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: Garter Brick Knit Stitch

 

Sticking with the colourwork theme for the weekly swatch, here is another colour fix, the Garter Brick Knit Stitch. 

Alongside the colour, this stitch has a super squishy texture. The Garter Brick Stitch requires a multiple of 6 plus 2 stitches and is worked over a total of 12 rows, with rows 5, 6,11 and 12 being repeats of rows 3, 4, 9 and 10 respectively. In between it's just simple knit and purl. 

No Heel Turn Sock Knitting Pattern

If you are looking for a sock knitting pattern that allows you to create seamless, uninterrupted stripes when using self-striping sock yarn, you have come to the right place. 

Meet the No-Heel-Turn-Sock.

Please excuse the makeshift cardboard sock blockers in the images. (I still haven't invested in a pair of blockers...) 

Yes, you heard that right, this sock knitting pattern does not require to work a heel-flap and there is no need to pick up stitches - probably one of the most off-putting aspects for beginner knitters wishing to venture into sock knitting. 

The heel in this pattern is created simply by working increases, followed by an equal number of decreases. 

This sounds incredibly simple and it is, believe me. 

So, if you are able to knit on double-pointed needles in the round, you are confident to work k2tog and ssk decreases, and you have toyed with the idea of getting into sock knitting, this pattern will be a beginner-friendly entry into the wonderful world of top-down vanilla socks. 

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: Trellis Knit Stitch

 

 

Time for a traditional lace knit stitch. This week I have prepared the Trellis Knit Stitch. 

The Trellis Stitch is worked over a multiple of seven plus two stitches over eight rows. Overall, it's a beginner-friendly lace knit stitch, but will call for purling two stitches together through the back loop (p2togtbl) on rows 2 and 6 of the stitch pattern. 

A Sudden Influx of Kittens

I have been absent from the blog for months...and I have an excuse.

Back in August 2022 a stray mother cat and her four kittens started visiting our back garden. At the time, the kittens were approximately 6 to 8 weeks old, riddled with fleas, ticks, mites, worms and, understandably, utterly ravenous. 

Schnitzel (aka The Schnitzler) 

After a few days of getting to know and feeding the stray family in our garden, we decided to take action and trapped mum and her kittens. The trapping operation took several attempts until all were captured and was executed over several days with a 4am start time until we finally managed to catch all of them.

Fig (aka Figgy, Figgers, Figgles, The Figlet) 

The Weekly Swatch: Cell Knit Stitch

 

After a long period of silence caused by a sudden influx of kittens (images to be posted shortly), I'm finally back to updating the blog with fresh content. 

I'm starting off today with a new addition to the stitch library, the Cell Knit Stitch. 

This simple, textured stitch is created through a combination of knit and purl stitches. The stitch itself is worked over four rows and the mock cable effect is achieved by casting on additional stitches on the right side rows. Simple p2tog decreases are worked on the wrong side rows. 

Sock Knits 2022 - Traditional Heel Socks, No-Heel-Turn Socks and Cardboard Sock Blockers

The Weekly Swatch: Garter Twist Knit Stitch

Here is another two-row repeat stitch that creates texture just through the combination of knit stitches. The twists are created by knitting twice into the previously worked stitch. 

The Garter Twist Knit Stitch requires a multiple of 2 stitches and is worked over 2 rows.  

The Weekly Swatch: Horizontal Shell Knit Stitch

Another shell motif knit stitch to add to the collection, today we have the Horizontal Shell Knit Stitch. In this stitch, the shell motif is created against a background of garter stitch. 

The texture of the shell clusters is created by knitting four stitches together twice (once through the backloop) for each shell on the seventh row of the pattern before the final knit row. 

To perform the k4tog tbl and k4tog without too much frustration, stitches should be knitted loosely. 

The Weekly Swatch: Ostrich Plume Lace Knit Stitch

 

A variation on the classic and ever popular Feather and Fan knit stitch, the Ostrich Plume lace knit stitch is just as eye-catching, but lesser known. 

The pattern for this version of the stitch requires a multiple of sixteen plus one stitches and is worked over thirty-two rows. The lace sequence is worked into the motif over eight rows and in-between it's just relaxing rows of knit and purl.  

 

The Weekly Swatch: Purl Dimple Knit Stitch

A simple two-row repeat  textured knit stitch, the Purl Dimple Knit Stitch requires a multiple of 2 stitches. The texture is created by yo increases and purling all stitches through the back loop on the following row. 

The Weekly Swatch: Looped Knit Stitch

 

Today's weekly swatch is the Looped Knit Stitch. It's a simple four-row-repeat knit stitch, which is worked on a multiple of four plus one stitches.

The mock cable wrap effect is created by working a cable cast-on between stitches on the right side rows. On the wrong side rows the cast-on stitches are purled together with the preceding stitch. 

The Weekly Swatch: (Simple) Shell Lace Knit Stitch

 

Carrying on with shell motifs, here we have the simple Shell Lace Knit Stitch. It's a fun, versatile stitch, that can be memorised easily after a few repeats. 

If you are considering incorporating this stitch motif into a project, please bear in mind that this stitch has a tendency to slant, especially when worked over a larger area. 

For this shell stitch, all wrong side rows are purled throughout and the stitch motif is created with yarn over increases and psso (pass slipped stitch over) decreases on the right side rows. 

The stitch requires a multiple of 7 plus 2 stitches and is knitted over 12 rows. 

The Weekly Swatch: Diagonal Shell Lace Knit Stitch

I'm totally in love with shell stitch motifs at the moment. 

In this post, I have prepared a couple of swatches of the Diagonal Shell Lace Stitch. This stitch looks good in just about any yarn weight. 

It requires a multiple of 6 plus 2 stitches and is knitted over 10 rows. The motif of diagonally slanting shells is created through yarn over increases and k2tog and p2tog decreases on both the wrong and right side rows.

Diagonal Shell Lace Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Purl Twist Knit Stitch

 

Another stitch that creates texture through the combination of knit and purl stitches to add to the collection. 

The twists are created by purling twice into a previously worked stitch. The stitch motif requires a multiple of 2 stitches and is worked over 4 rows.

Purl Twist Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Spine Knit Stitch

 

If you love creating rich texture with simple knit and purl stitches, the Spine Knit Stitch should be a staple in your repertoire. 

The rich texture of this stitch is created by passing the needle behind and in front of the first stitch on the left-hand needle, knitting the second stitch before knitting the first stitch and letting both stitches slip off the needle after both stitches have been worked. The stitch requires a multiple of 2 stitches and all wrong side rows are purled throughout. 

The Weekly Swatch: Herringbone Eyelet Knit Stitch

 

Time for simple lace knitting. In this week's instalment of the weekly swatch, I have prepared samples of the Herringbone Eyelet Lace Knit Stitch

It's a relaxing lace knit stitch, which is knitted over twelve rows. All right side rows are purled and the lace motif is created over six rows with each lace row being repeated three times on the wrong side rows. 

Herringbone Eyelet Lace Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Faggot and Chevron Rib Knit Stitch

 

Another simple lace knit stitch motif to add to the collection, the Faggot and Chevron Rib Knit Stitch. The stitch requires a multiple of seven stitches and is knitted over two rows.

Faggot and Chevron Rib Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Right-Slanting Turkish Rib Knit Stitch

Some ten years ago, I featured the left-slanting Turkish Rib Stitch in a weekly swatch. Today, I am finally following up with the stitch pattern for the right-slanting Turkish Rib Stitch. 

The Turkish Rib Stitch creates a rich diagonal rib texture and, depending how stretched the fabric is, almost gives the impression of lace openwork. The stitch requires a multiple of two plus two stitches and is knitted over four rows, excluding the set-up row. 

Right-Slanting Turkish Rib Knit Stitch Pattern

Free Knitting Pattern: Cascade Lace Choker (One-Piece I-Cord Version)

- These are the pattern instructions for the one-piece i-cord version of the Cascade Choker. The pattern for the Cascade Choker with attached / grafted i-cords is available here. -  

I recently finished another Cascade Choker and rather than attaching i-cords to the choker after knitting the body of the choker, I decided to knit the i-cords directly at the beginning and at the end of the project to achieve a more organic look. 

This lace choker can be completed in a day or two, including the time it requires to block the finished piece (blocking is absolutely essential to open up the lace). 

The choker requires approximately 5g of Scheepjes Maxi Sugar Rush mercerised cotton yarn and is worked on 2mm - 2.5mm double-pointed needles (dpns). Though it is possible to knit the choker on wood or bamboo needles, I recommend the use of pointy, metallic dpns, especially if you are opting for the use of mercerised cotton yarn with this pattern. This will make the knitting experience much more enjoyable. 

The length of the choker can be adjusted easily for different neck circumferences and I recommend you check the fit whilst knitting. Altogether, you should ensure that the body of the choker covers around 80% - 85% of the neck. 

The choker is secured with the help of two i-cords, which each measure approximately 20cm in length. These will be tied to a bow. Beads can be attached to the ends of the i-cords for a more sophisticated finish.

The completed piece should be wet-blocked (to open the lace detail) and left to dry over night. 

If you decide to substitute the mercerised cotton with another type of yarn, the number of lace repeats will differ. As you can check the fit whilst knitting, this should not be a major issue, making this project ideally suited to using up all types of yarn leftovers.

The Weekly Swatch: Leaf Edging

 

New Year, new weekly swatch. 

For this post, I have prepared a simple leaf edging (and tested a new skein of Araucania Botany Lace sock yarn). The edging requires a multiple of 8 stitches. As a result of in- and decreases, the stitch count will vary when knitting this edging.

Leaf Edge Knitting Pattern

The Weekly Swatch: Diagonal Zig Zag Knit Stitch

I am in love with the texture of this diagonal zig-zag knit stitch. 

Knit and purl stitches are all you need to create these diagonal zig zags and the resulting stitch motif is fully reversible. 

A perfect match for chunky cotton yarns and knitted dishcloths. 

Diagonal Zig Zag Knit Stitch 

The Weekly Swatch: Garland Lace Knit Stitch

 

With the Garland Lace Knit Stitch I am returning to simple, traditional lace in this instalment of the weekly swatch. 

The Garland Knit Stitch is a simple beginner lace knit stitch. The motif is created over sixteen rows, requires a multiple of 6 plus 1 stitches and all wrong side rows are purled throughout. 

The Weekly Swatch: Faggot Knit Stitch

 

I have another 'no purl lace' knit stitch to add to the collection in this week's weekly swatch. 

It's the Faggot Lace Knit Stitch. 

This is an incredibly simple one-row repeat stitch motif, which creates an openwork lace mesh fabric.

More 'no purl' lace knit stitches are available here. 

Sock Knitting for Beginners - 5 Tips for Perfect, Top-Down Vanilla Socks

Taking stock of my knitting projects this year, it appears that I have been knitting rather a lot of socks over the past 11 months - 5 pairs in total so far, to be precise. Following my very first sock knitting project back in 2015, I turned my attention to other types of knitting projects and focussed mainly on lace knitting, but this year I fancied a change and focussing on sock knitting and sock knitting techniques felt just right. 

Finished Socks on DIY Sock Blockers

Based on my recent excursion into the world of sock knitting, what follows are a few recommendations for novice sock knitters, including five tips to achieve perfectly fitting, vanilla top-down socks. 

The Weekly Swatch: Loop Mesh Lace Knit Stitch

This week, I have prepared the Loop Mesh Lace Knit Stitch. Another no purl lace knit stitch to add to the collection.

The stitch motif is created over 3 rows on a multiple of 5 plus 3 stitches and creates an openwork lace mesh without any requirement for purling stitches. 

More no purling lace knit stitches are available here.

The Weekly Swatch: Sheaf Knit Stitch

 

As I said, I am catching up with the weekly swatches today and now it's time for the second swatch post of the day. 

Next up is a stitch, I have really enjoyed preparing, the Sheaf Knit Stitch. 

K2 / P2 ribbing forms the foundation of this stitch motif; and the texture is achieved by wrapping the working yarn around two stitches on every fourth row. 

Sheaf Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Double Basket Weave Knit Stitch

I am catching up with the weekly swatches yet again and for this week I have prepared the Double Basket Weave Knit Stitch. 

This stitch is a variation of the Simple Basket Weave Knit Stitch and slightly more involved. 

The stitch motif is knitted on a multiple of 18 plus 3 stitches over 18 rows and creates a gorgeous, chunky texture. 

Double Basket Weave Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Bamboo Rib Knit Stitch

I have prepared another rib knit stitch for this week's not-so-weekly, weekly swatch.  

It's the Bamboo Rib Knit Stitch - an incredibly simple knit stitch. 

The vertical columns are created by yarn overs, which are lifted over the knitted stitches. This stitch is worked over two rows on a multiple of two stitches and all wrong side rows are purled. 

For further posts on ribbed knit stitch tutorials and my knitting patterns utilising ribbed stitches, please visit this link.

The Weekly Swatch: Brioche Rib Knit Stitch Variation

 

For this week's weekly swatch, I am showcasing a variation on the ever popular Brioche Rib Stitch.

The classic Brioche Stitch is a simple rib stitch, that creates a beautiful texture, which is not only pleasing on the eye. The rich and flexible texture created by this stitch also appeals to our sense of touch. Every time I spot a garment knitted in brioche rib, I simply have to feel the texture of the stitch. 

Brioche Rib Stitch is not only an eye-catching stitch, but also easy to knit. 

Following a single set-up row on an even number of stitches, the stitch motif is created by the continuous repetition of a sequence of stitches on every following row. The first stitch of every row is slipped purlwise. Classic Brioche Rib therefore requires no purling or great effort to ensure the stitch count is correct. 

The variation of this classic stitch, as shown in the photos, shares most of the above attributes, but the resulting texture of the knitted columns is more rigid and the variation creates an interesting mesh texture when the fabric stretched sideways. 

Free Knitting Pattern: Irish Moss Diamond Dishcloth

Free Knitting Pattern: Irish Moss Diamond Dishcloth

I was looking for a small knitting project to use up less than half a skein of Stylecraft Kon-Tiki cotton yarn. On this occasion, I finally decided to pursue the dishcloth option. 

I have never knitted a dishcloth before, thinking that knitted dishcloths are somewhat of a waste of precious yarn, but as this particular skein, which has previously been utilised for many weekly knit swatches, looked already pretty tired and dishevelled from frequent use, the yarn finally needed to be turned into a permanent project. 

Framed by a garter stitch border to keep the fabric flat, the Irish Moss Diamond motifs are worked against a background of stockinette stitch. The diamond stitch motif is created through the variation of knit and purl stitches, making this pattern suitable for knitters of all skill levels.