Soon: a lace knitting stitch pattern

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

The lace I designed for Soon is a departure from my usual lace posts in some ways: I don’t usually do this kind of vertical lace band. It does have the aesthetic I really like in some of my work, of something that looks like plant cells or something else natural like that. I also like the gentle vertical wave in it.

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 Soon 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.

Vertical waving bands of knitted green lace, like vines with tendrils, or like plant cells.
Chart showing how to knit Soon lace by means of special symbols. Written instructions in blog post.
Click chart to enlarge

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.
  • Soon is a multiple of 5 stitches and 20 + 10 rows. (End after either row 10 or 20.)
  • I’ve made a stitch map for Soon 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.
  • 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.)
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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): *ssk, double yo, k2tog, k1; work from *. (5 sts)

Row 2 (WS): *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1; work from *.

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

Row 4: purl.

Row 5: *k1, yo, cdd, yo, k1; work from *.

Row 6: purl.

Row 7: *k2, ssk, yo, k1; work from *.

Row 8: purl.

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

Row 10: purl.

Row 11: *k1, ssk, double yo, k2tog; work from *.

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

Row 13: *k1, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog; work from *.

Row 14: purl.

Row 15: *k1, yo, cdd, yo, k1; work from *.

Row 16: purl.

Row 17: *k1, yo, k2tog, k2; work from *.

Row 18: purl.

Row 19: *k2, yo, ssk, k1; work from *.

Row 20: purl.

End after either row 10 or 20.