Palm: a lace knitting stitch pattern
The second word I drew from the words suggested on Patreon last month is palm, suggested by Lara D., a Patreon supporter. She was thinking of palm trees, which is a cheerful topic for the dark time of the year (which it is, where I am).
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.
Notes:
- This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. It is not a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
- Palm is a multiple of 10 + 11 stitches and 10 rows.
- I’ve made a stitch map for Palm.
- 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:
- BEBYO (bunny ears back yarnover): This is a variant on the bunny ears decrease, with a yarnover added in the middle. It turns three stitches into three stitches. Work ssk (see abbreviation below), but only remove the first stitch from the needle; yarn over; then knit the second and third stitches together. The middle stitch of the original three has been knit together with each of its neighbors. Blog post about bunny ears yarnover.
- BEY (bunny ears yarnover): Knit 2 together, but only remove the first stitch from the needle; yarn over; then work ssk with the second and third stitches. The middle stitch of the original three has been knit together with each of its neighbors.
- 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.
- p1b: purl one below. For this stitch pattern, it’s not quite the same as a regular p1b, because it’s actually purling the bar below a yarnover, but the action is much the same. From behind, pick up the bar below the yarnover with the right needle and place it on the left needle next to the yarnover; purl both those strands at the same time. This prevents the bar from making a horizontal line in front of the yarnover.
- ssk: slip each of the next 2 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Or substitute your favorite left-leaning decrease)
- yo: yarnover. Bring the yarn forward between the needles so that it will make a loop over the needle when the next stitch is worked. When there are two in a row, bring the yarn forward, wrap it once around the needle, and leave the yarn in front so it makes a second loop.
Row 1 (RS): K3, ssk, yo, *k1, yo, k2tog, k5, ssk, yo; work from * to last 6 sts, k1, yo, k2tog, k3.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: K2, k2tog, yo, *BEY, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo; work from * to last 7 sts, BEY, yo, ssk, k2.
Row 4: P5, p1b, *p9, p1b; work from * to last 5 sts, p5.
Row 5: K1, k2tog, k1, yo, *BEBYO, yo, k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1, yo; work from * to last 7 sts, BEBYO, yo, k1, ssk, k1.
Row 6: P5, p1b, *p9, p1b; work from * to last 5 sts, p5.
Row 7: K2tog,yo × 2, ssk, k1, *k2, k2tog,yo × 2, CDD, yo × 2, ssk, k1; work from * to last 6 sts, k2, k2tog,yo × 2, ssk.
Row 8: P1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from * to last 5 sts, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.
Row 9: K4, yo, *CDD, yo, k7, yo; work from * to last 7 sts, CDD, yo, k4.
Row 10: Purl.
Wonderful how this turned out! It is a real privilege to suggest words for your work. The potted palm is in my studio for the winter, and is cheering up the space considerably as well.
That does seem cheering! I’m glad you like the result.