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *.

Sea, version 2

chart for Sea, version 2: a lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst
click on chart to enlarge

Row 1 (RS): k2, yo, k1, k2tog, k1, *k1, ssk, k1, yo, k4, yo, k1, k2tog, k1; work from *, k1, ssk, k1, yo, k2. [24 sts]

Row 2 (WS): purl.

Row 3: k1, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k1, *k1, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k1; work from *, k1, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k1.

Row 4: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.

Row 5: k2tog, k2, yo × 2, ssk, *k2tog, yo × 2, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo × 2, ssk; work from *, k2tog, yo × 2, k2, ssk.

Row 6: p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3.

Row 7: yo, ssk, k4, *k4, k2tog, yo × 2, ssk, k4; work from *, k4, k2tog, yo.

Row 8: p6, *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *, p6.

Row 9: k1, ssk, k1, yo, k2, *k2, yo, k1, k2tog, k2, ssk, k1, yo, k2; work from *, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, k1.

Row 10: purl.

Row 11: k1, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k1, *k1, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k1; work from *, k1, ssk, yo × 2, k2tog, k1.

Row 12: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.

Row 13: k2tog, yo × 2, k2, ssk, *k2tog, k2, yo × 2, ssk, k2tog, yo × 2, k2, ssk; work from *, k2tog, k2, yo × 2, ssk.

Row 14: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.

Row 15: k4, k2tog, *yo × 2, ssk, k8, k2tog; work from *, yo × 2, ssk, k4.

Row 16: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p10, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p5.