Xiphoid: a lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from the words suggested on Patreon for this post is Xiphoid, suggested by MLW, a Patreon supporter.

Xiphoid is a Greek word meaning swordlike, but its use in English has to do with a tiny piece of the skeleton called the Xiphoid process, which is a piece of cartilage at the bottom of the sternum (breastbone) that ossifies in adults. There you have it: an interesting word for a tiny part of the anatomy.

I thought I was going to like this lace when I looked at the potential chart (which showed only the yarnovers), but it came out even better than I expected.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. A random number generator helps me choose which word I will encode from 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 made a Xiphoid charted design for any craft that uses a square grid for designing.

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.
• Xiphoid is a multiple of 12 + 13 stitches and 24 + 12 rows. (End after row 12 or 24.)
• I’ve made a stitch map for Xiphoid.
• 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:

• CSD-back-yo: This turns three stitches into three stitches with a yarnover in the middle. Slip 1, knit 1 without removing it from the needle, pass slipped stitch over the new stitch; 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. <a href=”https://www.gannetdesigns.com/2023/03/29/csd-back-yo-centered-single-decrease-with-center-stitch-in-back-and-an-added-yarnover/</a>.</li><br /> <li><strong>CSD-yo (centered single decrease with yarnover):</strong> This turns three stitches into three stitches with a yarnover in the middle. 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. Tutorial for CSD-yo.
• CSD-yo: This turns three stitches into three stitches with a yarnover in the middle. 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. Tutorial for centered single decrease with yarnover.
• CDD: slip the next 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit the next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the third. (Stands for centered double decrease.)
• k: knit.
• k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
• p: purl.
• p1‑below: purl one below. For this stitch pattern, it’s not quite the same as a regular p1‑below, 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.
• 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. (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): k2, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog, k2, *k1, ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, k3, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog, k2; work from *, k1, ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, k2. (25 sts)

Row 2 (WS): purl.

Row 3: k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl, k2tog, yo × 2, cdd, *yo × 2, ssk, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, yo, k1‑tbl, k2tog, yo × 2, cdd; work from *, yo × 2, ssk, k1‑tbl, yo, ssk.

Row 4: p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4.

Row 5: ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, CSD‑yo, *yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, CSD‑yo; work from *, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog.

Row 6: p6, *p1‑below, p11; work from *, p1‑below, p6.

Row 7: ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, CSD‑back‑yo, *yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, CSD‑back‑yo; work from *, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog.

Row 8: p6, *p1‑below, p11; work from *, p1‑below, p6.

Row 9: yo, ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, sk2p, *yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, CSD‑yo, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, sk2p; work from *, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog, yo.

Row 10: p6, *p6, p1‑below, p5; work from *, p7.

Row 11: k3, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, k1, *k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k5, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, k1; work from *, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k3.

Row 12: purl.

Row 13: k2, ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, k2, *k1, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog, k3, ssk, yo, k1‑tbl, k2; work from *, k1, k1‑tbl, yo, k2tog, k2.

Row 14: purl.

Row 15: k2tog, yo × 2, ssk, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, *yo, k1‑tbl, k2tog, yo × 2, cdd, yo × 2, ssk, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k1‑tbl, k2tog, yo × 2, ssk.

Row 16: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.

Row 17: yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, *yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, CSD‑yo, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo.

Row 18: p6, *p6, p1‑below, p5; work from *, p7.

Row 19: (yo, k2tog) × 2, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, *yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, CSD‑back‑yo, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k1‑tbl, (ssk, yo) × 2.

Row 20: p6, *p6, p1‑below, p5; work from *, p7.

Row 21: k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, CSD‑yo, *yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, CSD‑yo; work from *, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, yo, ssk.

Row 22: p6, *p1‑below, p11; work from *, p1‑below, p6.

Row 23: k1, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k3, *k2, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1‑tbl, yo, k3; work from *, k2, yo, k1‑tbl, ssk, k1.

Row 24: purl.

Knit rows 1-24 as desired, ending after either row 12 or 24.