Meta Shetland: a lace knitting stitch pattern
The word I drew from the words suggested on Patreon for this post is Shetland, suggested by Amanda McCartney, a Patreon supporter. I’ve stuck the word “meta” in front of the word Shetland in the title, because this is my habit when encoding words that are directly related to knitting. (If I just called it “Shetland lace”, someone might assume I was saying it’s from Shetland.)
I must admit I was a little intimidated at first given the amazing history of Shetland knitting. But in the end I decided it’s a word like any other word, and I like my work with making designs based on words, so here we are.
I did not try to make this lace look like Shetland lace knitting.
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 meta Shetland 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.
- Meta Shetland is a multiple of 16 + 1 stitches and 24 + 12 rows. (End after either row 12 or 24.)
- I’ve made a stitch map for meta Shetland lace.
- 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-tbl: knit 1 through the back loop/leg to twist it.
- (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)
- k3tog: knit 3 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning double 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.
- 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)
- sssk: slip each of the next 3 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning double decrease; substitute sk2p if desired.)
- 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): k6, k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl, *yo, ssk, k11, k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl; work from *, yo, ssk, k6. (33 sts)
Row 2 (WS): purl.
Row 3: k4, k3tog, yo × 2, k2, *k1, yo × 2, sssk, k7, k3tog, yo × 2, k2; work from *, k1, yo × 2, sssk, k4.
Row 4: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p9, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5.
Row 5: k3, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, k2tog, k1, *ssk, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, k2tog, k1; work from *, ssk, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k3.
Row 6: p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4.
Row 7: k1, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, k1, k3tog, yo, k1, *yo, sssk, k1, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, k1, k3tog, yo, k1; work from *, yo, sssk, k1, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1.
Row 8: p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3.
Row 9: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, cdd, *yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, cdd; work from *, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 10: p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p11, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6.
Row 11: yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, cdd, *k1, yo × 2, ssk, k2, CSD-yo, k2, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, cdd; work from *, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo.
Row 12: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, p1‑below, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5.
Row 13: k1‑tbl, yo, ssk, k6, *k5, k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl, yo, ssk, k6; work from *, k5, k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl.
Row 14: purl.
Row 15: k2, yo × 2, sssk, k4, *k3, k3tog, yo × 2, k3, yo × 2, sssk, k4; work from *, k3, k3tog, yo × 2, k2.
Row 16: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.
Row 17: k1, ssk, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k3, *k2, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, k2tog, k1, ssk, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k3; work from *, k2, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, k2tog, k1.
Row 18: p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3.
Row 19: k1, yo, sssk, k1, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1, *yo, k3tog, yo × 2, k1, k3tog, yo, k1, yo, sssk, k1, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1; work from *, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, k1, k3tog, yo, k1.
Row 20: p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4.
Row 21: ssk, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, cdd, yo × 2, sssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo × 2, k2tog.
Row 22: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5, *p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.
Row 23: ssk, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k2, CSD-yo, *k2, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, cdd, k1, yo × 2, ssk, k2, CSD-yo; work from *, k2, k2tog, yo × 2, k1, k2tog.
Row 24: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *p1‑below, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, p1‑below, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.