Bubble: a lace knitting stitch pattern
The word I drew from the words suggested on Patreon for this post is Bubble, suggested by Affienia, a Patreon supporter. I like the way this design alternates between less open and lacier sections; it makes for good balance.
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 Bubble 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.
- Bubble lace is a multiple of 6 + 7 stitches and 40 + 20 rows. If this stitch pattern is at the edge of a shawl, I’d probably end with either row 6 or 26. (The row 6 option is after knitting at least one complete repeat of 1-40.)
- This one is much more of a horizontal band than usual, making it good as a border. If you don’t mind losing the secret code aspect, a single repeat of rows 17-36 might be best if you want a stripe near the edge.
- I’ve made a stitch map for Bubble.
- 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:
- active needle: the needle on which new stitches are placed.
- double yo: bring the yarn forward between the needles, wrap it once around the active needle, and leave the yarn in front so it makes a second loop when the next stitch is knit.
- 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.)
- CSD-yo (centered single decrease with yarnover): 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.
- k: knit.
- (k1, p1) in double yo: knit 1 in the double yarnover without removing it from the needle. Purl 1 in the same stitch. At this point, slip the double yarnover off the needle entirely. The first loop of the double yarnover can be slipped off at any point in the process.
- 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.
Row 1 (RS): yo, ssk, CSD-yo × 3, k2tog, yo.
Row 2 (WS): p3, *(p1‑below, p2) × 2; work from *, p1‑below, p3.
Row 3: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 4: purl.
Row 5: k2tog, double yo, cdd, *double yo, sk2p, double yo, cdd; work from *, double yo, ssk.
Row 6: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, *(p1, (k1, p1) in double yo) × 2; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.
Row 7: ssk, yo, CSD-yo, *yo, cdd, yo, CSD-yo; work from *, yo, k2tog.
Row 8: p3, *p1‑below, p5; work from *, p1‑below, p3.
Row 9: ssk, yo, k2, *k1, yo, cdd, yo, k2; work from *, k1, yo, k2tog.
Row 10: purl.
Row 11: k2, yo, cdd, *yo, k3, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k2.
Row 12: purl.
Row 13: k2, yo, cdd, *yo, k3, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k2.
Row 14: purl.
Row 15: k2, CSD-yo, *k3, CSD-yo; work from *, k2.
Row 16: p3, *p1‑below, p5; work from *, p1‑below, p3.
Row 17: knit.
Row 18: purl.
Row 19: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 20: purl.
Row 21: yo, ssk, CSD-yo × 3, k2tog, yo.
Row 22: p3, *(p1‑below, p2) × 2; work from *, p1‑below, p3.
Row 23: k1, yo, ssk, k1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 24: purl.
Row 25: ssk, double yo, sk2p, *double yo, cdd, double yo, sk2p; work from *, double yo, k2tog.
Row 26: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, *(p1, (k1, p1) in double yo) × 2; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.
Row 27: yo, ssk, yo, cdd, *yo, CSD-yo, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k2tog, yo.
Row 28: p3, *p3, p1‑below, p2; work from *, p4.
Row 29: k2, yo, cdd, *yo, k3, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k2.
Row 30: purl.
Row 31: k2tog, yo, k2, *k1, yo, cdd, yo, k2; work from *, k1, yo, ssk.
Row 32: purl.
Row 33: ssk, yo, k2, *k1, yo, cdd, yo, k2; work from *, k1, yo, k2tog.
Row 34: purl.
Row 35: yo, ssk, k2, *k1, CSD-yo, k2; work from *, k1, k2tog, yo.
Row 36: p3, *p3, p1‑below, p2; work from *, p4.
Row 37: knit.
Row 38: purl.
Row 39: k1, yo, ssk, k1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 40: purl.
Repeat as desired, ending after either row 20 or 40.