Time for another charity block! I had no trouble choosing to try this zig zag rib–it looks so cool! But I expected it to be complicated or at least a little annoying. (I don’t like complex detail work when I’m knitting–you won’t catch me knitting an Aran sweater anytime soon.) As it turns out, I […]
stitches
Mock Cable Charity Block (#13)
While we’re in the middle of Covid-19 uncertainty and social distancing, charity blocks are an ideal knitting project. They’re easy and quick to finish, so that you feel like you’ve accomplished something. Knitting is great for relieving anxiety, and these blocks are perfect for restless knitting, when you can’t focus on anything complicated—simple rectangles, with […]
Charity Block #12: Fishermans Rib
I started playing with the fisherman’s rib stitch because it looked like a nice, slightly different 1×1 rib. (I found the pattern on knittingstitchpatterns.com.) I didn’t realize until I actually started to knit that it’s a single-color brioche stitch. It’s not done at all like the two-color brioche that I used to make my color […]
Charity Block #11: Slipped Rib
I found this stitch pattern in a book I got for Christmas: 750 Knitting Stitches. I decided to try it out because I have two baby blankets to make this year, and it looked like a simple, cute, and cozy stitch pattern to use for one of them. (I ended up going a different way […]
Increasing: How to Make One (m1 and m1r)
I wasn’t a fan of the make one (m1) increase when I first tried it. I’ve always used k1fb, and it has worked well for almost every project. But m1 has the advantage of blending in a little better to the stitches around it, and sometimes you need that. After using m1 and its reverse, […]
Increasing: How to Knit One in Front and Back (k1fb)
Knit one in front and back (k1fb) is a common increase stitch, and it’s really easy once you get the hang of it. You start by knitting the stitch as you normally would (through the front loop, or the part of the stitch that is in front of the needle), but you do NOT slide […]
Decreasing: Left-Slanting Decrease Stitches
For my final post on decrease stitches, I have a couple of left-slanting decreases as alternatives to ssk. The first one, which you may see in patterns instead of ssk, is sl1, k1, psso, or slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over. This stitch is exactly what it sounds like: Slip the first […]
Decreasing: How to Slip Slip Knit (ssk)
Following in my series of tutorials on decrease stitches, we have slip slip knit (ssk). Slip slip knit is another common decrease and is knit two together‘s opposite–where k2tog slants right, ssk slants left. This is important for certain clothing items that should look symmetrical, like sweaters, socks, and mittens, or even Christmas stockings. It […]
Decreasing: How to Purl Two Together (p2tog)
Because purl two together (p2tog) is less common in patterns than knit two together (k2tog), it can seem intimidating at first, but it’s another really easy decrease. It has the same effect as k2tog only it’s worked on the wrong side. (You k2tog when you’re knitting, and you p2tog when you’re purling, and they […]
Decreasing: How to Knit Two Together (k2tog)
So you’re ready to try something beyond a scarf or a blanket. Maybe something like a hat, that requires a little bit of shaping. There are a number of decrease stitches that allow you to shape the top of a hat, but the most common one you’ll see, and the simplest, is k2tog, or […]
