One of the first things knitters learn is how to avoid dropping stitches. So it can feel a little strange when a pattern asks you to do exactly that! Fortunately, intentional drop stitches are much less intimidating than accidental ones. Although those are not the end of the world either, take a look here and here for tutorials. In fact, when used thoughtfully, intentionally dropped stitches create beautiful openwork effects that are difficult to achieve any other way. The secret lies in understanding what controls the dropped stitch and prevents it from running all the way down to the cast-on edge.
A dropped stitch is simply a stitch that is deliberately allowed to unravel. Normally, such a dropped stitch could ladder down all the way in your knitting. However, in drop-stitch patterning, the drop-stitch is paired with a yarn over worked several rows below. The yarn over creates an eyelet that acts as a stopping point. When releasing the stitch, it unravels only until it reaches that eyelet. In other words: The yarn over acts as a built-in safety stop. It determines exactly how far the stitch can run down.
When working a pattern that includes dropped stitches, always identify 1) the stitch that will eventually be dropped, and 2) the yarn over that will stop the unraveling. If these two elements line up vertically, everything will behave exactly as intended. Lets grab our materials, and try it out!
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Marine Blue.
Needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
Working a drop stitch stitch step by step
I will share the directions for the stitch pattern used in this example in a separate post.
Knit in pattern until you reach the stitch designated as the drop stitch.
In this particular stitch pattern, the drop stitch is always the center stitch of a purl-three section.
Before continuing to the dropping part of working a drop-stitch, take a moment to look several rows below. You should see a yarn over directly beneath that stitch column. That yarn over is your stopping point.
Do you see it in the picture above?
If there indeed is a yarn over beneath the stitch column, simply slip the stitch off the needle. There is no need to knit it, purl it, or manipulate it further. Just let it go!
Next, allow the stitch to unravel.
Smooth yarns may run down almost by themselves. Yarns that are more “grabby”, may need some help; just tease those strands loose.
As the stitch reaches the yarn over, it can unravel no farther. The eyelet forms a stable anchor point, stopping the dropped column exactly where intended. What remains is a series of elongated loops stretching neatly between the current row and the yarn over below.
If the stitch does not stop at the expected point, check whether the yarn over was worked correctly.
And that´s all there is to it. Pretty neat, right?
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Bobbles are a lovely way to add texture to a knitting project. I’ve used them myself to add interest to an otherwise rather plain stockinette shawl body in my Moerbei shawl. They’re also rather popular as an extra design element on cabled sweaters. In the basis a bobble is nothing more than a single stitch that is increased to a collection of stitches (usually 3, 5, or 7 stitches), worked back and forth and then decreased back again to a single stitch. There are, however, many ways to go about this.
In this tutorial I will show you a 5-stitch version of a bobble. Read on for more details!
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Lime.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
Knitting a bobble step by step
First, work in your piece of knitting to the point where you want to make the bobble.
Next, insert the right-hand needle into the center of the next stitch on the needle, and work a [k1, yo, k1, yo, k1] increase into that stitch.
Turn you work, and purl the 5 stitches you increased to.
Again turn you work, and knit the 5 stitches you increased to.
Now, pass the second stitch from the tip of the right-hand needle over the first one (the last stitch knitted).
Repeat step 5 another 3 times, until you only have 1 stitch left.
The result: a lovely 5-stitch bobble!
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Double increases aren’t as commonly used as basic single increases. Nevertheless, they absolutely have their place in the knitter’s toolkit. The double knit below increase is a variation of a lifted increase. Instead of only increasing 1 stitch, however, you’re increasing 1 stitch to 3 stitches.
As you’ll see, the structure of this increase, is very similar to the k-yo-k increase. Rather than placing a yarn over between the two knit stitches, this variation uses a double-knit-below increase centered in the same spot: work a knit-below increase flanked by two knit stitches, all drawn from a single point. The resulting eyelets are subtler and more refined than those created by the classic k-yo-k, while still forming a pretty decorative line. This double increase is symmetrical and quite decorative, and for this reason also a very good choice to use for the central spine in top-down triangle shawls.
Below you can find how to work this increase step by step, so get your materials and follow along!
Materials
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 155 Vintage pink.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
Working the double knit below increase step by step
Work your way across the row until you’ve reached the point where you want to make the double increase.
In this case, I want to work the increase in the center stitch of the swatch, where I’ve already worked some rows with increases.
First, work a knit stitch in the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
Don’t let the stitch slide off the needle yet!
For the middle stitch in the increase, we’re going to knit below the stitch just worked. Do you see the horizontal bar just below it? That’s where to insert your right-hand needle for this next step!
So, insert your needle, wrap the yarn around, and pull it through to make a knit stitch, one stitch below. Don’t let the original stitch slide off the needle yet!
Then work another knit stitch, this time into the original stitch as you did in step 2.
To complete the increase, slip the stitch worked off the needle.
The result
Below, you can see the result of working several rows of these increases. First shown from the right side, then from the wrong side of the fabric. Doesn’t it look pretty?
From the RSFrom the WS
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You may have seen my tutorial on how to knit rick-rack rib. It’s a lovely stitch pattern, but personally, I wouldn’t want to knit it in all-over patterning. It’s just too time-consuming to work, in my opinion. Enter the subtle rick-rack stitch. This stitch pattern has similar zig-zag action happening, although much more subdued than in the rib version. The way it’s made, is also very different: Just a very clever way of combining left- and right-leaning decreases and increases! Please keep in mind, though, that I worked the above swatch in a worsted weight acrylic. When you knit this stitch pattern in a yarn that blocks out nicely, say a wool or cotton yarn, the lightly raised rick-rack line will be a bit more pronounced than it looks like here.
This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 6 stitches, and in a four-row repeat. Please note that I’ve added 2 edge stitches in garter stitch on both sides of the swatch. Also, I like to use the skp left-leaning decrease, but you can use another left-leaning decrease for a similar result.
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, in the color Tea Rose.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
m1l – make 1 left: Increase by lifting the thread between the stitch just knit and the next one from the front with your left needle, then knit into the back of the loop
m1r – make 1 right: Increase by lifting the thread between the stitch just knit and the next one from the back with your left needle, then knit into the front of the loop
p – purl
skp – slip a stitch knit-wise, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over.
Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern until desired length. When working in the round, just work the even-numbered rounds in knit.
Also, while this version of the stitch pattern is a 6-stitch repeat, it could easily be adjusted to an 8-stitch pr even a 10-stitch repeat. Just add in the extra stitches evenly on both sides of the decrease. A wider repeat will make the fanning out, visible in the stockinette in between the rick-rack lines, more pronounced.
In the below pictures, you see the patterning first from the right, and then also from the wrong side of the fabric:
Subtle rick-rack stitch from the RSSubtle rick-rack stitch – from the WS
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
In every knitter’s or crocheter’s notions pouch, there’s a small but very useful tool: The humble stitch marker. Whether the design is simple or elaborate, stitch markers are the highly practical tools of the trade. They help you keep track of your work and make it easier to follow pattern instructions accurately. In knitting, stitch markers are usually placed on the needle and move along as you work. In crochet, stitch markers are usually clipped into a stitch and remain in place until you move them. This usually happens when the marked stitch has been worked, and is moved up to the new stitch directly above it, in the new row or round.
Using stitch markers helps prevent mistakes and makes it easier to spot any issues early on. This last one I especially appreciate when working the more complex lace patterning in projects. In this post, I’ll show you the different types of stitch markers, and how to use them in both knitting and crochet. Let’s get started!
Closed stitch markers
Below, you can see a variation of closed stitch markers as found among my notions. They all have in common that they are placed on the knitting needle to mark a shaping point, a pattern repeat or the beginning (or end!) of a round. This type of stitch marker cannot be used in crochet.
Here you can read some of the ways to use this kind of stitch marker:
Marking the Beginning of a Round (BOR): In circular, seamless projects, the BOR marker is placed so that you know when you have completed a full round. It’s best to use a unique marker for the BOR so you don’t confuse it with others that you may have in your project for shaping, for example. In knitting, this marker is placed on the right needle after working the last stitch of the round, so basically in-between the last and first stitches. For this reason it’s also often called the “End of Round (EOR)” marker. I like to use my row counter, suspended from a piece of cotton for this.
Marking increases and decreases: When working projects such as garments or shawls, that require shaping, stitch markers are used to ensure these are performed in the correct place each time.
Separating pattern repeats: For simple pattern repeats or when working lace, cables or colourwork, I often place a marker at each repeat. This allows me to confidently work without the need for constant counting. Also, it enables me to easily spot mistakes in one small, manageable section at a time.
Reminders: At certain points in your knitting, you may need to work a single stitch differently, such as working short rows when you knit the turning stitches together. Use markers to remind you where these are and save time and possible mistakes.
A draw back I’ve noticed of this type of stitch marker, is that they tend to catch the yarn. This, in turn, makes the tension a bit looser in the area of the marker than in other places in the fabric. I’m a pretty loose knitter, so anything that makes the tension even more loose is not something I want.
This is the reason that I prefer the looped yarn variety of closed stitch marker: Just tie a bit of yarn into a loop, and you’re good to go! I match the weight of the yarn for the stitch marker with the yarn used in the project. Not only have these stitch markers enough give in the part that goes around the needle to prevent tension issues. The tails also make it possible to determine the correct place of the stitch marker, even if the loops of the knitting slide over the loop of the stitch marker. Also nice: If you lose one, you can easily make new stitch markers with just a small piece of waste yarn!
Locking or removable stitch markers
Removable stitch markers like the ones below, are generally used to clip onto a particular stitch. Because of this, they can be used in both knitting and crochet. If the needle size is small enough, you can also slide them onto a knitting needle. In that case, they work just like a closed stitch marker. The bulb pins shown in the lower right corner are a budget-friendly alternative. They offer a simple alternative for other ,usually more expensive versions of removable stitch markers.
There are various ways to use this kind of stitch marker. In crochet many uses are similar to those mentioned above for the closed stitch markers. For both knitting and crochet, you can think of the following:
Using a locking stitch marker to mark stitches for later: There are times when a pattern tells you to do something, but not right away. Think of things like the start of a round, or where increases or decreases will happen a few rows further on. In those cases, you can place a locking stitch marker right in the stitch itself. When you get to the relevant row, you can simply trace the stitches upward to find the exact spot. It’s a lovely way to keep knitting or crocheting without breaking your rhythm. Especially in larger projects or when working in a spiral, like with amigurumi.
Keeping track of rows without constant counting: If you find yourself losing track of rows or rounds (and honestly, who doesn’t?), locking stitch markers can really help. Just place one every 10 or 20 rows. That way, you always have a quick visual reference, and you don’t have to count everything over and over again.
Marking points for neat seaming: When working pieces separately that will be joined later, it can be tricky to line everything up just right. By placing locking markers at the points that need to match, you give yourself little guides to follow when seaming. It makes the finishing much easier and helps keep everything nice and tidy. This is exactly what you’re seeing below in this picture of a cardigan I made.
Catching and securing dropped stitches: A dropped stitch doesn’t have to be a disaster. Just catch the loop with a locking stitch marker to stop it from unraveling further. You can then fix it at your convenience, without worrying that things will get worse in the meantime. I had this happen once while blocking a lace shawl. A thread snapped, where I must have knit into the fluff of the kid silk. Anyway, I secured it with a bulb pin, and repaired the hole when the shawl came off the blocking mats.
Keeping your work safe when putting it down: This one is especially relevant for crochet. If you need to put your project aside or take it with you, it’s a good idea to secure the live stitch with a locking marker. It only takes a moment, and it helps make sure your work is exactly as you left it when you pick it up again!
The stitch markers you can see above, are a special variation of the locking stitch marker. They are often called spiral or split-ring stitch markers. These stitch markers are easy to recognize by their open, spiral-like shape. They’re not fully closed, with just a small overlapping gap. Because of this, they can be slipped in and out of stitches very quickly. This makes them particularly popular for crochet, where you often need to move markers around as you work. That said, they can also be quite useful in knitting, especially because they can be inserted, and removed very easily. I use them often when knitting a garter stitch tab for a new shawl!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
Lace knitting doesn’t have to be complicated to be pretty. This easy 4-row lace pattern is a good example of how a simple repeat can create an elegant, airy fabric, with a slightly organic feel to it. Because the pattern is worked over just four rows, it’s also easy to memorize. It’s especially suitable for scarves, shawls, and lightweight garments. Please keep in mind, though, that I worked the above swatch in a worsted weight acrylic. When you knit this stitch pattern in a yarn that blocks out nicely, say a wool or cotton yarn, it opens up a lot more than it looks like here.
This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 6 stitches + 1, and in a four-row repeat. Please note that I’ve added 2 edge stitches in garter stitch on both sides of the swatch. Also, I like to use the skp left-leaning decrease, but you can use another left-leaning decrease for a similar result.
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, in the color Vintage Pink.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
Row 1 (right side): K1, *k1, yo, k2tog, yo, skp, k1*; rep *-* to 1 st before end. Row 2 (wrong side): Purl. Row 3: K1, *yo, k2tog, k1, skp, yo, k1*; rep *–* to 1 st before end. Row 4: Purl.
Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern until desired length.
In the below pictures, you see the patterning first from the right, and then also from the wrong side of the fabric:
Easy 4-row lace from the RSEasy 4-row lace from the WS
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
Waveline is a delightfully whimsical shawl. Its allover mosaic color work patterning makes it a lovely layering piece with a lot of playful character. What’s not to like?!
The shawl is started with a garter tab. The color work is done using the slip-stitch mosaic technique, so you will be handling only one strand of yarn at all times. The patterning is both charted and written out.
Pay what you want: (minimum €7.25)
€
Difficulty level
This triangle-shaped shawl is knit from the top down, starting with a garter tab cast-on. The color work uses the slip-stitch mosaic technique. Stitches used include knit, purl, right- and left-leaning increases, k2tog tbl, as well as slipping stitches.
This pattern is therefore suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
One size (easily adjusted) – finished dimensions of the sample shawl: 188 cm (74 inches) along the upper edge and a depth of 68 cm (26 ¾ inches), measured after blocking.
Change the size of the Waveline shawl larger by using heavier or lighter weight yarn and/or working less (or more) repeats of the various sections. This will, of course, change the amount of yarn needed.
Pattern details
Gauge: 14.6 sts / 32 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over body pattern, measured after blocking. Gauge is not critical in this design but should give you a fabric that you like with the yarn, and needles used.
Pattern languages included: English.
Digital PDF has 9 pages (letter size)
Yarn
Rico Design Superba Alpaca Luxury Socks (62% Wool, 23% Nylon, 15% Alpaca; 310 m (339 yds) / 100 g) in the following colors:
C1: 310 m (339 yds) / 100 g in 010 Teal C2: 310 m (339 yds) / 100 g in 007 Yellow
Substitute any sport weight yarn with a halo in solid or tonal colors for a similar result.
Materials
Size 4 mm (US 6) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles were used for the sample shawl. Use needles appropriate for the yarn chosen.
A loop buttonhole is one of those small finishing details that can completely change how polished your project looks. Instead of working a buttonhole into the fabric itself, you create a simple loop right at the edge. It removes the need to plan out your buttonholes while still knitting or crocheting your project. In other words: It’s perfect for cardigans, cuffs, keyhole openings, or anywhere you want a flexible, decorative closure.
In this step-by-step photo tutorial, I show you how to create a neat, loop buttonhole along the edge of your work using a darning needle. The same effect could however also be achieved by crocheting into the loop. Ok, get your things, and follow along!
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Lime for the swatch, and Vintage Pink for the buttonhole loop.
Darning needle: Hiya Hiya Darn It Yarn Needle, or any other tapestry needle.
Working the loop buttonhole step by step
First, make sure you have your darning needle threaded with the yarn you want to use for the buttonhole loop.
The buttonhole loop can be attached to any side of a piece of knitting or crochet. In this tutorial, I will be attaching it to the bind-off edge of this swatch.
To start, I insert the darning needle from bottom to top through both loops of one of the stitches on the edge. Pull it through for a bit.
Next, insert the darning needle from top to bottom through both loops of another of the stitches on the edge.
I skipped 1 stitch, because I though that would give me a nice size for a buttonhole. You can leave less or more room between the 2 points as needed for the size of the buttons you intend to use.
Pull the yarn through until you have a loop of the desired size for your button.
The loop kept flipping up, so I used the darning needle to hold it down for the picture.
Repeat steps 2-4 a couple of times. This gives a sturdier buttonhole. The number of times, depends on the thickness of your yarn, as well as on the desired size of the loop.
I changed the orientation of the edge, because this proved to be easier to work.
Next, take your darning needle, and insert it from bottom to top into the loop.
Pull the yarn through almost, but not entirely all the way. Now take the darning needle and insert it top to bottom through the loop that your working yarn has formed.
Pull it all through, and tighten the knot you have created. Make sure to push it right next to the fabric of the piece you’re attaching the buttonhole to.
Repeat steps 6-8 as often as needed to completely cover the loops of yarn made in steps 2-5.
To finish, you can thread the yarn through the buttonhole loop, back to the start. Tie a knot, and weave in the ends.
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
Twisted rib is a ribbing technique that creates a crisp texture by intentionally twisting the knit stitches as you work them. It’s commonly used for cuffs, hems, and necklines where you want strong definition and elasticity without the relaxed look of standard rib. In regular ribbing (like k1, p1), you work the knit stitches through the front loop, allowing the stitch to sit open and relaxed. In twisted rib, however, you work them through the back loop (tbl). This small change crosses the legs of the stitch. This tightens it and makes the column of stitches stand out more sharply. The trade-off is that twisted rib is less elastic and slightly slower to knit than regular rib.
Personally, I use twisted rib quite a lot in garments, because I really like the way it looks.
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 155 Vintage Pink.
Needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
Stitches used
k – knit p – purl RS / WS – right side / wrong side tbl – through the back loop
1×1 twisted rib instructions
Row 1 (RS): *K1 tbl, p1; rep from * to end. Row 2: (WS): *K1, p1 tbl; rep from * to end.
Work these 2 rows for the pattern. When working in the round, you can just repeat row 1 for every round.
Below, you can see how this stitch pattern looks: First as seen from the right side, and then from the wrong side of the fabric.
Twisted rib as seen from the RSTwisted rib as seen from the WS
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
The yarn used for the body of this shawl brings candy canes to mind, or “zuurstokken”, as they’re called in Dutch, the kind you might buy at a fair. Knit sideways on the bias, the shawl forms a shallow, asymmetrical triangle that’s perfect for wearing as an elegant scarf. The pairing of garter stitch in a self-striping yarn with simple lace offers the best of both worlds: Soothing simplicity and delicate detail.
The pattern contains both fully written out and charted instructions for the lace.
Pay what you want: (minimum €7.25)
€
Difficulty level
The lace in this pattern is worked on both RS and WS rows. Stitches used include knit, purl, yo, kfb, pfb, skp, k2tog, and p2tog.
This pattern is therefore suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
One size (easily adjusted) – finished dimensions of the sample shawl: 192 cm (75 ¾ inches) along the upper edge and a depth of 70 cm (27 ½ inches), measured after blocking.
Make the Zuurstok shawl larger by adding more repeats of the garter stitch and/or by working more repeats in the lace section. This will, of course, increase the amount of yarn needed.
Pattern details
Gauge: 16 sts / 32 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over garter stitch, measured after blocking. Gauge is however not critical for this design.
Pattern languages included: English.
Digital PDF has 5 pages (letter size)
Yarn
Alize Superwash Artisan (75% Merino, 25% Nylon; 420 m (459 yds) / 100 g) in the following colors:
C1: 210 m (230 yds) / 50 g in color 9003 C2: 420 m (459 yds) / 100 g in color 44
Substitute any self-striping fingering weight yarn for C1 and any solid or tonal colored fingering weight yarn for C2 for a similar result.
Materials
Size 3.5 mm (US 4) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles were used for the sample shawl. Use needles appropriate for the yarn chosen.
Removable stitch marker to denote the RS of the shawl (optional)
Stitch markers to indicate repeats of the lace patterning (optional)
