The Weekly Swatch: Three-Colour Balloon Knit Stitch

 

After the Two-Colour Balloon Knit Stitch in my last post, this post showcases the Three-Colour Balloon Knit Stitch. 

It's essentially the same knit stitch with the addition of a third colour on rows 11 to 16. The stitch motif requires a multiple of 8 plus 4 stitches and is worked over a total of 16 rows. All stitches are slipped as if to purl.

The Weekly Swatch: Two-Colour Balloon Knit Stitch

Having more fun with simple colourwork, next up we have the Two-Colour Balloon Knit Stitch. This stitch requires a multiple of 8 plus 4 stitches and is worked over a total of 16 rows. All stitches are slipped as if to purl.

The Weekly Swatch: Two-Colour Loop Knit Stitch

 

Injecting a splash of colour with this week's knit swatch...

The Two-Colour Loop Stitch is super simple and rewarding. The loop effect is achieved by mostly knitting, some purling and slipping lots of stitches. 

It's worked over eight rows and requires a multiple of four plus one stitches. 

Two Colour Loop Knot Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Lattice Cable Knit Stitch Pattern / Knit Stitch Tutorial

It's been absolute ages since I last worked on a cable knit project and only one of my weekly swatch posts features a cable knit stitch. High time to address this absence of cable knitting and so I have decided to prepare a cable knit swatch for this week's weekly swatch post. 

I have chosen the Lattice Cable Knit Stitch, a classic and simple cable knit stitch, which is knitted over 10 rows (once the set up is done, 7 rows) on a multiple of 6 stitches.

The Weekly Swatch: Openwork Lace Knit Stitch

 

I don't seem to get enough of openwork lace at the moment. After completing my Winter's End Scarf, a mohair lace scarf that combines condo knitting and twisted stitches, I decided to prepare an openwork swatch sample for this week's weekly swatch. 

The Weekly Swatch: Scallop Lace Knit Stitch

This week's swatch is an old favourite, the ever popular Scallop Lace Knit Stitch. The Scallop Stitch is a super simple stitch motif. All in- and decreases are worked over six rows and the wrong side rows are either purled or knitted throughout. 

The Weekly Swatch: Pucker Cable Knit Stitch

This week I have prepared swatches showcasing the Pucker Cable Stitch. Despite its name, to knit the pattern you will not require a cable needle. The delicate texture is achieved through simple in- and decreases, the remainder of the stitches are either knitted or purled. 

This uncomplicated stitch works well with all types of yarns, even fuzzier, fingering-weight Mohair blends, as can be seen in the pictures below. 

Pucker Cable Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Diamond Trellis and Garter Triangle Stitch

The Diamond Trellis and Garter Triangle Stitch

For this week's stitch, I have been knitting up two swatches, one for the Diamond Trellis stitch and for one of its (many!) variations, featuring a garter stitch effect in the upper part of the diamond motif.  

Both require a multiple of ten plus three stitches and repeats are worked over sixteen rows.  

As can be seen from the images below, this lace stitch is best suited to yarns with a good stitch definition. For my samples I have chosen Rowan Bamboo Soft and Stylecraft Kon-Tiki, both on 4mm needles. 

The Diamond Trellis and Garter Triangle Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Gate and Ladder Knit Stitch Pattern

The Gate and Ladder Knit Stitch

For this week's lace knit stitch, I have chosen the Gate and Ladder Stitch. 

This stitch motif is achieved over two rows (excluding the set-up row) and results in a fabric, which combines solid knit columns and openwork ladders, where the yarn over increases are worked. 

As can be seen from the images below, this lace stitch is ideal for yarns of a heavier weight. 

For my samples I have chosen Rowan Bamboo Soft and Stylecraft Merino, both on 4cm knitting needles.

Gate and Ladder Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: The Net Knit Stitch or Filet Net Knit Stitch

For this week's knit swatch I have prepared the Net Knit or Filet Net Knit Stitch. This is an uncomplicated openwork lace knit stitch, which is worked over two rows, creating a mesh fabric. 

When playing around with the swatch, I got the idea that this stitch might be suitable for a project incorporating beads and the below photo of the swatch with black yarn showcases the stitch worked with wooden beads, which were incorporated on the 2nd row. 

Net Knit Stitch or Filet Net Knit Stitch (Yarn: Stylecraft Kon-Tiki) 

The Weekly Swatch: Another Zig Zag Lace Knit Stitch

As mentioned in my last weekly swatch post, in which I was showcasing a 'zig zag lace stitch pattern', there are many variations of the so-called 'zig zag stitch' motif in lace knitting. That's why I have decided to knit up another zig zag swatch for this week's not-so-weekly, weekly swatch. 

Zig Zag Lace Knit Stitch Variation, Yarn: 4 ply Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light

Here, we have another zig zag stitch motif. It requires a multiple of 9 stitches and is knitted over 16 rows. Stitches on all even rows are purled throughout, all in- and decreases are a combination of yos, k2togs and pssos.

The Weekly Swatch: Bramble Knit Stitch

Bramble Knit in DK and Sock Yarn

Requiring a multiple of 4 plus 2 stitches, the Bramble Knit Stitch can be easily memorised and, once you have gotten to grips with knitting and purling repeatedly into the same stitch, there is nothing scary about this stitch sequence.

The Bramble Stitch is a little less 'bobbly' than the Gooseberry Stitch and ideally suited for garments with a dense texture. The pictures show swatch samples in both sock (Araucania Botany Lace) and DK yarn (Wendy Merino Double Knitting), highlighting the different effects you can achieve depending on the choice of yarn.

The Weekly Swatch: Lace Mesh Stitch

Yarn Dyeing with Lichen - Dyeing Handspun with Cladonia Mitis

Having read numerous 'how-tos' on the process of natural yarn dyeing utilising lichen, I felt the urge to experiment with a local variety of lichen and a small swatch sample of handspun.

Lichen on Apple Tree (West Kent, UK) 

Before investigating natural dyes, I was aware of the existence of lichen and their particular properties as fungi. Yet, I had no idea of the longstanding history of fabric dyeing with these mysterious organisms. And even though lichen are omnipresent in everyday life, I hardly took any notice of them. I subsequently had my first conscious encounter with a particularly impressive variety in an old orchard in West Kent (UK) back in August 2014. More on  this is available here. Shortly thereafter I came across several articles and selected blogs on lichen dyes and was naturally cursing myself for not having taken a small sample on the day to experiment.

Lichen on Apple Tree, West Kent (UK)

During a recent trip across Kent - this time to the Kent / Sussex border - I once again came up close and personal with another variety of lichen. This time I not only collected a very small sample (just enough to dye a swatch of homespun), I was also able to identify the variety: Cladonia Mitis. 

What follows is a brief description of my lichen dye experiment with 

You will require: 

• 1 small swatch sample of undyed homespun yarn 12cm x 6cm (as pictured below)

• 1 small sample of lichen (as pictured below)

• 1 jam jar (to soak the lichen for one to two nights prior to simmering it together with the handspun swatch sample)

• 1 saucepan

Homespun Swatch Sample

Cladonia Mitis

The Weekly Swatch: The Smocking Stitch

The Smocking Stitch is a slightly more advanced stitch motif, creating a two-dimensional texture, which resembles the lattice stitch in appearance. This is achieved through a very limited amount of cabling on both the 4th and 8th rows of the stitch sequence. All other rows require simple knitting or purling. 

Smocking Stitch

Multiple of 6 stitches

Row 1 (wrong side): P2, *K2, P4; rep from * to last 4 sts., K2, P2.

Row 2 (right side): K2, *sl. 2 sts. purlwise, K4; rep. from * to last 4 sts., sl 2 sts. knitwise, K2.

Row 3: P2, *sl. 2 sts. knitwise, P4; rep. from * to last 4 sts., sl 2 sts. knitwise, P2.

Row 4:  *Sl 1st knitwise, place 2sts. onto CN (Cable Needle) and hold at back of work, K1, K2 sts. from CN, sl next st. onto CN and hold at front of work, K2, K1 st from CN; rep. from * to end. 

Row 5: K1, P4, *K2, P4; rep from * to last st., K1.

Row 6: Sl1 st knitwise, K4, *sl 2 sts knitwise, K4; rep from * to last st., sl 1st knitwise.

Row 7: Sl1 st knitwise, P4, *sl 2 sts knitwise, P4; rep from * to last st., sl 1st knitwise.

Row 8:  *Place 1st. onto CN and hold at front of work, K2, K1 st. from CN, sl next 2 sts. onto CN and hold at back of work, K1, K2 sts. from CN; rep. from * to end. 

Repeat Row 1 - Row 8 for pattern.

Smocking Stitch

More knit stitches are available here.

The Weekly Swatch: The Honeycomb Stitch

Honeycomb Knit Stitch

The Honeycomb Knit Stitch as featured above is an uncomplicated stitch motif (no purling, just knitting!), resulting in a dense, yet flexible, texture, which is ideal for a wide variety of wintery garments and accessories. These tend to be designed to retain heat, whilst remaining breathable; and the Honeycomb Stitch fulfils these design requirements perfectly. 

Honeycomb Knit Stitch Sample

The Weekly Swatch: The Star Stitch

Star Lace Knit Stitch

The Star Stitch is a simple lace stitch. All of the in- and decreases are worked on the wrong side, i.e. the purl-side. The right side rows are knitted throughout. 

This stitch motif produces a meshy texture, making it an ideal stitch for summer garments and accessories. 

Star Stitch Swatch Sample with Araucania Botany Lace Sock Yarn

The Weekly Swatch: Fisherman's Rib Stitch

Fisherman's Rib is one my all-time favourite stitches. Primarily used for thick and stretchy garments, the motif can either be achieved by picking up yarn and wrapping it round the needle followed by decreasing; or by knitting into the stitch directly below the knit stitch and purling the following stitch. For the sample below, I used the latter method.

Fisherman's Rib Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Fern Stitch Variation

Many lace stitch motifs are referred to as 'Fern Stitches' and the below swatch sample showcases one  of the many variations of the Fern Stitch. 

Knitted with a cotton / acrylic yarn (Stylecraft Kontiki), the texture and look of the sample reminded me somewhat of Entrelac knitting. The stitch motif requires a  multiple of 8 plus 4 stitches.

Fern Stitch Swatch, Yarn: Stylecraft Kontiki