The Peppercorn Stitch is a lovely textured knitting stitch. It creates small, rounded bobbles across a stockinette background. The little raised stitches look a bit like scattered peppercorns, giving the fabric a subtle three-dimensional texture without making it overly bulky. This is a useful stitch pattern when you want to add interest to a relatively simple knitted fabric. It works particularly well for accessories such as scarves, cowls and hats, as well as cushions, blankets and other home projects. The texture is decorative enough to stand on its own, but it can (of course) also be combined with larger areas of stockinette stitch.
This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 4+3 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. I have not included these in the stitch pattern description.
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, in the color 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
- k tbl — knit through the back loop
- MP – make peppercorn: K1, (slip the stitch just worked back to the left-hand needle, then k tbl) 3 times.
- p – purl
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- rep – repeat
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Peppercorn stitch
Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches + 3.
Row 1 (RS): K3, *MP, k3*; rep *-* to end.
Row 2 (WS): Purl
Row 3: K1, *MP, k3*; rep *-* to end.
Row 4: Purl.
Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern until desired length.
Tip: When working the peppercorn, keep the stitches reasonably loose. This makes it easier to slip the stitch back to the left-hand needle and work through the back loop.
In the below pictures, you see the patterning first from the right, and then also from the wrong side of the fabric:
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