stitch pattern – quatrefoil stitch

The quatrefoil stitch is a stitch pattern in the category of eyelet stitches. It’s made by working a group of 4 yarn overs, each flanked by a single decrease. Each group of 4 eyelets is alternated, making this a lovely pattern to use allover in a project.

This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 8 stitches, and in a sixteen-row repeat. Please note that I’ve added 2 edge stitches in garter stitch on both sides of the swatch.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, in the color Spearmint green.

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
• k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
• p – purl
• RS / WS – right side / wrong side
• yo – yarn over
• rep – repeat
• skp – slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch, pass the slipped stitch over
• st(s) – stitch(es)

Quatrefoil stitch

Row 1 (RS): Knit. (15 sts)
Row 2 and all following WS rows: Purl.
Row 3: K2, *k1, yo, skp, k5; rep from * to 5 sts before end, k1, yo, skp, k2.
Row 5: K1, k2tog, *yo, k1, yo, skp, k3, k2tog; rep from * to 4 sts before end, yo, k1, yo, skp, k1.
Row 7: K2, *k1, yo, k2tog, k5; rep from * to 5 sts before end, k1, yo, k2tog, k2.
Row 9: Knit.
Row 11: K2, *k5, yo, skp, k1; rep from * to 5 sts before end, k5.
Row 13: K2, *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, skp; rep from * to 5 sts before end, k5.
Row 15: K2, *k5, yo, k2tog, k1; rep from * to 5 sts before end, k5.
Row 16: Purl.

Repeat rows 1-16 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:

To get an impression of how this stitch looks as an all-over pattern: