The backward loop method of casting on stitches is also known as the thumb method of casting on, and as the “single cast-on”, “e-wrap cast-on”. It’s a stretchy cast-on that is quite easy to do. However, it tends to leave loops along the bottom edge, which can look rather loose. To counter that, it can be helpful to drop down a needle size for the cast-on, then going up again when continuing with the rest of your project. While the backward loop cast-on is pretty easy to work, I really don’t prefer it for most projects, because I find the stitches very hard to work into on the first row of knitting.
There is one place where this cast-on really shines, though: when stitches needed to be cast on in the middle of a row, like for the underarm of a sweater. Yes, those are still hard to knit into on the next row and may seem rather loose. However, the number of stitches is usually very small, making that less of an issue.
Let’s get started!
Working the backward loop cast-on step by step
Take your working yarn and loop it as shown in the picture below, with the yarn going to the project in front.
Next, insert the tip of the right needle from back to front through the loop.
Pull the yarn snugly around the needle.
Repeat steps 1-3 for as many stitches as needed.
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Like the Fuyu persimmon fruit this shawl is named after, it’s fruity and succulent and suitable for a wide range of occasions. In this shawl, a delightful garter stitch based lace body is paired with a striped garter stitch border. The design is very flexible, therefore I’ve included modification ideas in the pattern.
This shawl is knit from the top-down in one piece, starting at the neck edge with a garter tab. The instructions for the body patterning are both charted and written out.
This pattern is therefor suitable for the intermediate knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
Finished dimensions of the sample shawl: Span width of 186 cm (73 ¼ inches) measured along the upper edge, and a depth of 89 cm (35 inches), measured after blocking.
Change the size of this shawl by using lighter or heavier yarn and/or working fewer (or more) repeats of the various sections of the shawl. This will, of course, change the amount of yarn needed.
Pattern details
Gauge: Approx. 15.4 sts / 24.5 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 used.
Pattern languages included: English.
Digital PDF has 5 pages (letter size)
Materials
Yarn: Cascade Yarns ® Cascade 220® Fingering (100% wool; 250 m (273 yds) / 50 g) in the following colors and quantities (substitute a 2-ply wool (light) fingering to sport weight yarn in solid or tonal colorways for a similar result):
C1: 250 m (273 yds) / 50 g) in 2414 Ginger
C2: 250 m (273 yds) / 50 g) in 8686 Brown
C3: 250 m (273 yds) / 50 g) in 9566 Olive Oil
Size 4 mm (US 6) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles, choose needles appropriate for the yarn chosen.
4 stitch markers to indicate the center stitch and the edge stitches
Stitch markers to indicate the repeats of the patterning (optional)
Double moss stitch, like moss stitch and seed stitch, is a classic textured knitting stitch. It’s a very simple stitch pattern, using only knits and purls. This stitch pattern is worked on both right side and wrong side rows, and is a multiple of 4 stitches. Because the patterning alternates knits and purls, it creates a fabric that does not curl. This makes it a very lovely alternative for garter stitch or rib stitch to create non-rolling edges for your project. Also, because it’s virtually the same on both sides of the fabric, it’s a very good choice for those cases where both sides can be visible.
Materials used
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.
As you can see, rows 1 and 2 and the same, as are rows 3 and 4. This is a very simple stitch pattern that can really help you learn how to read your knitting. Try it!
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 bamboo stitch is a wonderfully textured stitch. It looks very similar to bamboo shoots, with the horizontal lines dividing the sections. Hence, the name of this stitch pattern. Also, it’s much easier to work than it looks like. It can be used as all-over patterning in for example dish cloths or blankets. But it would also work very well as a strategically placed accent in a bigger project. It is a simple 2-row repeat, worked over a multiple of 2 stitches.
Let’s get started!
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here 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.
On an even number of stitches, work the following 2 rows for the pattern:
Row 1 (RS): *Yo, k2, pass the yo over both k sts; rep from * to end.
Row 2: (WS): Purl.
Bamboo stitch instructions – worked in the round
On an even number of stitches, work the following 2 rounds for the pattern:
Round 1: *Yo, k2, pass the yo over both k sts; rep from * to end of round.
Round 2: Knit.
The step of lifting the yo over the 2 knit stitches, and the result of that, can be seen in the 2 pictures below.
Insert knitting needle into the yoand lift it over the 2 knit stitches
The result
Viewed from the right side of the fabric:
Viewed from the wrong side of the fabric:
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.
Moss stitch, like seed stitch, is a classic textured knitting stitch. It’s a very simple stitch pattern, using only knits and purls. This stitch pattern is worked on both right side and wrong side rows, and is a multiple of 4 stitches. Because the patterning alternates knits and purls, it creates a fabric that does not curl. This makes it a very lovely alternative for garter stitch or rib stitch to create non-rolling edges for your project. Also, because it’s virtually the same on both sides of the fabric, it’s a very good choice for those cases where both sides can be visible.
A good thing to keep in mind when working moss stitch, is that this is a stitch pattern where you always purl the knits and knit the purls. No matter if you’re working the wrong side or the right side of the fabric, working flat back and forth or in the round. My post about “knit the knits and purl the purls” gives you some pointers on how to read your knitting to make this easier.
Ok, let’s get started!
Materials used
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.
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.
Rose Pink Candy is a fun triangular shawl knit sideways. Knit in an aran/bulky weight yarn, it knits up pretty fast too. This design is however very easy to modify for other yarn weights: just cast on and repeat the body patterning until the shawl has the desired size!
The pattern contains both fully written out as well as charted instructions for the patterning.
Pay what you want: (minimum €6.95)
€
Difficulty level
Stitches used in this design include knit, purl, yo, kfb and k2tog. This pattern is therefor suitable for the intermediate knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
Finished dimensions of the sample shawl:
Span width of 180 cm (70 ¾ inches) along the upper edge and a depth of 95 cm (37 ½ inches), measured after blocking.
Change the size of the Rose Pink Candy shawl by using lighter or heavier yarn and/or working less (or more) repeats of the body section of the shawl. This will, of course, change the amount of yarn needed.
Pattern details
Gauge: Approx. 11.1 sts / 17.1 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 used.
Pattern languages included: English.
Digital PDF has 4 pages (letter size)
Materials
Yarn: 570 m (624 yds) / 300 g Big Delight by Garnstudio Drops (100% wool; 190 m (208 yds) / 100 g) in color “01”. Substitute wool aran to bulky weight yarn of comparable thickness, in a gradient color, for a similar result.
Size 5 mm (US 8) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles, choose needles appropriate for the yarn chosen.
2 stitch markers to indicate the edge stitches (optional)
Stitch markers to indicate the repeats of the patterning (optional)
Herringbone stitch is a stitch pattern that creates a woven looking fabric. It creates a very thick and dense fabric, for that reason it’s often used for home decor projects, or items like scarfs and cowls. Because it is so dense, it’s strongly advised to use a much larger size of needles than you may usually use for that particular yarn. In this tutorial, I will be using a fingering weight yarn with size 4 mm (US 6) needles. But I can already tell you that going up another size wouldn’t have been a mistake. Of course, it all depends on your preference.
There are various ways to work herringbone stitch. As far as I know, they all boil down to a left leaning decrease on the right side of the fabric, of which only 1 loop is slipped off. This is followed by a decrease worked on the wrong side, that shows as a right leaning decrease on the right side of the fabric. Of this, again, only 1 loop is slipped off every time the decrease is worked. There are many left leaning and right leaning decreases, so that absolutely explains a lot of the variations in working the herringbone stitch. In this example, I will be using k2tog tbl as my left-leaning decrease, and p2tog as my right-leaning decrease.
Materials used
Yarn: Leftovers from my Sunglow Forest shawl, it’s Fleece Artist Merino Slim (100% Merino wool; 400 m (437 yds) / 115 g) in “Minegold”
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
For this particular stitch pattern, there is no specific multiple needed for the patterning to work out. So, cast on any number of stitches.
To start, insert the needle through the back loop of the first 2 stitches on the left-handle needle.
Wrap the yarn around the needle…
… and pull it through both loops.
Don’t let the loops drop off the needle yet! See that I use my finger to hold the second loop from the tip fixed against the needle?
Drop the loop, and only the loop closest to the needle tip, off the needle.
Repeat steps 1 to 4 until there is 1 stitch left in the row.
Knit this last stitch.
Next, we can turn the work to start the WS instructions.
Now insert the needle purl wise through the first two stitches on the left-hand needle.
Wrap the working yarn around the right-hand needle….
… pull the yarn through the 2 stitches.
Again, I use my finger to hold the second loop from the tip fixed against the needle.
This is how it looks after I’ve dropped the loop closest to the needle tip, off the needle.
Repeat steps 6 to 9, until there is 1 stitch left in the row.
Purl this last stitch.
Repeat steps 1-10 for the stitch pattern.
The result
Viewed from the right side of the fabric:
Viewed from the wrong side of the fabric:
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.
This post will give you the instructions for working seed stitch. It’s a very simple stitch pattern, using only knits and purls. This stitch pattern is worked on both right side and wrong side rows, and is a multiple of 2 stitches. Because the patterning alternates knits and purls, it creates a fabric that does not curl. This makes it a very lovely alternative for garter stitch or rib stitch to create non-rolling edges for your project.
A good thing to keep in mind when working seed stitch, is that this is a stitch pattern where you always purl the knits and knit the purls. No matter if you’re working the wrong side or the right side of the fabric, over an even or an odd number of stitches, work flat back and forth or in the round. My post about “knit the knits and purl the purls” gives you some pointers on how to read your knitting to make this easier.
Ok, let’s get started!
Materials used
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.
Seed stitch instructions – even number of stitches
On an even number of stitches, work the following 2 rows for the pattern:
Row 1 (right side): *K1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 2: (wrong side): *P1, k1; rep from * to end.
Seed stitch instructions – odd number of stitches
In the case of an odd number of stitches, work the following instead:
Row 1: *K1, p1; rep from * to 1 st before end, k1.
Repeat row 1 for all following rows.
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.
Stumped by how to go about picking up stitches to work a neckline? Many garment designs consist of working the body first, and working the neckband later on. This is often done to have the cast-on or bind-off edge at the neck help in stabilizing the fabric. This prevents it from sagging when worn. In those cases, picking up the stitches to work the neckband, is one of the last steps in completing the garment.
Usually, patterns give an indication of how many stitches to pick up. Still, it can be a challenge to pick up the correct number. And, more importantly, have them distributed evenly over all sections of the neckline. As with all knitting things, there are multiple ways and techniques for picking up stitches around a neckline. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how I go about it.
In this tutorial, I’m using my Hay tee as an example. It’s a design by Annarita Ceretti, you can find the pattern here (LoveCrafts link). On a side note, I often work the neckband when I’m midway the miles of stockinette of a garment body. It breaks it up a bit. It also has the added benefit that the neckband already done by the time most of the knitting is completed.
Materials used
Garment WIP: Hay tee work-in-progress, you’ll also need yarn to work the neckband. Here I’m using a mercerized cotton.
Other materials: Bulb pins or removable stitch markers, a circular knitting needle in a size 0.5 mm smaller than used for the body of the garment and a crochet hook in a similar size. The crochet hook is optional, but I find it makes picking up stitches a lot easier. Therefor, I certainly recommend using one.
Marking the sections
Let’s get started with picking up stitches to work a neckline! Every neckline consists of sections. Picking up the correct number of stitches from them is easier if you plan ahead. Part of this is marking the sections with your bulb pins or removable stitch markers. Most necklines have a combination of types of sections. Horizontal sections; bound off or cast on, depending on if you’re working bottom-up or top-down. Diagonal edges shaped with decreases, and vertical edges that are worked even.
Let’s take a look at how my neckline actually looks when put in a schematic. In the below picture, A en C are the stitches over the shoulders. B is for the back stitches. F for the stitches that were cast on for the horizontal bit of the neckline in the front of the garment. D and E are the diagonal parts of the neckline, where shaping was worked.
Now we have to take a look at the pattern to see how many stitches are in every section for the size we’re making. The neckband instructions in the pattern may indicate a specific number of stitches to pick up for each section. Alternatively, the pattern may indicate how many stitches to pick up in total. This is often paired with suggested pick-up ratios in each section to help you hit the target number. For my size, my Hay tee pattern instructs me to pick up a total of 162 sts. But how are those to be divided over the various sections?
In my tee, I had to CO 100 sts for A + B +C. A further instruction on the placement of stitch markers gave me the information that my B = 56 sts, and A = C = 22 sts. The instructions for the front yoke CO tell me my F = 38 sts.
But how to deal with D and E?
Pick-up ratio’s
For sections D and E we will have to pick up stitches along the diagonal edge. This means we can’t just pick up every stitch at the edge that we encounter. This is because stitches are usually wider than that they are tall, and there will be more rows than stitches per given length. In other words: picking up every single one would end up in a distorted neckline. That’s where the pick-up ratio’s come in.
If no ratio is specified in the pattern, picking up approx. 2 stitches for every 3 rows or 3 stitches for every 4 rows for stockinette fabric is a good rule of thumb. Do you have a different kind of fabric, or does your gauge differ a lot from the one in the pattern? Then you can easily calculate the ratio by dividing your stitch gauge by your row gauge. Don’t forget to wash and dry the swatch as you would do with the garment before measuring, though, or the results won’t be reliable.
The diagonal edges in my tee
Going back to my tee! My pattern said to pick up 162 sts total, which would mean that I would need to pick up 12 sts for both D and E. However, my gauge is a tad tighter than the pattern was written for. To counter that, I worked more rows in the yoke increase section. This means that for me, it’s a better approach to see how many rows of knitting are actually in the diagonal section and use the rule of thumb to calculate my stitches. I counted 24 rows, using the 2 stitches for every 3 rows ratio, this gives me D = E = 16 sts.
Please note that I also like to pick up stitches in the corners on both sides of the front yoke CO to prevent any gaps there. These I decrease away again on the first round of knitting the neckband.
Now we have the totals of stitches, we should also check to see if we run in any issues with the ribbing. In my case, I’ll be working 1×1 rib, so it works out alright. If you’re working 2×2 rib or another pattern requiring a certain multiple of stitches, you should do the check and adjust if necessary. You can do this by decreasing in one or more of the orange corners indicated above. You can also adjust the pick-up of stitches in the diagonal sections D and E towards the other pick-up ratio to get a number that works better.
Once we have all our numbers, we can go ahead and put the bulb pins or locking stitch markers in place for the various sections.
Let’s start picking up those stitches!
I like to start at the back because it makes it easier to hide the ends that have to woven in later on. Also, it means I can start with an “easy” section, just pick and knit one stitch for every stitch in the CO or BO edge that I encounter. For this, I insert my crochet hook through the center of a stitch below the edge, wrap the working yarn around the hook, pull it through the stitch to the front, then place it on my knitting needle.
You can find a detailed tutorial on doing this without a crochet hook here.
From the back stitches (B) I continue with the shoulder stitches (C). I’m putting the bulb pins on my knitting needle whenever I encounter one. This is also a good point to count the number of stitches picked up in the previous section, to make sure that we’re on track. The bulb pins or stitch markers on the needle form an indication of the transition points between the various neckline sections, and help in keeping track of the stitch count per section.
Next up, is picking up the stitches along the first diagonal edge (E). To do so, insert the crochet hook through the space between the selvedge stitch and the next stitch, wrap the working yarn around the hook, pull it through to the front, and put it on the knitting needle.
Continue picking up and knitting the stitches along the various horizontal and diagonal sections. The result you can see below, ready to work the neckband!
The result
After working the neckband (in my case in 1×1 rib), not forgetting the decreases in the first round, and working the BO in pattern, this is the result. Please note, both pictures are before blocking!
This is how to go about picking up stitches to work a neckline!
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.
Twilight Disco is a delightfully whimsical shawl – a lovely layering piece with a lot of playful character. From the easy mindless knitting in the body of the shawl, to the colorful patterning in the border, what’s not to like?!
The shawl is started with a garter tab. The color work in the border is done using the slip-stitch mosaic technique, so you will be handling only one strand of yarn at all times. The border patterning is both charted and written out.
Pay what you want: (minimum €6.95)
€
Difficulty level
This triangle-shaped shawl is knit from the top down, starting with a garter tab cast-on. The edging uses the slip-stitch mosaic color work technique. Stitches used include knit, purl, right- and left-leaning increases, k2tog tbl, as well as slipping stitches. This pattern is therefor suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
Finished dimensions of the sample shawl: 165.5 cm (65 inches) along the upper edge and a depth of 73.5 cm (29 inches), measured after blocking.
Change the size of the Twilight Disco shawl 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: Approx. 15 sts / 28 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 used.
Pattern languages included: English.
Digital PDF has 6 pages (letter size)
Materials
Yarn: Jawoll Superwash by Lang Yarns (75% wool, 25% nylon; 210 m (230 yds) / 50 g) in the following colors. Substitute any plied fingering weight yarn in solid or tonal colors for a similar result.
MC: 420 m (460 yds) / 100 g in 226 Pale Gray.
CC: 210 m (230 yds) / 50 g in 385 Neon Pink.
Size 3.5 mm (US 4) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles, choose needles appropriate for the yarn chosen.
