stitch pattern Archives - La Visch Designs

stitch pattern – working the (k tbl, yo, skp, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch

Working the (k tbl, yo, skp, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch - a stitch pattern by La Visch Designs

In one of my new patterns, I used this stitch pattern from the Japanese knitting stitch bible. It consists of (k tbl, p2) rib, with strategically place wrapped stitches to create a lovely smocking effect, It was a bit of a struggle to determine exactly how to execute this stitch. So, I thought to make it into a step-by-step post. As the description says, you basically wrap your working yarn around the group of stitches described. Below, I’ll show you how to work the (k tbl, yo, skp, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch.

Let’s get started!

Materials used

RMR Yarn Co. Zihuatanejo DK in Casi Casi

Yarn: RMR Yarn Co. Zihuatanejo DK, a wonderful vibrant 100% Merino yarn, here in the color Casi Casi.

Knitting needles: Some Zing knitting needles, and yes I know I’m using a ridiculously small size for a DK weight yarn; I’m a VERY loose knitter…

I’m also using a cable needle in the same size as my main needles.

Working the (k tbl, yo, skp, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch step by step

To start, work as instructed by your pattern until the point where you want to make the wrapped stitch.
First, insert the cable needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle, and knit it through the back loop.
Next, wrap the working yarn around the cable needle, to form the yarn over.
Now work a skp decrease over the next 2 stitches on the left-hand needle, again using the cable needle as your right-hand needle.
In this picture, you can see how it looks after the decrease has been worked.
Next, insert the cable needle into the stitch on the left-hand needle, and knit it through the back loop.
With this, we have worked the group of stitches to be wrapped.
Now take your working yarn, and wrap it around the group of stitches on the cable needle in a counter-clockwise motion.
In other words, move the yarn to the front, from left to right, and then onwards around the back from right to left until it’s in its starting position.
Repeat step 6 once again for the second wrap.
To finish the stitch, slip each of the 4 stitches on the cable needle purl-wise to the right-hand knitting needle. At this point, you can tighten the wrapped yarn a bit if the wrap is a bit loose.

The result

In the picture below, you can see the (k tbl, yo, skp, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch, directly after I’ve slipped all the stitches from the cable needle to the right-hand needle. You can also see some of the other wrapped stitches I’ve already worked in this piece of knitting.

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stitch pattern – tuck stitch with lifted purl bump

Tuck stitch with lifted purl bump - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

When working a tuck stitch, you basically lift a part of a stitch several rows below in your project, and work it together with a stitch to be worked. Doing so, creates ridges due to the fabric pulling in. These, in turn, can be used to create all sorts of patterning with a lot of texture. As said, you’re working a stitch several rows below, usually somewhere between 3 and 9 rows down. It can be worked in knit or in purl, directly below the stitch on the needle, or slightly slanted.

In this particular how-to, I’ll be showing you how to work a tuck stitch 6 rows down, with a lifted purl bump. Because I’m going to lift a purl bump, I will be working it from the wrong side of the fabric. If you’re doing a project in reverse stockinette, though, you would have to work this stitch from the right side where the purl bumps would be.

Ok, get your materials and work along with me!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in Vintage Pink.

Needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

Working the tuck stitch with lifted purl bump step by step

To start, work as instructed by your pattern until the point where you want to make the tuck stitch.
First, slip the next stitch purl-wise from the left-hand to the right-hand knitting needle. In this picture, I’ve just inserted the right-hand needle into that stitch.
Next, insert the tip of the left-hand needle from top to bottom into the purl bump, 6 rows below the stitch slipped to the right-hand needle.
Inserting the needle from top to bottom places the loop as a twisted stitch on the needle. This way, once worked, it will show as a twisted stitch, with crossed legs and therefor a tad tighter than when worked the other way. Of course, if you don’t want a twisted stitch there, just insert the needle from bottom to top instead.
Lift the loop of the purl bump up, and place it onto the left-hand needle. In this case, it stretches out quite a bit. Next, slip the first stitch from the right-hand needle back to the left-hand needle.
To finish this tuck stitch, work a p2tog on the slipped stitch, together with the lifted loop.
As you can see, the fabric draws in a bit.

The result

Below, you can see the result after working another right side row, first from the wrong side, then from the right side. Due to the picked up loop stretching out that much, the effect isn’t as pronounced as I hoped. That said, this could be tweaked by knitting a tighter fabric and thus causing less stretching, or by picking up the loop more rows below.

Tuck stitch with lifted purl bump - the result on the RS — Tuck stitch with lifted purl bump – the result on the RS

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stitch pattern – working the (k tbl, p2, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch

Working the (k tbl, p2, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch - a stitch pattern by La Visch Designs

Let’s get started!

Materials used

Yarn: RMR Yarn Co. Zihuatanejo DK, a wonderful vibrant 100% Merino yarn, here in the color Casi Casi.

Knitting needles: Some Zing knitting needles, and yes I know I’m using a ridiculously small size for a DK weight yarn; I’m a VERY loose knitter…

I’m also using a cable needle in the same size as my main needles.

Working the (k tbl, p2, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch step by step

To start, work as instructed by your pattern until the point where you want to make the wrapped stitch.
First, insert the cable needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle, and knit it through the back loop. In the below picture, I have not yet slipped the stitch worked off the left-hand knitting needle.
Next, p1 stitch onto the cable needle.
Purl another stitch onto the cable needle.
Next, insert the cable needle into the stitch on the left-hand needle, and knit it through the back loop.
With this, we have worked the group of stitches to be wrapped.
Now take your working yarn, and wrap it around the group of stitches on the cable needle in a counter-clockwise motion.
In other words, move the yarn to the front, from left to right, and then onwards around the back from right to left until it’s in its starting position.
Repeat step 6 once again for the second wrap.
To finish the stitch, slip each of the 4 stitches on the cable needle purl-wise to the right-hand knitting needle. At this point, you can tighten the wrapped yarn a bit if the wrap is a bit loose.

The result

In the picture below, I’ve also worked a wrong-side row after the row with the (k tbl, p2, k tbl) wrapped twice stitch. You can also see some of the other wrapped stitches I’ve already worked in this piece of knitting.

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stitch pattern – working a Vikkel braid in a contrasting color

Working a Vikkel braid in a contrasting color by La Visch Designs

A Vikkel braid, also known as an Estonian or lateral braid, is a decorative knitting technique used to create a horizontal braid-like texture across the fabric. It’s often used in traditional Estonian knitting, especially in mittens and cuffs, to add both structure and ornamentation. It can serve as a nice demarcation of the ribbing and the rest of the fabric. Especially when working the Vikkel braid in a contrasting color. Its key feature, is that it creates a raised, twisted horizontal band that looks like a chain of stitches.

The braid is worked in a single row. It’s common to have a plain row in the main color above and below it to frame it nicely. This also prevents the purl stitches in the ribbing from distorting the braid. Some folks advise dropping down a needle size when working the braid, because it can be a tad loose otherwise. In this how-to, I didn’t do that and found the tension to be ok. But, be warned, and try it out for yourself and adjust where needed.

In this article, I’m showing you how to do a Vikkel braid worked flat in a single contrasting color.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in Marine Blue for MC and Tea Rose for the CC.

Needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

Working a Vikkel braid in a contrasting color step by step

A Vikkel braid can be worked over any number of stitches, after or just before ribbing. In this example, I’m using a swatch in 2×2 rib.

I’m going to work my Vikkel braid onto this swatch.
To prevent any distortion in the braid, I’m working another right side row in 2×2 rib, followed by a wrong side row in purl, both in the main color (MC) used.
That single row without patterning won’t be noticeable in the final result, but will prevent the braid from being wobbly.
With the yarn in the contrasting color (CC), cast-on a stitch. Here I used the knitted-on cast-on, but the cable cast-on would also work.
Slip the newly cast-on stitch back to the left-hand needle.
Next, insert the right-hand needle through the back loop of the 2nd stitch.
Because it’s a stitch in the MC we’re knitting into, wrap the MC yarn around….
…. and pull it through.
Do not slip the stitch of the needle yet!
Now, insert the needle into the first (CC) stitch as if to knit (because we’re going to knit it).
Because this is a CC stitch, we’re knitting into, use the CC yarn to wrap around the needle….
Because we’re working with 2 different colors of yarn, you will have to manage how to hold the strands, and be consistent throughout. I found it easiest to hold them in such a way, that I could grab the MC yarn from below, and the CC yarn from above.
… and pull it through.
Now you can slip the 2 stitches nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle off.
It can be confusing which loops are to be slipped off, in my case it helped to look at the ribbing below the braid. I started out with 2 knit stitches, and CO on one extra. This meant that after slipping 2 stitches off, I had to have 1 knit stitch on the needle left.
Slip the stitch nearest to the tip of the right-hand needle, back to the left-hand needle.
Repeat steps 5-12 until 1 stitch remains.
This is how it looks by then.
Next, knit the stitch using the MC yarn.
Now insert the left-hand needle into the last stitch made with the CC yarn…
… and pass it over the stitch just knit.
Once we’ve done that last step, we can admire our result: A lovely Vikkel braid, worked in a contrasting color!

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stitch pattern – working a Vikkel braid in the round

Working a Vikkel braid in the round by La Visch Designs

A Vikkel braid, also known as an Estonian or lateral braid, is a decorative knitting technique used to create a horizontal braid-like texture across the fabric. It’s often used in traditional Estonian knitting, especially in mittens and cuffs, to add both structure and ornamentation. It can serve as a nice demarcation of the ribbing and the rest of the fabric. Its key feature, is that it creates a raised, twisted horizontal band that looks like a chain of stitches.

This braid is worked in a single round. It’s common to have a plain round above and below it to frame it nicely, and to prevent the purl stitches in the ribbing to distort the braid. Some folks advise dropping down a needle size when working the braid, because it can be a tad loose otherwise. In this how-to, I didn’t do that and found the tension to be ok. But, be warned, and try it out for yourself and adjust where needed.

In this article, I’m showing you how to do a Vikkel braid in the round, in a single color. In this post, you can see how to work it flat. The main difference between the in the round version and the flat version, is how it’s started and ended. When working a Vikkel braid in the round, it’s prettiest if the switch to a new round is jogless. There are, of course, many ways to go about it. The version shown here, is just the one that I like best. I’ll show how to braid a lateral braid in a contrasting color, sometime in the future.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Tea Rose.

Needles: This is a tiny circular needle by Addi in the size 4 mm (US 6), and a length of 25 cm (10 inches).

Working a Vikkel braid in the round step by step

A Vikkel braid can be worked over any number of stitches, after or just before ribbing. In this example, I’m using a swatch worked in the round, in plain stockinette.

I’m going to work my Vikkel braid onto this swatch.
Slip the last stitch of the previous round from the right-hand to the left-hand needle.
Next, insert the right-hand needle through the back loop of the 2nd stitch.
Wrap the yarn around….
And yes, I know I wrapped the yarn in the picture around the needle not the correct way around. It still delivered knitting!
…. and pull it through.
Do not slip the stitch of the needle yet!
Now, insert the needle into the first stitch as if to knit (because we’re going to knit it).
Again, wrap the yarn around the needle….
… and pull it through.
Now you can slip the 2 stitches nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle off.
Slip the stitch nearest to the tip of the right-hand needle, back to the left-hand needle.
Repeat steps 3-10 until 1 stitch remains.
This is how it looks when working the Vikkel braid across the round.
Next, repeat steps 3-9 once more.
Now it’s time to close the round in such a way that the Vikkel braid appears jogless.
First, insert your right-hand knitting needle from bottom to top through both legs of the first “V” of the Vikkel braid.
Then, lift both loops onto the needle as pictured:
Now slip the stitch nearest to the tip of the right-hand needle, to the left-hand needle.
To finish the round, pull both Vikkel-braid loops over the stitch nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle.
Slip the stitch back to the right-hand needle, and you’re ready to continue your knitting project.

The result

In the below picture, you see the result, after I’ve inserted an end-of-round stitch marker, and worked a bit more than 1 round. Pretty jogless, if you ask me!

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stitch pattern – working a Vikkel or Estonian braid

Working a Vikkel braid by La Visch Designs

A Vikkel braid, also known as an Estonian or lateral braid, is a decorative knitting technique used to create a horizontal braid-like texture across the fabric. It’s often used in traditional Estonian knitting, especially in mittens and cuffs, to add both structure and ornamentation. It can serve as a nice demarcation of the ribbing and the rest of the fabric. Its key feature, is that it creates a raised, twisted horizontal band that looks like a chain of stitches.

The braid is worked in a single row. It’s common to have a plain row above and below it to frame it nicely, and to prevent the purl stitches in the ribbing to distort the braid. Some folks advise dropping down a needle size when working the braid, because it can be a tad loose otherwise. In this how-to, I didn’t do that and found the tension to be ok. But, be warned, and try it out for yourself and adjust where needed.

In this article, I’m showing you how to do a Vikkel braid worked flat in a single color. It is, however, also possible to work it in the round, and in a contrasting color. I’ll show those variations sometime in the future.

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 Vikkel braid step by step

A Vikkel braid can be worked over any number of stitches, after or just before ribbing. In this example, I’m using a swatch in 2×2 rib.

I’m going to work my Vikkel braid onto this swatch.
To prevent any distortion in the braid, I’m working another right side row in 2×2 rib, followed by a wrong side row in purl.
That single row without patterning won’t be noticeable in the final result, but will prevent the braid from being wobbly.
Cast-on a stitch, here I used the knitted-on cast-on, but the cable cast-on would also work.
Slip the newly cast-on stitch back to the left-hand needle.
Next, insert the right-hand needle through the back loop of the 2nd stitch.
Wrap the yarn around….
…. and pull it through.
Do not slip the stitch of the needle yet!
Now, insert the needle into the first stitch as if to knit (because we’re going to knit it).
Again, wrap the yarn around the needle….
… and pull it through.
Now you can slip the 2 stitches nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle off.
Slip the stitch nearest to the tip of the right-hand needle, back to the left-hand needle.
Repeat steps 5-12 until 1 stitch remains, then repeat steps 5-11 once more.
This is how it looks by then. Pretty, right?!

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stitch pattern – ribbed heart stitch

The ribbed heart stitch - by La Visch Designs

The ribbed heart stitch pattern is a textured knitting pattern that looks like little stacked hearts, against a background of reverse stockinette stitch. It may look complicated to work, but it’s really not that hard. You create the effect by pulling up loops from the center of a stitch, a couple of rows below the one that you’re working. These loops are slipped a couple of rows, before they’re anchored by doing some regular left- and right leaning decreases. It’s a versatile stitch pattern that can be used in any place you’d used regular ribbing. However, because it’s so pretty, it’s lovely as all-over patterning for blankets, for example.

This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 5 stitches + 2, and in a four-row repeat. Please note that in this swatch, I’ve added 2 edge stitches on each side.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here 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
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
p – purl
pulling up a loop – in this stitch pattern this means that you insert your knitting needle into the knit stitch in the middle of the 3 knit stitches, 4 rows down. Next, wrap the yarn around the needle, and pull it through. Take a look at the photograph below to see how this looks like.
skp – slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. Replace this decrease with a ssk, if preferred.
sl – slip 1 stitch purl-wise
st(s) – stitch(es)

Ribbed heart stitch instructions

Set-up row 1 (RS): P2, *k3, p2*; rep *-* to end.
Set-up row 2 (WS): K2, *p3, k2*; rep *-* to end.
Set-up rows 3-4: Rep set-up rows 1 and 2 once.

Row 1 (RS): P2, *pull up a loop through the knit st in the middle of the 3 knit sts, 4 rows down, k3, pull up another loop through the same st, p2*; rep *-* to end.
Row 2 (WS): K2, *move the working yarn to the front of the work and sl1, p3, sl1*; rep *-* to end.
Row 3: P2, *skp, k1, k2tog, p2*; rep *-* to end.
Row 4: K2, *p3, k2*; rep *-* to end.

Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern until desired length.

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.

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stitch pattern – the honeycomb cable stitch

With cable knitting, you usually work stitches in stockinette against a background of either garter stitch or reverse stockinette. The cables themselves are worked in stockinette, and once every few rows the order of those stitches on your knitting needle is changed. However, unlike most cable stitch patterns, the honeycomb cable does not use any background stitches. The pattern is purely cable crossings every few rows to create the all-over honeycomb effect.

Stitch patterns with cables can be very complex. In this stitch pattern, however, I show you a simple 2/2 RC, and a 2/2 LC cable. This stitch pattern is worked in a multiple of 8 stitches. Please note that in the above picture, I did not add any edge stitches to the swatch.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Marine Blue.

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

You will also need a cable needle in a similar or slightly smaller size as your knitting needles. Unless, of course, you’re going to work the cables without a cable needle. The cables made in this stitch pattern are small enough to make that doable.

Stitches used

k – knit
p – purl
2/2 LC (2/2 left-cross cable): Slip next 2 stitches to cable needle and place at front of work, k2, then k2 from cable needle.
2/2 RC (2/2 right-cross cable): Slip next 2 stitches to cable needle and place at back of work, k2, then k2 from cable needle.

Honeycomb cable stitch instructions

Row 1 (right side): Knit. (8 sts)
Row 2 and all following wrong side rows: Purl.
Row 3: *2/2 RC, 2/2 LC*; rep *-* to end.
Row 5: Knit.
Row 7: *2/2 LC, 2/2 RC*; rep *-* to end.
Row 8: Purl.

Repeat rows 1-8 for pattern.
To adjust this stitch pattern for working in the round, simply replace all purl instructions with knit!

The honeycomb cable stitch from the right side.

The honeycomb cable stitch from the wrong side.

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stitch pattern – slip stitch rib

The slip stitch rib stitch pattern is a textured knitting pattern that creates a beautifully subtle, somewhat stretchy fabric. It looks a lot like regular k1, p2 rib, but the knit stitch spans 2 rows instead of 1. It’s a versatile stitch pattern often used for garments, accessories, and home decor projects, as it offers a balance between structure and flexibility. Unlike regular rib, my swatch did have a tendency to roll a bit. It’s also less elastic than regular rib. That said, the slip stitch technique, combined with knit stitches, results in a pattern that is both simple to execute and visually interesting.

This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 3 stitches + 2, and in a two-row repeat. Please note that in this swatch, no edge stitches have been added.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here 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
p – purl
st(s) – stitch(es)

Slip stitch rib instructions

Set-up row: K2, *p1, k2*; rep *-* to end.
Row 1 (RS): *P2, slip the next st with yarn in back*; rep *-* to 2 sts before end, p2.
Row 2 (WS): K2, *p1, k2*; rep *-* to end.

Repeat rows 1-2 for pattern until desired length.

Below you can see how this stitch pattern looks, first as seen the from the right side, and then from the wrong side of the fabric.

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stitch pattern – bubble stitch

The bubble stitch is a lovely way to add texture to your knitting. This pattern creates three-dimensional bubbles in the fabric, making it great to add extra interest to your projects. It’s a stitch pattern, that is known under many different names. You can also encounter it as the bubble wrap stitch, and the air bobble stitch. While the bubble stitch may look similar to the regular bobble stitch, it’s structured very differently. The bubble stitch creates a pattern of raised, rounded bubbles across the fabric, through a combination of knit and purl stitches and elongated stitches. The bobble stitch, on the other hand, involves creating a protruding, three-dimensional knot by working multiple stitches into one, and then decreasing back to a single stitch.

This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 4 stitches + 3, and in a twelve-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, here in the color Tea Rose.

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
k4b – knit 4 below
p – purl
st(s) – stitch(es)

Bubble stitch instructions

Row 1 (right side): Knit.
Row 2 and all following wrong side rows: Purl.
Row 3: Knit.
Row 5: K3, *k4b, k3*; rep *-* to end.
Row 7: Knit.
Row 9: Knit.
Row 11: K1, *k4b, k3*; rep *-* to 2 sts before end, k4b, k1.
Row 12: Purl.

Repeat rows 1-12 for pattern until desired length.

Please note that if you want to work this pattern in multiple colors, change colors after row 4 and 10.

Below you can see how this stitch pattern looks, first as seen the from the right side, and then from the wrong side of the fabric.

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